Freelancing is in. “Real” jobs are out.
The latest stats report that the state of freelancing is 53 million Americans are making a living as freelance entrepreneurs, replacing full-time employment and benefits with an embrace of the gig economy. That’s 34% of the working population in this country surviving project by project in every field imaginable, from graphic design and copywriting to engineering and consulting.
Clearly, the U.S. work pool and job outlook have seen a significant shift over the last few years. It has completely changed the way we seek — and do business.
What does this mean for your company?
Freelancing Positives and Negatives
Freelancing can be temporary, project, or contract-based. This is a big plus for employers who are seeking help at a very specific point in their life cycle. Hiring a freelancer can help your business remain agile in a volatile and changing market. The freelancing trend has been particularly positive for the small business seeking creative help. If you can’t afford or don’t feel you have enough work for a full-time Graphic Designer, you can hire a freelancer for a short-term project such as a website revamp.
Too, we all know how hugely burdensome health insurance coverage has become for the small business. Freelancers seldom receive these benefits, but they can with Artisan.
The internet and the explosion of social media have provided access to a fertile freelance job market. The ability to control your own fate is what often lures creative talent to this non-traditional approach to the work world. The 2008 recession really kicked off this trend; not only did many Americans lose their full-time jobs, they found that they enjoyed the feeling of running their own business as an I-9 contractor. While some of them went back to traditional roles, around one in three did not.
By 2014, almost eight in 10 freelancers were actually making more than they did in an office.
Creative freelancers say the constant ebb and flow of clients is challenging; to be successful, you must constantly be on the hunt. This can be daunting for some freelancers, no matter the field. The biggest plus to freelancing, most creative professionals say, is simply the ability to walk away from a project. Sometimes that fresh start is exactly what fuels the spark of their creative genius.
The Future of Freelancing
Forbes predicts increasingly agile project and staffing management systems to help businesses adapt to managing this new nimble workforce. The authors suggest that this workforce will continue to expand the use of their personal hand-held devices to manage their freelance paychecks and organize their project work.
MBO Partners just published their “state of the state,” sharing that by 2021 nearly half the U.S. workforce will have tried freelancing as a viable alternative to the traditional job.
Are You Ready to Embrace Freelancers?
Is your business ready for creative assistance for a specific project? Are you prepared to deal with the new state of freelancing in the workforce? We are!
Artisan Talent has a pool of experts standing by to help you build your business. We are just a phone call or an email away. Contact us or click below to get started today.
