NeighborGoods takes the local sharing network nationwide

by Jana Branch

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Borrow a wheelbarrow. Lend a bike. Think of NeighborGoods as the Craigslist of lending and sharing sites, the first to go nationwide. It’s working to crack the model of building critical mass within neighborhoods (which no one has done yet).
Features like an identity-verification system and lending-level privacy (so, for example, only close friends can see that your prized kayak is up for sharing) add a dose of control to the experience.
NeighborGoods is built on the model of collaborative consumption that has taken off in thrift-driven times. But this goes beyond saving bucks à la Groupon. This actually introduces you to real live neighbors.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS

Being thrifty doesn’t just mean looking for lower prices. Sharing circles and networks are a way of saving money and building community. Can’t get that at your local discount store.
Getting to know neighbors may be foreign to Boomers, but Xers and Millennials are known for their more social, DIY ways.
If there’s a local component to your business, watch NeighborGoods as its savvy management works out the kinks of the business model.

RESOURCES

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