Since the beginning of time, there has been a sharing economy. Practically, it has been used among close friends and family members. The sharing economy, which connects the online and offline worlds via the Internet in order to maximise the available assets and resources, is one of the alternatives that is emerging today for maximising the constraints on natural resources. By connecting these assets with customers willing to pay for the services produced by the asset, the sharing economy creates value. Outside of the official hotel and taxi industries, there are currently available services like lodging from hotels and transportation from cabs.
Various start-ups by utilizing websites and applications such as in car sharing (Uber, GrabCar, Zipcar), peer-to-peer car sharing (Whipcar, RelayRides, SnappCar), personal and miscellaneous services (Airtime, GetMaid), bike sharing (Bixi, HZ Bike), movies (Netflix, Quickflix), peer-to-peer rental (Airbnb, Globetroopers) shows that the arising sharing economy platforms from time to time in current marketplace.
Is the sharing economy concept applicable to consulting services for engineering and architecture? People who work in the construction industry will not find it strange when architects or engineers work independently. To practise as professionals, some of them have titles like “associate architect” or “associate engineer.” There are more people doing freelance work.
The FIA’s findings show that there are currently 56.7 million independent contractors working in America. It’s the freelancer era right now. Despite the difficulties that freelancers face (such as the unpredictable nature of their income and the absence of benefits), an increasing number of workers are either completely leaving their traditional jobs in favour of a more flexible schedule or keeping the stability of a permanent job while also working as a freelancer part-time. Given their increasing numbers, it stands to reason that businesses would eventually become interested in hiring freelancers. These are the main justifications for why businesses favour hiring independent contractors.
Specific knowledge and skills
Freelancers have long been associated with negative stereotypes, and many people think they lack the professionalism of their full-time counterparts. This is untrue, especially in recent times. Many workers are turning to freelancing as either their sole source of income or an additional source of income because it offers freedom and flexibility that are challenging in traditional 9-to-5 employment. Since there is a growing demand for talent, individuals from a variety of professions are using their knowledge and skills to work as independent contractors.
Cost-Effectiveness
Companies are responsible for offering full-time workers benefits, such as health insurance, paid time off, and sick leave, all of which are costs that the business is required to cover. Since freelancers are independent contractors rather than full-time employees of the business, the employer is not required to offer benefits to them. Employers benefit from this, but freelancers suffer because they constantly lose money when they take time off or get sick.
A project-based job
All projects and tasks do not necessarily require a full-time employee because they are one-time assignments with varying start and end dates throughout the year. Additionally, different skill sets may be required for various projects, making it ineffective to hire one person full-time to handle them all. The freelancers excel at that.
By developing a Business to Business (B2B) online platform that connects employers and freelancers, the sharing economy concept could be put into practise. Project clients could easily find a variety of experts and professionals in the construction industry thanks to the existence of this online platform.
