Want to drive a $225,000 Ferrari for just $1000, or wear a $10,000 diamond necklace for only $290? Of course you would. And a growing number of consumers are getting similar deals on everything from handbags to airplanes to, well, boats. So what’s the catch?
When you aren’t using the item, you have to give it back, stop paying for it, and can’t take care of it. Pretty smart, right? Harvard Business School professor John Quelch calls these savvy new consumers “Simplifiers”, and their numbers are exploding. Simplifiers prefer to collect experiences rather than possessions. They value creating memories with family and friends more than owning “stuff” that sits mostly unused.
Sharing the use of expensive, infrequently-used items – like boats, vacation homes, and diamonds – gives consumers the benefits of ownership without the cost and overhead. Harvard Business Review calls this new culture “collaborative consumption”. This collaboration of use also frees us from being tied to a specific location. Rather than owning a boat in one specific harbor, we can share boats all over the world! We are now liberated in cost, time, and location.
“We need a way to get the goods and services we actually want and need, but at less cost, both personal and environmental,” says Lisa Gansky in her new book “The Mesh: Why the Future of Business is Sharing”. The key is to have access to something when and where you want it, and being able to forget about it when you don’t need it. PowerTime’s owner and member programs provide this access to new sail and power boats, while freeing you from the burdens of ownership. Transumerism is here to stay and when you think of it, can make a positive impact on anybody yearning to experience life and not just buy one.
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