The last three weeks have really opened my eyes and transformed the way I look at my profession.
While I have a nice home office and a great co-worker (Delaney the wonder dog), I have found myself needing to get out occasionally. I’ve used it as an excuse to explore coffee shops across my great city and to visit a couple of virtual offices, like Wi Cowork. I suppose this transition has forced me to get out of my bubble. I’ve been amazed at the number of people who are participating in this gig economy. I have to admit that the flexibility and freedom to work when and where you want is really appealing.
It got me thinking, “what do all of these people do for a living?” I’ve figured out that many of us are freelance writers, public relations pros and content creators. Why would you want to hire us? Here are a few reasons I’ve come up with over the last few days:
- Cost – We come with no overhead. You don’t have to pay our benefits. You get charged a flat fee or by the hour. That’s it.
- Outside Perspective – I know when I was on the inside of an organization, I sometimes failed to see the larger picture and relied on my creative and crisis communications agencies to provide that unique perspective to help me see the forest through the trees.
- Flexibility – Because we are not chained to a desk from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., we are flexible with our hours, even if it means cranking something out at 3 a.m. to meet your deadline.
- Happier – Those of us participating in the gig economy are happier, probably because of our flexibility and because, after all, we’re working out of coffee houses, innovative co-working environments or even outside. I’m starting to believe it.
I think this gig economy trend is going to grow on me.
