Thanks to peer-to-peer sharing solutions such as Airbnb and Uber, spreading the wealth has recently seen a huge comeback, and it is predicted that this increase in peer-to-peer sharing is only going to continue growing.

So what exactly is in the future of the peer-to-peer sharing economy?

Well, based on the recent, rapid growth seen by the more popular sharing economy companies, it is likely the industry will grow from $14 billion in 2014 to right around $335 billion by 2025. This is enormous, and such growth points to a huge loss in business for companies who are direct competitors of the biggest peer-to-peer sharing companies.

A shift in economic practices such as this will likely lead to an overall change in the way people think about the ownership of items. Assets will be seen as more valuable, but ownership of each and every tool available on the market will no longer be necessary. Even something as simple as a parking spot could become a goldmine, and sharing that spot creates a win-win situation. Learn how you can share your spot below with company’s like ParqEx. 

Because the care and keeping of our environment has become so important to so many as of late, this mindset shift could give the sharing economy a large amount of support from eco-conscious individuals. After all, if more people view ownership of certain items as unnecessary, fewer items will be produced in general, resulting in fewer things left sitting unused on shelves or in garages for years on end. Therefore, we foresee the sharing economy becoming a large player in the game of earth conservation.

Another big benefit of the sharing economy is the fact that it makes it virtually impossible for any one company or individual to monopolize an industry. This is because switching from one peer-to-peer sharing platform to another is cheap and painless for consumers, especially since more platforms become available almost weekly. 

Because of this, and because the sharing economy is likely to continue seeing rapid growth in the coming years, it is probable that consumers will begin to see more options and the most fair prices in history as the sharing economy begins to replace some of the world’s biggest businesses. This will lead to the further growth and usage of the sharing economy, encouraging others to open up shop as a peer-to-peer sharing platform.

In addition to a shift in the mindset of consumers, it is predicted that we will also begin to see a shift in the mindset of employers everywhere. For instance, because these sharing economy businesses are giving employees more power to jump from one employer to the next, those who do the hiring are going to need to make a switch in how they retain these employees. Instead of threats and barriers which make it difficult to leave, employers will need to embrace the power of the employee and offer them opportunities to grow with their careers. Always ahead of the curve, Uber put this idea into practice when they began helping drivers acquire new vehicles. In this way, they gave their employees the tools they needed to improve as drivers and better their lives.

These are just a few of the major changes we believe the sharing economy will make in the way we live and think about the world. As you can see, the world of peer-to-peer services has an enormous amount of leverage in our society, By using this leverage properly, it is possible that the sharing economy could make some pretty big improvements to our economic health, the state of our planet, and the way individuals view the products they own.

If you are interested in learning more about the sharing economy, listing a parking spot or renting a parking spot, we’d love for you to contact us today at ParqEx.

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Still, it is nice to have help once in awhile. Luckily, parents now have access to a number of amazing services and products out there which help navigate the ins and outs of putting out a kind and upstanding member of society. Some of the best of these services can be found within the sharing economy circle.

Want to learn more about how the sharing economy can make your life as a parent a bit less stressful? Read on to learn about our favorite parent-friendly businesses that are a part of the growing sharing economy.

1.) Ride Sharing

Bringing a kid along on public transportation is not impossible, but it isn’t always easy either. This becomes even more true when you find yourself lugging two or three kids along.

This is where ride-sharing services can step in to help. Services such as Uber and Lyft help you get where you need to go without the need for riding a bus or train. This can be lifesaver for new parents or those caring for more than one child at a time. Best of all, Uber offers an option for a pre-installed car seat in some cities, making the whole process an absolute breeze.

2.) Book parking in advance – and closer to your destination

Speaking of getting around town with kids, sometimes it isn’t the transportation that’s the problem, but rather the parking. If you are a person who prefers to drive their own vehicle, but often has trouble finding parking spots that are close enough for young children to walk to and from, you may find parking sharing services such as ParqEx helpful.

ParqEx gives customers the opportunity to rent parking spots from locals, making it easy to find a convenient place to park, no matter where you are headed. You can find parking or list parking in seconds using the ParqEx app or website – and save time, energy and money.

3.) Baby Gear Borrowing

Okay, so obviously you want to own your own stroller and highchair. However, if there is a particular big item you want to try before you buy, or if you want to rent a stroller once you arrive at a vacation destination, peer-to-peer baby gear rental is an amazing resource. The new company goBaby provides an easy way to rent baby gear from individuals for a reasonable price, making it perfect for all parents.

4.) Make Use of Old

Very rarely do babies and toddlers wear out their clothing before outgrowing it, and honestly, older kids don’t often get full use out of their tiny wardrobes. Therefore, it just makes sense to sell those lightly used clothes and buy some bigger, almost-new items in exchange. Luckily, companies such as thredUp make this possible and as simple as can be.

