Secrets of the Sharing Economy: Unofficial Guide to Using Airbnb, Uber, & More to Earn $1000's

by Glenn Carter

Are you looking to make ends meet? Have you tried to work two, three, or more jobs without making much headway? Experienced entrepreneur Glenn Carter can show you how to earn extra money every month with minimal time and effort. Welcome to the sharing economy. The sharing economy pays out millions of dollars a day to people just like you. By the year 2020, this enterprise will be worth over $300 billion. The time to get involved is now, and it's easier than you'd think. Secrets of the Sharing Economy goes beyond well-known platforms like ride-sharing company Uber and home-sharing enterprise Airbnb to tell you about over 50 other online platforms you can leverage to turn underused assets into income-producing nest eggs. Glenn Carter is a family man and a full-time employee, but he's cracked the code to making side income through a variety of sharing economy platforms without letting them take over his life. Take a journey with Glenn to find out more about this new system and how you can implement money-making action plans today. Secrets of the Sharing Economy is a fascinating and informative read that can help you live a more flexible and financially-savvy lifestyle. Whether you need to make an extra hundred dollars a month or run your own full-time business, this book will show you exactly how to capitalize on a thriving trend.

118 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 4, 2015

Reviews

[Joshua Isaac · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book opened my eyes to the possibility of making extra money from the internet - I had previously been aware of Uber and AirBNB, but there are dozens or hundreds of other possibilities, including pet day-care, selling and renting used clothes and musical instruments, and doing bite sized tasks for people.

I give this book 3 stars because the details on implementation of some of the services were a little light (I would honestly expect a book like this to be comprehensive), but mostly because the first FIFTY percent of the book is about productivity, setting up your home office, and getting organized to earn side income. This part wasn't useful to me, and IMO is just filler.

[Alicia Fox · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a largely pointless book on how to make money in the modern sharing economy. Going in, I knew it would be singing the praises of Uber, AirBnB, etc., convincing readers that they can earn tons of money--even quit their day jobs--by signing up as service providers. My interest is in learning a bit more about Uber--that is, is it good or bad overall for drivers, since I've heard a lot of conflicting information, and use Uber quite a bit for rides.

The entire first half is completely unnecessary. The author narrates as if anyone picking up this book is in dire financial circumstances, with anxiety from high consumer debt. I'm sure that some turning to Uber are in this situation, but I think it's a bit insulting to future Uber drivers to assume that they must be driving around passengers in order to pay off massive credit card bills. That is, I don't think it's very nice to preemptively conclude that everyone selling on Etsy, driving for Uber, etc., is broke and desperate for cash.

So the first half of this book is generic filler on the importance of taking charge of your finances to tackle your (obvious, duh) massive debt and get ahead. Following this is the most asinine advice I can imagine being published in 2015/2016--how to set up a home office. This includes crucial information such as: buy a laptop, get home internet, organize a filing system.

What the...!?!? Okay, for the sake of argument, I'll pretend that someone trying to earn money online in 2016 does not have internet access, and needs to be told to get online. The writer then spends a few pages instructing readers on how to decorate a home office. Oh my goodness--did you know that it's warm and cozy to have pictures of your kids on your desk? What stellar advice!

The second half of the book is a riveting retelling of the major players' FAQ pages. For example, if you make crafty clothes and art, oh my, did you know you can sell it on Etsy? Of course you already did; that's why you picked up this book.

I realize I'm writing a rambling rant at this point, so I'll wrap it up. I learned zilch from this book. If I'd come to it hoping to learn whether or not Uber was right for me as a moneymaker, I'd be even more disappointed. If you're eyeballing this book to learn about making money in the sharing economy, you'd be better off simply going to the Uber or Etsy or whatever website, and simply reading their FAQ page.

[Kevin Lintner · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I thought this book was going to be about how to maximize your profits by taking advantage of the home sharing website Airbnb. Well, it is in part, but it is so much more. Carter definitely does give us all in ins and outs of Airbnb, but he also covers ride sharing businesses like Uber and the microgig site Fiverr. He gives an in depth description of the sites and then resents an action plan on what to do to get the ball rolling and start making money. The sections on art and music were my favorite. I am going to stop and give a standing ovation to Mr. Carter for including Deviant Art in his list of places for artists to earn extra income. DA has long been one of my most favorite websites. I learned a lot from reading this book and I recommend it if you need to make a few extra dollars a month or want to live your dream of running your own business.

[Kirk Hanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of the sharing economy and side hustles. The book doesn't go into a great deal of depth on any one gig, but is a starting point for further research. There was a bit too much filler in the first half of the book - economic figures, how to set up a home office, apps to consider - but the second half of the book alerted me to many opportunities I did not know existed and gave me important considerations for the more familiar services of AirBnB and Uber. At the present time, you can get a copy of the ebook for free on the author's website, and It's well worth picking up for the cost of an email address.