Tag Archives: co-working

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Survey: Freelancing in America 2023

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Upwork, the global marketplace that connects businesses in need of capable and reliable Freelance professionals and talented independent workers who are looking to generate billable hours, has just released the results of “Freelance Forward: 2023,” the 10th annual comprehensive study of the U.S. independent workforce. The study found that 64 million Americans participated in Freelance work during the past year, adding 4 million more self-employed workers over 2022. Freelance workers now comprise 38% of the nation’s workforce and contributed nearly $1.27 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2023.

Highly skilled professionals

Most Freelancers perform highly skilled professional work. Nearly half (47%) work in the knowledge economy and provide B2B services such as computer programming, marketing, IT, graphic arts and business consulting. Another 23% of Freelancers create influencer and other marketing content that fuels livestreams, social media videos and images, blogs and newsletters. 

Freelancers are also at the forefront of embracing new technologies. When asked about generative Artificial Intelligence use in the past three months, Freelancers were 2.2 times more than traditionally employed workers to say that they frequently use generative AI tools. In total, 20%, approximately 12.8 million Freelancers, use generative AI tools regularly (multiple times per week), compared to just 9% of traditionally employed professionals. When asked the functions for which Freelancers use generative AI, research (46%), brainstorming and ideation (35%), translation (33%), proposal writing (32%) and coding (28%) ranked at the top. 

Why we Freelance

Results of Freelance Forward studies produced over the the study’s 10 year history show that respondents enter Freelancing for various reasons, but flexibility and control consistently emerge as prime motivators. Beyond earning a living, when asked about reasons for Freelancing, “to have flexibility in my schedule,” “to be in control of my own financial future” and “to work from the location of my choosing” top the list. This is mainly because unlike traditional employees, whose work schedules are largely imposed by the company, Freelancers are our own bosses. We determine when, where and for whom we will work and therefore, we are able to control our schedules and lives.

The evidence of this freedom is apparent in where Freelancers perform our work. Although return-to-office mandates have brought many professionals back to their cubicle, the majority of Freelancers work from home, at a co-working space, or in another location of their choosing. In fact, 60% of Freelancers work remotely, as compared to just 32% of traditionally employed professionals who work remotely. Furthermore, Freelancers also choose the hours and amount of work they’ll do at a given time. While 77% of Freelancers say they work consistently, they do so based on a schedule that best suits their lifestyles.

The future is Freelance

Freelancing continues to grow as a viable career choice for professionals and according to survey participants, the future of Freelancing remains bright. To understand the future of Freelancing, survey respondents were asked to assess their feelings of optimism, or pessimism, ahead of 2024. Overwhelmingly, Freelancers are optimistic about prospects for their professional growth (80%), personal income and revenue increases (76%), opportunities to earn billable hours (74%) and personal development (84%). When asked about the future, 85% of Freelancers say the best days for Freelancing are ahead. Key findings of Freelance Forward 2023 include:

  • Freelancing remains a significant part of the U.S. labor market and economy: Freelancers contributed $1.27 trillion in annual earnings to the U.S. economy in 2023. This was a 78% increase from the estimated $715 billion contributed to the economy in 2014, the first year of Freelance Forward.
  • Freelancing hits a new all-time high: The number of professionals Freelancing increased to 64 million Americans, or 38% of the U.S workforce, an increase of 4 million from 2022.
  • Freelancers are 2.2 times more likely to regularly use generative AI frequently in their work: 20% of Freelancers use generative AI tools on a regular basis (multiple times per week), which compares to just 9% of traditionally employed professionals.
  • Nearly half of Freelancers provide skilled knowledge services: 47% of all Freelancers, or nearly 30 million professionals, provided knowledge services such as computer programming, marketing, IT, and business consulting in 2023.
  • A quarter of Freelancers are creating influencer-style content: 23% of all Freelancers, or 14.7 million professionals, created influencer content including livestream services, social media videos, images or blogs in 2023.
  • Generation Z and Millennials are the most likely to explore Freelancing: In 2023, 52% of all Gen Z professionals and 44% of all Millennial professionals performed Freelance work.
  • Older Americans continue to be part of the Freelance market: In 2023, nearly 8.3 million professionals, or 13% of all U.S. Freelancers, were aged 59 or above.
  • The future is bright, according to Freelancers: Over 85% of Freelancers say the best days are ahead for Freelancing.

Happy New Year and thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Frontal Lobe Coworking, located in the Nationally Registered historic downtown of Howell, MI, opened in 2013 with the intention of attracting workers to a shared office space while also utilizing empty downtown buildings.

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Going Forward: Employee to Freelancer

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The Freelancers Union  http://freelancersunion.org estimated that in 2013,  there were more than 53 million self-employed workers (in many permutations and degrees of earning power,  from fashion photographers,  to technical writers,  to Uber cab drivers) in the U.S.  That represents an astounding one third of the American work force participating in Freelance employment at some point during the year and it’s predicted that the number will only trend upward.

Plan to succeed  is the credo of every self-employed professional.  Effective planning requires one to first anticipate events and conditions that may be encountered and  then devise strategies that will overcome obstacles,  or at least lessen their likely impact,  and as well capitalize on expected opportunities.  Before you invest money and time on a mission to go it alone,  consider these realities.

