Need something repaired? We’ve got you covered.

Repairing things and keeping them in use is a big part of the circular economy. We’re excited to announce that we’ve teamed up with the Philly Fixers Guild and group skillsharing platform YING to connect folks who need things fixed with the people who can help. 

What is skillsharing?

Skillsharing is a simple concept, and it’s something that you probably already engage in.  Many of us generously share our time and talents with family, friends, neighbors and causes that we feel passionate about.  Skillsharing can range from something as simple as helping someone learn how to sew a button on a shirt to something more complex like repairing a broken microwave.

YING provides an online platform for folks who need help or want to learn a new skill to connect with others who have the right skills to help.  Need professional services? Help at home? A specific tool for a one-off project? To learn a new skill?  YING can help you connect with someone who can help.

You can read more about YING in this Grid Magazine article.

So how does this work for getting stuff repaired?

That’s where the Philly Fixers Guild comes in.  Fixers who have joined the platform are available to connect with folks who need stuff repaired to help them get their stuff fixed.  Pre-Covid, the Fixers Guild held regular Repair Fairs where individuals could bring household items for repair and learn about repairing them in the process.  Repair Fairs are on hiatus during the pandemic for safety reasons, but thanks to YING, there’s now a way for folks to get their stuff fixed and keep it in use instead of buying new.  And that’s a win for the circular economy!

Sound great, right? It’s also easy and free.

And once you’re on the YING platform, you can connect with people who have other skills you might need and share your own with others.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Download the YING app (Apple and Google Play) or go to YINGme.app on your desktop.
2. Join the Circular Philadelphia skillsharing group using the code “circular” (case sensitive).
3. Set up your profile. If you’d like to share your own skills (optional), enter what skills you have from a preloaded list in YING so people can request your skills. If you don’t see your particular skill, let us know and we’ll add it.  
4. Once you’re setup, go to “create a task” and fill out the information. When asked what skill you’re requesting, type the key word “repair” and then pick what specific type of repair from the menu. 
5. A fixer will then see your request and respond. Or if you want to request a specific fixer, find them in the Circular Philadelphia group and put their name in the task request. Once the repair transaction is complete, you will then be charged a token for each hour of work. You’ll start with a bank of 24 tokens to spend to request skills.
6. You can replenish your spent tokens by sharing your own skills with others on the YING platform.

Like we said, it’s easy, and we hope you’ll join us in taking advantage of this great new tool for advancing circular practices through skillsharing! Happy repairing, everyone.