COVID-19 has hit almost everyone very hard and one of the hardest hit groups of people have been freelance workers. It is a scary time as potentially all of your revenue streams and jobs have evaporated leaving you wondering just how you are going to put food on the table and pay the bills. At Freelance York we understand that as it has been hard having our co-working space sit completely empty for the past 2 months and more. As a reopening of York County is here it has left many people wondering if freelance jobs can survive COVID-19?
The Gig Economy Will Survive
These are uncertain times. Will all of your clients still need your services when all of this is over? Will your clients themselves survive this to continue utilizing your services? Some people are predicting that COVID-19 could lead us into another Great Depression and for a freelance worker that is a scary thought indeed. It doesn’t seem like anything good is coming from this and that is even before another wave potentially hits.
The good news is that in all probability COVID-19 will not head to a Great Depression or anything like it. A recession, sure. That itself has already begun, but recessions will happen. It’s part of the nature of our (and the global) economy. There is a chance that this recession will be short-lived and the economy will quickly rebound. Of course there is also a chance that it won’t. At the very least in a presidential election year it would benefit Donald Trump very well to try to restore the economy as close to what it was as quickly as possible so that effort will get an added boost.
Some Freelance Workers Are Thriving
COVID-19 has hurt many freelance workers but it has not killed them all. Many freelance occupations have in fact thrived during COVID-19. Delivery services that utilize freelance workers have done quite well during this time delivering food, medical supplies or even transporting people to doctors appointments.
Of course for many of our members at Freelance York, this does not help you much. The good news for most freelancers is that they have the ability to work from home and being forced to do just that has not been that much of a change. Sure, you can’t come into Freelance York when you need peace and quiet and meeting with clients is now being done through video chats but you’ve probably been able to handle it far better than many others have.
No One Likes Uncertainty
That is not to say that everything is peachy. There is a great deal of uncertainty with what you do. There are still bills to be paid and you still need to eat. The good news is that for the first time gig economy workers were included in the relief passed by the federal government and many state governments to help the people get through this. While that may have only been a temporary fix it is far better than other government policies that have seemingly waged war on freelance workers.
With a global pandemic you might be thinking about things that you have normally not thought about like your health insurance (or lack thereof). No one wants to contract this virus or to spread it to others. That has made staying home in isolation easier for some people and of course there is no timetable on when a vaccine will be developed or whether that vaccine will be effective. There are no easy answers when it comes to much of this. This affects far more than just gig economy workers
COVID-19 Changing How Business Is Done
COVID-19 has also changed the way people conduct business. Many businesses are preferring to not accept cash and only accepting credit cards or digital payments. Contactless delivery has become the norm as people try to practice good social distancing. This has changed the way business is conducted, not only here in the United States but around the globe.
The good news is that eventually COVID-19 will be defeated and confined to the history books. A vaccine will be developed and/or many people will simply gain herd immunity to it. This will pass. Business will resume as it did before and the gig economy will continue on. This is a bump in the road of that, albeit a serious bump but this bump has not affected only the gig economy.
Some people may give up and take a normal job and there is nothing wrong with that. You need to feed your family and do what is right for you and yours. There will still be a place for freelance workers for many of the same reasons that there was before COVID-19. You can do this in your spare time or even just pick up a part-time job to help cover expenses until you can get back up and running.
Whether you want to do freelance work part-time or full-time you will need a place to do business and that is where Freelance York comes in. We offer workspace so you can get your work done in a more professional office setting than your home as well as access to other services. Social distancing can be easily maintained as work areas are well separated from each other. Freelance work can be extremely rewarding, so don’t let a virus prevent you from giving it a try, schedule a tour of Freelance York today!