A Look at the Economy of the Future (Motiongraphic)

By Catherine Clifford Jun 17, 2014

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

This article is part of the Spend Smart series. Read more stories

First came the Industrial Revolution, which made it easier and less costly for companies to create products on a mass scale. Now, we’re in the midst of the digital revolution, which has led to even greater efficiency. In many industries, the marginal cost of production has fallen to or close to zero. That has already been massively disruptive for many businesses and it promises to be even more so in the years to come.

Related: The Sharing Economy Holds Promise for More Goods to Be Offered at Near Zero Marginal Cost

These days, people have access to more and more information, which is pushing companies to be increasingly competitive. Individuals are also connecting with each other in real time all the time, unlocking a new economy being dubbed the “sharing economy.” Companies like Airbnb, where individuals rent space in their bedrooms or homes to strangers in need of a place to stay, and Uber, where individuals drive around strangers in their car in lieu of taxi cabs, have been frontrunners in the burgeoning sharing economy.

Related: The Future of the Sharing Economy Is a World Built Like Bitcoin

SumoCoupon

First came the Industrial Revolution, which made it easier and less costly for companies to create products on a mass scale. Now, we’re in the midst of the digital revolution, which has led to even greater efficiency. In many industries, the marginal cost of production has fallen to or close to zero. That has already been massively disruptive for many businesses and it promises to be even more so in the years to come.

Related: The Sharing Economy Holds Promise for More Goods to Be Offered at Near Zero Marginal Cost

These days, people have access to more and more information, which is pushing companies to be increasingly competitive. Individuals are also connecting with each other in real time all the time, unlocking a new economy being dubbed the “sharing economy.” Companies like Airbnb, where individuals rent space in their bedrooms or homes to strangers in need of a place to stay, and Uber, where individuals drive around strangers in their car in lieu of taxi cabs, have been frontrunners in the burgeoning sharing economy.

Related: The Future of the Sharing Economy Is a World Built Like Bitcoin

SumoCoupon

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Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC
Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

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