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Grow a Small Business |
9 Growth Strategies for Your Small Business
Owning a small business means your day is filled with a seemingly endless number of tasks. From maintaining a pipeline of projects, running your back office, and drafting proposals, to holding client meetings and managing finances, the life of an independent professional is both busy and exciting. The continued growth and development of your business…
Grow a Small Business |
These Attributes Make a Successful Open Innovation Solver
The world of open innovation is ready for more solvers to join in. If you have wondered if this is a world where you can be successful, here are some of the attributes that can lead to wins. With input directly from some of the top solvers in open innovation, they break into two categories:…
Manage a Small Business |
How to Plan a Successful Client Meeting: 5 Pro Tips
Client meetings can be stressful, uncomfortable, or intimidating. But leading a successful client meeting can help you build credibility and trust while landing a new project. Rather than approaching meetings with a sense of dread, think of them as an opportunity to brainstorm, collaborate, and progress your business. Find your motivation with these five tips…
Grow a Small Business |
3 Back Office Management Tips for Consultants
Whether you’re just starting your small business or you’re a seasoned veteran, you’ll quickly learn that there’s a lot of planning involved. Initially, this planning will focus on choosing the services you will offer, finding and securing clients, and deciding where and how you will run your business. These are all important first steps and…
Grow a Small Business |
8 Essential Elements of a Professional Website
A professional website is a great way to spread brand awareness, boost your credibility, promote your services, and generate new client leads. As a small business owner, most of your competition is likely bigger businesses that have the marketing capital to advertise and reach out to more people. But a professional website can help even…
Grow a Small Business |
The Role of Patrons in the Creator Economy
Content creators, one of the fastest-growing independent work segments in the US, monetize their knowledge and skills by creating and publishing online digital content. They are writers, artists, entertainers, videographers, social media influencers, educators, pundits, and thought leaders who publish across a range of online channels. Because digital content creation tools and distribution platforms are…
Grow a Small Business |
Education Options to Grow Your Skills and Your Business
Continuous learning is important for any professional. For an independent professional operating a solo business, it’s a must. In addition to continuing to hone skills in your area of expertise, and even expand that area, you must understand how to operate a company, including how to market, how to budget, and how to manage finances….
Start a Small Business |
10 Legal Requirements for Starting a Small Business
Make sure your small business operates legally with all of the required licenses and permits.
Grow a Small Business |
6 Tips for Open Innovation Solver Success
As an independent professional, being an open innovation solver can be fulfilling. It helps create a new revenue stream and the satisfaction of contributing to a company’s strategic direction. You know how to write a winning proposal and you understand the importance of cultivating a good relationship with a client or prospect. This means…
Grow a Small Business |
8 Tips to Make Your Small Business Stand Out
As a small business owner, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd—especially if you are just starting out. Giving an identity and voice to your company is the first step to land those initial clients and build your reputation. As your small business grows, so can your efforts to build a visible…
Manage a Small Business |
Client Loyalty vs Client Retention: Tips to Improve Both
Client retention and client loyalty are an important part of running a small business. As an independent professional, you’ll quickly learn that a key to sustained business growth is retaining a pool of reliable, loyal clients. But finding and acquiring new clients is often a big investment of time and energy. Instead, if you can…
Grow a Small Business |
7 Best Practices for Becoming a Successful Consultant
Whether you’re a new member of the independent professional workforce or a seasoned veteran, operating a successful solo business can be an ongoing challenge. In the beginning the challenge might be securing clients and generating revenues, while later down the line it might be adjusting your services to meet market changes, and, of course, securing…
Workforce Trends |
5 Things to Know About Independent Digital Content Creators
Independent creators are a fast-growing group of self-employed professionals who monetize their knowledge and skills by creating digital content online. The trend towards this type of work stems from a broader shift to independent work which was accelerated during the pandemic. Independent creators can pursue work they are creatively interested in while maintaining flexibility and…
Grow a Small Business |
How to Build Trust with a New Client
As an independent professional, clients are the backbone of your business. When you start working with a new client, it’s important to take steps to build a lasting relationship. When a client trusts your judgment and believes in your work, doors can open for future projects—or referrals to other potential clients. Establishing this type of…
Misclassification & Compliance |
Independent Contractor Misclassification and Compliance News May 2023
As the independent workforce continues to grow, so do the issues of worker compliance and misclassification. It is important for enterprises to remain informed about the latest laws, regulations, and developments surrounding these topics. Each month, we’ll bring you the latest news stories from around the web. 1. Wisconsin Finds Amazon Delivery Drivers Were Employees…
