The freelance economy rapidly is growing in the United States. More than 15 million people are self-employed, and numerous experts predict we’ll soon see a steep increase in the number of individuals who leave corporate America to work for themselves. One study put the number at 60 million people by 2020 — nearly 40 percent of the workforce.
Why are so many people making the switch, and which changing dynamics have made it possible? While no single answer explains the shift, we can identify a number of contributing factors. For example, we know employers see the benefit of hiring a contractor to perform specific functions for a limited period of time. It’s more cost-effective than hiring a full-time employee. We also know numerous platforms exist today to connect freelancers with available work. All this makes it easier than ever before to be self-employed.
But other drivers are at play, too. Here’s one that might surprise you: There is substantial disparity in the technology capabilities of large corporations versus self-employed freelancers. According to enterprise software expert Sean Nolan, founder and CEO of Blink, personal technology currently has a substantial edge.
“Enterprise software is far behind the standard being set by personal technology today,” Nolan says. “In fact, it is so bad that it is giving a competitive advantage to startups and freelance workers who are more productive, more satisfied with their work and able to operate their small businesses more cost effectively.”
These are four ways personal technology is superior to present-day office technology:
1. User friendliness.
It might not be fair to compare personal and office technologies in this regard because they’re designed for completely different audiences. Still, that doesn’t justify how far behind the times office technology has fallen.
Personal technology has the user in mind. Interfaces are clean and engaging, data is visualized in digestible ways, and many functions are gamified to encourage use. Taken as a whole, these systems make it more enjoyable to be in business…