Business Opportunities in the "Sharing Economy"

With the arrival of smartphones, tablets and domestic wi-fi networks allowed large groups of people, communities and companies to be connected 24/7 at low cost, share information and carry out transactions in real time backed by advanced security mechanisms.

This allowed new only online companies with almost immediately benefits, in many cases without having to pay for the ownership of products and services, but rather pay for their temporary use, although it is not their only use.

This model is known as the collaborative economy, and it is already drastically changing the economy as we know it. This consists of exchanging goods and services through digital platforms with a focus on the needs of users and not the final economic benefit.

Thanks to this scheme, instead of companies investing in physical infrastructure to deliver products or services, they create online platforms to act as intermediaries: they connect people who offer a product or service with those who require it. The company charges a commission for the operation of the platform and everyone involved gets something of value in exchange for their investment.

Many companies with rapid growth in recent years belong to this scheme and its success also implies the decline of other products and services, such as taxis, encyclopedias and hotels. However, four business opportunities provided by the sharing economy:

credit:pixabay

1. Collaborative consumption
   The best known, allows the exchange of goods and services through digital intermediaries. The best known examples are Uber and Airbnb for transport and accommodation, although it also includes vehicle rental such as Mobike, Ecobici or Bird or public transport for large quantities such as Jetty.

2. Open knowledge
   It includes platforms to exchange information and disseminate knowledge without high investments or expensive intermediaries. Sometimes they are free or supported by donations as in the case of Wikipedia and TED or they can offer online courses at a lower cost than educational centers as in the case of Masterclass and Coursera.

3. Collaborative production
   Unlike collaborative consumption, in this case the company that offers the products or services also produces them, as in the case of WeWork for workspaces, Aliada for cleaning services, Tesla for electric cars or My story for children's books.

4. Collaborative finance
   From microcredits or crowdfunding, this model allows obtaining financing for projects by connecting those who are willing to finance, contribute or invest as the projects that require it. Kickstarter and Fondeadora are examples of donations or contributions subject to a funding goal, while Kueski is a young microcredit option.

As you can see, there are opportunities for HIVE and LEOFINANCE and it is not limited to just one type of product or service. It's a matter of finding the best way to reach a hyperconnected consumer.