Epilogue – Glimpse of the Future

The Work and Life Relationship Is Changing

People are increasing their focus on the relationship between work and their quality of life. When we are involved in a traditional type of job that requires a fixed set of hours, we manage our life according to the requirements of the work. Unless we arrange to take time off, we do not schedule a time to shop, attend our children's activities, or even make medical appointments without gaining the proper approvals. However, when the worker determines the type of work and the amount of time invested, work is more likely to be integrated into the person's quality of life. In this scenario, a person can engage a gig and schedule other aspects of their life to work best for them. They can work as many hours as they desire per day and per week.

Gigs Can Be Bridges

The loss of a job may not be as detrimental as in past economies built upon traditional structures, both organizational and physical. The enormous choices in gig work opportunities can be the bridge needed between jobs. They also can provide a chance to explore skills that might be further leveraged into a microenterprise opportunity. In our traditional industrialized society, job loss could be devastating, a fact that helped spark the existence of safety nets. Job loss can occur when the demand for a product or service may diminish. This condition arises from many factors, including seasonality, reduced demand, and or diminished profits. The primary safety net has been unemployment insurance, which is not always available to those who have been eliminated, replaced, or displaced or professionals earning significant income.

Gigs and freelance opportunities can be excellent bridges. These opportunities can be activated immediately, while the job search can last for weeks or months. When we review what we have learned, a gig itself is a safety net. It can be much more powerful and meaningful because the individual controls engagement.

Gig Workers Own Their Work, and They Perform the Work

Employees perform the work, but they do not own the work. Employees generally work for a company, and that company has much higher visibility than the individual contributor. The same could be said for many of the gig-providing companies; however, the consumer or client gets to know the gig worker who is the product or service provider. Because the gig worker owns the product or service and is the person who delivers the product or service, it has become easy for us to predict that quality and consumer value will also increase as the gig economy continues to grow as a channel of distribution. Gig workers are typically rated immediately upon delivering the product or service. The rating is an immediate evaluation of the product or service rendered, which becomes the gig worker's résumé. The difference is that this form of evaluation rates real-time performance, not historical performance. Quality and value are expected to increase for all stakeholders. This is another reason for describing gigs as an economy.

Gender Inequality Has Been a Part of the Labor Discussion for an Entire Century

It remains a debate and will continue to be a debate well in the future as traditional organizational and corporate structures remain the primary distribution methods for products and services. In the June 25, 2019, Harvard Business Review issue, Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman wrote an article entitled Women Score Higher Than Men in Most Leadership Skills. It is a fantastic article. Organizational and corporate structures are dominated by men at the top, and women represent about 30% of all senior management positions. Zenger and Folkman stated the following:

Still, the disturbing fact is that the percentage of women in senior leadership roles in businesses has remained relatively steady since we conducted our original research. Only 4.9% of Fortune 500 CEOs and 2% of S&P 500 CEOs are women. And those numbers are declining globally.

…. Women were rated as excelling in taking initiative, acting with resilience, practicing self-development, driving for results, and displaying high integrity and honesty. In fact, they were thought to be more effective in 84% of the competencies that we most frequently measure.

The gig economy model is not based on hierarchy. Therefore, women start any form of gig work as equals. The technology used to identify the talent or provider of the service is not dependent upon who but upon when. My purchases through Etsy are not about who but more about what I desire to purchase and the quality and value the vendor provides. The same is true when I use any of the many apps I enjoy. It is not about who but when if I am seeking a service. The gig economy and its use of technology will continue to level the playing field. We predict the future of gigs will be much more inclusive of women, as more women begin to realize the enormous number of choices available regarding how work can be done on their terms. Gigs empower women and can potentially shift the world of work toward greater equality.

Relationships Can Create Community

Technology is the wonderful connector between products and services, and gig workers connect the dots. However, in our interview with Kevin Guest, CEO at USANA Health Sciences, he emphasized the following particularly important fact: “You cannot build relationships into an app.” This reaffirmed our observations and previous experiences with the direct selling business model. People make the difference. Independent contractors, from all walks of life, are the critical link in the supply chain that uses people to connect a product or service with a consumer. Airbnb founders, and many others who have pioneered the gig economy popularity, disrupted business models that had been in place for a century. Direct selling companies, along with real estate and insurance companies, were among the first to understand the independent contractor model's value. The older models realized that recognition is often as important as wages. Direct selling companies do this more effectively than any other model that fits a gig economy definition. Direct selling companies are known for their events, which gather people personally and now virtually. Gig-providing companies can learn from the direct selling models and possibly increase productivity by providing more sense of community. It could be accomplished with simple tools such as newsletters and blogs. The tools are available.

