Soothe CEO John Ellis in an episode of the "Building The Independent Economy" podcast said independent contractors love the freedom and flexibility that comes with their work.
Connecting consumers with independent hair stylists, skin care professionals and other wellness and beauty services, Soothe operates in over 70 markets in the U.S. and five countries around the world.
“I think the biggest thing really that draws people to Soothe and to this industry is they get to be their own boss,” Ellis said in the podcast. “I think that's probably the most attractive thing about being an independent contractor. And so, you know, they get to set their own schedule. They get to really kind of control their own destiny in terms of how they maximize their income and have that flexibility that they have.”
In a 2021 Pew Research Center study, 49% of current and former gig workers said flexibility and the ability to control their own schedule was a major factor in choosing the freelance career path. Additionally, 56% of study participants cited “wanting to save up extra money" as a major reason behind their decision to participate in the gig economy, and 52% said they needed to cover a change or gap in income. Other major reasons included being their own boss, working for fun or as a hobby, and not having many job opportunities available in their area.
“I think oftentimes people think that independent contractors are people who, for whatever reason, didn't have a choice or couldn't become an employee,” Ellis said in the podcast. “But in reality, oftentimes, they have the desire to have flexibility. A lot of them are stay-at-home moms or have other circumstances where they're taking care of someone. ... And so being an independent contractor really allows people to go out there and do their own thing."
Upwork CEO Hayden Brown noted that full-time freelancers represented 28% of the workforce in 2019 and increased to 36% in 2020; a recent report from Fast Company said. Additionally, the number of freelancers in the U.S. is expected to increase to 86.5 million, or half of the total workforce, by 2027. And of Fortune 100 companies, 30% utilize freelance workers.