This founder is building a legacy one payroll system at a time. Craig J. Lewis is the founder and CEO of the FinTech platform changing the way businesses pay people. On a mission to simplify the payroll system while building a legacy to ensure that people remember his last name, Lewis knows what it means to be resilient when the odds are stacked against him. Gig Wage was built to help ease pain points for the payroll system that neglects the 1099 employee, or what Lewis calls the “gig” worker, made up of freelancers, contractors, etc. To date, Lewis has managed to raise $13.2 million and is on a path to quadrupling the size of his company by the end of 2021. He sat down with AfroTech to discuss what representation means to him in the venture capital space, where he feels the industry gets it wrong and how they can correct that, and the solution that Gig Wage provides that isn’t found on the market.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Gig Wage (@gigwage) AfroTech: What...

For more than a decade , many industries have gradually shifted from hiring full-time employees in favor of contract workers. Whether by choice or necessity, many individuals work full-time in the “gig economy” — a labor market facilitated by online job boards advertising project-based or contract work — by stringing together multiple gigs to support themselves and their families. If you’re considering gig work, start by understanding which areas pay the most, require minimal startup costs, have relatively few expenses, and can be performed from anywhere. Consider these fields: Freelance Writing While it can take some time to make a consistent income, established writers can make as much as $30 an hour . You can work for an agency that specializes in producing content for other companies or individuals. Opt for quality over quantity at first until you can confidently produce high-quality content as per the company’s standards more quickly to find success on these platforms. You can...

What would you do with an extra $500? Kickstart your emergency fund ? Finish paying off one of your credit cards? Or would you need the money to pay your bills? According to the Federal Reserve, 44 percent of American adults would have difficulties handling an unexpected expense of $400. I remember the days when I looked ahead to the end of the month with disappointment, knowing that my money would run out before I got there. To stave off some of those feelings of fear, I began looking for ways to make money. Quick ways to make money in 30 days When facing a difficult financial situation, you might have a bit of time to make ends meet. If you have 30 days to get back into good standing — or even if you’re just looking for a regular way to make an extra $500 each month to meet your goals faster — there’s good news. The following ideas can be quick ways to make money. Do two or three items on this list, and you could earn $500 by the end of the month. Start by selling something Some...

California’s new Assembly Bill 5 law takes effect on the first of January. However, instead of setting a good tone for the new year, for many, AB5 appears to be a tone-deaf effort. Launched by California Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez to address gig economy issues that have resulted in unfair treatment of Lyft and Uber drivers, AB5 was designed to protect these workers. “AB5 forbids businesses to use contractors unless the companies can pass a stringent requirement known as the ‘ABC test.’ It’s designed to ensure that all workers are classified as employees unless they perform their work independent of supervision, have an established business doing the same sort of work for multiple customers and are doing work that isn’t part of the company’s core business,” Megan McArdle said via The Washington Post. Companies classifying these workers as “employees” must then set aside taxes, Social Security benefits and other benefits . The new law — designed to protect rideshare drivers — hurts...

Uber and Lyft drivers, along with a list of other gig workers in California, may have something to cheer about now that a new law has passed to give contract workers more protections. The California state Assembly passed AB5, a bill that would require status changes to contract workers to complete essential tasks for companies. The law is also set to impact exotic dancers and manicurists; however, hairstylists, doctors, lawyers, real estate agents, and financial advisers will be exempt from the rules because they work as true independent workers under their own companies, according to Vox. Under AB5, companies can only label workers as contractors if the worker: (a) is free from the company’s control, (b) is doing work that isn’t central to the company’s business, and (c) has an independent business in that industry. If they don’t meet all three of those conditions, then they have to be classified as employees. Misclassification of workers has helped major companies save money for...