Crowdsourcing, often referred to as ‘the wisdom of the crowd’ has been growing from strength to strength for some time. It is a process that involves outsourcing tasks to a broad undefined group of people who then offer their solutions for sale. The notion of harnessing the brainpower of many people to deliver the best solutions is powerful especially when combined with the global reach of the internet. After all, the ideal solution is as likely to come from Alaska as it is from Zanzibar and the internet has made it possible to source it.

In these times of austerity businesses are striving to retain and find the best talent while also aiming to produce the best solutions at the most competitive price. Equally, individuals are keener than ever to boost their earning power. Crowdsourced offerings such as scoopshot, for stock photography, 99 designs, for creative design and archability for architectural design, provide opportunities for both businesses and individuals. Through such services, businesses get a range of solutions to their problems and access to a broad range of global talent, while that same talent pool has an opportunity to generate income from a truly global marketplace for their services. As businesses struggle to do more with less and individuals wrestle with the need to maximise their earning potential, the future looks bright for those who join the right crowd.

Rod de St Croix, AxiCom UK