How Smartphone Apps Create Jobs and Replace Jobs

Creating Smartphone apps, whether for the iPhone or Android, is changing the landscape. With hundreds of them for both types, they are cheap and are user friendly and accomplish some task useful. The upside of these apps is that they create jobs in that specific field, they make a lot of money from home or other locations. The downside is that they replace workers who use to be involved in what the app now does. They enable nearly anyone to become a merchant (or provide services) by selling or providing via the smartphone instead of the computer. This ability enables many people to make extra money easily depending on the app used. Some earn an additional $3000 a month, others a few hundred. Many people that use to sell items on Craigslist or other sites, now use an app to sell their items.

Some apps do many of the same functions that use to be done by a person, some can replace the human concierge. Many apps used by insurance companies allow for the client to send in their claims and photos of the car damage, this replaces the need for a claims adjuster to visit the location and inspect the car. Banks are using apps that allow customers to deposit their check or sign loan documents. This eliminates internal positions in some branches. One bank wrote 287 loans in this manner without adding any employees. The US Agriculture Department is spending $40,000 to create an app that allows one to photograph and report diseased citrus trees. It will replace the need of 200-300 inspectors.

Not all apps cost a few bucks. If you are studying for the Calif. or New York Bar exam, you can purchase BarMax, for $500, which preps you to take the grueling 3-day exam. While expensive, the cost of your average prep course in law school is between $2000-4000.

Here are a few money making apps you can do:

• Poshmark- sell your clothing via the iPhone, the app owner will take 20% of the sale price. Take a photo of your clothes, post it. Women only.
• Lyft and Uber - this app allows you to give a person a ride, like a taxi.
• Postmates- allow you to act as a delivery person, earn 80% of the delivery fee, which ranges from $5-20. Lyft earnings are the same.
• EasyShift - allows you to make money by people who document inventory, shelf placement for manufacturers. One would go to the site, take photos of merchandise. The person usually earns $3-4 per task. More complicate tasks earn up to $40.
• Yardsale - Sell your stuff via the iPhone. It uses GPS to pinpoint products within a few miles of the buyer.