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Sharing can make money, build bonds

The sharing economy can transform the way you run your business and your life.

Would you like to make a little extra money each month or avoid buying more stuff that ends up as anxiety-producing clutter? Perhaps you simply want to limit your consumption of resources for environmental reasons.

The sharing economy can help.

People like you and me are becoming entrepreneurs as they put what they own to work. A home, extra office space, a car, a bicycle or just about any other asset can become a source of income. The tools for a micro-business may be right at your fingertips or underneath your feet.

Homes

Airbnb (www.airbnb.com) is one of the easiest ways to make money with the extra space in your home. Don’t have extra space? You could rent your home when you are on vacation to cover some of your travel costs.

Office space

Liquidspace (www.liquidspace.com) turns unused space into cash. Offset the cost of your rent payments by renting a conference room or workspace for additional revenue. Need space for a meeting or a place to work while traveling? Check Liquidspace.

Transportation

RelayRides (www.relayrides.com) connects vehicle owners who have idle cars to people who need a rental. One huge advantage is that you may be able to rent a car from someone nearby so you don’t have to trek to the airport to get one. Using your idle car to generate hundreds – even thousands – of dollars each month can help pay for the car or supplement your income.

Uber (www.uber.com) connects people who need a ride with drivers. You can access this modern-day taxi service through an app on your phone. Like RelayRides, Uber offers an opportunity to turn your asset into additional income.

Have an extra bicycle? Spinlister (www.spinlister.com) opens the road to renting your bike to active people in need of one. Maybe they’re visiting Durango and want to ride, or perhaps your bike is in the shop and you don’t want to miss a ride. Either way, Spinlister offers a solution.

Sharing

Yerdle promises more joy and less stuff. You know how I like that. At www.yerdle.com, you can post photos of things you no longer need. When you ship them to their new home, you earn credits to purchase items from the Yerdle store that you do need.

Join or start a sharing community at Neighborgoods (www.neighborgoods.net). Members and organizations can coordinate the sharing of items they need temporarily and eliminate the need to buy more stuff. This not only saves money and resources, it strengthens bonds among members.

Come on, Durango, let’s put our unused assets to work to earn some extra income and enrich our lives by building a more connected community.

matt.kelly.durango@gmail.com. Durango resident and personal finance coach Matt Kelly owns Momentum: Personal Finance. www.personalfinancecoaching.com.



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