The gig economy is changing the way we work, no doubt. It offers autonomy, flexibility, and opportunity for creatives and professionals. People use it to supplement a traditional job or enter a world of entrepreneurship. But when we look at how the gig economy is changing business, we see even more impact that this approach is offering for businesses and workers alike.
How the gig economy is changing business
The gig economy is changing business in a broad sense as well as a narrow one. It’s changing it for not only the people working in business but also the businesses themselves. It’s a new way to find workers and to get work done while keeping full-time employees happy and focused. Let’s take a look at some of the main ways that the gig economy is changing the professional world.
Opportunity
This is one of the factors of a changing work environment that benefits everyone. From workers to customers to business owners to employees, this one touches on every aspect of how the gig economy is changing business. Let’s check out this example.
Let’s imagine we are visiting a chiropractor’s office. In the waiting room, we have the opportunity to watch a great, informative video on how chiropractic treatment helps patients. So who created this video presentation? Did the receptionist, the massage pros, the chiropractor herself? No, they are all using their skills in the fields they know best. So the chiropractor hired a gig worker skilled in creating video presentations in the health field. Maybe even a voice over was incorporated giving a voice artist a great opportunity.
Do you see where we’re going? No one working in the office had to give up their current expertise to struggle with something they’re unfamiliar with. They continued using their time to create opportunity in their area. And skilled gig professionals got the opportunity to create what they excel at, earn some income, and showcase their work.
Independent workers can offer their skills, work for a number of clients, and do repeat business. Now that’s opportunity.
Niche work
This is related a bit to opportunity. No one in this chiropractor’s office had the skills or time to create an informative video of the caliber they wanted. So they found someone who could. It was worth it to them to pay someone for their expertise in this niche.
So whether your niche is voice over, editing, writing, or something beyond content like software, design, decorating, landscape, the list really goes on…if you have a niche you have an opportunity. We all pay for some sort of niche work. How about the barista who creates the beautiful cappuccino art that we can’t do ourselves. That’s a niche we pay for. Why not hire other niche skills to get the best product or service you can?
And if you have a niche, by all means, sell it! That could be any kind of technical skill, translating, consulting, catering, party planning – again, it’s an endless list and the gig economy encompasses it all.
You may be asking how the gig economy is changing business according to niche work. Well, think about our chiropractor again. She doesn’t have to have a full-time media specialist on her staff, she can just work with this niche when she needs it. And in the meantime, the video creator can work for other professionals. It’s how the gig economy works and benefits everyone.
Employee loyalty and value
This is a big one concerning how the gig economy is changing business. Companies know the gig economy is booming and that people in all socioeconomic areas are toying with their own gigs. For instance, maybe that receptionist in the chiropractor’s office is also creating candles in her spare time as a stress reliever. Maybe she’s even opening an Etsy shop and starting a luxury line. But is this distracting her from her professional obligation in her field?
It may just be a hobby and yes, some extra income unless she begins to feel devalued in her job at the chiropractic office. So she needs to have compensation, value, perks, and continuing professional development. If she sees her company is loyal to her, she’ll be prone to be more loyal to them. Companies are seeing that they need to express the value they have for their employees or they may risk losing them to the gig economy.
More ways the gig economy is changing traditional businesses
Telecommuting and remote work
A few decades ago, everyone had an office. You’d drive to the office, spend the day, and drive home. But today, even disregarding the pandemic, more and more companies have gone virtual. Part of the reason for this could be the fact that many people who do the work are not actual employees.
One reason companies like to hire gig workers is that they don’t have to provide office space. No office equipment, either. No computers, desk chairs, or parking spaces. This can save businesses a lot of money while allowing employees to work virtually as well.
Workforce optimization
Because employee roles are shifting a bit with the gig economy, workforce optimization is becoming more and more critical for companies. They are looking at workforce optimization to devise the best plans, goals, and protocols for working with a blend of full-time employees and gig workers. Again, this tends to benefit all and uses everyone’s optimum skills to reach and exceed goals.
Creating global communities
The thing about the gig economy is workers can come from all over the world, not just the area where the company is based. This can lead to shared communities and global acceptance. Even though gig workers aren’t in all the communications and outlets in a company, they are probably involved one way or another, and this can expand awareness and acceptance of other cultures. Hiring gig workers who can interact with your full-time employees can create and engage global communities.
Incorporating flexibility
Employees are now asking for and expecting flexibility from their companies with the gig economy on the rise. Full-time employees rarely want a rigid, 9 -5 schedule. Instead, they are looking more at telecommuting, flex hours, and 4 day work weeks. A big perk of the gig economy is the flexibility it offers. This is not to say that your full-time employees are going to leave to go take a flexible gig job, but they will probably appreciate a flexible work schedule. Many companies are making sure their employees are available for company meetings and conferences but are leaving their work hours to them as long as they are meeting goals and objectives.
More resources
The gig economy provides unnumbered resources to businesses. This is only a plus and gives a slew of skills to have on hand. Maybe you have a big shipment coming in late one night. HIre some gig workers to help get it sorted out instead of requiring full-time employees to come in and be disgruntled.
As we mentioned earlier, you’ll have the resources for the niche jobs you need to be done, and you can use those resources over and over if you need to. This brings us to hiring gig workers.
How do you hire gig workers?
Depending on your area, there are all kinds of ways to work with people in the gig economy. We do it all the time through Uber and Lyft, Door Dash, and our babysitters. But when you’re looking to hire someone to do a particular type of work, say consulting, IT, or content, you’ll have to find the right platform.
You could find a local gig worker through word of mouth or maybe a college student with some great skills. You can also look to some of the online platforms, Bunny Studio included. At Bunny Studio, we make it super easy to find our great professionals and guarantee you’ll love the work.
It’s important to know what you’re getting with a gig worker, but also to be clear on your end. This means setting clear expectations, sharing details and documents, and agreeing on deadlines and payments. Working with a platform can help in this area. So remember, finding the best gig worker for your business can be done in a variety of capacities.
Some things to think about when hiring freelancers/gig workers are:
- Salaries – make sure their requirements fit your budget
- Time frame – deadlines have to line up
- Skills – their skills will need to match what you want to be done
- Reviews – it’s often a good idea to check client reviews
- Adaptability – are they flexible and adaptable in case changes come up?
- Location – does it matter where they are located geographically?
The gig economy is changing possibilities in business
Another big way the gig economy is changing business is it’s opening up a myriad of possibilities. Think back to our chiropractor. If she didn’t know how to make a great video presentation and no one in her office did, she may not be able to have it without a gig worker. The same goes for websites, social media, and other content. If you don’t know how to create it, you just hire someone for the project. You probably don’t need full-time content creators, but when you need a project done – don’t let the fact that no one on your staff can do it hold you back.
When you have an idea, no matter how big or small, reach out to a gig worker. Here at Bunny Studio, we’ve got some pretty amazing pros in a variety of capacities. Remember you can hire for a job, a project, a batch, whatever works best for you. Whatever type of content you need, we’ll match you with the best creative for your circumstance.
If you’d like to hire a pro to help out with your content, we’d love to help. Just reach out to us at Bunny Studio and let’s get started!.
