NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., Oct. 6, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TimeRepublik, which lets users across the globe give or get help for services or projects using time as payment, is launching in the U.S. today after quietly building a global following in Europe and South America.
“TimeRepublik is a simple, free collaboration engine and Digital Time Wallet for anyone to get the services they need, and build their projects or portfolios using the one currency we all have: time. You earn time by sharing your talents and can redeem what you’ve earned to get the services you need” said co-founder Gabriele Donati.
U.S. aficionados have already discovered TimeRepublik and are using it to get expert help they couldn’t otherwise afford. New York City-based stylist and personal shopper Cherish Cullison is at the early stage of building her brand and, like many new entrepreneurs, was long on talent but short on funds. She relies on the TimeRepublik platform to trade her expertise for services she needs, and in the process is also building her credibility and reputation.
“I did a styling session via Skype with a monk who had recently left the monastery and needed to create a look that fit the person she wanted to be in the outside world. It was amazing in so many ways for both of us! Using the time I earned with her, I was able to capitalize on the talents of a graphic designer to create a professional logo for my business, and it has already made a huge difference.”
And that’s just one example. There are thousands of others. To see a few examples, go to www.TimeRepublik.com/about-us or just register at TimeRepublik.com to see the over 100,000 talents and skills currently being shared on the site.
Donati says that though the simplicity of the platform hides a lot of technological power, his aim is to create a place where anyone’s authentic character and skills can shine. “We have makers, IT, and creative professionals, editors, journalists, translators — but also a lot of amazingly cool talents that may not have anything to do with business; people offering lessons — in person or virtually — tutoring, dog-walking. And they get things they need like websites or accounting in return.
“It’s awesome for anyone: if you are starting out, starting over, need help with a project in school or help for your business — or just want to build a following doing something you love — TimeRepublik makes it easy to get what you need, giving whatever you have to offer, and being paid in time, not money,” Donati said.
Signing Up
Signing up is easy, and users receive up to 5 hours when they join, and another ½ hour for every friend who joins, to get them started.
“I can’t think of another place where I would be able to do what I love, for a living and for fun, and have these encounters with people I wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to meet,” Cullison added. “I’m a wardrobe stylist. Where else would I have the chance to meet a Vacuum Engineer or a Burmese Monk, to name a few? I offered knitting lesson to a producer, we had a lovely chat while she learned a craft, and I was hired for a styling job based on her recommendation. You get back what you put in and every exchange gives you the chance to be better at what you do. If I needed to add some experience to my resume, I think this would be a great place to do so.”
Digital Time Wallet
In concert with its U.S. launch, the company is adding a Digital Time Wallet for all users, which transforms the humble widget into a potent new way to kick-start projects or pay for services using time instead of money. The Digital Time Wallet is a widget that acts as a button, sitting on a webpage of your choice. With the TimeRepublik Digital Wallet, you can collect time from users for your projects, and donate time to theirs. People are accustomed to widgets that do very little except add convenience. The widget for TimeRepublik looks unassuming, but it’s a game changer: it’s extremely powerful and lets people who might not otherwise be able to afford a service or project have a simple, useful way to meet their needs without spending a dime. It’s underwriting in a different light.
About TimeRepublik: TimeRepublik was founded in 2012 by Gabriele Donati and Karim Varini who dreamt of creating a place where people could freely exchange their talents and skills using time and not money as currency. Currently operating out of New York, Italy, Switzerland, Brazil, Spain, France, Germany, Denmark, Russia, and The Netherlands, TimeRepublik (timerepublik.com) is a peer-to-peer platform with over 100,000 talents shared in more than 110 countries around the world. The company white-labels its platform and licenses it to large corporations, municipalities, universities and nonprofits who wish to improve collaboration, engagement, and their Corporate Social Responsibility profile. Follow the company on Facebook: www.facebook.com/timerepublik or Twitter: twitter.com/timerepublik .
For more information on TimeRepublik, please visit www.TimeRepublik.com or www.TimeRepublik.com/about-us
A photo accompanying this release is available at:
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CONTACT: Media Contact
Merredith Branscombe
Leap! PR for Time Republik
E. [email protected]
P. 720.235.7363