Sharing Is Good: How to Save Money, Time and Resources Through Collaborative Consumption (18 page)

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Cost to join?
No. Registering on TradeAway is always free. There are fees associated with a number of optional upgrades you can

make to an account or listing.

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One-for-one sharing?
No. Both direct sales and trades are facilitated through the Tradeaway system.

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Point system?
Yes. TradeCredits are a non-cash, barter currency used by members to pay for items and store value in the system.

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International?
No. Tradeaway is only open to residents of the United States.

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Who pays for shipping?
Shipping arrangements and costs are worked out between trading parties.

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Insurance?
No.

Listia.com
— Listia is an online auction platform where you win other people’s stuff, from electronics, to crafts and antiques.

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Cost to join?
No.

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One-for-one sharing?
No. People bid on listings using credits they’ve earned. The highest bid wins.

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Point system?
Yes. Points are earned for signing up, listing items, making trades, inviting friends, and joining Listia on social networking sites.

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International?
Yes, although most listings are in the United States.

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Who pays for shipping?
In most cases, the item owner pays for shipping.

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Insurance?
No.

Skills/Time

The sharing of skills, knowledge, and time is a very important part of the collaborative consumption movement. When people share

their time, new skills are learned, new connections forged, and self-sufficiency gained. We start to appreciate skills that were forgotten when we started buying things instead of making or repairing them.

You don’t have to be an expert to teach what you know, and no skill is too small or insignificant to share with others.

Even if you don’t have a particular skill you’d like to share, your time is still a valuable resource. Ever heard the phrase
time is money
?

Time banks allow members to turn hours into equity that can then

be used to trade for things or services. Peer-to-peer errand and task networks make it easy to hire your neighbors to complete short-term projects. Some people have even turned time-sharing into a

full-time job. Sharing your time helps people (including you) save money, eliminate multiple car trips, and support the local economy.

TaskRabbit.com
— This errand and delivery marketplace connects people who have extra time with people who don’t. Members, called

“TaskRabbits,” can make extra money by doing odd jobs or small

tasks for those who are tight on time.

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Where is it offered?
United States only. TaskRabbit services are currently available in Boston, SF Bay Area, San Antonio, Austin,

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Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles & Orange County, and

New York City.

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Who can use it?
Both individuals and businesses can use TaskRabbit to get things done while supporting the local economy.

Several well-known companies use TaskRabbit, including Yahoo!,

Meetup, and Eventbrite.

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Cost to join?
No. However, there is a price for each task (this is the maximum amount a TaskPoster is willing to pay to get a job done).

Most of the fee goes directly to the TaskRabbit, who makes at least what he or she bids. A portion of each fee, called a service fee, is paid to the company for each transaction. The service fee is calculated on a sliding scale — the higher the TaskPrice, the lower the service fee.

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What about safety?
To ensure the safety and security of the TaskPosters, each and every TaskRabbit goes through a multiple-step application process which includes an essay, video interviews and a background check before being selected to run Tasks.

Skillshare.com
— A global marketplace for classes. In this online community, users can learn real-world skills from anyone, anywhere.

Members can earn some extra cash by teaching a class or they can

learn a new skill to help them get that dream job or start a business.

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Where is it offered?
Skillshare community members teach in-person classes in their local communities as well as online classes that can be taken from around the world.

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Who can use it?
Both individuals and businesses can use Skillshare to inspire, share, or host a space for learning.

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Cost to join?
Posting a class on Skillshare is completely free.

Skillshare charges a 15 percent fee on all tickets sold. This only affects teachers; for students, the posted price is the price you pay.

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What about safety?
Skillshare has a site-wide set of Do’s and Don’ts meant to help teachers and students be good members of

the community. If a class is unsatisfactory, students are encour-

aged to work it out directly with teachers. If an agreement can’t What to Share

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be reached, Skillshare may step in as a Mediator. Additionally, all students are asked to provide feedback about each teacher.

Gigwalk.com
— A mobile marketplace that connects employers looking for part-time, temporary workers to thousands of qualified, smartphone-enabled people who are eager to do field work and earn a second paycheck through Gigwalk’s mobile app.

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Where is it offered?
United States.

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Who can use it?
Businesses who need things done, and people who are looking for extra money who have done or are willing to

do all kinds of work, from photography and data collection, to

retail audits and mobile app testing.

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Cost to join?
None for individuals, businesses pay Gigwalk to list their jobs.

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What about safety?
Most people only apply for gigs that are in their neighborhood or places with which they are already familiar.

There is an honor code and terms are listed on the site.

Airtasker.com
— A community marketplace that connects people who are looking for help getting everyday tasks and errands done

with friendly and reliable people who want to earn some extra cash in a fun and flexible way. Taskers list tasks and Runners place bids of how much they would charge to complete the task.

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Where is it offered?
Australia only.

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Who can use it?
Businesses and individuals with more errands than hours in the day, and individuals with free time that they’d like to turn into money.

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Cost to join?
Free to register and list tasks. Airtasker charges 15%

of the agreed Task amount and deducts this fee prior to releasing payment to the runner.

