In 2018, things are not what they used to be. Major institutions and the minutiae of modern life — the latter of which includes ordering food delivery, getting around town and even dating — have seen a major facelift since the turn-of-the-century tech boom.
Workers worldwide have adapted to the prevalence of money-making opportunities that are specifically internet- or app-based, creating a substantial pool of industry-specific talent that are ready to put their skills to use.
The “on-demand” gig economy has followed in the footsteps of the original sharing economy, providing opportunities for industry-specific workers to find tasks suitable to their schedules, abilities and other needs. Freelance professionals and companies in need of good work with a fast turnover rate favour such sites such as Professional360 and Freelancer.com across a range of fields, including, but not limited to digital marketing, graphic design, coding and much more.
However, a new subset of the gig economy tapping into the blue-collar sector has emerged in recent years, allowing the likes of hospitality professionals and manual labourers to get in on the game. After all, you need to rent or own a home to monetise on Airbnb; you need a car to be an Uber or Ola driver; and you need specialised education and experience to be a white-collar freelancer. Several companies have recognised the absence of blue-collar opportunities in this new digital economy, and have set up shop to provide services for consumers and gigs for workers.
Managed by Q, that started its operations as an Office Cleaning and Maintenance Company in Manhattan, now offers office managers, receptionists and executive assistants at the touch of a button. The workers, who are actual company employees rather than independent contractors, can earn up to $40 per hour in addition to receiving benefits like medical and dental insurance. Also in New York is WashClub, a laundry and dry cleaning company that addresses all of the discerning modern consumer’s desires: pick-up and delivery, the use of eco-friendly products and quick turnaround.
While start-ups in the gig economy are less controversial and disruptive, large organisations like Facebook, Airbnb, Uber, Alibaba and Bitcoin are the drivers of the new age work culture. individuals get centralise work opportunities on these platforms instead of disrupting existing options for sourcing gigs (e.g. walk-ins, cold calls and emails), freeing the worker from the stress of finding gigs and thereby allowing him/her to focus on doing their best on the job or jobs they take on.
