“The sharing economy is a “win” because it allows talented people to succeed.”

Stephen Robert Morse is the Co-Founder and Head of Marketing at SkillBridge. SkillBridge was founded with the belief that talented independent consulting professionals who are passionate about the work they do, should be able to easily connect with high impact organizations that need expert help. Companies and organizations want more affordable, unbundled alternatives to the ‘bells and whistles’ solutions offered by traditional professional services and consulting firms.

SkillBridge is built to give talented business professionals an alternative to full time work: Increasingly, the new knowledge workforce want options that allow them to raise a family, pursue adult education, or explore different career paths.

The SkillBridge platform directly connects both sides of this market while minimizing search and discovery costs. By cutting out big firm or staffing agency middlemen, we pass additional cost savings directly to our customers and consultants.

Our data and technology make the right match as quickly as possible and our project management tools ensure every project ends in success.

BusinessInterviews.com: Can you expand on how SkillBridge has been built to give talented business professionals an alternative to full time work?

Stephen: At SkillBridge, we give consultants the opportunity to work on a part-time or full-time basis. For people who already are full-time employed but want 10 hours per week to do some consulting on the side, we have options. We also have consulting gigs for stay-at-home parents and graduate students who are looking for high-paid work on a part-time or freelance basis.

BusinessInterviews.com: Is it possible to engage both new and existing customers with the same strategy or are different approaches required?

Stephen: Our clients are very important to us at SkillBridge. Generally, we have found that once a customer tries our service, he/she will use us repeatedly. However, this requires a change in behavior: Did you think you’d ever be able to purchase elite consulting services online?

BusinessInterviews.com: What advice would you give to someone who is contemplating becoming a consultant?

Stephen: At SkillBridge, it takes literally two minutes to register, and then we will find consulting jobs for you. One of the biggest pain points for consultants is the sales and marketing process. At SkillBridge, we believe that the quality of your work is far more important than your ability to sell and market yourself.

BusinessInterviews.com: Why do you believe that “the sharing economy is a win for independent contractors, consumers, and for companies?”

Stephen: The sharing economy is a “win” because it allows talented people to succeed. And it makes entrepreneurship (and micro-entrepreneurship) easier than ever before. If you have a spare room, easily rent it out on Airbnb to make extra income. Have a few hours to kill on a weeknight? Drive your car for Lyft and earn an extra couple of hundred bucks. Have consulting skills and 20 hours per week to spare? Consult for SkillBridge!

BusinessInterviews.com: Can you share some tips when it comes to hiring and keeping great interns?

Stephen: As I wrote in my recent Fast Company piece, “Don’t ever assign them desks far from the rest of whatever team they’re working with. The key to success is integration. I would never, ever, create an “intern” area of the office. Second, if you want an intern to work for you, it’s going to take a little bit of money. If an intern is worrying about how to pay her rent, she’s probably not going to be putting in her best efforts at the office. In life, you generally get what you pay for.”

BusinessInterviews.com: What are some trends in your industry that you’re excited about?

Stephen: The most important trend that we have seen is the move toward the freelance economy. By 2020, we expect that 40% of the workforce in America will be made up of freelancers. At SkillBridge, we are focused on making it easy for companies to “plug and play” with the world’s most elite talent.