How Apps Make the Gig Economy Possible

The gig economy is growing in popularity, and it’s easy to see why. It allows anyone, anywhere to work at any time and get paid for providing a wide variety of services. From driving someone home with Uber to delivering groceries with Postmates, the opportunities to make a little extra cash are endless.

All those opportunities existed before. Nothing was stopping anyone from delivering groceries for a little extra cash, but it was, and still is, extremely difficult to do on your own. Apps make it so literally anyone can provide a service without doing any marketing or business development whatsoever.

Here’s how they do it.

They Connect People Quickly and Easily

The best thing about the gig economy is that it connects workers and customers directly. This is nothing new. People have been going to other people for centuries for a wide variety of goods and services.

All that changed when corporations took over.

Instead of connecting directly, you have to go through at least one other person in order to get what you need. Sometimes you have to go through multiple people.

With an app, there’s no need for all of that. Simply enter your information into the app and it will connect you with someone willing to do the work. It happens in an instant, which means there’s no need to sit on hold or talk to a different department before getting what you need. It works similar to an event driven architecture (eda) technology, where different events are triggered in real-time, simultaneously.

They Make Obtaining Services Instantaneous

Technology is making it possible for us to get things faster than ever before. Amazon can even ship your packages so they arrive the next day, but what if you need something right now? You don’t want to spend an entire day at work without deodorant, after all.

With service apps, you can get what you need almost instantly. Whether it’s food from your favorite restaurant, a ride, or help moving, you can get the help you need in hours instead of days.

They Function Like a Business

Part of what makes apps so effective is the fact that they function like a business. Uber alone has over 10,000 employees that aren’t drivers. Why does this matter?

It ensures their app is the very best. That increases ease of use and makes the app more accessible. It makes for a better user experience too. That’s because quality apps employ full-time:

  • Customer service representatives
  • Programmers
  • Designers
  • Accountants

The more people they have working on the app, the less work you have to do. For example, if you were working on your own, you’d have to figure out billing. When you work with the help of an app, they do all of that for you.

One of the best things about working for the gig economy with an app is the fact that you have nothing to lose! Provide services whenever you want, and if you decide you want to stop, you can at any time.

You can even try working for a few different apps before you find the gig that’s right for you. Try that with a traditional job!