Unfortunately, government hiring rules and public sector unions make it hard to leverage the gig economy
My landlord friend had a problem and the solution was so novel he had to tell me about it. He lives in Winnipeg but his house tenant in Regina couldn’t remove snow from the property. Not long ago, finding someone to deal with that might have been difficult or expensive, especially if a long-term arrangement…
The free market economy is beautiful in its simplicity: offer a service people want at a price they will pay for and you get your reward. For decades, cab drivers offered what buses couldn’t – a ride on request from any location to anywhere else in a reasonable distance. But in the past decade, Uber…
The opportunity to augment your income is appealing in an economy that has left so many people far behind
Taxis have been commonplace in our cities for decades and – in some cases – centuries. We need to apply the lessons we’ve learned to the ride-sharing revolution. The first documented coach for hire was in 1621, in London, England. It only took 33 years for there to be enough issues that parliament passed a…
Unless you intend to grow cannabis in a greenhouse, it’s close to impossible to get capital from investors. It’s time Canadian investors showed some patience
Agri-food is seen by many investors as a good space to park their money for the first time in a very long while, at least in the United States. Now we need to find a way to spark the same interest in Canada. Uber, once hailed as the largest initial public offering (IPO) of the…
Uber emerged precisely to tackle transportation monopolies in need of disruption. The courts need to get on board
Uber has brought accessible income and affordable transport to tens of millions worldwide. Its disruptive presence, however, has ruffled Luddites and the self-entitled who prefer antiquated supervision to innovative enterprise. This standoff is playing out in Canada's legal system and has grave implications for the entire gig economy. Ontario's top court recently deemed invalid a clause…
The government is trampling on the rights of ride-sharing businesses and their potential customers
Many British Columbians want rides from Point A to Point B and will pay somebody to drive them. Others have access to cars and want to earn money giving people rides. But the provincial government is preventing these mutually beneficial exchanges. The governing New Democrats promised during the 2017 election campaign that British Columbians would…
The economic benefits of demolishing a monopoly business practice aren’t worth the environmental and human costs
Uber is embroiled in public controversy yet again with its Twitter release of an embarrassing dash-cam video of Ottawa Senators players mocking a coach while using the ride-sharing service. The tweet of the private conversation, captured on Oct. 29 when the National Hockey League team was between games in Las Vegas and Arizona, has reportedly…
Instead of takeout, consumers can choose a meal kit that allows them to whip up an appealing dish in minutes
Meal kits are sweeping across North America. It’s the perfect trend for consumers who want to be empowered by cooking but still need convenience. For example, Walmart has just partnered with Gobble to deliver meal kits. In the battle over the future of food consumption in the U.S., Walmart wants a fighting chance against the industry’s…
The labour market is changing. creating opportunity and putting pressure on business and government to adapt
The rise of the gig or sharing economy is one of the most visible trends shaping the contemporary labour market. Most gig jobs fall into the category of contingent work. Such work can be contrasted with a traditional job, in which a person has a durable and structured employment relationship with a specific employer. Today,…
As the taxi industry faces off with Uber, governments should let the marketplace sort out the winners and losers
What do creation, destruction, sharing and profit have in common? When it comes to the sharing economy, the answer is everything. In slightly over a decade, Uber and Lyft have gone from San Francisco startups to worldwide juggernauts. Their march to becoming international multibillion-dollar companies has sometimes met fierce resistance from taxi companies and community…