Housing Anywhere

Abstract

In summary, this teaching case investigates the short but vibrant history of a Dutch start-up company: HousingAnywhere, the provider of an online platform that offers short-term housing rental possibilities, especially focused on exchange students. Founded in 2009, this company has already rapidly grown over the past eight years and has even more ambitious short- and long-term goals. However, it faces tough competition in the just as rapidly developing Dutch and international student housing market, eg from competitors such as Facebook and Uniplaces. The main objective of this case is to introduce students to the issues that arise around successfully founding and running a start-up company and the challenges faced in the process of scaling-up. For this purpose, the case of HousingAnywhere is taken as an example. The case offers background information on the company structure, its business model, and its developments throughout the past years. The strategies employed are analysed in the context of the Dutch and international short-stay housing market. Students are challenged to identify the challenges HousingAnywhere has faced and is currently facing in the context of the evolving Dutch and international student housing market, as well as to think of possible solutions or ways to progress. Concepts such as environmental scanning, competitive advantage and company structure play a key role in this.