How the Sharing Economy is Enabling Smarter Working
Some small businesses may find it difficult to justify investing in marketing or IT departments, for example. Apps and websites focused on outsourcing tasks, from the mundane to the highly skilled (or both), address this problem.
Getting the job done
Time etc connects business people with virtual assistants, making delegation a little easier. Tasks include arranging travel, writing blog posts, transcription, invoicing, and managing social media accounts.
On a broader scale, Task Rabbit aims to help people get pretty much any job done, from painting a wall or hanging a picture to assembling flat-pack furniture. The system connects users to people who can help with laundry, delivery services, interior decoration, and repairs. So it could be a great option for getting the office up to scratch or moving bulky items.
Room to spare
Home-sharing companies like Airbnb and Homestay are used by leisure and business travellers to save money on hotels. But there are also initiatives for those who either don’t have an office or occasionally require a slightly more impressive meeting room than their kitchen. Spacehop is a kind of Airbnb for workspaces, where you can search for offices and meeting rooms with flexible terms. Desks can be rented by the month or day, while meeting rooms (often in people’s swanky homes) are available by the hour.
Vrumi categorises its listings to encompass different niches. Homeowners rent their studios to artists, for example, or allow yoga teachers to hold classes in their most peaceful rooms. Some spaces are designed to impress clients, while others are more about tucking yourself away in a quiet space conducive to creativity.
Pooling Your Resources
Maintaining a carpool is time-consuming and expensive. There are parking costs, maintenance, tax, insurance... But having vehicles available on-demand is pretty important if you sometimes need to attend meetings at the drop of a hat, or travel to another city at the last minute (or second).
Zipcar for Business was born to solve this dilemma. You can hire exactly the right vehicle for exactly the amount of time needed, with no wasted expense. Cars and vans can be unlocked via the app, with insurance, fuel, and parking charges included.
Of course, luxuries can seem frivolous when your main aim is to maximise profits. But a little bit of polish can also be seriously impressive. It can even help land lucrative business accounts. And this is where the sharing economy really comes into its own. Whether it’s renting someone’s mansion to entertain potential clients or booking a posh vehicle via Zipcar, the new generation of service providers means even the smallest businesses can impress with less cash—and less stress.
