Canopy Advisory Group

Who’s Driving the Gig Economy? A Look at the Demographics of Freelancers. Freelancing and gig work are being embraced by professionals across all age groups, but younger generations are leading the charge. According to Upwork’s Freelance Forward 2022 report, 43% of Gen Z and 46% of Millennials in the U.S. workforce are freelancing. In comparison, 35% of Gen X and 27% of Baby Boomers are part of the gig economy. Interestingly, freelancing is also growing among the most educated workers. The report found that 26% of freelancers now hold a postgraduate degree, up from 20% in 2021, showing that highly educated professionals are increasingly turning to independent work. So, what’s driving this shift? The top motivators include the desire to earn extra money (83%) and the flexibility that freelancing provides (73%). As the gig economy continues to expand, these factors make it an appealing choice for people across various industries and education levels. ------------------ Discover the value of fractional hires and seamlessly integrate fractional resources into your business strategy. Learn more about how Canopy Advisory can empower your team and drive growth. 🔗 Visit us at www.canopyadvisory.com #Consulting #Expertise #FractionalWorkers #CanopyAdvisory

We’re excited to welcome two new advisors to our Marketing network. Shannon Johnson, CAE and Diana Kaul join us, bringing their experience trusted by companies such as VanWest Partners, Spectrum Retirement Communities, Project Canary, and FTI Consulting to the team. Shannon adds to our Marketing network, bringing over 15 years of experience driving growth and enhancing brand visibility. https://lnkd.in/gxkkJncR Diana brings her expertise in both Marketing and Communications to our team with her background in content strategy and communications across industries. https://lnkd.in/g7WuBVhp Fractional employment is a strategic approach to talent management in the modern workplace. For companies pushing the boundaries of innovation, fractional hires offer a way to access the experience and skills needed to fuel growth without the overhead of full-time executive positions. #Consulting #Consultants #HireExperts #Fractional

End-of-Year Planning? Let’s Make It Manageable. As businesses of all sizes prepare for the end of the year, planning and prioritizing become crucial—whether it’s closing out Q4 projects or setting up for a successful new year. This time of year can get especially intense, with last-minute requests stacking up and year-end deadlines looming. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming! Drawing on insights from Harvard Business Review’s article by Darcy Eikenberg, here are five effective ways to tackle the year-end rush: 1. Anticipate recurring requests early and address them upfront. 2. Commit to your PTO to avoid burnout. 3. Clarify exactly what’s being asked to save time and manage expectations. 4. Reprioritize tasks as needed—some things can wait! 5. Plan ahead to reduce next year’s rush. At Canopy Advisory Group, we’re ready to support your business during this high-demand period. With a network of experienced professionals, we offer the strategic help you need to keep end-of-year operations smooth and next year’s goals achievable. Reach out to see how we can help you prepare for an even stronger 2025! https://lnkd.in/debvzpEx #Consulting #Expertise #FractionalWorkers #CanopyAdvisory

While there are many differences between fractional and full-time hiring, success in both cases often hinges on finding the right person for the right role at the right time. Easier said than done, of course, because you have to check all three boxes to win. Sometimes, you find the right person but hire them for the wrong role. Sometimes, you find the perfect person for your role and they just started a new job two weeks before you reached out. Sometimes, a referral looks great on paper and you end up missing on all three areas. While it’s always going to be challenging to line these boxes up perfectly, hiring fractional experts gives you a leg up for a few reasons: 🧑💻 Right Person - Most fractional resources bring more than 15 years of relevant experience and a level of expertise that places them toward the top of the list in their field. All else being equal, with fractional, you’re choosing from a higher-level talent pool. ✔️ Right Role - One of the most difficult obstacles for businesses when hiring full-time staff is that the positions they can afford to hire for won’t attract the level of talent they need. With fractional, companies can access far more experienced resources at an affordable rate, elevating the role to a higher level. ⏰ Right Time - Highly-sought-after full-time candidates are rarely on the market, and if they are, they’re often not there for long. As most fractional experts work on a project basis, they are far more likely to be available when you need them. __________________________________ Is it the right time to fill a key role or complete a key project within your organization? Canopy can help you find the right fractional expert and get them in and working on your project quickly. Send us a DM for more details or visit us at canopyadvisory.com

The Rise of Fractional Executives: Flexibility, Expertise, and Strategic Impact In today’s evolving work landscape, many companies are turning to fractional executives—highly skilled leaders brought on for part-time or project-based roles. This trend allows businesses to access top talent without committing to traditional full-time executive roles, giving them the agility to grow strategically while managing resources efficiently. Fractional roles are particularly appealing to growth-oriented companies seeking specialized expertise. By engaging a fractional CMO, CFO, or CTO, for example, organizations can leverage the insights of seasoned leaders who bring a fresh perspective, adaptability, and high-impact experience to the table—all without long-term commitments. For executives, these roles offer the chance to diversify their experiences, influence multiple industries, and work on projects they’re passionate about. At Canopy Advisory Group, we’ve seen firsthand how fractional executives can elevate a company’s trajectory. Our network of independent professionals and executives allows us to match companies with the right leader for their specific needs, when they need it most. This flexible approach aligns perfectly with the new demands of the workforce and economy, helping businesses thrive while providing meaningful growth opportunities for top talent. Fractional roles aren’t just about filling gaps; they’re about enabling companies and leaders to engage in a new kind of work relationship—one that prioritizes flexibility, precision, and impactful leadership. For more on this trend and its potential, check out this insightful article: https://lnkd.in/gZp64efN ------------------ Discover the value of fractional hires and seamlessly integrate fractional resources into your business strategy. Learn more about how Canopy Advisory can empower your team and drive growth. 🔗 Visit us at www.canopyadvisory.com #Consulting #Expertise #FractionalWorkers #CanopyAdvisory

