We are in the midst of a work force revolution, and we should consider ourselves lucky. Today, more than one-third of Americans are freelancing, and the freelancing community is not showing any signs of slowing down. [56.7 million Americans freelanced in 2018], which is an increase of 3.7 million since 2014.
Each day, more Americans are making happiness a priority by leaving the corporate lifestyle behind and not looking back.
For example, of people who freelance full time, 77% have a better work/life balance, and more than half of freelancers say that no amount of money would convince them to take a traditional job.
Why Now?
There are several reasons why the gig economy has taken off in the last decade. One of the most prominent reasons is that advancements in technology have enabled the creation of numerous gig communities like Uber and Grubhub.
Also, the internet gives people the ability to quickly connect with qualified workers who can meet their needs.
For instance, in 2014, only 42% of freelancers found work online, and in the past year, 64% of freelancers found gigs online.
Culture of Ratings
In addition to technological advancements, the growing influence of apps like Yelp and Uber have created a culture where businesses and independent workers can give and receive instant feedback.
The increasing influence of these apps are changing the game, and it’s benefiting consumers and independent workers who provide great work.
Whereas in the past independent workers had to rely on word of mouth and referrals to establish their reputation, people can now be assigned a quantitative ranking that reflects their skill level and competence. Thus, consumers can determine a worker’s value in a few seconds.
Think about it, most of us are willing to get into a stranger’s vehicle to take an Uber ride as long as the driver has a good rating.
In the gig economy, it’s all about the quality of work.
Hence, more and more people are moving away from the corporate lifestyle, which requires you to be liked by your superiors and deal with office politics, and are opting in to the gig economy.
In many ways, this bodes well for our society’s future. Workers are gaining more flexibility, and consumers have access to a workforce that can be held accountable to provide superior work.
Introducing WRK
WRK was founded on three main values that make the gig economy great: Integrity, Trust, and Security. We have created a community where everyday people in need of a service, from personal training to plumbing, can find a worker to meet their needs.
We developed the most dynamic, user-friendly, secure, flexible, and fully self-controlled environment for workers and work providers to get stuff done.
Our users have total control over the project, and our platform ensures that both sides will have an excellent user experience with smooth, live interactions.
Both workers and work providers are rated by each other, and funds must be deposited and confirmed before work can begin.
Once the work starts, work providers can perform price changes, give partial payments, and submit final payments.
These interactions are enabled by Stripe Connect, the best payment technology on the market. Thus, both parties can feel secure working within a community of integrity and be confident that they will leave the interaction fully satisfied.
Whether you are an independent worker looking for new gigs, or someone who needs to get work done, I invite you to take a closer look at our company and support the future of work.