Will The Gig Economy Rise Again?
The Global pandemic has hit every sector, some more than others, and the precarious position of the gig economy has been rocked to its core. Opportunities have arisen almost as fast as other opportunities have been closed down, and for the entrepreneurial Gigger this has fascinating consequences.
Around the World online purchases from eCommerce businesses have grown exponentially. With more people having to stay at home, it means that the roads are clearer for delivery teams to work faster than before. With stores closing more shopping has been brought online, with restaurants and bars closing, more food and alcohol is being purchased online than ever before and some online sellers are having consecutive record months in this quarter. Purchasing patterns show where the sales are, but the Gig Ecomony workers are the ones going to the shops for us, going to the restaurants to buy our food and delivering our alcohol door to door.
For “Giggers” with cars, motorbikes and even bicycles, there is a huge opportunity to continue working and even earn more now than ever before. The charges for delivery have increased on some products, businesses have to make a profit somewhere! People receiving goods, deliveries, food, alcohol, and living essentials from the comfort and security of their own home are often more generous to those taking the risks and braving the outside world, so tips are bigger for the brave souls on the roads with our online purchases.
For Giggers without vehicular transport, the internet will provide opportunities for extra earning, extra learning and extra experiences. People are spending even longer on their computers than ever before, searching for something to do, something to read, something to play and for social interactions. This provides an opportunity for people like me to write things like this, for people like you.
Content writing, marketing strategies and customer acquisition has become even more focused, without the walk-in browsing customer, shopping is more focused, therefore marketing has to follow suit and be even more focused, to attract and entertain the buyers.
For the even more technically minded Gigger, IT Development, App Development, website building and helping people build their personal brand on Social media has become a sector full of opportunity. More brands need a website, more companies need an app, more people need their Linked In Accounts, Facebook accounts and personal branding “tweaked” so they can attract more views, clicks, subscribers and customers from the millions of people, just like you, sitting at home, scrolling through the internet.
For the more practically minded Gigger, sites like Etsy are dominating Home furnishings, arts and crafts, and giving a marketplace for the artistic to sell their goods. YouTube videos blogs on how to lose weight, how to stretch or exercise, how to cut hair, how to self-massage, how to ballroom dance around the living room and how to carve woodwork masterpieces are providing education to people furlonged and bored at home.
Online training courses provide educational opportunities for Giggers and provide certificates for people in need of extra qualifications whilst they look for their next job or as proof that they are still working and not sitting in front of day time TV for hours on end.
Even in isolation, opportunities will present themselves if you are open to receiving them.
Will the Gig Economy Rise again? Yes, as long as there are entrepreneurial people looking for their next gig, and making it happen.
