The Internet has made peer-to-peer sales as easy as clicking a “Buy” button. It doesn’t matter that the seller may be in a different country than the buyer anymore. You can now get a business or personal loan on peer-to-peer lending sites. You can also buy things second hand from sites like Amazon and eBay, which also sell items from one owner to another. The aftermarket sales niche is very adaptable to peer-to-peer business structures, and can even be used to sell items, like event tickets.
By marrying the ease of an aftermarket ticket sale service with strong community features, Ticketbis, a Spanish startup, has introduced ticket buyers to ease of online peer-to-peer ticket sales for world class events like the 2014 World Cup in Brazil or musical events wherever they might be taking place. They’re an example of the type of peer-to-peer business model that has investors swooning in 2014, while experiencing exponential growth in their business models.
Investors Drool over Ticketbis
Currently, Ticketbis is present in over 15 countries. It leads the pack of other online ticket vendors in the Latin America and Southern European markets, with an aim to continue their growth in 2014 (launched in France this year and Germany and Russia the year before). That was enough to convince investors that they have a winner on their hands.
This Model Can Be Emulated for Other Types of Businesses
If someone has a good idea for an online business model that they want to expand globally, then a peer-to-peer network may be the best model for their business. If a business has a large social networking presence already, on sites like Facebook or Twitter, it’s almost a no-brainer to leverage that network with a peer-to-peer sales model for their products and services. They can take a commission on sales from buyers or sellers and still make money with no inventory costs whatsoever. As more users join the potential for word-of-mouth to spread quickly increases exponentially.
Expansion is Profit in a Peer-to-Peer Business Model
Social networking allows a company a much wider exposure when they leverage to create buzz about their offerings. This strategy is just one of the ways Ticketbis is expanding their outreach. Another strategy is the addition of more workers with the firm. This exemplifies the way growth can lead to profits, but also lead to additional staffing costs. Those businesses that can successfully manage a large peer-to-peer network can expect global sales to explode, but will need to streamline their online system so that it doesn’t require huge investments in staffing or resources with the additional growth.
Why Peer-to-Peer Works as a Business Model
This isn’t the first time a peer-to-peer model has experienced tremendous growth and investor interest. Peer-to-peer lenders, like Prosper.com, have also integrated business concepts with the power of social group dynamics and social networking. It’s an easy way to get an instant audience. Add in the ability to make secure payments in between both the peer buyer and the peer seller and it puts everyone’s minds at ease. The businesses tend to rely on explosive growth to attract investors in the early stages of their business. However, that can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the business will experience higher sales, but that also may demand more investments in staff, technology, and operating cash.
Businesses that can stay afloat and manage a global audience will have what it takes to refine their business models and become one of the blue chip Internet companies like Amazon.com. While the average person is just looking for a solution to a simple problem (like an unused event ticket), investors are looking for those companies that have a game plan to grow globally as quickly as possible. New global businesses that can prove that they have a solution that is in high demand will attract the attention of a worldwide network of angel investors looking for the next big thing.