The Word Freedom May Need a Broader Definition

We do not tend to think of using the word freedom when describing work. From the traditional perspective, work has generally implied that we are giving up something (time) and providing something (expertise) that will be considered valuable to an employee. The entrepreneur has always viewed work differently.

Our dictionaries typically define freedom from a point of view relative to laws, regulations, and governance. The following type of phrase is typically included regardless of source used to find a definition of the word freedom: “absence of undue restrictions and an opportunity to exercise one's rights and powers.” We now apply the word freedom to a new way of working that is inclusive of more than the word flexibility, which is a primary attribute associated with gig work according to our survey and the research conducted by others. Gig work attributes go beyond the word flexibility. Future research will explore this thought more extensively, but it is well worth noting. The growth and popularity of gigs, working when and how one desires to work, means a new type of freedom is being extended to the worker. The employee was the one making the types of decisions discussed. The worker can now make these most important decisions, meaning the worker now has the freedom to determine how and when they will work. This also translates into the amount of money one desires to earn for their efforts. This asset is beyond the asset of flexibility. We call it freedom.

Microenterprise Income Opportunities Will Have a Positive Impact on the Quality of Work!

The industrial revolution provided us with processes that improved the quality of the products and services manufactured for distribution to consumers. Until recently, those who manufactured or provided the products and services depended upon distribution systems that did not rely solely on the participation of individuals. As artificial intelligence and robotics take over more of the functions previously handled by humans, the quality will continue to improve. What is also changing and contributing to even more improvement is the change in how we utilize distribution channels. The gig economy is a new form of distribution.

When fixed stores or online platforms are utilized to connect with consumers, the enterprise controls the distribution channel's critical components. In the gig economy, individuals are now at the center of the distribution channel and closest to the consumer even though technology is the connector. It may appear to the customer that they are connecting directly with the company brand; however, they are not. Amazon utilizes many brand affiliates who direct potential shoppers to Amazon sites. Those affiliates have an opportunity to earn when customers they encourage to visit an Amazon site make a purchase. The affiliate is now a part of the distribution channel, even though the affiliate may be invisible to the consumer.

In most aspects of the gig economy, including direct selling, the gig worker is not invisible. They serve as an actual host, driver, taskmaster, software designer, craftsman, lessor of assets, and provider of products and services that would be unlikely to be found in the traditional marketplace. We could continue to name the thousands of roles a gig worker can play in this new gig economy. The gig worker is not only being held accountable to high performance standards (they are usually rated immediately upon delivery of service), their continued existence and sustainable success are contingent upon a process of continuous improvement. The motivation to improve is huge, and the consumer will continue to befit from greater and greater quality and value because gig workers own the work, the product, and/or the service rendered.

Gigs Provide a Sense of Ownership, or at Least They Can

Ownership changes the game. Workers who contribute to the enterprises they work are known to be more productive when the enterprise recognizes and rewards performance beyond the paycheck. However, when employees complete their contribution, on any given day, they are not expected to take the challenges associated with the work home to their families. Those who own the work, its quality, and the value others receive are expected to give the work the attention it deserves because that is what entrepreneurs do. Based on the research we have conducted, many gig workers do not see themselves as microentrepreneurs. When they recognize themselves as microentrepreneurs, pride in the work will increase, and a sense of ownership will prevail. Gig-providing companies will benefit from a better understanding of this key driver of performance long understood by those companies who utilize the direct selling channel of distribution.

The previous thought reminded me of my best Uber experience. The car was immaculate. The driver got out to open the door for me, offered a bottle of water, and thanked me for choosing Uber before we started the journey. I immediately complimented him and spoke of his attitude, energy, and detail associated with how he cared for his car. I could sense a slight fragrance that was just enough to let me know that care was extended to please the client. My last question to my driver was: What motivates you to provide this type of service? His response: “This is my business, and I am here to serve and please.” Wow, what a refreshing ride with this entrepreneur. My continued use of Uber is more about the memory I have of such an extraordinary transportation provider. The tip I included exceeded the cost of the ride. As more gig workers understand their gig as their own businesses, the quality improves for everyone, and the brand also benefits. The gig worker, in many cases, will benefit immediately in forms that may not be immediately tangible, but the impact of the relationship and experience will be realized. This may sound philosophical; however, life seems to promise that what we hand out does come back. Of course, we are referring to the positive attributes of quality as it relates to service rendered.

