Google Helpouts is a New Revenue Opportunity for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses

Google's latest experiment, Helpouts, went live this week and is gearing up to launch soon. Helpouts is an e-commerce marketplace that connects people with expertise or skills to sell, with interested buyers—through live video sessions. It's also a great opportunity for individuals, entrepreneurs, or small businesses to showcase their skills and services and make some money.

With Helpouts, Google is embracing the sharing economy. Unprecedented interconnectivity is redefining old norms about employment and income—in fact, studies estimate that by 2020, 40 percent of U.S. workers will be freelancers.

The trend is opening up new ways to make a buck. Call it hustling, call it entrepreneurship, call it DIY creation—the idea boils down to selling your skills and smarts on the web.

At this stage, the company is recruiting skilled experts on an invite-only basis—to keep the platform professional. If you have something to teach, you can request an invite and Google will get in touch if you make the pass. "If we feel they are a good fit, we will follow up with them and possibly extend an invitation to apply,” a Google spokeswoman said.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF8xPGGjfU0

Google is looking for people to host sessions in a range of categories: arts and music, computers and electronics, cooking, education, fashion and beauty, fitness and nutrition, health and counseling, home and garden. "We are looking for experts in their field, who have strong reputations and are great at sharing their knowledge with others," the Google spokesperson said. Helpouts, once live, will automatically pull in information from your Google+ account. They will be delivered over Google Hangouts, the company's video chat service.

The mindset shift toward collaborative consumption is still in the early stages, but Google might help kick it into the next gear. Check out the video for more details.