Sharing Economy Thrived with Consumers but Lags in Corporate World. Until Now
Over the past decade, the sharing economy has reshaped industries once thought impervious to change. Platforms such as Airbnb, Uber, and TaskRabbit have made the sharing economy a mainstream reality, allowing individuals to rent homes, cars, and even services at the tap of a screen. These companies do cater to businesses, but their core model remains firmly direct-to-consumer. The most successful players in the space have focused on creating networks where individuals can seamlessly transact with one another, optimizing assets for better utilization rather than building rigid, centralized business models.

Yet when it comes to B2B adoption of these models, progress has been slower. Companies, despite having much to gain from the efficiencies of the sharing economy, have been hesitant to integrate peer-to-peer structures into their operations. Concerns around standardization, compliance, and trust often outweigh potential cost savings. In corporate travel, for example, businesses still overwhelmingly favor traditional hotels and managed travel programs over alternative arrangements. The result is a paradox: while the sharing economy has become an accepted part of daily life for consumers, it remains an outlier in corporate strategy.

Some businesses like Deel (YCW19), and Protex AI (YCS21) are reconsidering. Rather than viewing work trips as a necessary expense, they are exploring ways to make them more meaningful interactions between employees, clients, and partners. This is where Roamr emerges—Instead of staying in faceless hotels or short-term rentals, employees can opt to stay with friends, colleagues, or trusted community members, turning routine travel into an opportunity to strengthen professional and personal relationships. Both host and guest earn 30-35% of the alternative hotel spend, while the company saves 20-30%.

*What is Roamr for Friends?* Roamr for Friends is a travel model that enables employees to sget paid for staying with friends when travelling for work. It differs from Roamr’s “Roamr for Work” product because companies do not need to sign up for Roamr for Friends. Employees can book just as easily as a hotel—using their company credit card to complete payment, with Roamr handling the rest. Employees invite their host to the booking, complete payment with stripe sending the receipt to accounts and when the trip is done, both Roamrs receive their share.

Roamr encourages employees to experience work travel in a way that feels less isolating and more integrated into their existing networks. A host—a former colleague, a university friend, or even an old acquaintance—can provide more than just a place to stay. They offer local knowledge, a chance for genuine connection, and the potential to make business travel feel less like a burden and more like an enriching experience.

As businesses explore new ways to balance travel costs with employee well-being and connectivity, the question remains: *will they embrace the same sharing economy principles that have transformed consumer habits?* This shift toward a corporate sharing economy will need to be driven by employees themselves. Forward-thinking employees who use platforms like Roamr for Friends can demonstrate to executives the financial and cultural benefits—reducing company costs while and earning income. Rather than waiting for policy changes from the top, this movement will grow from the bottom up, fuelled by employees who see an opportunity to modernize corporate travel. *Roamr for Friends is not just a tool—it’s an asset for employees looking to push this revolution forward.*