Sharing errands online

It’s no secret that one can save time, money and gas by doubling up on errands or swapping to-do’s with people in other locations to cut down on driving. But the prospect of divvying up tasks among friends, family and coworkers might seem like more trouble than it’s worth. That’s where Sherrands comes in—a new tool that links to-do lists of close friends and associates in a secure online environment to facilitate errand sharing. Here’s how this lifehack works: customers sign up for subscriptions and invite others to join. Users set up lists of other members they trust to run their errands—each user can have multiple lists. They then enter information about their errands, including information on mileage and time, which can be used to calculate how much gas and time users are saving using the site. Once an errand is entered, the user can assign it to one or more lists, and each member on that list is alerted via email. If the errand happens to be convenient to one of those members, he or she can accept it, and an email notification will let the person know. Sherrands also lets users create offers—alerting a list of members that you will be running to a particular part of town, for instance, and offering to help with errands in that area for anyone who needs it. During its current testing phase, the service is free, however Sherrands will begin charging for use once testing is complete. While its interface could be more appealing, the idea is promising. Sherrands offers a handy solution to coordinating what otherwise might take a tangled web of phone calls and individual emails, making it an efficient way to save time and spare the environment to boot. It could be an attractive concept for business owners, too, especially if adapted for project management purposes. Spotted by: Susanna Haynie