5.) To-Do List Helpers

Let’s face it, there is no way any parent could ever reach the end of their to-do list. From household chores to expectations from the kid’s school, there are just too many things to keep up with.

That said, the sharing economy can help a busy mom or dad check off a few extra items. Businesses such as TaskRabbit offer personal assistant services, making them accessible to the average joe. This could be a game changer for those parents who feel they are drowning in errands and chores.

6.) Sitter Trade-Off

Occasionally, you just need a few minutes to get some work done or eat in peace, and SittingAround gives you just that. In return, you simply offer other parents the same little bit of sanity. Babysitter co-ops like these are a growing trend that we think makes perfect sense.

7.) Are you a parent to a dog, too? 

Sometimes parents have so much on their plates that walking the dog becomes a huge hassle. Wag! makes dog ownership easier by connecting dog owners with dog lovers in their community. With this sharing economy app, dog owners can hire dog lovers on-demand for dog walking, dog sitting, or dog boarding services 7-days a week. It’s like Uber for dog-walkers!

8.) Have a “Schlepper” Help You Move

Need to move a couch but need to go to your kid’s soccer game instead? Schlep is an on-demand moving service that allows customers to book a “schlepper” to help you move things from point A to point B. Simply book a moving date and time, tell the schlepper where the item(s) is and where it’s going and allow the schleppers to save you time.

Want to learn more about how you can make good use of the sharing economy as a parent? We would love to hear from you! Please contact us today.

The post How Parents Can Save Time, Energy and Money using the Sharing Economy appeared first on ParqEx.

The High Cost of Parking 

One of the most common complaints of people in large urban areas, whether tourists, business travelers, or locals, is that there’s a lack of parking. Parking that’s available is often very expensive – ranging anywhere from $25 a day in Chicago to $65 a day. For condo owners, parking spaces can cost a fortune. A Center for Neighborhood Technology report reveals that, in Chicago, the cost to build a personal parking spot can be more than $37,000 – and purchasing a parking space to own can cost over $50,000 in some of Chicago’s high-rise condo garages. Similar situations exist in other large cities such as New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The absurd truth is that parking spaces cost more than some people earn in a year. This means that, in many cities, only the affluent can afford adequate parking.

The exorbitant cost of parking often makes it difficult and impractical to build new parking spaces. Quite simply, many communities can’t afford to provide more parking. One study of 12 American cities found that the average cost to build a parking space is $24,000 for above-ground and $34,000 for below-ground spaces. These prices assume that the owner already owns the land. Because of this, residents ultimately pay the costs of new parking facilities. This is one of the causes of rising rents, even for people who don’t own cars. So-called free parking is not a solution. Access Magazine reports that free parking requirements raise the cost of housing and reduce density. In other words, the cost is invisible but people are still paying it. And according to CNT, the supply of parking in 4 cities (Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C. and Seattle) far exceeds demand. Buildings offer two spots for every 3 units, and in reality (due to the ~33 percent average vacancy) they only need one for every three.

The Environmental Impact of Parking

When people talk about the environmental costs of automobiles, they’re usually talking about moving vehicles. Parking, however, creates its own environmental problems. For one thing, the current parking model is extremely wasteful. People are paying high fees for spaces they only need during certain hours. The above-cited CNT report found that one-third of off-street residential parking spaces are empty at night. If the average person uses these spaces for work, that means that they only need the space for 40-50 hours per week. In a world where, particularly in large cities, there’s a lack of space for affordable housing, this is a significant issue.

There’s also the fact that free parking encourages people to drive. When downtown areas, for example, provide lots of parking access, people who might otherwise take a bus, tram, or train are more likely to drive. A study by Chris McCahill of the State Smart Transportation Initiative found clear evidence that excessive parking causes more driving. This not only means that people with cars tend to drive more, it also influences people’s decisions to own a car at all. In urban areas with extensive public transportation, owning an automobile is often a choice rather than a necessity. More driving, of course, creates a variety of environmental problems, such as air pollution. There’s also the less measurable factor of stress that accompanies traffic jams, which impacts public health. And according to Donald Shoup’s study released in 2011 titled Free Parking or Free Markets, 30 percent of cars in congested downtown traffic are searching for parking. If these “searches” booked their parking in advance, traffic and pollution would be substantially reduced and time and gas would be saved.

It’s safe to say that the current parking paradigm is outdated and full of serious problems. The solution is not to build more parking garages. It’s similar to the supposed solution of building more roads to control traffic. Evidence shows that more roads lead to more traffic. The same is true for parking. What’s needed is a completely new way of handling parking.