Direct Sourcing |
How to Plan Your Direct Sourcing Program Journey
In previous direct sourcing articles, we’ve looked at using a skills assessment to build a program business case, three areas to improve understanding, and the company functions that comprise your direct sourcing dream team. The initiative is greenlit, leadership understands the value, and your dream team, comprised of the company functions that need to be…
Direct Sourcing |
Giving Bonuses and Incentives to Your Independent Talent
Often, when an independent professional has a choice for projects between two of their clients, they will consider their experience working for each. Is it a positive work environment? Are there reasonable processes and procedures that facilitate productivity? Are there learning and skill-building opportunities? These examples often determine a Client of Choice and can contribute…
Direct Sourcing |
How to Build a Flourishing Independent Talent Community
A successful direct sourcing program includes an active and vibrant independent talent community. Independents gravitate toward such a community when there are additional advantages to them and their businesses besides project work. They ask, “What’s in it for me?” to determine if spending time and energy on a given opportunity is worthwhile. Answering that question…
Direct Sourcing |
Your Talent Community: Start Tuning in to WIIFM
In any situation requiring a decision, people generally first consider the impacts on them personally. This is true for consumers buying a product or service, job seekers deciding on an offer of employment, and independent professionals selecting clients they will work with. “What’s in It for Me?” This question, acronymed to WIIFM, is important to…
Direct Sourcing |
Best Practices for Building an Independent Talent Community in Your Direct Sourcing Program
There are several reasons “why” to curate an independent talent community as part of your direct sourcing program. The relationships formed between company managers and employees and community members, and between community members themselves, support a high-performing worker population that can make a significant contribution to business growth. Establish your community by leveraging touchpoints of…
Workforce Management |
5 Things to Look for When Hiring Independent Talent
Hiring independent talent as an addition to a full-time workforce is a growing strategy among companies today. With 64.6 million people working independently, there’s a lot of talent to choose from. But finding the right person who has the skillset you need and aligns with your company culture or working style can be a challenge….
Direct Sourcing |
When Direct Sourcing, Organizations Must Go From ‘Independent Talent Network’ to ‘Independent Talent Community’
In today’s talent market, in part because of the Great Realization, top independent professionals have a lot of choices in their client base. Offering skillsets that are in high demand, they look beyond pay rate to the quality of working environments and benefits that can help them grow their businesses. Being a Client of Choice…
Misclassification & Compliance |
When to Classify a Worker as an Independent Contractor
Today’s workforce includes full-time employees, temporary workers to fill seasonal or short-term needs, and contingent workers such as freelancers, independent contractors, or consultants. Businesses benefit from this diversity of workers. Workforce diversity gives companies have more workforce flexibility, access to specialized skills on-demand, and the ability to form ready-made teams when a project need arises….
Workforce Management |
Hiring Soft Skills for Future Success: Communication
This is the fourth in a five-part series discussing skills critical for future success. Other articles cover critical thinking, creativity, and entrepreneurship. While communication skills have always been important in the workplace, the advent of AI makes them even more significant. While some forms of communication can be taught to AI tools, others are uniquely…
Misclassification & Compliance |
Independent Contractor Misclassification and Compliance News April 2023
As the independent workforce continues to grow, so do the issues of worker compliance and misclassification. It is important for enterprises to remain informed about the latest laws, regulations, and developments surrounding these topics. Each month, we’ll bring you the latest news stories from around the web. 1. Seattle Ordinance Expands Paid Time Off for…
Direct Sourcing |
Educate through Communication in Your Direct Sourcing Program
The more smoothly and fully your direct sourcing program is embedded in the daily workflow, the more beneficial it will be. Such an outcome requires achieving buy-in and participation from key stakeholders, especially the hiring managers who are the “customers” of the program. Education through communication is an essential part of gaining support for the…
Direct Sourcing |
Effective Communication in Your Direct Sourcing Program
Like the employee portion of the workforce, your independent talent network is not a homogeneous group. The communication strategies for your direct sourcing program must be crafted to resonate with the right audiences, whether directed internally or externally. Insight into the communication preferences and messaging styles of the different components of your talent network can…
Workforce Management |
5 Ways to Attract Top Talent
In 2022, there were more than 64 million independent workers. And the vast majority of this group has a lot of choice when it comes to picking the clients they work with. Independent talent can fill in-demand roles with skills like specialized management consulting, engineering, marketing, research, and product development. As organizations look for new…
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