You may be surprised to discover that an entirely new type of economy has sprung up over recent years. The Sharing Economy is based around the idea of people being able to hire goods and services from each other for a short period, rather than having to go to more expensive hire companies or purchase the goods themselves.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this new industry began to take off during the recent global financial crisis of 2008. The idea was a revelation – not only could people save money by renting a car, apartment, equipment, furniture – in fact almost anything – from an individual, but that everyday people could also boost their income by hiring out their possessions when they weren’t using them.
Now one UK company has taken hold of this idea and run with it. Utilise It! provides a service connecting people who have something to hire, with people and companies looking for something in particular. Already being used by the BBC to source props, locations and equipment, Utilise It! verifies all of its members to ensure they are reliable, and even provides a Find It service to track down what you need.
The idea behind the company began in 2008 and began development in 2009. I was already in the hiring business, by hiring out vans to people who just needed one for a short period, and then starting a car hire service which allowed individuals to rent out their own vehicles.
Utilise it! has taken the concept one step further and already has a database of over 10,000 users.
Do you have something to hire, or are you looking to hire something special? If you are, perhaps you should be part of the Sharing Economy. Join us by visiting our website www.utiliseit.co.uk and if you have any questions write to me Kelly@utiliseit.co.uk