In the beginning...
Loanables started out as two families living in Austin, TX who realized the untapped power of neighborly connections. More specifically, we observed a couple of trends that we felt needed to be changed:1) Neighbors tend to be strangers.
We enjoy our neighbors and our neighborhoods, and we welcome the opportunity to meet more of the folks who live in our area. The trend today is towards less neighborly interaction. Many people communicate more with folks halfway around the world than with the families living just a couple of doors away. That seems odd to us.
2) People have a lot of unused stuff.
We realize how much "stuff" the average family accumulates, and more specifically, how much dust this stuff collects from not being used most of the time.
So we said "hey, why not put these together in a way that benefits everyone!" And Loanables was born.
But wait, there's more
The idea quickly expanded. You see, we also believe in charitable giving. The borrowing idea seemed like a perfect way to benefit non-profits, schools, and other groups and individuals who often need to borrow things that they cannot afford to buy or rent from conventional stores. Donating money is great, but why not also donate items you aren't using? Thus we added a new role at Loanables, that of the CCO -- Chief Charitable Officer. We now let Loaners offer up their items to schools & non-profits at no charge, and are always looking for other ways to benefit those in our community who are in need of help. We have a couple of programs in the works, including one to provide baby clothes/items to parents who cannot afford to buy stuff that their children will outgrow every 3 months.
We also realized that the flip side of borrowing is not purchasing. In addition to saving money, our community is helping to save the earth by reducing the consumerism that seems to be rampant these days. We gave our Chief Charitable Officer another hat to wear, that of CEO -- Chief Environmental Officer. (She is now the CCEO, and is always on the lookout for more letters to add to her title.)
Most importantly, what do you think?
We love talking to like-minded folks, in Austin and around the world. Do you like what we're doing? Do you have ideas for how we can do even more with this community? Please share your comments with us!
(comments were removed during migration to Blogger)
Posts
7 comments:
Hi,
This is a great idea that occurred to me recently - but we live in the UK - do you know of a similar organisation here? If not, have you been approached about replicating this idea in the UK?
regards
Rachel
Hi Rachel,
I don't know of a similar organization in the UK. We have been approached by people who were interested in expanding Loanables to the UK. We haven't had the opportunity to localize it for other countries yet, but the UK will be the first on the list when we do!
Hello,
Be aware, ther's allreday a company doing this in UK, France, Belgium and Luxemburg it is www.zilok.com and is in the US also.
Regards,
C.T.
Hi C.T.,
Yes, there are a few other sites that are similar, including Zilok. We think that's great -- the more opportunities there are for people to share their stuff, the better for everyone. The main difference with Loanables is that we don't charge people any fees whatsoever. It is entirely free. We welcome Zilok members to also list their items on Loanables!
Hello,
I stumbled upon your site and thought it was great, however, i have noticed that most of your clients are from Texas. I am in the DCMetro area and could not find anyone there. In the future, will your company have service in regional areas like craigslist? and would there be a way to assist you in the DC area as maybe an affiliate?
Hi DCMetro,
Yes, most of our postings are in Austin because that's where we started, though we do have users all over the country. The best way to get more activity in the DC area is to post as many of your "Loanable" items as you can. The listings attract other users in your area, and that's how the community expands. So please post some stuff and help spread the community!
Great writeup in the Northwest Austin Community Impact Newspaper. Incredible vision and kudos for providing an avenue for teachers to get much needed supplies for their classes!
Post a Comment