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What about safety?
Verification badges, reviews, and references help connect Taskers with the right Runner for the job. There are also safety tips for how to complete a job responsibly.

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BountyIt.com
— An online platform where people get monetary rewards for sharing their feedback, ideas, time, and skills with those who request them. A member might ask for feedback on a website

design, hire an accountant, or offer their babysitting skills. BountyIt provides the platform for people to compete for money and get services done without being exposed to much risk.

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Where is it offered?
Since transactions are brokered online, anyone in any country is welcome to join.

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Who can use it?
Both individuals and businesses can use BountyIt.

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Cost to join?
There’s no cost to join, but remember that BountyIt is designed to facilitate paid transactions. BountyIt makes money for its services by taking 20 percent of the offered bounty.

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What about safety?
BountyIt offers administrators that are available to help resolve disputes over feedback or services. Only

members in good standing are permitted to post or respond to a

Bounty listing.

SittingAround.com
— An online network of babysitting co-ops where members can trade free babysitting with other parents, or

build a local, private network of trusted paid sitters to share with your friends — or both. Also a great outlet for those who would like to work as a babysitter or nanny. Members earn points by babysitting and then spend those points to hire others to babysit for them.

Additionally, paid sitters can be hired and paid with real currency outside of the SittingAround system.

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Where is it offered?
Since this resource is online, it’s accessible by users in just about any country. However, most of the co-op

networks and sitters are in the United States, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, and France.

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Who can use it?
Parents, grandparents, and anyone else interested in finding a vetted sitter. Those who provide childcare services can also use the site.

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Cost to join?
Ad-supported memberships are free. Premium membership is just $15 per year — less than the cost of a single

night of babysitting.

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What about safety?
All sitters on the site are encouraged to run a background check on themselves through TalentShield. This

feature is available at no cost to the sitter, and helps parents to feel more comfortable when hiring a sitter outside their personal network. Messaging features make it easy to conduct a virtual

interview with potential sitters. If co-op members are unable to

resolve a dispute, a moderator acts as arbitrator in settling all issues. Issues mainly arise out of point discrepancies.

Zaarly.com
— A hyper-local online marketplace that makes it easy to buy and sell with your neighbors. Skills, services, and experiences can all be marketed through Zaarly’s simple online storefronts.

Hobbyists or part-time entrepreneurs can make money from their

passions in a simple and secure manner.

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Where is it offered?
Currently, Zaarly is only available in the United States.

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Cost to join?
Members only pay for the services and unique goods purchased through Zaarly, otherwise, the site is completely free to use.

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What about safety?
Zaarly offers a $10,000 guarantee on any transactions conducted through the site. Additionally, the site offers secure payments, secure messaging, and a community flagging

feature that allows members to draw inappropriate conduct to the

administrator’s attention immediately.

BabysitterExchange.com
— Established in 2000, BabysitterExchange al ows people to join or create online cooperatives for baby sitting, carpooling, sharing errands, pet-sitting, tutoring, and other help around the house. Each hyper-local, moderated community on the site uses tokens as non-monetary currency to facilitate transactions.

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Sharing is Good

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Where is it offered?
BabysitterExchange is open to members in the United States and Canada.

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Who can use it?
Anyone with a need to fill or a talent/resource to share.

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Cost to join?
BabysitterExchange is free for individuals to use.

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What about safety?
Communities on the site can only be accessed by those with a Security Key. A community’s Captain is the only

person that can provide a community’s Security Key. Disputes,

which most often arise over token transactions, are resolved di-

rectly by Community Captains. Additionally, each new member

must be “approved” by other private community members before

he or she can fulfill a service request.

Swappin.com
— A community that empowers people to make the most of their skills and talents without the limitations of the traditional job market. Skills and services can be swapped barter-style or purchased with cash. After you’ve created your profile, Swappin will suggest people to swap with in your area. You can also browse other members’ HAVEs and NEEDs on your own and suggest a swap.

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Where is it offered?
Currently Swappin is open only to those in the United States.

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Who can use it?
Members include skilled designers, developers, consultants, hairstylists, childcare professionals and babysitters, writers, massage therapists, automotive experts, home improvement professionals, contractors, gardeners, and others.

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Cost to join?
None; it’s free to join and take advantage of Swappin services.

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What about safety?
Swappin encourages members to work together to resolve disputes without intervention. In extreme cases, Swappin or a representative may become involved.

Participatory Government

Participatory government is the idea that all members of a population What to Share

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should be able to make meaningful contributions to decision-mak-

ing. For too long, we’ve been content to vote, or not, hoping that elected officials will actually keep their promise to act in the best interest of the people. The power of the Internet now makes it much easier for all levels of government to become transparent, sharing data and engaging the public in a dialogue that leads to more creative and efficient solutions. Here are a few resources that help citizens get more engaged in their own governance.

Neighborland.com
— People who live and work in a neighborhood know what services, infrastructure, and businesses their community needs, whether it’s a local grocery store, cafe with WiFi, bike lanes, or a recreational center. Neighborland offers residents a friendly and engaging tool to voice their needs and connect with like-minded