sending users information for instance on how many resources were saved by giving away something like an end table, instead of trashing it. He even plans to track the amount of savings in greenhouse gases that were not emitted because people used the site to give away goods instead of chucking them.
Divvy has a different idea. Its “integrated reservation and billing system” also works by boosting the exercise of underused resources, but rather than giving something away, it provides a place for people to make a group (specifically chosen and invited by the user) aware that some good or service is available and during certain times can be rented or reserved, with the option of paying through Divvy and PayPal, or billing offline. Convenience for buyer and seller is the key value, whether it’s renting out a boat or reserving a hairstylist for an hour. Freed and his team are keeping quiet right now, but a big marketing push is expected within the next few weeks, he told me.
Dibspace, as I wrote earlier this month, chose both the most obvious and least likely choice for online bartering. Since people don’t have a lot of dollars, it gives them the option of buying and selling in another medium, which it calls the dibit. With income taxed like dollars even people are paid in dibits, there’s no drain on the American economy and people have a venue for goods and services they might not have access to, especially with unemployment so high.
The unemployment rate and other economic woes may be the boost these startups need. Both Tobias and Canterbury mention the prevalence of office space for rent and office furniture for sale on their sites as a direct result of downsizing. If these sites succeed here, they may soon go national, and maybe they’ll even compete with similar start ups in other regions. Victory may depend on which company can dream the biggest.