The growth of the independent workforce (freelancers, temps, self-employed, etc.) has also led to a growing ecosystem of companies supporting independent workers and the firms that hire them.
This ecosystem includes a wide range of firm types, including:
Talent marketplaces: firms like Elance, Odesk and Freelancer.com that connect independent workers with those interested in hiring them.
Crowdsourced Services: firms/services like CrowdFlower, Mechanical Turk, Live Ops that crowdsource large numbers of independent workers for buyers.
Micro-Task marketplaces: firms like Task Rabbit, Fiverr, Rev.com, that allow buyers to hire independent workers to do even the smallest of tasks.
Peer to Peer Commerce Companies: firms like Airbnb, Uber, Poshmark that allow anyone to become an independent businessperson by selling a good or service.
Technology companies catering to independents: firms like Intuit, Square, 37 Signals that have built products specifically for independent workers and micro business owners.
Coworking facilities offering office space, community and activities oriented to the needs of independent workers.
The list goes on and on and, of course, includes Emergent Research client MBO Partners. They provide back office infrastructure services for independent workers.
This growing ecosystem of companies is a clear indicator that the independent workforce is growing both in terms of numbers and importance to the economy.
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