Putting the Gig Economy to Work
Work today is as far from what it meant just ten years ago as can be, with full-time employment, scrambling over promotion and working for the proverbial man turning into old notions. Thanks to the shift in societal norms and our perspectives, we have started to think about our career as a part of our lifestyle, not a distraction from it. With such an attitude came a demand for a degree of freedom and flexibility, and the gig economy serves that need.
The gig economy is a labor market characterized by nontraditional, independent, short-term working relationships, and it is now evolving from side hustle to full-time income stream. With 36% of U.S. workers already participating in the gig economy, the question looms: how and why are we moving towards the world of independent jobs?
One of the main contributing factors is the ease of entry. In the gig economy, almost anyone with a useful ability can earn, there are virtually no established barriers. A full-time corporate lawyer can turn into a freelancing law consultant overnight. The evolving technology reinforces the fast pace of independent work. Usually, all it takes to set up your gig is just a laptop and a mobile device. Today’s gadgets provide complete functionality that at one time could only be found in a brick and mortar office. All you need is an internet connection, preferably via WiFi, which is accessible and affordable almost everywhere from our own homes to public areas.
As working gigs become more widely adopted, the growth of small businesses is fostering more independent and short-term working conditions. When small companies try to take a foothold in the market they might need the services of freelancers. More often than not it is wiser to outsource some tasks and focus on the core competencies. Some of the most commonly required services include graphic design, IT support, social media management, and writing. And when it comes to strategy and organizational work, small businesses can turn to independent consultants. With the gig-to-gig approach, a small business can purchase the services they need in affordable chunks, without long-term contracts that lock them into service whether they use it or not.
No longer viewed as the last resort for undereducated and unskilled, the gig economy has drawn freelancers from all walks of life and with all skills imaginable. Today’s freelancer is a talented, well-educated and highly competitive individual who happens to enjoy the freedom and working on their terms.
However, things aren’t always best for gig workers. While they get many lifestyle benefits, they fall far behind when it comes to timely and accurate payments. A Gallup Gig Economy and Alternative Work Arrangements study suggests that 82 percent of regular workers (those occupied full-time in a long-term project) get paid on time, but with gig workers, it is less than 70 percent. Another issue, according to the research, is loneliness. Working away from other people can make you feel lonely and depressed which is extremely unhealthy and diminishes productivity.
The time is ripe to introduce a new approach for the gig workers, an ecosystem where people can communicate effortlessly and get secure payments instantly. We aim to present such a solution. Humans.net is a decentralized, open platform where potentially everyone can offer their skills, knowledge, and services. We believe that communication between clients and providers should be as convenient and as simple as possible. Today, we already have a chat room where you can correspond, exchange files as well as pay for services using a single button. In the future, the engine of this chat room will allow you to create contracts, sign documents and even pay in cryptocurrencies. With no uncertainties and no intermediaries, there are hardly any limitations to what you can achieve as gig workers.