We’re excited to welcome two new advisors to the Canopy network. Michelle Robinson and David Zevenbergen join our Business Strategy experts, adding their years of experience and unique backgrounds. Michelle adds to our Business Strategy team, bringing over 20 years of experience in business, technology consulting, and operations. https://lnkd.in/gW5my3PR David adds to our Business Strategy and Sales Coaching team with his 30 years of experience facilitating transformative change within companies. https://lnkd.in/gQk-PGEi Fractional employment is a strategic approach to talent management in the modern workplace. For companies pushing the boundaries of innovation, fractional hires offer a way to access the experience and skills needed to fuel growth without the overhead of full-time executive positions. #Consulting #Consultants #HireExperts #Fractional

It’s officially crunch time for 2025 planning. Late September and early October: “We’re getting a head start and we’ll be off and running on January 2!” Early November: “We’re still in good shape; we just need to make sure we block time before everyone’s off for the Thanksgiving holiday.” December: “Uh oh. What kind of pizza does everyone want for our last-minute late-night strategy session?” If that last one hits too close to home, we’ve all been there! Whether you have a good grasp on your 2025 strategy yet or not, make sure you’re considering team structure as you review headcount for next year and beyond. Specifically, make sure you’re taking a hard look at the areas where you absolutely need a full-time resource as well as those where a fractional expert or freelance resource makes more sense. Taking into account your key strategic and tactical projects, budgets, timing, seasonality and more, building a blended team can decrease costs and increase impact. When you’re ready to learn more about how to integrate fractional experts into your team and business, Canopy Advisory Group is here to help. DM us here or reach out via canopyadvisory.com

The Rise of the Gig Economy: A Significant Economic Force As we navigate an ever-evolving labor market, the gig economy is emerging as a critical component of the U.S. economy and beyond. Recent data reveals some striking trends: In 2022, 39% of the American workforce engaged in freelance work, a notable increase from 2021. This shift demonstrates a growing acceptance of flexible work arrangements and highlights the increasing demand for independent talent. Hiring managers are taking notice, with 66% of those surveyed planning to ramp up their utilization of freelancers in the next two years, according to Upwork's Future Workforce Report 2022. This trend signals a significant shift in how businesses are structuring their teams and accessing specialized skills. The economic impact of this gig workforce is substantial. Freelancers contributed a remarkable $1.35 trillion to the U.S. economy in annual earnings in 2022, marking an increase of $50 billion from the previous year. On a global scale, the gig economy is estimated to account for up to 12% of the labor market, generating an impressive $5.4 trillion in revenue in 2021. As we witness this growth, it’s essential for businesses to adapt and embrace the opportunities that come with a diverse and flexible workforce. At Canopy Advisory Group, we’re committed to connecting organizations with top-tier independent talent, empowering companies to thrive in this new landscape. ------------------ Discover the value of fractional hires and seamlessly integrate fractional resources into your business strategy. Learn more about how Canopy Advisory can empower your team and drive growth. 🔗 Visit us at www.canopyadvisory.com #Consulting #Expertise #FractionalWorkers #CanopyAdvisory

We’re excited to welcome Rutherford Pascal as an Expert Advisor on the Canopy team in the area of Leadership and Business Strategy. Rutherford is a highly accomplished Senior Sales Executive and the Founder & CEO of Glass Walls Leadership, where he specializes in transforming good leaders into great ones through personalized coaching, dynamic group training, and impactful keynote speeches. With over three decades of experience across Fortune 100 companies, Rutherford has consistently driven sales growth, revitalized stagnant markets, and built high-performing teams. https://lnkd.in/gmERJGZP Fractional employment is a strategic approach to talent management in the modern workplace. For companies pushing the boundaries of innovation, fractional hires offer a way to access the experience and skills needed to fuel growth without the overhead of full-time executive positions. If you’re interested in learning more about the value of fractional hires and how to integrate fractional resources seamlessly into your business we’re here to help. #Consulting #Consultants #HireExperts #Fractional

You’ve hired the right fractional expert, finished all of the prep work, and scheduled your all-staff meeting and introductory meetings with your key internal team members. So that means you’re ready for day one of your fractional project…right? Not quite. As you’re focused on the tasks above - all of which are certainly critical to the success of the engagement and kicking the project off on the right foot - make sure you don’t overlook access. Even if you have every other element in place, a lack of access and not enough attention to detail on logistics can slow or stall your project at the time when momentum and progress are most important. To help you ensure that your fractional expert or experts have what they need to work with your team on day one, start by answering these questions: ❔ Most broadly, what does your fractional expert need to integrate themselves into your workflows and organization at large? ❔ Will they be logging and submitting their time? ❔ How will they share and receive files? ❔ Will they be tracking changes and viewing shared documents? ❔ Will they need access to internal shared folders? ❔ Will they be using internal communications tools like Slack or Teams? ❔ Will they be using your organization’s email (or need an email address of their own within your domain)? ❔ Will the expert need access to your content management system and/or your social media accounts? ❔ What other custom/unique systems do you operate that the expert might need access to (i.e., log in to the back-end of your website, custom versions of software platforms, etc.)? Since every organization and fractional relationship is different, there may be questions you would add or remove from this list in your specific situation. The outcome will be the same: digging as deeply as possible into the details on access and logistics with the goal of having your fractional expert feel like the transition into supporting your business is nearly seamless. _____________________ Interested in learning more about the benefits of bringing fractional workers into your business? Canopy can help you find the right expert, onboard them quickly, and ensure a speedy and successful engagement. Send us a DM for more details or visit us at canopyadvisory.com