The Parking Alternative

Companies like ParqEx, SPOT and JustPark use the Airbnb model to address the urban parking challenge. The basic idea behind all sharing or collaborative economy platforms is to provide services as needed in a fast and efficient manner, by using technology. Consider the difference between the hotel model and the Airbnb model. A hotel has a static number of rooms, whether anyone is using them or not. Meanwhile, Airbnb lets travelers rent space in people’s homes as an alternative to hotels, motels, and B & Bs. In addition to providing people with cheaper rooms, this reduces the need for more hotels and allows people to make some supplemental income.

One major benefit of this type of arrangement is the convenience for consumers, who simply order services by using an app. With these sharing economy “marketplace” apps, users simply search for a parking space and book the spot directly from the app. Not only does the renter gain access to more affordable and convenient parking, but he/she knows there is a spot waiting for them upon arrival. While companies such as SpotHero and ParkWhiz are primarily aggregators of commercial parking garages in downtown areas, the Airbnb model approach allows for individuals, businesses, churches, schools, anyone with a private parking spot(s) to list them on the app/website by the hour, day, week or month – whenever the spot(s) is available. Not only are parking spot owners making supplemental income from their underutilized parking spots, but they are helping their communities by opening up more parking supply in the neighborhood.

With many private parking spots being located behind garage doors or gates, ParqEx differentiates itself from its competitors with its innovative IoT solution called Access+. The Access+ system allows renters and approved users to open any garage door or gate with a click of a button on their smart phones. Implementing Access+ increases rental opportunities, improves transparency into garage usage, and provides great convenience for both owners and renters.

From a parking spot owner perspective, sharing economy parking apps provide a new source of income. Most owners are renting out spaces they already have, so they’re earning money on space that was previously unused. Owners can set their own prices, however, prices are generally lower than commercial parking lots or garages. This is generally true of Airbnb or other sharing economy models of business (like Uber vs. Taxis). Owners and renters engage with each other directly, eliminating the middleman. Since the service providers are not corporations and are using property (e.g. living space, vehicle, or parking space) that they already own, they can afford to set reasonable prices.

How The “Airbnb Model” is Transforming Parking

There are some significant benefits to society as this Airbnb of parking model becomes more and more mainstream.

Faced with a variety of challenges, urban planners are increasingly looking for ways to create “smart cities.” This involves collecting lots of data and finding innovative solutions to issues such as housing, transportation, crime, and other social issues. In some cases, the best solutions don’t require an expensive, centralized solution. ParqEx, SPOT and JustPark provide a smart parking alternative that only requires owners and renters to install an app. Some of the long-term benefits of using this type of smart parking include:

• More affordable, convenient parking for commuters, travelers, and city residents.
• Less need for additional parking facilities.
• More efficient use of resources may lead to less driving and traffic congestion.
• As more people use the app, even conventional parking options are likely to become easier, with less crowded free parking and lower rates for commercial parking.

The way the public has embraced other sharing economy services suggests that people are eager to find new and innovative solutions. More and more services are disrupting conventional business models. In addition to Uber and Airbnb, there are now collaborative solutions in healthcare, web-based services, and many other industries. It only makes sense that there’s also such an alternative for parking.

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Now, we don’t want to encourage any of you to use the sharing economy as a source of comic relief, but let’s take a look at how a few individuals turned the sharing economy into a comedy show; try not to laugh:

1.) So apparently putting an Igloo on AirBnB is frowned upon?

This wise-guy decided to use the abundance of snow to try to make a little extra cash. He may not have made much money, but it sure was pretty dang funny, and creative:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3415480/Now-S-extreme-holiday-home-New-Yorker-builds-igloo-garden-Storm-Jonas-lists-Air-BnB-140-night.html

(Article courtesy of Distractify)

2.) Uber experiences you told your friends about…

Sometimes an uneventful Uber ride is what you get; other times, your Uber driver plays “Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls 6 times in a row (who said that was a bad thing?).

https://www.buzzfeed.com/christianzamora/times-an-uber-driver-made-the-car-ride-uber-awkward?utm_term=.ckGZ1zV8Wk#.xq8ExwmL3y

Thanks, Christian, for making us laugh.

(Article courtesy of Christian Zamora, Buzzfeed)

3.) Not into normal hotels? Stay in a backyard or eat breakfast with giraffes!

Different than a hotel? Yes. Better? That’s up to you to decide

http://www.digitaltrends.com/web/7-bizarre-airbnb-rentals-that-are-almost-too-weird-to-believe/

4.) Lyft drivers are getting creative, and a little creepy..?

