A sign that flex work is here to stay, several gig economy platforms recently raised significant sums to expand their offerings. It is an indication that venture capitalists and others finally see the lasting value of flex labor that employers and workers have long recognized.
A “gig” is a term that was coined in the 1940s by jazz musicians to refer to a booking to perform. Over time, it came into general usage to mean a temporary or part-time engagement to work. In the 21st century, a gig has come to describe any opportunity to earn money outside of a traditional permanent job.
The development of internet and app-based services combined with an unstable job market has led to an explosion of workers who tap into the gig economy for at least part of their income, if not all or a majority of it. Uber drivers, personal shoppers, tech workers, healthcare professionals, and skilled tradespeople of all kinds look to the gig economy to find meaningful work without a long-term commitment.
HoneyBook, a platform that provides business services to solopreneurs, independent contractors, and other flex workers, began in 2013 as a service to provide wedding albums for independent wedding photographers in the San Francisco area. It eventually expanded to include other local wedding vendors.
Soon, HoneyBook started providing freelancers of all stripes with business services such as scheduling, invoicing, payments, proposals, and contract templates. It is now operating nationwide and plans to expand overseas.
In addition to business services, the platform offers classified ads where vendors can list their services, and potential clients can search for the service that meets their needs. As of late 2021, HoneyBook listed over 75,000 contractors, including tech consultants, doulas, dog trainers, florists, cleaning businesses, life coaches, personal trainers, landscapers, and others.
As warehousing operations become more digitized and robots play a larger role in the day-to-day happenings of a facility, the need for warehouse workers with technical skills is rapidly increasing.
However, the warehousing industry is subject to spikes and dips in demand due to external forces like weather, holidays, economic uncertainty, and the pandemic. Keeping enough skilled, permanent workers onboard to handle the spikes is economically infeasible when demand drops. Developing a strategy to use gig workers during peak periods could solve that problem.
Skilled warehouse workers can offer their services on-demand to pick up additional shifts and earn extra income. Using our platform allows warehouse operators to tap into a talent pool of trained workers as needed, without the expense of recruiting, training, onboarding, and paying overtime during peak periods.
The platform HapiGig provides a matching service for warehouse workers seeking gigs and for warehouse operators who need skilled staff on a temporary and on-demand basis. Workers register on the platform and are then subject to intensive vetting to verify their skills and reliability. If the worker passes this critical step, they gain access to the platform, and their skillsets, ratings, and availability become visible to potential employers searching for flex workers.
Warehouse owners can gain access to these top-rated flex workers by registering as HapiEmployers on the platform. If you want the convenience and security of bringing on thoroughly vetted warehouse workers, schedule a demo online today and learn how HapiGig can work for you.