The Gig Economy Revolution: Navigating the Future of Work and Freelancing
You’ll hear both negative and positive comments about the rise of the gig economy. However, in most cases, it’s revolutionising businesses and the way we work. Industries are changing shape before our eyes, and on a smaller scale, businesses are using the new approach to find ways to remain competitive and innovate.
How can we adjust to these fast-paced changes and prepare for a future that’s influenced by freelancing and new ways of working? By looking at several factors, we can understand the current landscape, where things are heading, pitfalls to avoid and how to benefit.
What Does the Future Look Like?
There’s no way to be certain about where we’ll end up. However, our current situation can give us several clues as to where the world of work is going. The gig economy means that a large percentage of the workforce are undertaking task-based roles where they offer their services on a freelance basis.
Another factor influencing the future of work is the sharing economy. People use existing assets as income streams by sharing them with others. The way we source ideas, funds, expertise and other resources has also changed. Not everything has to be done in-house anymore, and businesses won’t always need to go to an agency. That benefits companies, as they can deliver enhanced services without too much commitment and often expense.
It’s a positive sign for the future, as the on-demand way of doing things allows for more specialised services and opportunities for freelancers to use their skills.
Case Study: Online Gambling
The online gambling industry has many factors to consider. Providing the latest games and odds, staying ahead of the competition with features and promotions, reaching new customers and complying with regulations are just the tip of the iceberg.
Instead of being a jack of all trades and a master of none, they can turn to experts. By consulting others regarding affordability checks for gaming operators, creating content or developing new games, they can achieve more than an in-house team ever could.
The Role of Technology
The availability of platforms and remote working tools such as Trello, Hubstaff, and even Google Drive and Zoom has made all of this possible. If you want to understand the future of the gig economy, you can look to tech startups to see what innovations they’re offering for distance working.
Autonomy and Flexibility
Another way to gain more insight into the revolution and how it will affect you is to look at the motivations behind it. Whether you’ve already gone down the freelance route or are still employing full-time staff, workers want autonomy. Being able to say when and where they work and which tasks they focus on is a significant driver for people these days.
Building flexibility and autonomy into your ways of working are two ways to stay ahead. You can keep existing employees happy and put your company in an excellent position to work with freelancers and use gig economy platforms to your advantage.
How To Navigate the New Landscape
The gig economy represents a projected gross volume of 455.2 billion dollars in 2023. One of the best ways to navigate the new landscape is to accept that it’s here to stay and can bring businesses and workers plenty of positives.