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/29/tech/mobile/lyft-cars/

(Article courtesy of CNN)

Thanks for reading! Send some other funny sharing economy stories to us @parqex

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Just Launched! Navigation using Waze, Google Maps, Apple Maps and more…

ParqEx makes finding a convenient parking spot quite “convenient”, but we also realize that navigation to and from the parking location is equally important. Whether it be using your favorite parking app to navigate or having the option to use an app like Waze, Google Maps, Apple Maps and more; ParqEx has it all. When you click on the navigate button in the ParqEx app (Android, Apple, Windows or a web browser), you will have the options to select your favorite navigation app.

Here is how it works –

1. Select app for Navigation: Click the directions link on the parking details to access the navigation apps currently installed on your device (Note – you must have at least 1 navigation app like Google Map, Apple Map, Waze etc. installed for the options to show).

2. Select your favorite navigation App: In the “Select app for navigation” popup window, click on the app you wish to use for navigation (Options will vary depending on the navigation apps you have installed on your device). Make sure you have installed your favorite navigation app from the app store.

3. Navigate to the parking location using your favorite app: Clicking on the app, will open the navigation app with the parking destination address.That’s it! Go ahead and navigate to your destination.

Navigation on Waze

The popular Waze app is a turn-by-turn navigation app that focuses on a social network where drivers can share information about accidents, police officers, road closures, and more. Now with our integration with Waze, drivers will have the option of navigating to their reserved parking location with detailed turn-by turn directions. Make sure you have downloaded the Waze app before you click the navigate button in the ParqEx app. After that, its 3 simple clicks to be on your way.

Benefits of using Waze:

• Waze has social network integration that includes live traffic reporting from other users
• You can send live, updating information with your ETA to friends
• There are options to select celebrity voice navigation
• The Waze app learns frequent destinations, commuting hours, and preferred routes
• You can search for the cheapest gas on a route
• The traffic jam indicator in the app counts down the time you’ll be in a jam.
• For advanced users, here is How to turn Waze into the ultimate Navigation App.

The ParqEx app works with the following navigation apps

Android

• Google Maps
• Waze
• Citymapper
• Uber
• Yandex Navigator

iOS

• Apple Maps
• Google Maps
• Waze
• Citymapper
• Transit App
• Yandex Navigator
• Uber
• Tomtom

Windows

• Bing Maps

ParqEx is the leading social on-demand parking application. It is helping drivers all around the country save time, money and hassle. Determine from the best navigation apps to see which ones are right for you and your phone.  For more information, please contact us or download the parkng app to get started.

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The Idea of Shared Resources

The idea behind the businesses mentioned above, and behind the sharing economy in general, is shared resources. With Air B&B it’s the idea of someone who has a home renting space in that home to travelers. With Uber, it’s the idea of sharing a car someone already owns. Etsy allows crafters to share their creations with customers around the world without having to go through a traditional business model, and Ebay accomplishes the same goal on a much larger scale. In all of these situations it’s people who are turning to other individuals, instead of to big businesses and corporations, to get the goods and services they want and need.

Party A has something, Party B needs something, and a business acts as the middleman by bringing the two parties together, and taking a small percentage in order to pay for its operations.

Why It Works

The reason the sharing economy works is that it possesses the spirit of helping. The more people who succeed, the more the industry as a whole succeeds. For example, for every successful sale on an Etsy store, that store owner gets paid, and the client gets something he or she wants. However, if that client has a positive experience, then he or she is likely to check out other Etsy stores. This means that store owners who did nothing but exist, and offer a quality product, may find themselves with customers because of something another store they don’t even know did right.

The sharing economy, despite being made up of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of different individuals, acts as a single community. They affect each other, and they acknowledge that they affect each other. As such, they support each other, and do their best to make sure that the reputation of their community is protected and maintained.

Will The Sharing Economy Remain?

The sharing economy is a return to a simpler way of doing business, using the tools and connectivity of the modern age. After all, there’s no reason to give money to a big corporation when you can get the products or services you need from another person whose name and face you know.

With that said, the sharing economy will have to continue to provide certain things in order to stay competitive, and to remain a force in the future marketplace.

First, the sharing economy will have to offer both value, and a low price for the things it provides. One of the major factors driving Uber, for example, is that it’s often less expensive than traditional taxi cabs. If that changes, though, more customers are going to switch to cab rides, because it’s gentler on their pocket books. Second, the sharing economy will have to continue to offer something unique. Something that bigger businesses and corporations simply cannot match. Hand-crafted products, and unique items will always be at home in a sharing economy, and that will give it an edge over companies who deal in mass-produced stock. Whether it’s food or a place to stay, transportation or banking services, people like to have unique solutions that are tailored to their wants and needs.

The sharing economy provides that, and as long as it continues to do so, it’s not going anywhere. For more information on the sharing economy, particularly about ParqEx- the sharing economy platform for parking, simply contact us today!

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