Y’earn Baby!

Hi! I’m Carley and I’m the founder of Y’earn, the parent-to-parent marketplace to rent Baby & Kids items from people and small businesses in your community, or make some cash if you have items you don't need right now.

I was living in San Francisco when I had the idea for Y’earn. I had moved countless times from London to NY to SF and each time was a headache of packing, shipping and buying new. It was expensive and time consuming, but I was also very aware of the amount of waste and the impact I was having on the environment. I had made changes in my buying habits and was trying to live in a more eco-friendly way, but I realised that some of my lifestyle choices were undoing those efforts and it was a thought that grew in parallel to the business.

Y’earn was initially going to be a marketplace for furniture but quickly expanded to a community that helps each other through the big life moments, including starting a family. At its core the platform helps people save or make money, but it also provides a sustainable alternative to buying everything new or leaving items unused. I also wanted to find ways to give back, but more on that later!

Launching a business during Covid-19

Y’earn launched in San Francisco in Feb 2019 and within a few weeks the city went into lockdown and after a few more I made the hard choice to move back to England after 5yrs. For a while I tried to continue to get the business off the ground but it was too hard from another continent! After a few tears and the realisation that I was going to be living in London for a while I decided to launch here.

Some people thought I was crazy, but I believe Y’earn is even more relevant at a time when people are concerned about their jobs and money. We help people save or make money, while helping their community and having a positive impact. I think we’re all looking ways to help each other right now.

Luckily we had designed the brand and technology to expand in new markets so it was a relatively quick exercise compared to designing and building the platform the first time. We soft launched on the 27th October 2020, with the ability to upload listings or leave your email if you’re interested in renting items. Our initial focus is on London but we aim to expand across the country in spring, so register for our newsletter with your postcode and we’ll know where to focus on first!

Our community

The Y’earn community is made of three parts:

●      EARNERS (people that make money from items) Whether they need the money, space or want to help others less fortunate, they can rent items for as long as they like, and then decide to sell, donate to charity, or have them returned before their next child needs them.

●      YEARNERS (people that want items) can focus on creating important memories with their children without spending endless hours researching and shopping for everything that they need. Whether they rent short-term or long-term they can save cash and help Mother Nature.

●      COORDINATORS (the parent version of an Uber driver) pick up, disinfect and drop off between each parent. They help families while creating a side hustle around the school run!

How it works

Earners take items that they've outgrown for the moment, and list them grouped together in one of our Bundle categories:

●      Nursery & bedroom

●      Around the home

●      Feeding

●      Out & About

We help you come up with a fair price although it is your choice on how long you rent for and the price you set. Individual items cannot be rented, although a Yearner can remove items from a Bundle when they request to reserve. We do allow Earners to list some additional items that can be sold alongside their rental, things like bedding and books.

When a Yearner falls in love with a listing, and the Earner accepts, we take it from there. Our Coordinators manage pick up, cleaning and delivery, we even provide a guarantee so everyone has peace-of-mind.

Before the end of the rental we ask the Yearner and Earner what they would like to do next. Don’t need the items any longer? The Earner can either have the items returned or we'll donate them to charity on your behalf. Not ready to say goodbye to a great thing? Yearners can request to extend the rental or purchase the items for good. Whatever you choose, we take care of the logistics.

Giving back

We're passionate about giving time, money and goods to local and national charities, while making it easy for our community to do the same. We proudly support Great Ormond Street Hospital, Baby Basics and The Child Rescue Coalition.

A rental business is sustainable but we also plant trees and pay for carbon offsetting projects with Ecologi, so we’re a carbon positive business. Instead of a cash referral program we pay for bees and hives with The Good Bee Company.

These efforts are small at the moment but will grow with us and it’s something we’re incredibly proud to have initiated from launch.  

Our Mission

We connect people of different circumstances with one common goal: to enjoy life's beautiful moments and create positive impact through convenient, sustainable, and affordable rentals.

Website: https://www.yearn.club

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yearnbabykids

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yearn_baby_kids/