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Insights
Access a wide range of tips, research and tools designed to support the growth and innovation
of the independent workforce and enterprises who engage independent professionals.
Manage a Small Business |
How to Stay Motivated When You Work from Home
Staying motivated can be hard if you work from home. Self-employment is many people’s dream come true. You get to set your own hours, work where you like, and be your own boss. But all that time spent alone can quickly take an emotional toll and it’s easy to lose motivation and energy when you…
Grow a Small Business |
How to Eliminate Your Back-Office Burden as a Self-Employed Professional
Back-office management consists of all of the administrative and support tasks that need to be done to run your business. This includes filing paperwork, tracking expenses, filing taxes, and billing clients. In addition to your daily project work, business management tasks can take up a lot of your time. Luckily, there are many options available…
Manage a Small Business |
Five Time Management Strategies for Small Business Owners
Managing your time while maintaining the freedom of setting your own schedule is a goal for anyone who is self-employed. After all, one of the biggest perks of independent work is the freedom from corporate nine-to-five days and the ability to create your own schedule. Without a set routine, however, time management can be challenging…
Manage a Small Business |
Top Work-Life Balance Benefits
Work-life balance—finding that optimal balance between work and home—is something independent professionals strive for. And with good reason. There are many benefits to finding a balance between running your independent business and living your life. Here are six work-life balance benefits to inspire you. 1. Increased Productivity The majority of independent professionals work remotely, and…
Manage a Small Business |
6 Actionable Ways to Stay Motivated When You’re Self Employed
When you are self-employed, you’ll quickly learn that putting in long hours without seeing immediate payoff is pretty normal. The pressure of doing it all yourself can be a lot and it can be easy to lose steam. Find inspiration, keep on task throughout the day, and maintain focus on your goals by following these…
Manage a Small Business |
How to Achieve Work Life Balance When You’re Self-Employed
When you are self-employed, work-life balance can often feel like a hard reach. Running your own business means you have to balance the demands of multiple clients while staying on top of all of your back-office tasks and planning for the future. Without a good balance between your work life and personal life, you may…
Manage a Small Business |
How to Take a Vacation as an Independent Professional
Work-life balance is important, but managing a small business is a big responsibility. It’s not uncommon to have to put work before play. Summer can be a challenging time to find a moment to relax—kids are on vacation, family and friends are visiting, or you may be gearing up for a busy fall. Unfortunately, working…
Manage a Small Business |
Why Self-Care Matters for Remote Workers
Putting yourself before your clients, family obligations, or a looming deadline isn’t always an easy choice to make. Self-care is particularly important for independent professionals—especially if you work remotely. Self-care practices will help you to stay happy, healthy, and motivated. And that ultimately benefits both you and everyone around you. Working remotely and running your…
Manage a Small Business |
4 Ways to Prevent Burnout When You’re Self Employed
Avoid burnout with these four tips. Burnout: it’s a feeling most working adults have experienced at some point in their lives—the career that was once exciting and invigorating has become a source of exhaustion, apathy, or even dread. While this can happen to anyone, the self-employed can be particularly prone to burnout due to their…
Manage a Small Business |
How to Set Boundaries at Work When You’re Self Employed
Setting healthy boundaries at work can be challenging as an independent professional. Here are three tips for setting your limits.
