Imagine an online network of people so generous and resourceful that they lend and lease their unused belongings to people in their communities who actually need them. It almost sounds too good to be true.
Such a system of borrowing, however, already exists in Charlottesville, and it is growing everyday.
With all the perks of popular Web sites like Craigslist and Amazon, BorrowMe.com allows students, small organizations and other "frugal folks" to enjoy the convenience of borrowing the items they need, without the purchase price, safety concerns and hassles of cross-country shipping.
Created in 2005, BorrowMe began in Calgary, Canada as a way for people to save money on items like textbooks, furniture and cookware.
The idea for the company started with a Spiderman DVD and a close friend, CEO and Founder Sean Young said.
"I was walking to the rental store when I bumped into one of my friends," he said. "We chatted and I revealed where I was going and why. He later suggested that I just borrow his entire Spiderman DVD collection instead of buying it."
Everyone appreciates saving a few bucks here and there, Young said. Why not take the idea one step further?
"If I had X-ray vision and could look through all of these peoples' garages, I'd find all of these piles of stuff that we all collect," he said. "Who really uses all of the junk in their basement or garage? On average, how much dust does it collect? If everyone could share the things they didn't use with people they chose, money would be saved and those items would be put to great use. Life would be a whole lot cheaper and everyone would be happy."
Young's goal for BorrowMe was simple: to make use of what is available next door.
"Maybe it's a little bit quaint, as if we are in the 1950s, but I think something is missing," he said. "We are all really great at self-sufficiency but what we're lacking is a little bit of helping out our neighbor."
Fast forward four years, and the philosophy behind his Web site is beginning to gain momentum. Currently, BorrowMe serves more than 1,000 customers, including a healthy amount right here in Charlottesville.
Still, many people are largely unaware of the hundreds of items at their fingertips or how they can make their items available to others with just a few clicks of a mouse.
In addition to borrowing, lending, renting, gifting and buying items, BorrowMe allows people to contribute to local charities. In the future, Young said, there will be a "Donate Now" button that will connect users to a charity's "wish list" of items they need.
BorrowMe also looks to expand by increasing the amount of items to which it has access.
"We need volume to start with, so sharing games, music and movies is a great step," Young said. "Anything we have a lot of will help. Plus, those are the easiest things to list and put on your profile, making it known that you have them."
These items are particularly abundant among students and will allow BorrowMe to increase the volume of products it offers.
"Eventually, I would like students to borrow textbooks, but volume is necessary to begin that feat," he said.
Students are the ideal users of BorrowMe, he said.
"If you need a lot of stuff but don't have a lot of money, you are the perfect candidate," Young said. "Not only are young people more willing to participate in 'social sharing,' but they are more interested in stretching their dollar."
Logging in and creating a profile on BorrowMe is comparable to using the social networking site Facebook, which users also can use to find more items on BorrowMe.
"Who wants to add another application and create another profile to complicate life?" Young said, adding, "With one button, you can use your Facebook profile and your friend relations to get started."
After learning about BorrowMe and its practical conveniences, first-year Engineering student Derrick Edwards said he liked the idea.
"If I needed something to fill a space, like a couch, for a year, I would definitely consider BorrowMe," he said. "Although it sounds too great, it has to be reliable because it's local and people cannot only borrow things from each other but also rent and buy items."
Reliability and safety were two of Young's key concerns when creating the site. Although BorrowMe may sound similar to companies like Craigslist, the site is safer, Young said. "If you posted that anyone could borrow your wheelbarrow on Craigslist, it'd be gone in a second," he said. On BorrowMe, "you're generally borrowing and trading among your friends or people you know through your friends. It's a community affair."
BorrowMe users also have the choice of whom to share their products with, he said, an aspect of the site that will benefit "the under-30 club."
Since the site opened, there has only been one instance - during a trial run - when a transaction went sour.
"The person packed up his item in a box, paid for shipping and sent it to a complete stranger; unfortunately, we never regained contact with the borrower," Young said. "The lesson learned from that mishap is to be smart with your stuff. When in doubt, exchange something as a test to measure reliability."
Overall, third-year College student Rebecca Johnson finds BorrowMe more practical than problematic.
"A lot of people need things for no more than a year that can be passed around," she said. "If BorrowMe makes it easier to network between friends and share items, then it will definitely expand in college communities."
Edwards wondered, though, whether BorrowMe will ever attract enough users to become a truly viable solution.
"Despite the alternatives to purchasing, I think people will still buy the latest technological advances," he said. "I'd like to see that diminish and have the alternatives like BorrowMe excel, but we will just have to see."
Young admits that people may think it silly to use an online site to facilitate sharing with friends. But at the same time, being friends with someone does not necessarily mean that each person knows what the other needs or could lend.
"I don't have a clue what you need and you don't have a clue about what I've got," he said. "No one walks around telling their friends what movies they own, so BorrowMe gives you an opportunity to put your things on display to whomever you want to share them with."
Moving forward, Young said he hopes that BorrowMe will help create a greater sense of community among students and neighbors. After all, he said, "giving creates community while generating reciprocity and goodwill"
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