Gig-Providing Companies Must Support and Protect Their Human Resource

This thought became obvious as we grew to realize the significance of gig work as being the beginning of a new economy – the gig economy. As we started our research, we used the words gig economy a lot. Our conversations and presentations were more focused on the attributes of work that could be embraced with flexibility and the freedom to make important decisions as to how and when the work would be done. What we learned along the way is that the gig economy is, in fact, a new form of economy. As we mentioned earlier in this book, gig workers were recognized in the language used by national governance as our country took steps to protect those whose work was suddenly disrupted by COVID-19. It was a very revealing moment as the government had now recognized the value of a channel of distribution built upon the use of independent workers who work in accordance with the hours they choose, not the hours associated with the traditional job.

Never before had this type of work been recognized from an “unemployment benefit” point of view. This moment of recognition was huge! It does not mean that such benefits should be expected in the future, but the landscape of protective or safety net products that gig workers need should rapidly increase. Gig-providing companies are not expected to provide these benefits, but they should encourage the innovation and creativity needed. They have the clout to be effective accelerators who already represent a new economy contributing over $1 trillion to the US economy.

Gigs Can Provide Serious Income!

Our focus has always been about the incredible choices now available through gigs to earn what can be the difference between earning more than one spends during a month. Most gigs certainly satisfy this need providing income possibilities that probably fall between $500.00 and $1,500.00 per month. However, much more is possible. For those seeking to test themselves in a more entrepreneurial environment, a gig can be the perfect laboratory. A gig or several gigs could grow into a small enterprise. Direct selling companies are known to boast some extraordinary examples of those who have turned a part-time income opportunity into a full-time career granted it is a small percentage of participants. When we look at the distribution of income in any society, it is always a few who earn the lion's share. What we observe to be different from the emergence and growth of the gig economy is that more people can test themselves. They can also opt to test themselves in a variety of ways, not one way. The job restricted the worker to specific lanes. There are no restrictions relative to gig work or the number of gigs one might try. With so many people participating as microenterprise participants, the chances of more people breaking their own glass ceilings may increase. There are neither age restrictions nor résumé requirements when engaging gig work. If more people are able to break their own glass ceilings, and we believe this will happen, the gig economy may actually have a significant impact on the way wealth is distributed but certainly a positive impact on the overall quality of life. When we can earn more than we spend, regardless of income level, we are happier.

Wage Inequality

Gig workers generally earn in accordance to a set of rules, not the résumé or amount of previous experience. Gig opportunities are also easy to explore, and potential compensation is basically the same for everyone who chooses to engage. Jobs have never offered equal pay to every participant. The gig economy, unintentionally, is providing something valuable – the potential elimination of wage inequality or at least the perception. If a microentrepreneur chooses to use a platform like Etsy to sell their creation, they will find it difficult to blame Etsy if the marketplace does not respond. If they are good at providing uniqueness to the extent the marketplace does respond, it is more a result of the quality of the product they are delivering and their own personal marketing efforts. The same can be said for any gig worker who delivers excellence in the work they do. I have experienced a gig service provider who delivered poor service. I doubt that they will succeed. I also doubt that they realized that they were the problem.

Through my many years of working with direct sellers, I always observed that some would find a way to succeed regardless of experience or inexperience. Some would not succeed, but wage inequality was never the reason. The gig economy is providing many more choices where wage inequality is never the issue. The outcome of the work is performance based.

Positive Social Experiences

Because of the flexibility of gig work, participants determine not only how the work will be done but also what types of social interactions they prefer within their gigs. These social interactions can provide fulfillment beyond the income earned. The traditional job environment does not offer choices relative to where the work is done and the social experience gained. In fact, the work is generally done in the same place, every day, around the same people. The social experience is not diverse. Gig work, in many cases, offers a social experience that possibly changes daily, and it is more controlled by the worker versus the traditional employer. For those looking to bring a more diverse social experience into their life and work, choosing to do gig work could be a dream come true, especially if one finds their ultimate gig.

