Craig’s list is an example of how the Internet can change the way business is done. It is a totally free classified’s service that is set up by geographical region, so it works well for listings where geography is an important factor – like selling furniture, jobs or used cars. I knew about Craig’s List but hadn’t given it much thought until my daughter was born last Fall. She didn’t sleep well as an infant and I wanted to find an overnight nanny who could help my wife during one of my short business trips. Because we live in fairly remote area the typical nanny agencies had trouble finding someone. I came close to giving up and canceling the trip but as a lark I tried posting it on Craig’s List one night around 10pm. My first response came at 10:15pm from someone who sounded very interested. I was floored. Two more responses came in the next 24 hours. We found someone really good and used that person several times on subsequent trips.

I was so impressed that when we purchased our mini-van (you see the progression here) we decided to decline the dealer trade in on your car and listed it on Craig’s List. We weren’t in a hurry to sell but the car sold in 2 days for $1,000 more than the trade-in offer. Now we are using it to unload baby gear as the kids out grow it.

Of course, you have to be careful, just like anything else on the Internet, but we have had a positive experience. And who can argue with free? Check it out HERE.