Traditional businesses operate by creating products or services, selling them, and collecting revenue. Mesh companies utilize a different model - providing customers temporary access to goods and services only when needed. Customers get the utility without costs of ownership. Mesh businesses thrive because sharing information is now cost-effective. Robust, flexible social media, wireless networks, and data gathering enable real-world applications. Most companies still use a single formula: create, sell, collect money. Few imagine wealth creation otherwise. A new model is taking root around these businesses where consumers have more choices, tools, information, and power to guide decisions. Thousands of Mesh businesses have scaled, some into well-known brands. They exploit mobile capabilities, social networks, changing attitudes, and shared platform benefits. The Mesh is the next big opportunity - to create new businesses and renew existing ones, for our communities and planet. It's just beginning.
Mesh businesses leverage data aggregated from all available sources to provide high-quality goods and services tailored to customer needs and preferences. The focus is on sharing local products and services rather than traditional models of individual ownership and retention. Mesh businesses take the fractional ownership concept further by breaking it down into micro-level shared access. A mesh business integrates social media, the internet, wireless networks, and mobile devices to share goods within a community or marketplace. By tracking usage and intelligently managing resources, the core offering—whether products, services, or materials—becomes shareable. Four key components enable a mesh business: aggregated usage data, shared goods, a technical platform to manage sharing, and a trusted service provider. At its core, a mesh business is an information-based service. By compiling data on customers and preferences, goods can be efficiently shared to increase overall usage and value. Recent advances in affordable, robust tracking technology have enabled mesh businesses to emerge. The mesh exemplifies how the internet continues to reshape industries as diverse as publishing, retail, banking, and music. Thousands of businesses worldwide have adapted to the digital landscape or risked irrelevance. Companies once fortified by strong franchises now struggle to stay pertinent as digital goods and services thrive. Mesh businesses profit by providing convenient, on-demand access to goods rarely needed rather than relying on individual ownership. They leverage existing investments in infrastructure while utilizing ubiquitous third-party services. Increased sharing of information and goods creates value for businesses, individuals, and communities. However, the mesh model does not suit every scenario. Items used daily generally remain impractical to share effectively. The sweet spot for mesh businesses provides occasional access to goods many own but rarely use, like a second car, musical instruments, or specialty sports gear. Owning these goods means assuming the cost and effort of maintenance even during periods of disuse. Mesh businesses meet the same needs smarter by allowing on-demand access without the burden of ownership. Some mesh business examples include: - Zipcar provides vehicles for hourly or daily reservations through a website and mobile app. Rather than residing at airports, Zipcars are scattered locally for convenient access. Users locate and reserve a car online and then unlock it with their phones. Zipcar handles all vehicle monitoring, maintenance, and back-office administration to simplify car sharing. - Crushpad Wine targets aspiring vintners lacking their own vineyard. They provide quality grapes, expert guidance, and winemaking facilities for clients to produce private label wines. Restaurants can even blend small batches to create their own house wine. Crushpad enables custom winemaking and branding on a budget. - Roomarama facilitates short-term room rentals between hosts and travelers via a peer-to-peer platform. Guests prepay to guarantee their stay while hosts list available rooms. With over 4,000 listings globally, Roomarama may represent the future of the hospitality industry by making better use of residential properties. One member has acquired nearly 100 units just to rent out on Roomarama as a full-time business.
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