As the summer comes to a close, it’s amazing to think about all the experience I have gained as an intern at Chicago startup Spare to Share. As a rising freshman at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, I knew that I wanted to make my last summer as a “high-schooler” a memorable one, but also an educational as well as productive one. Being offered an internship at Spare to Share has given me work experience, as well as understanding about a startup, which is invaluable. I have acquired real world knowledge as well as opportunities that I may not have been able to take advantage of at other places. The term “intern” often brings to mind clerical work, coffee duty, and other menial tomfoolery, however at Spare to Share, I was able to make an impact. I was able to voice my opinion about certain changes or ideas for the company, and I was actually listened to. It did not take long for me to feel like a part of the team.
In case you don’t know about Spare to Share, it’s an innovative startup in the collaborative consumption space. It is a propriety-sharing engine that allows users to borrow, rent and sell their items within closed trusted networks; most of the time with people that live around them and whom they trust. Spare to Share seeks to take existing networks and utilize them by creating a platform where people can share items. Spare to Share is a great way to save money and to meet the people around you. There are several new companies that are coming up in the collaborative consumption space, but Spare to Share is most definitely at the forefront of the movement.
As a recent high-school graduate, the question arose as to why I wanted to start working so early, especially as intern at a startup. I want to start my own business in the near future, and what better place to understand the logistics of new business than at a startup. Being an intern at Spare to Share has allowed me to really see the inner workings of a startup; the good and the bad. The leadership team of Greg Jaros, Gint Rudis and Samir Patel constantly challenged me to look at the business from different aspects of the varying demographics and different market areas. I was able to see everything that goes into running your own business, and how every little thing has an impact on the outcome.
As the “Awesomeness Intern” (hopefully I lived up to the job title), I had a multitude of different tasks that I worked on. In the beginning, I tried to really get to know the business and the space. Understanding how the business operated was the most important task. I was then able to take on other tasks within the company. I dealt with the social media aspect, which was one of my favorites. I had access to the Spare to Share Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts, and was able to post on behalf of the company. Be sure to follow all three of the accounts, we feature a share of the day and you never know what cool things you could find!
I also had the opportunity to deal with the consumer communications and consumer experience aspect of the business. I wrote emails and messages that would go out to new users, with the intention of keeping them enticed and continuing to visit the website. I standardized and categorized he different types of users that visit the website, and drafted messages to send them in accordance to their status on our website. Hopefully as the company continues to grow, this is something that could be implemented on a larger scale.
The next big task I undertook was the crowd funding campaign and promotional video. Spare to Share has launched their campaign on Rocket Hub, so be sure to check it out. Along side the crowd funding campaign, I was able to come up with and execute a promotional video for the company, which was definitely my favorite part of the job. Being able to direct and star in the movie with Gint really was a great experience. The video may not win any Oscars, but the experience alone was worth it. I have been able to learn and work in so many different areas that I was never able to say that I was bored.
It really is a privilege to come out of this summer saying that I was able to intern at Spare to Share and that I was able to be a part of the team, even for a short amount of time. Being in a position where I enjoyed what I was doing on a daily basis made the job even easier and more enjoyable. I am so excited to see Spare to Share grow as time goes on and as it continues down the path of success!
