Temporary Ownership

Zipcar is truly a great innovation in the U.S. transportation market. While other countries have been experimenting with ideas like this for many years, it wasn't until 1999 that this model for personalized public transportation made it's way to American shores. The idea behind Zipcars is that a number of cars get parked around the city which people can then rent for hours, minutes, or months. Each Zipcar is equipped with wireless technology that helps to ensure a hassle free reservation system. In 2000 the first Zipcar was on the road, and they've been driving successfully ever since.

Currently thousands of drivers use Zipcars, including small businesses and individuals. It seems that everyone likes the freedom and money (as in that which is saved) Zipcars provide. 30% of customers like the idea of Zipcars so much that they've opted to sell their current car or decided against buying a new one. And why should they? Zipcar gives you the space, time, and cost efficient resources you need to get to where you want to go â€" who wouldn't love it? Thanks to thousands of satisfied customers, Zipcar has been growing like crazy, with plans to expand nationally in the near future.

Zipcar prides their user experience on being an innovative combination of the internet, wireless communications, and online communities. Anyone 21 years of age or older with a valid drivers license can use Zipcar. All you have to do is fill out the online application, wait for approval, and in a few days receive your Zipcard. You can choose to reserve a car online or over the phone; pick out the time, location, and car you want including models from BMW, Toyota, and Mini Coopers. Once you get to your vehicle, just hold the Zipcard against the windshield and the doors will unlock (this only works for the car that's registered to you). Zipcars include reserved parking, gas, and insurance-and when you're done, all you have to do is return the car to the spot where you picked it up.

In addition to convenience, Zipcar is winning customers thanks to their earth friendly attitude. They've reported that car usage of individuals is reduced by as much as 50%, as Zipcar members instead use the most efficient means of transportation for their task, whether it be walking, biking, public transportation, taxi, or Zipcar. They've done research and found that each Zipcar replaces over 20 privately owned vehicles, and older cars are replaced with newer ones that have more stringent pollution controls (Zipcar loves the Toyota hybrid). Perhaps the best part of Zipcar is that "green space is preserved as fewer parking spaces are required to meet the driving needs of the same number of people." Their company also creates less of a strain on urban parking infrastructure-saving businesses, governments, and universities money.

Mail-order rentals aren't just limited to DVDs anymore as you can now get paperbacks and audiobooks delivered to your mailbox. Services like these are especially nice if you consume best sellers like candy and hate to be on long waiting lists at the local library. Instead of trying to cram a visit to the library into your already crowded day, www.booksfree.com sends books to you. Think of it as a literary Netflix: For $8 a month, including shipping, you can check out two titles at a time from a list of more than 63,000 paperbacks and 5,000 audiobooks. Perhaps the best part of Booksfree is that there are no late fees. Books and CD's are shipped via regular mail and come with a pre paid return shipping envelope. As a member of Booksfree you have access to a 63,000 book library without all the clutter and overflowing bookshelves! So while you might not finish Pride and Prejudice or the latest John Grisham thriller in time for your next book-club meeting, least you can show up with it.

Imagine: you've been bumming around on your favorite beach in Southern California all day enjoying the sites with your family; the day has been perfect, all that remains is returning to your hotel room where the perfection immediately comes to a standstill. As you squeeze into the tiny one room space to socialize you bump into each other and the beds, only to be further aggravated by the exorbitant price you had to pay for such close quarters. With no other option, you go out to an over priced restaurant and are forced to submit your family's desires seeing you have no other readily available options. Is there a way of avoiding this scenario? Yup, it's called VRBO Vacation Rental.

For your next vacation, try searching their immense database of local renters who offer homes, condos, and other facilities that make your vacation destination feel like a home away from home. Enjoy a well suited space for your needs (and for less money than a hotel room). Private rentals offer freedom and flexibility to renters, and are equipped with kitchens - giving you the choice to dine in or eat out! Vacation Rentals also puts you in contact with locals who will be able to inform you of the best places to visit, dine, and enjoy yourself. Vacation Rentals provides their users with options so whether you're off to Paris, France or Paris, Idaho, you can find a classy place to stay.

