Share Society is a simple to use, mobile and desktop application allowing people to share a wide variety of goods and services using a reward system SHAREZ which lets them save money, benefit their community and do so in a sustainable manner.
How often have you bought a new item for a very specific (often one-off) task that you then put away (or worse, threw away) never to use again? Maybe you were away for a short period and forgot to bring something you needed but didn’t want to purchase a duplicate? Perhaps you wished you could use your spare time, talents and skills earning money by doing lessons, jobs or tasks for someone who needs them?
As a society we have become conditioned to instant over-consumption of goods and under-utilisation of the knowledge and skills we all possess. A more balanced lifecycle for the products we only occasionally need would be to borrow or share them for a limited period, saving money, storage space and time, whilst a better use of the talents we possess would be to share them with others when we have spare time.
The future is moving to an ever more sustainable agenda, Authorities are increasingly focussed on working to reduce waste, divert material from land-fill and optimise the production of goods. Share Society can contribute by making a wide variety of products and services rapidly and easily available to people for a limited duration in exchange for reciprocal credits that can be swapped for other goods and services.
Why credits (SHAREZ) instead of cash? With a money-based transaction, people tend to be more protective, preferring to buy the item even though usage will be very limited. Popularizing a reward-based sharing approach will reduce the need for direct purchasing, instead borrowing what is needed, when it is needed.
Share Society’s target customer is anyone looking for a ride/a tool/a new skill/help/services etc for a short period of time - each time someone shares or borrows an item, he or she will earn points. Users gain a higher status based on the frequency of their activities which will qualify them for a different range of services - as a start we are in discussions to make special deals with hotels, gyms and car rental companies.
Users will be able to write reviews about each other and give ratings following every exchange. This will help to build trust among sharers/borrowers and in the database itself, encouraging faster uptake of the service. It will also be possible to insure valuable items, via a simple additional step in the app - we are in discussions with an insurance company to provide this service.