Manage a Small Business |
Work-Life Balance When Working from Home
Work-life balance when working from home can be hard to put into practice. One of the biggest benefits of working remotely is the flexibility you have, but that flexibility can easily translate into working longer hours rather than dedicating time to other hobbies, friends and family, or self-care. What Does Work-Life Balance Mean for Independent…
Manage a Small Business |
How to Balance Your Client Roster to Deliver Your Best Work
Clients keep your independent business afloat. Without enough work from enough clients, you don’t have much of a business. But what about having too many clients? The truth is, you can have too much work from too many clients. When each client has a reasonable expectation that they are your priority, you may quickly find…
Manage a Small Business |
5 Self-Care Tips for Independent Professionals
Time and energy are two key components to running your own business. And, because you love what you do, it can be easy to put in hours of work without taking time to think about your own needs. But self-care is worth taking time for. The last thing you want is for motivation to wane…
Manage a Small Business |
Top 6 Virtual Meeting Tools for Small Business Owners
Technology plays a key role in keeping your company operating smoothly—especially if you work with clients remotely. When you work virtually, one of the biggest challenges is collaborating with clients. But just because you can’t be in the same physical space as your client doesn’t mean you can’t have a great meeting. Below, we explore…
Workforce Management |
6 Ways to Build a Virtual Talent Pool
Building a virtual talent pool is quickly becoming key to being a best-in-class organization. A virtual bench is a pool of independent contractor talent you’ve identified, vetted, and developed relationships with over time. Independent contractors provide enterprises with access to specialized, industry-specific skills, and are a valuable alternative to investing in a full-time resource. Tap…
Direct Sourcing |
3 Ways to Make Direct Sourcing Part of Your Workforce Management Strategy
Direct sourcing is a way to connect directly with independent contractors. Rather than using an expensive third party like a staffing or consulting firm to find talent, companies can source talent internally using their own resources. If your organization is looking to incorporate a direct sourcing strategy to engage independent talent, here are three steps…
Workforce Management |
Achieve Workforce Agility by Engaging Independent Contractors
As reliance on independent professional talent becomes more common throughout a wide range of industries, companies are putting strategies in place to successfully attract, engage, and retain top talent. The independent workforce is steadily increasing, providing an indispensable source of talent for businesses. Here’s what you need to know about how independent talent can benefit…
Misclassification & Compliance |
Independent Contractor Classification: How to Stay Compliant
Updating policies and practices to compliantly engage independent contractors is a major shift many large organizations are going through. Worker misclassification is a serious issue—if a company classifies a worker as an independent contractor when they should really be classified as an employee in the eyes of the law, they are liable for fines, penalties,…
Workforce Management |
Independent contractor vs employee: Which should your recruitment strategy include this year?
The workforce of many companies today consist of a mix of full-time and contract workers. When considering whether your recruitment strategy should include independent contractors or employees, there are many rules and regulations to take into account as well as practical applications. Employees vs. Independent Contractors Employees work for a single employer, who can dictate…
Workforce Management |
How to Attract and Retain Great Independent Talent
Five tips for leveraging and engaging top independent talent for your business.
Workforce Management |
What to Include in an Independent Contractor Agreement
An independent contractor agreement or contract is an important part of engaging contingent talent. While your company and the contractors you work with want to get started quickly, skipping a contract can lead to a lot of future problems. Why Do You Need an Independent Contractor Agreement? Legal protection: A written contract provides legal protection…
Misclassification & Compliance |
What is Co-Employment: 4 Ways to Avoid Co-Employment Risk
Co-employment is an arrangement where two companies both have rights and obligations as an employer. Learn the complex risks and benefits of co-employment and best practices independent contractor engagement.
Misclassification & Compliance |
Contractors vs Employees: 10 Differences You Need to Know
Employee misclassification can be detrimental to your business. Here are 10 main differences between independent contractors and employees that you should know about.
Workforce Management |
What is Contractor vs Employee vs Temp
When to consider engaging an independent contractor versus hiring a temporary or full-time employee.
Workforce Management |
Onboarding Independent Contractors: 7 Steps you can take to make onboarding easier and get work started
The onboarding process can often make or break the experience of working with your company. Independent workers want to get to work quickly, and often that’s what you want too. A strong onboarding program can help create a good first impression and lasting relationship with your independent talent. Here are seven tips for creating a…
Weekly Independent |
The Weekly Independent: April 25, 2022
Being a successful independent contractor or a Client of Choice isn’t just about doing the best work or having the best perks. It also means staying one step ahead of the curve. That’s why each week we bring you The Weekly Independent, a quick-hit digest of news of note from around the web. Kelly Beckner,…
Misclassification & Compliance |
3 Strategies to Reduce Contractor Misclassification Risk
Worker misclassification is important to keep in mind if your business is currently using or considering using independent contractors. Managing contingent workers is quite different from maintaining a workforce of traditional employees. Specific rules, laws, and tests apply. Treating an independent contractor as an employee can result in costly legal consequences. Knowing how to reduce…
Weekly Independent |
The Weekly Independent: April 18, 2022
Being a successful independent contractor or a Client of Choice isn’t just about doing the best work or having the best perks. It also means staying one step ahead of the curve. That’s why each week we bring you The Weekly Independent, a quick-hit digest of news of note from around the web. The Tony…