Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
The cost of hiring and keeping employees inhouse goes way beyond salaries. Cost of pension payments, sick leaves, insurance, and training, all add to the expenses that businesses incur to make a profit. But even with all these investments, there is no guarantee that the venture will see an increase in return.
With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, it has even become more costly to keep employees inhouse as there is a limit to how certain business activities can go on. And this creates a situation where there just aren’t enough resources to cater to all the expenses. But that doesn’t mean that businesses should shut down or experience a decline in productivity because there is a smart way to go about it.
Kreekafrica.com presents a platform where businesses can still function as planned by with a fast-rising alternative to traditional employment: the gig economy. This involves outsourcing parts of the overall tasks in a business, to professionals, with the same level of security.
Especially because of the large population of youth in Africa, and the lack of formal jobs to accommodate them, there is a huge employment gap that has long been a topic of conversation for governments and policymakers.
Due to the lack of a definite and lasting solution that can cater to all, Africans are resorting to the gig economy by looking for freelance work as a source of steady income. Being a freelancer also offers flexibility and the work-life balance that a lot more people are looking for in their employment.
What started as a trend is gradually turning into a sector that could revolutionize the way of doing business in Africa, and boost the economy in the process. Now, businesses can leverage the resources provided by this informal employment option.
The only problem is that there isn’t much investment in this sector in a way that builds on its potential. That is why platforms like kreekafrica.com are necessary to create a more organized way of going about it. In the Western world, the informal sector is considered as a legitimate employment option, with many of today’s corporate giants’ success based solely on the gig economy.
There are many platforms and freelancer networks that allow individuals to put their skills to work, connecting them with many businesses that need it. The many freelance sites that constitute the best freelance sites 2018 alone make it clear that there is a market out there, and it is time for Africa to start capitalizing on the opportunity.
With this in mind, businesses need to start reviewing their business model to assess their sustainability. In times, like these where employees are more of a luxury, it is prudent for African companies to take advantage of the gig economy, which has a plethora of talent just waiting to be harnessed from a freelance content writer, and freelance footwear designer to freelance python programmer.
With platforms like kreekafrica.com, businesses can hire a freelancer online or build a freelance team consisting of seasoned professionals across various fields, with guaranteed security and at a relatively lower cost. It is a secure platform where like-minded individuals with a desire to get things done efficiently get to connect and with tangible results.
One other advantage for businesses is that all expenses made are based on results, and so losses are kept to the barest minimum. It is indeed a smart way of doing business.
So far, technology and the internet, in particular, seem to be the main facilitators of the gig economy. Fortunately, an impressive amount of the continent’s population is already privy to how it works.
Therefore, the future of smart freelance is bright, and businesses can hop on; it is never too late. There is a chance for the informal sector in Africa to be well defined, and expansion and Kreek Africa is a step in the right direction.
