The Evolution of the Gig Economy: Cupcakes to Claims Inspections

Choices, access and flexibility. It doesn't get much better than that.

We sure have come a long way in the gig economy. We are maturing, pivoting and enabling workers and businesses all over the world to seamlessly tap into the new digital economy. Life is good.

I remember reading back in 2011 about one of the initial gig platforms, TaskRabbit, and how one of their taskers was earning supplemental income by delivering cupcakes. It was a cute story. The gig economy started originally as a true B2C phenomenon. The "C" is obviously for cupcakes!

But that was the old gig economy. Although there is still a strong vertical for consumers, the gig economy has become more professional, streamlined and innovative.

The evolution to B2C.

The gig economy resulted from the combination of two important factors: the boom in digital platforms and the leveraging of underutilized assets. The gig economy began as a peer-to-peer phenomenon, with consumers being able to access the assets of other consumers directly through digital platforms. Think Uber, Airbnb, and yes, cupcake deliveries on TaskRabbit.

Consumers wanted more choices, better access to goods and services and flexible work options. And oh boy, did they get it! Graphic designers can now easily pick up side jobs on Upwork. People with a vehicle can drive for Uber. Those with a spare room can rent it on Airbnb, and free time can be used to conduct tasks through WeGoLook. Read more

Angela Ruth - Entrepreneur - 17 May 2017