These Are the Fastest-Growing Freelance Industries of 2020
Are you looking to jump into freelancing? | Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
Whether you're working as a freelancer now or plan to do so soon, it's wise to focus on the fastest-growing industries. Then it's easier to prioritize your efforts and hone in on the best option for you.
Legal Cannabis
As more countries and states move toward marijuana legislation, the trend opens opportunities for freelancers. When Vangst, a cannabis recruiting company, released its 2019 Salary Report, the results showed that on-demand talent, which includes freelancers, would comprise 40 percent of the industry by 2020. Another promising statistic from the report is the expected creation of 414,000 new jobs by 2021. That suggests the trend is here to stay for a while.
Food Delivery
Many people love the convenience provided by food delivery. The option is particularly popular with millennials. A report from McKinsey & Co. showed that, in the global delivery market, 4 percent of the food sold through restaurants and fast-food chains get delivered. Plus, due to the recent outbreak of the coronavirus, individuals who may not have frequently gotten food delivery before are changing their ways.
The rise in popularity within the food delivery sector comes with challenges, however. Freelancers can help tackle many of them. There is already an assortment of apps that allow people to order food. Many of those companies also seek delivery drivers who work on a freelance basis and are willing to fetch food from restaurants and transport it to customers' doorsteps.
Graphic Design
Although many freelance careers center on creative work, the options for graphic design jobs are especially worth watching. That's due to a recent report from 99designs, a site where customers can post jobs requesting help from freelancers. It shows huge boosts in numerous categories, including those you might not expect.
For example, the data shows that requests for design work from astrology brands has gone up 127 percent in the 12 months before the report's publication. 99designs also called attention to the increase in design requests from biohacking brands that sell things to people who want to push their bodies to new heights and improve overall performance. The statistics showed a 71% increase in the past year and 445 percent growth since 2015.
Law
Working as a lawyer was not always a feasible freelance career. Even people who may have been interested in using their law degrees that way may have found it was nearly impossible to get started due to the lack of sites that offered work in that format. However, that's all changing. People with the right training now have several places where they can look for the best freelance jobs for legal professionals.
For example, Mason Blake, the co-founder and chief technology officer at UpCounsel, says the site is growing about 5 percent per month. It offers vetted freelance attorneys to clients who are ready to hire them. Moreover, UpCounsel has achieved from a 100-300 percent year-over-year growth since its 2013 founding.
Video Production
Video is taking up a prominent part of marketers' campaigns. Results from a Wyzowl study found that 92 percent of marketers considered video an important part of their marketing strategies. Moreover, 86 percent of people said they want to see more videos from brands.
When companies don't have in-house video teams, they hire from outside, which may mean depending on freelancers. Some companies are ready for the fact that video marketing represents one of the fastest-growing industries. For example, Vimeo, the streaming site, launched a marketplace where people can hire video talent. Also, when Upwork released its top 100 in-demand skills for the third quarter of 2019, video post-editing was number 16.
Management Consulting
If you're a high-level executive looking for a change, freelance careers are viable opportunities. Business Talent Group released a report about how more companies are turning to independent workers to get management consulting help.
The most popular reasons why they do so are to get advice about project management, plus sales and marketing strategies. Although the data shows only 17 percent of those who hire such talent want remote-only arrangements, that suggests some clients will hire freelancers if they come into offices for face-to-face meetings.
Get Ready to Find More Profitable Freelance Work
Although the fastest-growing industries do not always also have the best freelance jobs, these sectors are different. No matter what stage you are at in your freelance career, these options are worth a look. Knowing where the demand exists may also help you tweak your resume and engage with potential clients.
Guest blogger Kayla Matthews’ writes about personal and professional development topics and has been featured on The Muse, Inc.com, HR Daily Advisor and MakeUseOf. To read more from Kayla, please visit her blog, Productivity Theory.