Wourkly Launches a New App and Web Platform to Connect Independent Consultants and Freelancers in the Caribbean
Wourkly, an app and web-based platform, is a marketplace built by Schaffen Digital Ltd., with a vision to be a hub for independent consultants and freelancers within the Caribbean.
The past eighteen months have wrought unprecedented changes for businesses across industries across the globe. With widespread disruption, people of all ages were forced to adapt to new ways of learning, working, and connecting.
The silver lining during this time has been the rapid development of technology-enabled businesses, with the latest aiming to advance entrepreneurs, freelancers, and gig workers operating within the Caribbean economy.
Wourkly, an app and web-based platform, is a marketplace built by Schaffen Digital Ltd., with a vision to be a hub for independent consultants and freelancers within the Caribbean. Co-Founders Akil Edwards and Karrian Hepburn Malcolm explain the innovative platform combines many of the best practices of leading service marketplaces and provides a better cultural fit for the unique needs of the Caribbean market.
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“The gig industry has found new prominence in our current environment due to the reduction in demand for many products, services and skills. Many persons have been forced toward exploring new fields with the hope that they may find a replacement for lost income. These are the things that drove us to bring a solution to market with haste,” explains Akil Edwards.
“Wourkly is for the person with the million-dollar business idea that has hesitated for far too long because they could not find the resources they need. It is for the people who have discovered that working from home better fits their lifestyle and they now want to offer their skills in a new way, with the hope of changing their career forever. It is for the company that is seeking a flexible solution to staffing that allows them to scale their business quickly and further contribute to economic growth.”
Indeed, companies like Upwork and Fiverr, have become commonplace in many countries to date, allowing firms all over the world to easily find the skills they need with immediacy.
Co-Founder Karrian Hepburn Malcolm adds, “A large hurdle within the local industry, has been the discoverability of our talented professionals. Though many within our diaspora sit within the walls of some of the largest tech-companies in the world, the Caribbean has not yet become a sought-after hub for technologists, animators, designers, and the like. Our talent can often get lost in the sea of professionals on international platforms, lost among the thousands of consultants and freelancers residing in more popular locations.”
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Malcolm, a doctoral candidate and senior executive in the financial services industry, and Edwards, a Martech expert who heads the digital team for a leading Caribbean investment company, have leveraged their combined 36+ years of experience in the fields of business development, marketing, and technology, to bring Wourkly to the Caribbean market. As a result, Caribbean companies, from start-ups to large firms, will be able to leverage the best independent talent in the region as an extension of their teams.
The duo believes that three things are essential to maximize the benefit to the Caribbean community.
The first is connection. This is achieved by the development of a digital hub that connects regional businesses of all sizes with Caribbean professionals who understand their market and can add that context to their projects.
The second is the creation of a robust supply and demand system to match talent with businesses seeking people with the right skills and experience. Wourkly is intended to help identify the skills that are most in-demand within the region, and those that are in short supply, and to aid in the development of more professionals in these areas.
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Lastly, the team aims to address the rising cost of doing business. Wourkly Pros, the term used for consultants and freelancers on the platform, will pay significantly lower commission fees compared to similar platforms, and no commission fees for subscribed users.
In fact, they have gone as far as to remove commissions from the platform completely through October 2021 and freelancers and businesses can sign up on the platform for free.
“Karrian and I made this decision quite early in our process. We all have friends and relatives who have experienced great loss during this time. Whether it is a new career or a supplemental source of income, Wourkly provides an easily accessible avenue that can transform their career,” said Edwards.
“Some of the best minds in technology, innovation and the creative arts live and work in the Caribbean. From film scoring to app development, we have exported some of the world’s top talent. Now we have removed the roadblocks to facilitate a paradigm shift to supporting our regional talent and we believe that together, we can build a new way of work in the Caribbean.”
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