Creating communities of mutual support through a service marketplace solution

During the Covid-19 crisis, service marketplaces have emerged as a life-saving way to organize support for those in need.

Service marketplace solutions offer a wide range of services that are becoming increasingly diversified. 

Today, we are in an era of “performing services”. In fact, services account for 76% of national income. This has been a constant trend since the beginning of the 20th century, where the share of service activities in the economy has been constantly increasing. The higher the standard of living becomes, the more people tend to be preoccupied with so-called “secondary” needs. The internet has made it possible to set up large self-help networks and the scope of service marketplaces is vast. Several examples can be cited, such as Yakaygo, which developed the principle of collaborative holidays, or with MyYeti which is used to organize trips. 

Thanks to service marketplace solutions like these, the personal services market is growing. Anything can be offered, anyone can give and/or receive a service and due to that, the experiences have changed. In the past you had to go to a wine shop to get a wine recommendation. Today, you can go to a community platform like Winebnb for the same recommendation you would have gotten in a store. 

Service marketplace solutions can be used to replace physical space during times of crisis

The current state of the world during Covid-19 must be taken into consideration. The activity of service industries has been restricted, unlike product based companies whose consumption has not been as impacted because their goods can still be acquired through delivery. 

While many businesses have experienced hardships during this crisis, other marketplaces have benefited. One example of this is the En première ligne  (Frontline) platform, which networks volunteers for childcare or shopping, for example. Service marketplaces, in times of crisis, have made it possible to create networks of solidarity and mutual aid. Another outstanding example is the Wefarmup service marketplace. Wefarmup connects farmers who are currently in need of equipment and assists them in finding and renting the equipment remotely. 

Conclusion 

Service marketplace solutions have adapted to many of our daily needs and can often provide us with a solution. Service marketplaces are especially helpful at times when our daily habits change, such as with the Covid-19 health crisis. We can compare them to the media, which, thanks to its model and its implementation on the Internet, is able to reach and help the greatest number of people possible.