If you’re considering working in the sharing economy, or investing in it, here are the companies that will keep growing in 2023.

Taskrabbit

This company has been around since the beginning of the gig economy. It’s basically a handyman for hire service. Leaky faucets. Crabgrass. Loose shingles. Cracked sidewalks. Septic tanks. Window replacement. Floor replacement. Appliance instalation. Caulking bathtubs and showers. The list of their handyman services is large and ever growing.

The one thing they do not do much of is computer repair or installation. For that you’re better off using the services of the dealer/big box store that sells you your computer system.

They also do painting, both inside and outside. And in a pinch they can arrange for a new driveway or the pouring of a new sidewalk. However, be aware that their workers are not always bonded. If they make a major boo-boo while working for you, it may not be recoverable unless your homeowner’s or apartment insurance covers it.

Demand.io

E-commerce is the largest part of the sharing economy now and in the foreseeable future. So naturally companies are going to be scrambling to service all aspects of the technology involved.  Demand.io specializes in connecting e-commerce merchants with vendors, shippers, warehouses, and marketers, to help online businesses function smoothly and profitably.

The United States Department of Commerce now estimates that over seventy percent of adults between the ages of 18 and 70 now participate in some form of e-commerce. The sharing economy beckons to all who want or need extra income to get by or to finance luxury dreams like extended exotic vacations and a second home in the Dolomites.

With online transactions now the major form of payment for most Americans when making a purchase, Demand.io offers user-friendly apps to make purchases and payments extremely easy and very secure. 

Outdoorsy 

When you want to rent an RV for your next vacation/road trip, these are the go-to people. Since 2010 they have cornered the market on idle RVs all over the country with people who need to rent one for a week, a month, or even a year.

In several urban areas, like Chicago and Los Angeles, RVs are also being used to get a handle on the homeless problem. Government agencies are renting trailers and motorhomes for their homeless clients. With varying success. This program is spreading to other cities, and Outdoorsy is reaping enormous profits from this. They pass this bonanza on to their regular customers, so that renting an RV from them, if you have a good credit rating, is relatively inexpensive. Much less expensive than staying at a decent motel, with the addition of being able to cook your own meals and changing the scenery out your window whenever you want.

Uber, etc.

The ubiquitous Uber and Lyft franchises are so well known by now that it seems a waste of time to write anything more about them.

However, the federal government, as well as state and city authorities, are slowly chipping away at those private transportation monoliths. In places like New York City and San Francisco private individuals can now operate their own vehicles for a nominal license fee that gives them access to subsidized technology similar to what Uber shares exclusively with its drivers – leveling the playing field. The smart money says that this trend will spread to other cities, providing gig economy jobs to those who choose to stay away from big box transportation.

Airbnb 

Airbnb was the top dog in temp rentals for a long time. It still enjoys nearly eighty percent of the market. But their franchise is being challenged and restricted in more and more cities and states. On the horizon, ready to take advantage of Airbnb’s troubles, are several share economy entrepreneurs who want to turn old grade schools and public libraries into boutique lodgings that appeal to young travelers in search of something esoteric but not domestic.