The sharing economy has made its way to nearly every aspect of our lives.
While we all know about sharing car rides or apartments using sites like Uber and Airbnb, today’s ability to share goods and services is far broader, with enormous implications for the economy.
SLIDESHOW: 10 Things You Never Thought You Could Share
"The beauty of the sharing lifestyle is that it is financially sustainable, it builds confidence and community through human interaction and human kindness, and in many ways it benefits the environment through reduced waste,” Jonathan Gillon, co-founder and CEO of Roost, told The Fiscal Times. Roost is a website that allows you to share storage and parking space.
Sharing is addictive, he suggests. “Once you start sharing something, it is so easy to ‘see yourself' using another service, and sharing something else. Opportunities are all over the place once you overcome the fear and distrust of strangers and realize that the majority of people want to do good."
It’s no surprise that most of the startups in this list are based in the San Francisco area, a hotbed not just for “free thinking” that dates back to the ‘60s but also for today’s top technology innovations.
While many of these startups, most of which are still in the initial stages of development, may not survive or make it big, there’s nevertheless a lot of potential for both consumers and businesses because, after all, there’s no limit to what can be shared. And electronic payments make the process largely hassle free.
Click here to see the 10 things you never thought you could share
“Look around you… Your kitchen, your garage, your bedroom… It’s all so full of potential,” Gillon said.
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