Gig Economy: 5 Trends Telling the Future of Freelancing
The work landscape has always been dynamic due to various factors and lately with the pandemic fiasco, work is more dependent on technological gadgets. The work environment we live in is very much different than it was a decade ago. Back then the internet was a new thing, only big companies had access to it, it was not a necessity decades ago but now it is a modern-day necessity. Everyone has access to the internet and many of us rely on the internet and technology for our work.
If we compare the work dynamics from the past, people were all about getting a 9 to 5 office-based job and after 20 or 30 years, they were entitled to a retirement fund or pension. But not anymore, now people work and get paid in the gig economy. People are working as freelancers and that work schedule is totally different from the 9 to 5 job schedule. Now employers break down projects into small gigs and use smart outsourcing on freelance platforms. These gigs can be picked up by freelancers and they do work in small portions. This concept of freelancing is getting really popular because it is liberating, and people are very much relying on the gig economy.
Freelancing is expected to make bigger waves and here we have 5 trends that tell the future of freelancing. So, hop on the bandwagon and see for yourself.
-
More opportunities and more money
One of the main reasons people do not get freelancing is that you can work anytime you want and there is no schedule to follow. For instance, if you are not a morning person, you don’t have to start work in the morning. You can start when you feel more productive. And if you need quick money, you can get more work and earn more money. This is different from your conventional job where you are stuck on some 5-figure salary written on pay stub.
In the same way, it gives liberty to employers as well. Your employer can hire you for projects but he or she can’t stop you from taking any other project. You can negotiate your own price for projects based on your skills and experience.
-
More people are considering Freelancing as a career
You will be surprised to know that more people are now interested in becoming a freelancer rather than a professional. The reason is that freelancing has become a career and the community is getting bigger every year. Since 2017, there have been more platforms where you can freelance your work and it is not stopping anytime soon because it is expected to increase. People want a continuous stream of income and times are uncertain, there are no guarantees of keeping a job for a long period of time. So freelancing is the only way to stay afloat when you have no other job. Plus, freelancing requires flexibility, and these freelancers are more up-to-date with market changes than any professional sitting in the office. They pick up the latest trends and keep an open mind for every new project.
But if you want to be an established freelancer, you need to stop generalizing your skills and find your niche. It will be easy for you to get gigs and work on them and show your proven skills. Otherwise, people take advantage of those who are still figuring out their niche by paying them less.
-
Subletting work
Freelancing is a big platform where you can find small jobs as well as big projects but there are some people who sublet work. It is like having an intermediary who can give you more work if you want to do extra work. These people have multiple clients, and they further outsource the work to other people. If you are a beginner, become a team member. It allows the new member to learn how things work. However, being the intermediary requires skills and expertise so that you can teach the new people how to do work and getting work from different employers.
-
Support Services
Another reason for freelance popularity is that there are a bunch of support services that allow work to be more refined and easier. Let’s say if you are a content writer you have multiple tools for perfect writing such as Grammarly, PowerThesaurus, Hemmingway Editor, and plagiarism checker. If you are a website designer, there are options of WordPress, Webflow, and Wix. For graphic designing, Canva, Adobe, and Relay That, Envato templates are available. All of these tools make your freelance work easy and with these support services you achieve a unique edge in freelancing.
-
You can be your own brand
Since freelancers have their own portfolio, they don’t need to become like someone because here you can be your own brand. Your skill set, creativity, ideas, and the project you choose to do depict you and your brand. You own yourself and build a reputation from scratch.
