In the spirit of supporting local businesses, particularly women-owned businesses, I introduce you to SwopBoard, the most logical business idea to hit in a long time. It’s one of those services we all want and need, but are too lazy to organize ourselves. Luckily there are people out there like Natalie Angelillo who are major doers, so the lazies (ahem) can just kick back and benefit. THANKS, Natalie! Here’s the press release…check it out!!
********************************
Seattle Startup Connects Community Members to Buy, Sell,
and Give to Schools with Each Transaction
SEATTLE, Wash. – October 7, 2013 - Local start-up pro and power-Mom Natalie Angelillo (co-founder of Seattle’s award-winning Swink Style Bar) unveils a visionary look into buying, selling, wanting, and giving back with all-new company SwopBoard, an online community marketplace. SwopBoard lets parents put the items they have directly in front of people who really need them, in their schools, neighborhoods, and cities. It provides a trusted network for families to buy and sell, with a portion of each transaction going directly to their schools.
According to the Association of Fundraising Distributors and Suppliers (AFRDS), 94% of principals say their schools rely on fundraising, and Family Circle Magazine reported that many parents “worry that volunteering will require more time than they can commit, so they rule it out altogether,” clearly putting school needs and parent bandwidth at odds. SwopBoard offers parents a revolution, an opportunity to take typical household de-cluttering and turn it into charity. Plus, it’s simple to use.
“You no longer have to wait until spring-cleaning time or garage sales to get rid of old things,” said CEO and Founder Angelillo. “Families can engage in everyday philanthropy, keep things out of the landfill, and strengthen their communities by selling items they no longer need on SwopBoard.”
Unique to its perceived competitors, SwopBoard connects community members who, generally speaking, share similar lifestyles, increasing the chances of finding the right buyer and purchasing what users really need. “Initial users have found excitement in selling large items that cannot be shipped easily, saving on holiday decorations and winter sports gear for fast-growing kids – not to mention earning for their school,” Angelillo commented.
With its easy, good-for-the-planet re-commerce model, SwopBoard makes a difference for schools in three ways:
- Buy: After creating a SwopBoard account, users can access their marketplace and search for items in their school, neighborhood, and/or city. They can email sellers with questions via SwopBoard’s message system, share a listing on social media, and pay for the item on the secure site with a credit card, debit card, or PayPal.
- Sell: It is free to list an item and there are no shipping fees if users are selling to someone in their immediate community, which also eliminates interactions with strangers. SwopBoard serves as a powerful tool for users selling items that people in their community would want, like uniforms, furniture, textbooks, instruments, electronics, sports equipment, or clothes.
- Want: If users are looking for something specific, they can ask their community by using the simple “I Want” function. If someone sells the item they listed on their Want list, they will be notified via email.
For more information and to begin connecting with community members to benefit schools, visit www.SwopBoard.com.
About Natalie Angelillo:
SwopBoard was founded in 2013 by startup pro Natalie Angelillo when she needed to sell a large American Girl dollhouse and buy her son ski boots by the end of the week. She was inspired to build a place where users could put items for sale in front of people who actually need them, and donate to their schools in the process.
Angelillo has over 20 years of experience in shaping growth and development strategies, plotting new markets, and securing key venture capital. She is also the founder and co-owner of Swink Style Bar, Seattle’s premier blow dry bar, and has held c-level positions at Getty Images, PhotoDisc, and PhotoZone.
About SwopBoard:
SwopBoard is an online community marketplace that allows users to put the items they have directly in front of the people who need them – in their schools, neighborhoods, and in their cities. Users can buy and sell items in a focused, trusted group of people, with a portion of each transaction going directly to a school on their behalf. Learn more athttp://www.SwopBoard.com
