Freelancers generation: Why startups (and corporations) have to reckon with it

Gone are the days when we worked 40 hours a week, that is, eight hours a day we were at work (I think that most of the founders of start-ups or business owners in Silicon Valley work 50-60 hours a week).

Freelance is becoming the accepted norm in the startup world. And the more startups start using the services of millions of freelancers, the more people join the generation of freelancers. Regardless of whether your company is a startup or an established enterprise, it is in your best interest to pay attention to this trend if you want to achieve success in a new economy.

The generation of freelancers comes

A recent study showed that there are more than 53 million (almost 54 million) freelancers in the United States, and they are quickly becoming one of the main working resources. More than a third of people working in the US last year additionally engaged in freelancing. In comparison with the previous year, the army of freelancers grew by 700 thousand people.
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Also according to forecasts, by 2020, irregular work (freelance work) will become the main form of work, and more than 50 percent of the workforce will be freelancing. Another interesting statistic makes us pay attention to the fact that 43% of freelancers are the so-called “millennium generation”. And it is important to know, as in America, for example, every third employee belongs to the millennium generation.

This is partly due to the following factors: advances in technologies that facilitate remote work, a developing digital economy, a growing number of part-time workers, and the dynamics of labor.

Moreover, people understand that, working as freelancers, they can succeed financially, create flexible working hours that will have a beneficial effect on the balance of work and leisure, and also offer their services to potential clients without hindrance.

It is possible that very soon business owners will not have many options in finding the most talented employees, since most of the workforce will go into freelancing in the very near future. This is taking into account all the freelancers who have a full-time job and additionally earn extra money (that's how I found my last business partner, which turned out to be a benefit for both of us).

Freelancers are politically active

Freelancers are usually satisfied with their decision to leave work, where they need to work 40 hours a week. However, this does not mean that they still do not face problems that many "traditional" workers would take for granted.

For example, freelancers do not have access to traditional programs like 401ks (one of the standard US pension plans provided by local companies is a translator). They also have to pay insurance and high taxes from their own wallet, as they are individual entrepreneurs. And therefore, freelancers urge politicians to change - above all in income and stability of insurance. Why not, since they become a weighty share in America’s workforce?

Businesses of any size should be aware of the difficulties freelancers face.

Freelancers need a change and take steps to make their demands heard. Freelancers voice their demands to politicians. Of the nearly 54 million US freelancers, an astounding number - 84% - reported that they would take part in the upcoming 2016 general elections.

In order to be able to imagine this in a wider context, it should be noted that this figure is more than the number of voters who helped Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton win the presidential election. In addition to this, 62% of freelancers will vote for a candidate who supports the interests of freelancers.

Regardless of whether firms are repelled by changes in legislation or a desire to remain competitive, companies of any size should be aware of the difficulties freelancers are worried about and offer programs that could level these problems. Most freelancers face the difficulties listed above, and they are actively trying to ensure that changes are made that will make their lives easier.

Freelancers have something to offer companies

For such entrepreneurs, like myself, especially for start-ups owners, freelancers can offer a large list of benefits that full-time employees cannot provide. First of all, freelancers understand the daily tasks and difficulties faced by business owners. They are at least familiar with things like bookkeeping, billing, branding, marketing, and engaging social media audiences. Since freelancers are individual entrepreneurs, they are aware of such tasks and understand how important this is for a successful business.

Unlike recent graduates who probably have never been faced with paying taxes, issuing invoices or making payments and promoting a brand, freelancers are almost guaranteed to have a similar experience.

A freelancer may have the necessary skills and experience to help you with this when you run your business. Even if you already have a well-established company, such employees are at least aware of such cases and treat them with respect. For example, they will not harm your brand by their inappropriate behavior on social networks, which could offend your customers.

Freelancers are experienced professionals in their niche.

Another advantage is to use the services of freelancers - they are experts in their chosen niche. They have years of experience, portfolios and customers who can vouch for their work. Even if they are young (and many of them are), they are the best in their work. Taking them to work, instead of just looking at a resume, you can look at real examples of their work.

Whether it is a copywriter, graphic designer, accountant, customer service specialist or developing a social media promotion strategy, freelancers are experienced professionals in their niche and are ready to plunge into projects that you trust them. You can search for the best talents anywhere in the world thanks to technologies that allow freelancers to work remotely.

And in the end, freelancers help reduce the cost of the firm. No matter how big your business is, spending is always an important factor to consider. Freelancers can be the most financially advantageous solution than full-time employees. Do not forget that most freelancers work from home and you do not need to train them. As a rule, their work is cheaper than the salary of a full-time employee, and besides, you do not need to worry about taxes and conditions for retirement.

I managed to successfully launch and develop my own business using the services of freelancers. I also enjoy working with them, as you pay for what can be measured and estimated. Do you need a post on your company's corporate blog? You pay for work or for the number of words. Do you need to write code (like me earlier)? You will receive a price for the project and will know that you do not have to spend more. Thanks to freelancing, I can find the best people in the whole world who will do the necessary work, or pay as much as I need without recruiting full time employees.