Sharing Economy with the Fat Lama

Sunday, February 25, 2018

Travelling has a lot to do with sharing experiences. But what about sharing goods? How can travelers profit from the sharing economy? It isn’t a new thing, and you are a part of it without even knowing. Airbnb offers you shared apartments and Uber gets you to share a ride with others. Both of these have made sharing famous. Not only this system weighs less on your pocket, but it also is environment-friendly.

Another worry apart from money is about the things you have to carry with you. When you are on a long trip, it’s for your good to keep all the necessary stuff nearby. But with excess baggage comes the problem of mobility. With minimal luggage, you also don’t have to worry a lot about leaving things behind at places. You can switch flights and move on quickly without much of security checks and check-in lines.

And it also helps the environment. How? You won’t have to hail a taxi just because you have too many bags, you can use public transportation or share a ride. Or even rent a bike. All these options contribute towards lesser fuel usage, and thus, good for our earth. But what if I don’t take any extra jackets or warm clothes and it starts getting cold out there?

Well, for all such occasions, there is FatLama.

What is Fat Lama and Why Should I Care?

Sharing economy is for everyone
Sharing economy is for everyone

The FatLama is another platform contributing to this growing sharing economy. It is a website where you can borrow daily use or premium products which you can’t buy otherwise. Instead of investing in camera lenses you need once or twice a year, you can hire it from a photographer nearby. Made some friends? Invite them over. You will find DJ equipment and even kitchen utensils for the night. Or maybe get a drone to record the fun.

From hair dryers to projectors, musical instruments to your one-time sports needs, you can borrow everything. Not only when traveling is this sharing platform useful, but also for students or people organizing a play. Clothes are available for hire, and even sofas and chairs for a day or two. And for families who need to trim their lawn, gardening tools also are available. It’s a lot more economical than buying them out to use for a day or two every year.

Why Should You Try FatLama?

The form of sharing economy system used by FatLama proves to be value for money and is environment-friendly as well. Fewer goods bought means less need of production and thus, minor carbon footprint. It’s a boon to travelers with a shoestring budget. With minimal luggage, you save some extra on transportation too.

Not only does it prove useful to the borrower but also the one renting their belongings. Instead of the vacuum cleaner lying in the storage, you can make some money out of it or rent out your barbeque for a party. And the site is easy to use. Sign up, list your item along with its photos and once the verification is complete, your listing is live.

When someone wants your item, use the inbuilt chat system to set up a meeting time and then, hand it over. There is insurance in place, in case of disputes. Also, the system doesn’t need the borrowers to submit their credit card details or make a security deposit. They can pay with their debit cards, and the item is theirs for the said period. There also is the provision to offer discounts, if someone wants to borrow your belonging for a long time.

You can then set up a meeting again for returns.

The Future of Sharing Economy

Flying drone

Every day, we meet people who need something for few days, and we connect them with others who have it. FatLama is the time saving online mode for the same. Sharing economy is going to be the future where you get access to better products in a cost-effective way.

Instead of passing a message from one person to other, one can use this online peer-to-peer system to get to their needs quickly. The things you want to borrow and a prospective borrower for your belongings are a click away.

Founded by Chaz Englander and two other graduates Rosie Dallas and Owen Turner-Major, the sharing platform currently operates in whole Britain. But the majority of products, as of now, are available only in London and other major cities, and the surrounding areas. The company also has launched its services in some parts of the US.

And FatLama also helps you socialize, meeting new people every day. With each meeting, you create a new relationship and of course, earn some money. The drone which you bought because it was available for less can recover all your investment after few hires. Sounds awesome, isn’t it? Camping equipment, DJ equipment, Projectors, and Drones are some of the top items people look for to borrow. So, start searching for any such things lying around, maybe in your garage, and start renting today.

Instead of buying jackets and packing them afterward, borrow and have one less thing to worry about. Register with FatLama and make some more contribution towards saving the earth.

Abhijeet Kumar a freelance content writer for aSabbatical.com
We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.

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