Tide Turns to Freelancers

The changes in journalism, media and emergence of digital delivery has freed up lots of media people and designers and created the opportunities for freelancers to abound. They now form an estimated one-third of all creative workers in media and advertising agencies, according to Shane Snow, a self-described Geek with Contently.

His recent LinkedIn post attributed the growth of freelancers to six developments.

1. Work is no longer a place. Work is our craft, not the place we do it. Many freelancers operate from coffee shops where their rent is a cup of coffee or tea, perhaps a roll or cookie.
2. A big problem for businesses is finding, vetting and retaining good employees. It has always been an issue for small marketing firms of a few to 15 or so people. This can be removed by use of online talent exchanges and by networking through the coffee shops and communications infrastructure groups whose attendees are largely comprised of people seeking work. The web thus allows you to find the best person for a job simply by using proper search terms.
3. The Internet allows you to use freelancers from a nation away because it removes the issue of having just a few people available. In the web, people from anywhere are available with a simple search. There is now a long tail for freelance specialists, offering opportunities to use talent not available up to now.
4. The workforce is growing younger, more agile and it is estimated that in 10 years, 75 percent of the workforce will be people in their late 20s on down.
5. Freelancers are entrepreneurs in themselves.  
6. Freelancers have to do a job well or they will get nothing further to do. The freelance model means a firm does not have to have fixed-overhead. It means a client gets the best person for a job. Someone with relevant experience

No one could foresee this freelancer movement turning into the next big thing. But it is now here in the creative field because technology has propelled a whole new opportunity set for young people will to risk the trials of entrepreneurship for the advantages of personal control of doing what you like to do.

Larry Eiler

Food Entrepreneurship Grows in Detroit

Though much of the news regarding Detroit is still disheartening, there are many bright spots in the city that are often overlooked. One in particular is the growing sector of food entrepreneurship in the Motor City. Earlier this fall, three large groups distributed $100,000 in grants to 30 local food entrepreneurs. The groups, Eastern Market Corp, Charter One Foundation, and Michigan Economic Development Corp, provided the grants to help grow the local food system in Detroit as well as create jobs from the emerging sector.

"We want to help make Motown a thriving Growtown," said Ken Marblestone, president of Charter One and RBS Citizens, Michigan and Ohio. The grants had three focus areas: land, new equipment, and upgraded signage or displays. The money was divided up based on what each group needed. For example, Detroit Zen Center received $5,000 to renovate a current room into a dehydrator to make kale chips and Detroit Garlic Connection was given $3,000 to purchase vacant city lots for farming purposes.

The emergence of food entrepreneurship has given other organizations, like the Detroit Food & Entrepreneurship Academy, a new way to educate Detroit's youth. The Food Academy partners with local high-schools, educators, and food entrepreneurs to provide a year round program that allows students to learn and experience food business first hand. The program culminates with students launching their own food business.

The growth of food entrepreneurship in Detroit and the state of Michigan provides opportunities for students to learn and grow as entrepreneurs and also opens the doors for new employment opportunities for people interested in the food industry. "Growing the local food sector means more jobs as well as more nutritious food for Detroit dinner tables," said Dan Carmody, of Eastern Market Corp.  

Due to the growth of the sector and support from investors such as Charter One Foundation, Detroit and the state of Michigan are establishing a national reputation for local and regional food system development.

To read the full Crain's Detroit click here 

To read more about Detroit Food & Entrepreneurship Academy, click here 

 Katie Joly