With all of the personal revenue eBay generates for sellers it's not surprising that people are working to make the online auction experience easier, more efficient, and ultimately more profitable. In response companies like NuMarkets are turning up, offering a convenient, full service alternative to selling eBay goods yourself. The process works like this: take your stuff to a NuMarkets Selling and Shipping Center, and then wait about two weeks for your check. And don't worry about selling large items like furniture and machinery; NuMarkets is well equipped to handle all kinds of merchandise that covers 27,000 different eBay categories. So whether you're a storeowner or an individual seller, NuMarkets is ready to take your house wares, outgrown kids clothes, and antiques - and turn it into extra cash.

It's easy for NuMarkets to get your unwanted stuff sold, thanks to their proprietary Simple technology. This 23-step process starts with brining "your item to a local NuMarkets selling and shipping center. Upon receipt, your item is professionally photographed and described by our knowledgeable staff using NuMarkets tools and technology. Your item is warehoused in a secure environment until it is sold on eBay's global marketplace, seven days later. After your item is sold and the money is collected, the item is packaged and shipped to the new buyer. NuMarkets is the only company to develop the software and business methods that deliver faster results." Sounds easy doesn't it?

If there's not a NuMarkets shop near you, check out their MoneyMakers program where you can call a toll free number and get advice about whether or not your items would sell. From there all you have to do is pack up the items you want to sell and a USPS carrier will pick it up at the location of your choice on the following day (NuMarkets covers the shipping cost). Once your items arrive at a Selling and Shipping Center, NuMarkets photographs it, writes up a description, and then posts it online to begin the auction process. Most items sell in a week, with your final cost totaling about 38% of the final sale price. By making online auctioning more convenient, NuMarkets is helping to hurry the move towards a temporary ownership culture that pays off big for all parties involved.

As the media increasingly dishes out glimpses of luxury living, it's no wonder that the general public is looking for the finer things in life. And while Paris and Nicole have no problem spending $5,000 on a designer handbag, the rest of us might. But don't regular people deserve nice things too? Don't we work hard to get the things we want? We sure do, and there's finally a company that can appreciate our desire to have nice things at affordable prices. Bag Borrow or Steal allows customers (anyone can be a customer) to rent high-end handbags for a fraction of the price it would cost to buy them, opening up a world where you don't have to choose between paying your mortgage or buying that Chanel clutch. The idea for Bag Borrow Steal was founded on the question of "why are celebrities the only ones who get to borrow luxury fashion accessories?" And has been growing ever since. Not only did Bag Borrow Steal disrupt the high fashion marketplace, but they also jumped on the opportunity to embrace the new 'temporary ownership' trend that's becoming increasingly apparent in our society. Bag Borrow or Steal employs a talented group of well versed experts from industries like fashion, retail, and ecommerce to make sure their customers find the best products and services every time they shop there.

In order to make their services available to a wide range of people, Bag Borrow or Steal has developed three different membership options. Choose from being a Trendsetter, a Princess, or a Diva for anywhere from $19 to $100 a month. Trendsetters can choose to borrow bags from companies like Coach, BCBG Girls, and Juicy Couture, while Princesses have access to designers like Dooney & Bourke, Fendi, and Kate Spade. And if you're interested in only the best, being a Diva enables you to choose from couture designers like Marc Jacobs, Hermes, and Louis Vuitton. Perhaps the best part of belonging to Bag Borrow or Steal is that you get to keep each bag for as long as you'd like (as long as you pay your monthly membership fee), and you can change bags whenever you want. If one bag at a time just won't satisfy your fashion itch, you can upgrade to their Deluxe service which allows you to take out two at a time. So whether you're just getting started as a Trendsetter, or are already a full-fledged Diva, Bag Borrow or Steal has something that's perfect just for you, or your special occasion. Bag Borrow or Steal is proving that luxury can be affordable, innovative, and on trend all at the same time; we expect to see a lot more companies like this in the future.