There are a lot of names for it: the Freelance Economy, the Sharing Economy, Collaborative Economy, Collaborative Consumption. Whatever your preferred label, there’s a revolution going on out there -- and it’s about to be felt as much in the business world as it is in the consumer marketplace.The new generation of digital natives is driving structural change in every sector. We live in a society where norms of ownership have given way to norms of temporary usage, sharing or renting. And instead of permanent employment, freelancing is exploding in popularity as scores of digital marketplaces have grown up to connect workers with people looking to hire.Anthony P. Lee of Altos Ventures calls it the Do-It-For-Me Revolution, and gives it its own acronym: DIFM. He points out that DIFM is more than software. DIFM is defined as a combination of technology automation with specialized labor to deliver a complete solution to a business problem. In the B2C world, examples of the DIFM model include Uber, AirBnB, Zipcar, Instacart, and other high-touch, people-powered services.The ideal DIFM user interface is simple and minimal; the complex technology and people in the background take care of the rest. Some DIFM companies operate marketplace models with independent contractors doing fulfillment, while others rely on in-house talent to deliver a full service. Dozens of startups have emerged, each tackling one slice of the small business pie.Take Graphite – we’re a good example. You don’t have to take your business to a major investment bank to get top-level investment banking services today. We offer an easy-to-follow, yet robust user interface that allows anyone to post a project. Once the freelancer is hired, the service is sometimes delivered remotely, but often it involves having the freelancer work onsite. Either way, Graphite uses the DIFM formula that combines software and database technology to facilitate the delivery of high-touch business services, by a real person.To find out how to post a project or become a Graphite freelancer, go to our website and sign up for a free account to start browsing.
