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Written by: Rob Lusk
Forget the gigs, and the sharing, and the demand. What we are really talking about is freedom.
Why not embracing a new name for the budding global economy fueled by independent contract work? Let’s call it ‘the Freedom Economy’. The freedom to work on what you want to work on, for whomever you want to work for, with a team of your choosing, on the hours that you select. That is the freedom we seek in the Freedom Economy. Looking at our work life, isn’t that what we all want?
I have this vision like so many of my millennial peers. It is from this desire that I have elected not to go the route of the corporate ladder and instead find refuge with people who have found a better way. It is why I have joined the freelance community at Spera . And, if researchers are accurate, almost half the global workforce will adopt this workstyle, as well, in decades to come.
Spera’s first annual industry assessment, “The Freedom Economy Report”, delves into the factors behind this monumental shift in the way we work and the challenges we must confront to realise its potential. This potential for a truly disintermediated workforce has far-reaching implications for the macroeconomic landscape and the individual alike.
So, what are the factors? According to the report, technological accelerators such as mobile technology, social networking platforms, and other community tools enable people to easily collaborate and perform from anywhere in the world. In fact, 80% of freelancers use social media for business development. The other influence is cultural: the style of the millennial. Millennials, myself included, see flexible work as an inevitability of the future. 45% of us use our smartphones for work. We can work remotely for clients all over the world… from a beach in Thailand or a mountainous village in the Swiss Alps. This freedom has brought on the rise of the “digital nomads” like Pieter Levels and NomadList . But, even if you live in one spot (like me), freedom and independence is no less appealing.
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We at Spera aim to contribute to the infrastructure that will be necessary to realise this vision of the new workforce. There will be challenges in this future of work, for sure. Some of which can also be found in the report, such as business management and marketing differentiation. But, with a shift of this magnitude, it is to be expected. If you are business, it is time to familiarise yourself so as to not be left behind. It’s not just about quality of life; we are talking about increased productivity and efficiency, too. If you don’t like being a cog in the wheel or are ready to take creative control of the work you do, it may be time to take a look at the Freedom Economy.