According to a report by Investec about the gig economy, there are 3.9 million gig workers in South Africa. This makes up 17% of the labour force. With the recent pandemic and advances in technology, the gig economy is set to continue to grow. So, how can small business use gig workers to boost their business?
What is a gig worker?
Gig workers are people who participate in short term work as a contractor or a freelancer. They usually work with companies on a project basis. They are not full-time employees of a company. The advantage of being a gig worker is that you have more control over your time and what work you do. The disadvantage is that you need to make sure you have a pension in place, and you pay your taxes on time. You will also be responsible for finding work once your project ends with a company.
How can small business use gig workers to boost their business?
1. Take over repetitive admin tasks
Do you find yourself doing admin tasks that have a very low return on investment? Then you may consider hiring a virtual assistant who can help with data entry, basic bookkeeping and sorting through your emails. This will leave you with more time to focus on those tasks which yield a better return on investment.
2. Scout a global talent pool
Technology has bridged the gap of working with overseas talent. You can look for the best talent for the project you are working on. If you are considering taking your business globally, you can pick your overseas talent’s brain and see how you can best market your product in their area.
3. Assess new talent
When working with a freelancer on a project basis, you can assess the skills and personality of the freelancer. If you are not happy with them, then the relationship can end after the first project. If you are happy with the talent, you can hire them for future projects. You may even consider offering them a job in your enterprise should there be a need for a full-time employee in that position.
4. Be more flexible
If you have a business that gets busier during certain times of the year, you can hire gig workers to help during these periods. You can hire unique and individual talent for each project you tackle. If your business needs a variety of talent for each project, then gig workers may be a great way to find different talent for each project you pursue.
5. Work with the best
Because gig workers need to stand out from the crowd, they are usually masters in their area of expertise and are on top of the latest trends in their specific industry. By hiring them, you have access to this knowledge.
By assessing the needs of your business, you can use gig workers for those specialised tasks which you only need to be done every so often. You can boost your business without adding the cost of onboarding a new employee.
Proudly brought to you by the NSBC