No free tech help

Santa gave me an iPad Mini tablet for Christmas and the external key board that is part of its case quit functioning after three days.  The online advice that I hoped would help me to restart the thing was not useful.  I suppose a (time consuming) trip to the Apple Store must be made,  because I cannot ask a tech support colleague to rescue me.  At some point,  there will be a technology related glitch for every Freelancer: Power Point will embarrass you.  The printer will frustrate you.  You’ll be unable to install  your new software.

Taming home office distractions

Working from home requires real discipline and focus and potential distractions are everywhere.  Unless the call is from a client or business associate,  it may be advisable to refrain from answering calls (or emails/texts) from friends and family until lunch time or after hours.  If you have small children at home,  take them to day care or hire a nanny or other care taker to supervise their activities.

Ringing doorbells,  the television,  social media sites,  grocery shopping,  pet needs and house work can also undermine your work schedule.  If you foresee potential challenges to your ability to be productive In a home office,  then investigate co-working spaces.

Co-working arrangements can be very beneficial.  The office supplies,  meeting rooms,  A/V equipment,  coffee/tea and maybe even a co-working buddy who will provide some free tech advice will be available in the rental fee.  As an added bonus,  networking opportunities,  billable hours and camaraderie can arise from co-working colleagues.

No colleagues to commiserate with

Business owners and Freelance consultants work harder and must meet or exceed very high expectations,  every time.  It is easy to feel overwhelmed,  especially in the early days of running your venture.  At your job,  there was most likely someone who understood the nuances to talk you through things.  Now,  there is only you.

Joining a neighborhood business association,  professional association and/or your local chamber of commerce will give you numerous opportunities to meet self-employed professionals much like yourself.  Get to know a select few and create a support network for each other.

Moreover,   it is certain that you will have opportunities to receive and perhaps also lead  professional development programs that demonstrate  your expertise and leadership skills in the company of your peers.  You and your colleagues will be looking to make referrals for one another.  The time and money you invest in such organizations can pay real dividends and help you succeed as a Freelancer or business owner.

Needless to say there are other factors involved in the transition into the self-employed sector,  for example the requirement to find and purchase medical and dental insurance and set up a retirement account that works for you.  Launching even a solo freelance consultancy takes careful planning.  The more you can anticipate and prepare for,  the more successful your venture is likely to be.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Freelance Lonely

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Maybe Marissa Mayer,  CEO of Yahoo who recently nixed telecommuting for Yahoo employees,  is right.  Maybe we are happier and more productive when working in an office,  rather than working at home.  This theory flies in the face of the entrepreneurial,  independence-loving American fantasy,  where we sit at home in scuzzy clothes,  or deposit ourselves at the beach or the local coffee shop,  laptop and cell phone at the ready,  and efficiently run a million dollar enterprise.   That is a popular fantasy but for may people,  the reality is not so idyllic.

In a 2010 Census Bureau survey,  it was discovered that 6.6%  of adults worked exclusively from home.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2009,  15 million adults identified themselves as self-employed.  Add to those numbers telecommuters,  some of whom visit their workplace offices only one or two days a week.  Cutting back or eliminating the cost and time of the commute to the office are important benefits,  but there is a percentage of Freelance consultants and frequent telecommuters who find themselves overtaken with loneliness and feelings of isolation.

They are not as productive as they expect themselves to be.  With disturbing frequency,  they find themselves unable to focus on their work.  They are easily distracted,  prone to doing housework or watching television when they should be  “on the job”.  Conversely,  there are others who find that they are unable to stop  working  (that would be me).  Too often,  they (we) are immersed in work-related activities when we could be relaxing and re-charging our inner resources.  Neither group is able to establish good boundaries between working life and personal life.  Going to the right kind of office space may present the solution.

According to DeskMag, an online magazine that covers the co-working industry  http://deskmag.com ,  there are now nearly 800 commercial collaborative,  i.e. co-working,   facilities in the US,  up from a little more than 300 just two years ago.  I first reported on this phenomenon in my October 25, 2011 post and the trend continues upward.

In addition to offering reasonably priced office space,  co-working offices provide opportunities for interaction  (networking)  with like-minded professionals.  Tenants  (sometimes called members)  share resources like a kitchen,  a photocopier and conference rooms.  Some co-working offices create a party atmosphere and organize after-hours social situations like whiskey tastings,  art shows and Christmas and other holiday parties.  “The need to feel socially connected is a fundamental human need”,  notes Ravi S. Gajendram,  an assistant professor of business at the University of Illinois.

The well-designed co-working office will create spaces that organically bring tenants together:  pleasant seating areas with long tables designed for sharing and conversation nooks with coffee tables and comfortable chairs.  “The design strategy is a typology that looks at accidental encounters as much as organizational clarity”,  says David Rockwell, designer of NeueHouse in New York City,  a high end co-working space that styles itself as a private club.  Rockwell says NeueHouse was designed to sync with the interactive,  serendipitous manner in which creative professionals work today.

Still,  there are those who try it and eventually tire of it.  Po Bronson,  who 19 years ago co-founded the San Francisco Writers Grotto,  says that co-working offices eventually start to feel like the traditional offices that we know and loathe.  There can be collaboration,  but also envy,  competition and gossip.  Yet for those of us who need a degree of structure to help us form necessary boundaries between our work and personal lives,  it will be worthwhile to investigate a co-working space or two.

Thanks for reading,

Kim