Participation in Personal Development Education Should Be Encouraged

The independent contractor is an independent worker who can benefit from encouragement and nurturing. The nature of independence in a work relationship should not be misunderstood as meaning “leave them alone and let them do it the way they desire.” Based upon what we have learned, this perception would nullify much of the tremendous potential of the gig economy to redefine the future of work. We take the position that human ingenuity is best served and nurtured when we are encouraged to grow in self-esteem, believe in our possibilities, and challenged to be the best that we can be. Traditional educational curricula and the traditional workplace have often overlooked this component of what is often referred to as “personal development.” In architectural school, we learned how to design buildings, but the curricula did not include one course on designing, planning, and living life. It was my first experience with a direct selling company, as an independent contractor, where I first learned the importance of “me” in the work/life equation. Gig-providing companies will serve their gig workers and themselves well by encouraging participation in personal development guidance. Some may find ways to provide such guidance themselves. They only need to take a page from the direct selling playbook.

Financial Education Also Is Important

Just as gig-providing companies should encourage gig workers to participate in personal development, they would also be wise to support financial education. One of the major reasons most people seek a gig is to earn more money. Yet, financial literacy rates remain quite low. In addition, becoming an independent contractor through a gig opportunity can add a new level of financial complexity to a household. Gig workers who learn the basic skills of money management and how to navigate microentrepreneurship will be more likely to meet the financial goals that caused them to seek a gig than those who do not. Gig-providing companies should see this as an opportunity to stand out from the crowd. Companies that point their gig workers to tools and resources that support financial literacy will likely see a positive return.

Business Ethics Are 10x More Important in a Gig Economy

The ethical standards of a business have always been important, but they are rarely discussed unless the business runs afoul of laws or regulations. When this occurs, the subject of ethics rises toward the top of a priority list. However, we learned in our reading and study in preparation for the writing of this book that a company's adherence to high ethical standards should warrant audits no differently than the audits regularly done on the business components of finance, marketing, compliance with laws and regulations, customer service, supply chain, and other components considered critical to the success of the enterprise.

Human resource departments are generally responsible for the ethics of the corporate culture when the business model depends on employees. When the workers are gig workers, and they are projected to become the majority of the workforce, this new independent contractor labor force also needs to adhere to a high ethical standard. Adherence cannot be assumed; performance and adherence to a high ethical standard will need to be marketed, promoted, and integral to the new culture of independence, flexibility, and freedom in how the work is done. Communication of these ideals must be embraced by the new culture.

There Are No Excuses

As we travel life's journey, most of us experience challenges, especially financial challenges. The current enormous debt faced by those who had to borrow their way through college seems almost unfair. Then we discovered the statistics about household debt and savings levels, and it became easier to understand why the gig economy has grown in its appeal. People need to find ways to earn more. Traditionally, this was not easy to do. Who wants to really get excited about a part-time job that requires the same rigidity associated with the traditional full-time job? During the research for this book, I remembered several close friends who worked two traditional full-time jobs at a point in their lives. When they finished the work at one job, they immediately went to the second job.

I also remember when it was rather easy to succumb to despair when a bill could not be paid because the money had run out before the month. The gig economy provides more choices than ever when it comes to finding ways to earn additional income. Whatever our circumstance, regardless of age or résumé, the gig economy has created an opportunity. Anyone interested in earning more, paying off debt, saving and investing more, or simply doing more of what is most enjoyable should explore the possibility of a gig.

Trust Is a Valuable Commodity

The gig economy, if taken seriously by gig workers, is an economy built upon the value of trust. Trust is available to anyone who wants to embrace and leverage it as a primary tool. By extending the best of service, the best of professionalism, regardless of the type of work being performed, the client and customer will take notice, and the development of a trusting relationship will most likely lead to satisfied clients and consumers who may continue to embrace the brand and/or the products or services rendered. The gig economy makes it possible to leverage the value of trust.

Gigs Unleash Talents, Grow Confidence, and Enhance Self-Esteem

The gig economy makes it easier than ever before for people to explore microentrepreneurship. With a low cost of entry and a high probability of at least modest income, people from all walks of life are experiencing how it feels to be their own boss, even if it is only for a portion of their total household work. When people have more control over their finances and can see a direct correlation between their efforts and the rewards, they tend to feel more optimistic about the future and begin to dream bigger.

The exceptionally high satisfaction scores workers gave to their gig experiences in our survey showcase the positive experience people are having within the gig economy. Feeling good about your work tends to have a halo effect on other aspects of your life. We hope to explore this idea more in future research.