What Is the Sharing Economy?

We’ve probably all daydreamed about quitting our jobs to pursue our passion: to open a cupcake shop, pursue novel-writing full time, or simply lead guided tours through exotic locales. For many of us, that daydream is a refuge from daily stresses and pressures. But there’s a new economic game in town that promises to place the dream of setting one’s own hours, being one’s own boss, and deciding one’s own paycheck in the hands of ordinary Americans. These companies comprise the sharing economy and include such services as Airbnb, Uber, TaskRabbit, Etsy, and Kitchensurfing. Sharing economy is a catchall term