Submission + - eSwarm.com harnessing the buying power (eswarm.com)
Bryant writes: "What started out as an idea to group or "swarm" people together to buy health insurance has now become eSwarm.com http://www.eswarm.com/ a creative internet platform to purchase anything, from health insurance and prescription drugs to IPods. eSwarm is a small Boulder, Colorado based internet company hoping to bring buyers and suppliers together, as well as give back to charities.
Through harnessing the buying power of large, like-minded tightly-knit groups, eSwarm intends to become the world's pre-eminent demand driven platform. By coordinating individual purchases into bulk orders, eSwarm allows individuals to receive volume discounts without actually having to buy in volume. In addition, eSwarm provides charities and organizations with an innovative fundraising tool. It accomplishes this by allowing creators of swarms to stipulate that a percentage of the total sale is donated to their charity of choice. eSwarm has created a whole new unique way of purchasing online. eSwarm officially went live on Tuesday, July 10 at 10:07am.
"The excitement exploded into cheers when eSwarm launched," CEO Tim Newcomb said. "eSwarm is not an e-commerce site, but a global economic revolution."
How it works
Buyers — or swarmers, as eSwarm.com calls them — log onto the website and register for a free account and within minutes they can begin to join current swarms. The swarms can range from nearly any consumer good, debt refinancing, pre-paid gift and debit cards, to even affordable health insurance.
If there's nothing that interests you then start your own swarm for the product or service you want. In creating your own swarm you get to choose your price and terms as well as pick the charity of your choice to benefit from the swarm.
Go out and promote your swarm, because the more people that join your swarm the more goes to your charity and to you. Once the swarm has grown and is soon to end, then sit back and watch your BidBattle begin between different suppliers wanting to fulfill your swarm from all over the world.
Still don't get it? Go to eSwarm.com and click on the How it Works tab.
Interested in being a supplier? Log onto eSwarm.com and register.
This idea has potential to revolutionize how people spend their money, and not just online. Why buy a product in a store when you can buy it on eSwarm, which benefits local, national or even global charities. Much of the eSwarm anticipation has been a result of the recent Chinese craze, tuangou, or team buying. Today dozens of team buying websites exist in China that unite consumers looking to purchase the same items and then set up dates and times to meet at the various retailers to demand volume discounts.
"The latest buying craze in China excites us," Newcomb said. "It gives our organization just another reason to believe that our timing is better than ever.""