Tell Us About the Business, How Did The Idea Come About?
We are Sharesy, a venue hire platform for community spaces – our mission is to bring people together, one community at a time.
I’m a huge tech fan, but as a generation I feel we have a responsibility to bring people together in real life.
Following the pandemic, we are more lonely and isolated than ever before. We must shape a future world where tech is an enabler of human connection and not a replacement.
I’m really passionate about this mission and that’s why we’re building Sharesy. The idea of ‘an Airbnb but for community spaces‘ really hit home during lockdown. People were meeting their next door neighbours for the first time, just to check up on them if they were unwell or to help each other with their groceries.
Some of my favourite childhood memories are of the family getting together, mum putting on ‘a great spread’, and running around a community hall until I’m red-faced and sweaty, collapsed on the bouncy castle.
The village halls, local schools and community spaces on all our streets deserve to be protected. They are struggling financially and are under-utilised. That presents an opportunity to make a change.
From playgroups to scout troops, birthday parties to yoga nights, people have always craved connection – and despite the digital-first world in which we live, communities have always needed spaces to thrive. And so the idea of Sharesy was born to help people find spaces to hire in their local neighbourhoods. We’re here to bring people together. Everywhere. Everyday. One community at a time!
What Growth Has Been Achieved So Far?
We are now working with over 120 venues with halls to hire across London! 100 venues was a huge milestone for us. Another great milestone was hosting our 1000th event, a kids’ birthday party in Barnet. From Harrow to Haringey we are constantly blown away by the amazing spaces to discover.
Although we are not a charity, we are doing good. When you book with Sharesy you’re helping a local school save up for a new school minibus, helping a community centre raise funds for a new playground or a church fund their foodbank. It feels good to support local communities.
What Have You Learnt So Far?
I’m on a steep learning curve! When I started out, Sharesy was just me and a few friends generously providing support as a side hustle to their day jobs. A few years later we’re now a team of ten people, with an amazing company culture, clear goals and backed by amazing investors.
When I started out, I had no idea what I was doing. But now, I’ve learned a few things that have helped me in my start-up career. Here are some things you should do to be successful:
- Hire people who are smarter than you. You need people around who can give you advice and help you think about things from another perspective, whilst bringing specialist skills.
- Let the team shape the culture. Giving flexibility, autonomy, responsibility and accountability is a great way to demonstrate trust in each individual’s ability to contribute.
- Always be willing to learn more and hear feedback. I never assume my instincts are correct, so validate through insight research and feedback from multiple perspectives.
- Fail fast, learn and move on. Don’t get too attached to any one plan of action; if it isn’t working, change it up.
What Are Your Plans For The Next 12 Months?
We continue to grow, we are just closing our third round of investment which gives us a great opportunity to scale our marketing activity and our product development. This will not only increase the number of community venues available to hire here in London and beyond, but also see us host far more events from fitness classes to baby groups and birthday parties. Bringing people together, one community at a time.
For any questions or enquiries please contact: Felix Atkin Sharesy Founder, CEO, [email protected]
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