Contents

The business idea

A couch-sharing website allows users to post details of spare couches, mattresses and floor space they have available. Users normally post details of how many people they can accommodate, as well as any extras that visitors can expect, such as home-cooked meals or information about housemates and the local community. People looking for a place to stay can then contact the users and take them up on their offer.

The appeal of social websites that share resources and experiences is increasing, and many people view a couch sharing website as an opportunity to meet new people. The website could be limited to a specific town or city, or expanded to national or international proportions.

Customers and market trends

Customers will vary according to the destinations and couches available on your website.

Gap-year students looking for a couch or spare bed abroad may use the site to seek out hosts prepared to give them bed and board.
Couples or groups of friends travelling to a concert or family occasion may be operating on a tight budget, and will appreciate couch space rather than having to pay for hotels and guest houses.
People prepared to open their homes to strangers will post regular listings on a couch-sharing website. They may be looking for company or may simply want to hear tales and stories from the people they allow into their homes.
Tourists travelling to a popular town or city destination may appreciate someone who can offer them couch space, as opposed to paying the higher hotel tariffs charged in popular locations.

Key start up considerations

A key consideration will be the design, layout and usability of the website. Consider investing in a professional website designer to make the site look as professional as possible.

The site will need to be secure so that hosts and people seeking couch space can log in, post replies and contact one another. You will need to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 if you intend to keep details of names and addresses of website users. See www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/data_protection_guide.aspx for more details on how to comply with the Act.

You should also consider how you can make money from this type of enterprise. It could be run as social enterprise, or you could run it for profit by selling advertising space, creating reciprocal links and charging a subscription fee to users.

You might want to consider devising a vetting scheme for members that sign up to the site. Couch sharers and hosts will want reassurance that they will be safe and secure with the people they meet.

Sources of further information

Couch Surfing
Example of a couch-sharing website run as a non-profit enterprise.
www.couchsurfing.com

Hospitality Club
A site that offers couch-sharing, tales and experiences from different places, and a members' forum.
www.hospitalityclub.org

Servas International
International group encouraging personal contact among hosts and travellers. Travellers and hosts must attend an interview before being accepted.
www.servas.org/indexen.html