The independent workforce is constantly evolving and a part of the work market that has been growing exponentially for a few years now as workers find what they need in working for themselves including freedom and control over their work, their schedule, and their life. Independent workers are those who work for their own account or who work their own business as a one person entity. This is something that includes everything from a specialized accountant in Los Angeles to an independent Asian escort London model and every independent worker in between.
Independent workers do this work because it affords them freedoms they would not have otherwise with desk jobs in a big corporation’s office or by working for a small business. Here everything is up to the worker and what they want to do. Of course, these things must be carefully thought out and planned so that there aren’t too many surprises along the way. A good business plan is something that is necessary when starting to work as an independent offering a service or artistic endeavour. Of course, some will go the easier route of becoming in independent worker under a larger company who hires on more of an assignment basis or by letting people log in and just do some work. This means that there is a large difference between a photographer and a ride share driver. There are as many jobs possible in this type of work as people are ready to make them. Only a few years ago, the idea of having someone else do their groceries made more people laugh a bit, now it’s something that has grown during the pandemic and will likely not go away anytime soon due to its practical side and how it allows those using the service to save some time and those working the service to make their own schedule. There is something in this service that is generous and also a bit luxurious. Finding that right balance between what the workers can offer and what the clients can afford is the best way to run a great business, even if that is as an independent worker.
Of course, some independent work has been there from the start of time almost and will be here to stay for a long time coming. Some of these jobs are not what most would think about and yet they are exactly what this type of work is meant for. Of course, people will think of the oldest profession in the world and of private investigators like they see in films, but there’s also all the spectrum of creative workers and a lot of service workers. Mobile car detailing, mechanics, private tutors, pedi-cab drivers, tourist guides, dress makers, writers, even independent filmmakers work for themselves and they run their own mini-business. Some will work truly alone and prefer it this way, other will work for an agency that finds them work and they will prefer the ease this brings them. All of these types of work are more than valid and more and more jobs are becoming something people offer as independent work where clients can deal with them directly.
As the world goes back into a more personal mode and it’s more accepted to not want to work for a multi-national, multi-billion company, something that had become the norm with decades of company-building and a long period of these offering the safest work out there. With many of those corporations falling to the side, many people have been looking at working outside of that system and for themselves. This is something that is more and more popular and younger generations have been changing jobs more often and even wanting to be their own bosses. This has lead to a lot of people looking at agencies for work and eventually at work they can control completely. This control is something that appeals to most independent workers as well as being able to use their skills that are quite particular or unusual. Having a great eye for decor can become a great way to help people with home decor, having a skill to fix things leads to being a handyman, etc.
Becoming an independent worker is something that requires careful planning once a field is chosen. Having an offering that is needed in the area chosen for work and living is the main part, then education to make sure the skills needed are there, then the legal side of things, insurance, contracts, and marketing. It’s a very busy period of planning before getting in the field and really working. Of course, a great way to start in any field as an independent worker is to go with an agency who will get the work coming for a fee and will help connect workers with jobs. Once plenty of experience is obtained in the field, getting one’s own business or working on their own is a great step to take to free time, work a dream schedule, and make the money needed to support it all. Working as an independent worker allows to take work to new places to enjoy life a little bit more. That freedom and control over one’s life is a great reason in and of itself to start looking into independent work seriously. Of course, this is something that can be done at any time in life and it’s also something that can be done for short periods of time as in-between work or extra work to help make money when needed. For some it’s a filler for a period where work is scarce and for others it’s similar to a calling and something that once they start working this way, they never want to go back to a more so-called regular schedule and work type. Some do it out of necessity and others do it by choice, the first can also become the second over time. Independent work means freedom for many and it can be a solution for plenty more people should they give it a try.