An Exciting New World

To compete effectively in a changing world requires adaptability. Every successful business executive knows this. It’s identifying the trends that will define the future market that is the harder part. 

For the better part of the last decade, things have been changing so fast that “it has become virtually impossible for some executives even to clearly identify in what industry and with which companies they’re competing.”

Competing in a Changing World

When those words were first published in the Harvard Business Review there were no robust API ecosystems, crowdsourcing was barely a thing. Uber had just been founded in 2009. It was a simpler time and yet forward thinkers were already seeing a more difficult future.

Competition is more difficult than ever, but there is a bright side.

The lines between industries have blurred as new online platforms are enabling value-adding partnerships that benefit consumers. Here are some trends that convince us we’re going to see more of this.

We are the gig economy

According to the US Bureau of Labor, 43% of workers are freelancers, working largely or completely outside of a traditional business. While that’s interesting, what’s more telling is that over 90% of Americans would consider freelancing or independent contracting work.

There are many reasons for this, including:

• Flexible working conditions
• Ability to choose when to work
• Ability to be your own boss
• Ability to choose most suitable projects
• Elimination of commuting costs
• Better productivity
• Better work-life balance

As pointed out on Fotunly.com: 

“According to the more recent annual report from accounting software company FreshBooks, 65% of respondents said that controlling their own career means “freedom to choose when to work”, while 56% said that it’s freedom to choose how hard to work; 48% of respondents favor freelancing because of the autonomy in managing career development, while 31% have chosen this type of working relationship simply because they don’t like reporting to others.”

If the gig economy continues to grow at its current pace, more than 50% of the US workforce will be freelancers by 2027. And why wouldn’t they?

Making the gig economy work for experts

While freelancing may work well for writers, artists and rideshare drivers, it has proven more difficult for certain professionals, such as doctors, lawyers and CPAs. But that is fast changing, too.

Virtual care has exploded onto the scene, with companies like PlushCare, Teledoc, and Ascension Care offering live visits with a healthcare professional over the Internet.

Likewise, attorneys are now available through LegalZoom, LegalMatch, Rocket Lawyer and a number of other firms.

Recently, we even saw some of the larger tax accounting software providers allowing tax preparers to use their software to work directly with taxpayers over the internet. 

This is good, as far as it goes, but we can do much better than that.

Empowering tax professionals

Now, instead of just taking their tax preparation business online for their existing client base, Halcyon is giving these professionals access to a crowdsourced pool of consumers looking for their help. It’s an effortless way to build a stronger business.

Halcyon is changing the way consumers collect and store their personal financial information. We empower tax payers to easily seek out, find and then conveniently work with tax professionals.

What we do for professional tax preparers is even more impressive.

Finally, the doors to the gig economy and all of its benefits are open to tax preparation professionals.

Find out more about working with Halcyon by contacting us today!