Travel website GoCambio is targeting new expansion as it plans fundraising for 2016 and a new website that will enlarge the list of skills that eople can exchange to include business mentoring and computer programming.
Managing director Rosie Mansfield said the site was targeting six million users within three years, up from its current total of 7,500.
“It’s ambitious,” she said. “Why not reach for the skies?”
The website allows people to swap skills for accommodation in other countries, cutting their travel bills while also providing affordable education services to GoCambio users worldwide.
GoCambio was founded by UK-based businesswoman Deirdre Bounds and Ian O’Sullivan, with the site officially opening in March. It now has users signed up in around 110 countries. The founders invested €400,000, but its ambitious expansion plans will need extra investment.
Ms Mansfield said the company is planning to raise funds next year to help propel the site to its next stage of growth, and is currently exploring options such as crowdfunding to raise the €600,000 it needs.
GoCambio is also planning a relaunch, with the second version due to go live within six weeks.
“Our first site was just to test the concept. We needed to have something that was working and functioning, but this will be an incredible site,” Ms Mansfield said.
The focus of the new site will be on a cleaner design that makes it more simple to use and intuitive for GoCambio’s customers. It will be ready in time for the new year, which she noted is a peak time for the travel industry.
“January is a big time in the travel industry for people making New Year’s resolutions and people deciding what they’re going to do for the year,” Ms Mansfield said.
The company already has a revenue model in mind, with plans to offer a paid-for service dubbed GoAssure. Although the free version of GoCambio will continue to exist, the subscription model will appeal to users who want extra reassurance, with additional verification and insurance policies for both hosts and guests.
Ms Mansfield said there would be one policy that covered users as both guests and hosts, with the aim of keeping things as simple as possible for users.
