As it matures, the driving force of the sharing economy will become time, and the companies that can do business in real-time will occupy a more strategic, and profitable, place in the ecosystem.

Fresh off its billion valuation, Airbnb is the most common reference point for all manner of “this for that” pitches bouncing around the Valley right now, with many new ventures proposing to be the “the Airbnb of X.”

But Airbnb is only one species of the sharing economy genus — a genus that will stratify over the next few quarters.

Real-time makes your brand a hero

Hotel Tonight is a great example of the flip side of the Airbnb coin. It focuses on real-time reservations, and the real-time use of latent capacity.

Airbnb’s transactions typically take place five or more days in advance of a stay, and any requests inside that window are put on a standby list. In contrast, Hotel Tonight only offers rooms for the current night, with a cutoff of 2 a.m. local time. It’s a fascinating constraint, and one that has propelled their business forward. When people need a room immediately and you’re able to provide them one, they will remember you.

Real-time can command premiums, not just discounts

Of course, different markets and different kinds of capacity have unique sensitivities to time.

Uber’s car service business is incredibly time-sensitive. One of its most common use cases is trips to and from the airport, which usually involves a high-stakes deadline on at least one end of the journey.

Other popular uses are travel on a busy holiday (think Halloween or New Year’s Eve in New York City during a public transportation strike).

The more time-sensitive a market becomes for buyers and sellers, the more lucrative the corresponding business opportunity.

This is an old lesson — price and revenue optimization wizards hold time in the highest regard. And as the time-sensitivity of a situation increases, the number of parties we’re willing to entrust with our affairs dwindles to a small handful.

Real-time puts coveted data in your pocket

What Hotel Tonight, Uber and my company LiquidSpace have in common is that we all know a lot about our customers’ travel patterns.

Additionally, we can extrapolate a ton of information about preferences — from who customers are likely to collaborate with to where they like to work or hang out.

With this real-time data, we’re primed to find other ways to make your stay, ride or meeting that much more enjoyable. We can quickly provide add-ons that customers need, such as snacks or printing, or partner with other vendors who can.

Whether by offering new services or opening up this powerful real-time data, we are exposing new revenue streams that the sharing economy enables.

With enough time, any latent capacity can be utilized. Each year at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, we see twelve month’s worth of planning make use of every nook and cranny.

On short notice, sharing economies are harder to organize, and they involve more risk. Real-time capabilities mean that you sit closer to purchasing decisions, closer to strategic imperatives, closer to profit and loss, closer to sealed deals and averted crises.

Real-time is difficult, and precisely because it is so challenging to do real-time well, and safely, the market will reward those who invest in making the “here and now” a priority. In short, you’re closer to risk, and closer to reward.

Consumers want real-time access, and businesses demand it. The sharing economy is not only online, it’s also picking up speed.

Mark Gilbreath is co-founder and CEO of LiquidSpace, a mobile application that helps people find and share available workspaces.

Image courtesy of Flickr user psd.

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After a person buys their car, they often don’t think about one of the main tips for keeping their car in pristine condition. This tip from Los Angeles BMW involves car maintenance and repair of your car. Whether you have purchased a new car or used car, it is important that there be a plan for maintaining your car.

When a person purchases a new car, they often do not think about regular maintenance and service schedules. They often drive the car until a warning light or indicator comes on. If the car is running and not making any noises the light is often ignored. When a warning light or indicator appears, it is important to get the car to a service center immediately.

Cars that are driven in heavy traffic often use more oil than cars that are driven on an occasional basis. Commuter traffic and stop-and-go driving will put wear on an engine and use more oil. Checking the oil each time you fill you car with fuel will help you make sure that the car has sufficient oil. This will help the car to run more smoothly and avoid wear on the engine.

Extending the life of your car requires regular service and maintenance. During a regular service visit, technicians will change the fluids of the car, check the brakes, and do other routine maintenance on the car. If there is an indication that a problem or issue may occur with the car, the technicians will alert you so you can take care of the issue before it becomes a problem.

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When you take your car in for regular service, the dealer will be expecting you. They will have a loaner car or transportation ready for you so that you will not have to wait or be stuck without a car. The service center will also schedule your service and maintenance for times and days that are convenient for you.

Reminder notes on the dashboard or in the cup holder will help you to remember when to get your car serviced. Many people use this method and include the date that service is needed on the note. When the car is regularly maintained, you can drive without worrying about a service light coming on.

Fuel is very important in keeping a car running smoothly. When the wrong octane is used, the engine of the car is getting undue wear and tear. The manufacturer of the car will have a recommendation for the best octane to use. This recommendation is reached after testing and diagnosis of the car. Using the correct octane is especially important in heavy, rush hour traffic to extend the life of the car.

When a car has been maintained properly, like one from BMW Los Angeles, it will give the owner several years of quality use. You will be able to depend on your car. Taking care of your car through proper maintenance and service is one of the tips from BMW Los Angeles that will help you to drive your car with confidence.

Whenever we want to buy a new or used car, we often will be baffled by all the offers. Do we just look in the local media or do we try one of those dealers that sell all kinds of different models? Well, the easiest thing to do is to contact a dealer who can look out for what is wanted and in good time. For example, if an internet search is done, put in ‘Buick NJ’, ‘GMC NJ’ or ‘Buick in NJ’ to see the amount of dealers which can fulfill these requirements in the local area.

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Check out the service department and ask questions on the cars that are on sale; how many miles they have done and perhaps if any parts have been replaced etc. By getting a feel for how these questions are answered, the buyer can then make up his mind about them. Also check out for any special offers like ‘lube for life’ on certain makes of cars which will have some effects on the running costs. Great credit deals and maybe a free valet service also attract people so look for the offers before buying.

Naturally, local outlets may be the best ones to deal with too since they will have to have a good reputation with the locals. When buying a car from them, they should have the full history of the car and may well be able to buy it back in part exchange once a new model is sought. If all the servicing is done with the same outlet too, they are far more likely to give a good rate on the exchange than on one which has a dubious service history. But of course, the modern way to search for that new or used car these days is to start bys surfing on the net. Once a great dealer has been found it is very easy to see what they have to offer by searching their site. On the other hand, certain parameters can be entered so that a list of available cars within that range will be listed quite easily.

This is great for people who have a very specific choice in mind and who just do not have the time to look in several venues. But whatever the reason, this is still a great way to see what is available in any outlet even if it is the same chain of dealers all clustered in the same area.