Stuff4Hire: Jude Alexis’ Venture in Sustainability and Community Building

Take a minute to think about how many times you are working on a project or want to complete a task and you don’t have a tool or object you need to get the job done. You might not have anyone reliable to ask to borrow said object, or you might not be surrounded by a community and not know your neighbors. So, you go to the store, see how much that tool is and cringe from sticker shock, however you buy the thing anyway.

You use it once or twice, and it just sits around. This is what happened with Jude Alexis and a $150 ladder he used to clear out his gutters, once. Not everyone can afford to purchase the tool or object they need at a specific time, and just because you might be able to make that purchase, doesn’t mean you should acquire one of every object out there (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!).

This is where Stuff4Hire enters the picture. Stuff4Hire (S4H) is an online platform for peer-to-peer sharing of…stuff! Their tagline is “Think AirBnB or Rent The Runway, but for kitchen gadgets, outdoor gear, appliances and electronics.” After moving to the Hudson Valley, Jude Alexis had his ladder experience which made him aware of the problem with “stuff” and lack of community, prompting him to create Stuff4Hire.

Having worked in the Tech Industry for 20+ years with a variety of clients ranging from banking and insurance, to most recently to sports, Jude Alexis is putting his diverse skillset to good use founding S4H to utilize the web in a positive and constructive way. With so much negativity, disinformation, and distrust on the internet, S4H is a connector focused on the positivity of sharing to help create less consumption and waste, and community building through communication, sharing, and trust establishing. Global pandemic aside, Stuff4Hire is a community. It is a peer-to-peer connection which focuses on the positivity of sharing and helping to improve and create a sense of community where it may be lacking. Whether you’re corresponding about a specific product, arranging a pickup and drop-off, or visiting one of the S4H Drop Zones, you can be sure that you’re interacting with another human, further facilitating a local community experience and even creating a community where one barely exists or might not exist at all. When you rent or list with S4H, you can leave and receive a review to help ensure trusting relationships are being made.

Cordless Drill, Snowblower, Lawnmower. These are just a few of the items currently listed as objects to rent on Stuff4Hire. The possibilities are almost limitless for what you can rent and what you can lend. However, S4H doesn’t list items valued over $5,000, so no houses, cars, or large items like that and nothing that requires a license to operate, oh, and nothing that goes ‘boom!’ However, a bread maker, a pair of kayaks, and a sander are within the realm of possibilities. With the current global pandemic and bleak economy we are facing, now more than ever people may not be able to afford to buy a snowblower for the season or a lawnmower this spring. This is where S4H comes in to help you and your budget. This platform makes it easier to afford those seasonal big ticket items, and if you have those items to offer, you can make some money lending them out!

Stuff4Hire will process the rental details for you. When someone wants to rent your item, S4H will send you a Rental Request Notification which will include details about the prospective renter, including their S4H rental history and the information pertaining to the desired dates they would like to borrow your item. If you decide you want to rent your item to that person, Stuff4Hire will hold a deposit to cover the value of the item. When the renter returns the item, the deposit will be returned to the renter minus the cost of the rental. If the renter does not return your item or if the item is damaged, Stuff4Hire will reimburse you for the value of the item.

As a Stuff4Hire user, you can arrange a pick-up and drop-off of your objects on a safe and individual basis, or you will soon be able to utilize Stuff4Hire’s merchant “Drop Zones.” This works best for people who might not feel comfortable approaching someone, or having them come to their house. The Drop Zone introduces a neutral, middle ground to ensure safety for all parties. A Drop Zone further facilitates accessibility for scheduling, in case you can’t drop off an object at a certain time, you can just leave it at the local coffee shop and the recipient can receive it when it’s convenient for them. Additionally, a merchant Drop Zone exposes individuals to new businesses they might not otherwise frequent, and the merchant will likely receive new clients every time an individual comes in to receive or drop off an object. Another cool feature to come for S4H that will help with pick-ups and drop-offs are Bluetooth operated devices. S4H is working with a company to create these safe and convenient devices to help you share and receive with minimal contact (perfect for Covid times!) all while providing a user-operated experience.

Stuff4Hire is up and running and ready for your involvement! Using Stuff4Hire as a community resource, we can come together, help each other out, create stronger communities, and help reduce waste all in one! Visit Stuff4Hire.Com for more information!