The on-demand economy took off at the start of the 21st century. Airbnb debuted in San Francisco in 2008 and Uber launched ride-sharing services in that same city in 2010.
It’s now 2022 and on-demand services are rapidly replacing traditional business models. From healthcare to hairdressing, learning to laundry, the list of services that can’t be sourced on-demand is dwindling.
The on-demand economy does not just benefit consumers. Businesses also benefit – particularly from being able to immediately access skills and services via contract or freelance (gig) workers.
Access to on-demand resources allows businesses to be agile. In the COVID world, business agility means not just being able to quickly respond to market changes and customer needs but being able to react to internal disruption as well.
Take a moment to consider the internal disruption businesses have had to manage in the past two years: forced closures, stay-at home orders, and large-scale absenteeism, whether due to illness or close contact.
At Market Expertise, we’ve always offered marketing, communications and business development services on-demand, as well as on-retainer. In recent months, we’ve observed a strong preference for the flexibility of on-demand support.
These are some of the scenarios in which it might make sense for you to access expertise on-demand.
Augment your team when you’re overloaded
Rarely in business do any of us have time to do everything we’d like to do. Our whiteboards and task lists are in a constant state of shuffle.
But for many of us, there will also be occasions when we don’t have sufficient time or resources to do everything we have to do.
If you have conflicting, non-negotiable projects or deadlines – award submissions or tenders, for example – augmenting your in-house team with on-demand resources will see you through.
Gain access to niche expertise on-demand
Your core team will have the skills you need to manage day-to-day. But what about those other infrequent or exceptional occasions on which you require expertise which isn’t available in-house?
For example, maybe you need someone to perform a brand audit, produce your annual report, or lead a client review.
For most businesses, it doesn’t make sense to build every capability in-house. Smart companies access what’s occasional or exceptional on-demand.
Back-fill an absence and buy some time
Everyone deserves a break. And everyone takes scheduled (holidays, parental) and unscheduled (sick) leave.
And, of course, people move on (and we wish them well when they do).
In the short term, many roles and responsibilities can be absorbed internally. But some can’t. And spreading the additional workload is probably only viable for so long.
If you have an absence in your team, a locum, contractor, freelancer or “temp” will help you bridge the gap. If you’re seeking to recruit a replacement, an interim resource could also save you from making a rash decision.
Manage through change with on-demand support
On-demand solutions are ideal for companies that are negotiating a high level of change or experiencing challenging business conditions.
For example, two years of COVID has taken a toll on many businesses. Some are responding to the economic uncertainty by imposing hiring freezes, even on the replacement of existing roles.
A possible workaround is to replace lost headcount with ‘off the book’ external resources. You’ll avoid carrying the employee overhead without compromising your deliverables or outcomes.
Outsource special projects
Sometimes companies prefer to outsource projects or activities for reasons of confidentiality, independence, necessity or strategic importance. That might be making an acquisition, preparing to enter a new market or to launch a new business line.
Carving out major projects allows your people to stay focused.
Engage external experts for a fresh perspective
Have you ever asked a colleague to take a look at something you’ve been working on because you felt “too close to it”? Sometimes when we spend a long period focused on one thing, we can lose perspective.
If your marketing, communications or business development employees have been in your company or industry for a long time, you might benefit from a fresh set of eyes. It’s not a criticism, merely an acknowledgment that being too close to something can prevent you from seeing what should be obvious.
External resources can also introduce new ideas and innovative thinking. Think of them as an ally, not an adversary.
With executive-level on-demand expertise, you can punch above your weight
Augmenting your internal team with on-demand resources can boost your competitiveness. For example, if you can’t justify recruiting a full-time senior marketing steward and strategist, you could engage a fractional CMO on-demand.
This approach is proving popular with start-ups and the tech sector as it provides businesses with access to the desired experience and expertise at a fraction of the cost.
Some of the responsibilities we manage on-demand
- Ghost-writing
- Blog writing
- Media relations (writing press releases and media pitches; pitching stories to the media)
- Marketing strategy and plans
- Awards submissions
- Tenders
- Client (satisfaction) research
- Internal communications
- Event management
- Content creation
- Content curation
- Social media.
