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Independents Across America tells the real stories of real independent professionals and microbusiness owners and offers insight into the motivations and passions of the nation's 51+ million independent workers
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independent professional workforce
MBO offers a customizable suite of business solutions to fit the specific needs of premier talent.
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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 |
5 Business Strategies for Small Business Owners
As a small business owner, successfully managing your company begins and ends with you. There are many aspects to managing your own business, from back-office tasks like handling finances, paying the right taxes, and writing contracts, to staying organized and delivering quality work. If there’s a particular aspect of management that you feel is lacking…
Grow a Small Business |
Why Consultants Should Network with Peers
Networking is an important part of your job as an independent professional. When you run your own business and are responsible for securing your own work, the more high-quality connections you can establish the better. When thinking about how to build out your network, your first inclination might be to reach out to people in…
Guide |
How to Get Your First Consulting Client (Guide)
Discover the steps you can take to land your first consulting client.
Grow a Small Business |
5 Ways to Find Your Ideal Client
Finding new clients isn’t easy, and if a new client doesn’t quite fit the profile of who you want to work with it can take away from the enjoyment you find in your work. In order to grow your business with minimal headaches and frustration, it’s important to find clients who align well with both…
Manage a Small Business |
How to Give Yourself a Performance Review
If the words “performance review” spark dread or anxiety, you’re not alone. In the traditional world of work, performance reviews are often time-consuming sessions where employees feel scrutinized or criticized. So, why should you put yourself through this process as an independent professional? The answer is simple: when done correctly, performance reviews can be a…
Start a Small Business |
4 Ways to Start a Consulting Business on the Side
There are many benefits to starting a consulting business: flexible hours, unlimited earning potential, the freedom to choose your own clients and projects, and more. These benefits have made this career choice increasingly popular. However, not everyone who is drawn to the prospect of independent consulting may be able, or ready, to dive in with…
Manage a Small Business |
7 Tips for Writing a Client Report
Writing a client report is essential for communicating your progress on a project and managing and building positive relationships with clients. What is a Client Report? Client reports help you and your client to measure progress, identify any barriers or issues, and ensure that you are working toward the same goals. Your written client report…
Manage a Small Business |
5 Customer Experience Tips for Independent Contractors
Independent contractors are more in demand than ever. But being sought after for your expertise is just one side of the coin. You also must deliver quality work that meets or exceeds client expectations. Providing fantastic customer experience is a key component to maintaining a steady stream of work. At its core, customer experience is…
Manage a Small Business |
Why Is Client Engagement So Important?
Client engagement is an important step in building your business. You may be an expert in your field and great at what you do, but you need clients to keep the doors open. Investing in client engagement not only helps increase sales, build your brand, and strengthen your reputation, it also helps you develop a roster of people…
Manage a Small Business |
Professional Development for Consultants: 5 Tips for Staying Relevant
As a full-time employee you often have access to classes, coaches, seminars, or learning and development tools from HR to help build skills and credentials. But as an independent contractor, your career development is up to you. When you’re juggling the roles of CEO, CFO, marketing manager, and HR director, it can be easy to…
Manage a Small Business |
How to Get Better Leads by Networking
Networking is one of your keys to success in running your businesses. But for some, networking is easier said than done. While who you know is important, it’s what you do with those connections that can make a difference. Even if industry professionals know your name and you’ve got enough LinkedIn connections to fill a…
Guide |
How to Give a Great Business Presentation (Guide)
Approach your presentation from a storytelling perspective. Stories are a powerful communication tool that engage your audience and create a memorable experience.
Grow a Small Business |
10 Ways to Get New Consulting Clients
Landing your first client is one of the most intimidating aspects of going independent and starting your own business. Visions of cold calling and repeated rejection can quickly cloud your thoughts and worries about being able to find any clients at all can feel paralyzing. These fears can sometimes scare potentially successful independent consultants away…
Contracts and Finance |
How Much Should I Charge as a Consultant? (Guide)
If you’re just getting ready to find your first consulting project or already well along on your journey, you have most likely grappled with this basic question.
Workforce Trends |
How Open Innovation Can be a Starting Block for Gen Z Independent Talent
Open innovation, or the use of external participants to help a company solve core problems, or challenges, has grown in popularity in recent years. While organizations do not specifically rely on one generation or another to solve challenges when using open innovation, often also referred to as “crowdsourcing,” platforms supporting this type of work most…
Direct Sourcing |
How Does Direct Sourcing Work?
How Does Direct Sourcing Work? Today’s workforce environment offers more options than ever before. Remote work is now the norm, and companies are not geographically limited in their talent searches. Hybrid work arrangements can help retain valued workers by offering more flexibility in the work week. Significant growth in the independent professional workforce, up 38%…
Workforce Management |
6 Ways Millennial and Gen Z Talent are Changing the Independent Workforce
Millennials and Gen Z now outnumber the combined ranks of Baby Boomers and Generation X, making up 51 percent of the independent workforce. Independents fill an important need for organizations today, providing much-needed skills, flexibility, and agility. At the same time, these two generations have found a welcome place in the independent workforce. They can…
Guide |
What Causes Independent Contractor Engagement Risk? (Guide)
Learn what causes independent contractor engagement risk and how to mitigate that risk.
Workforce Management |
How to Write an RFP for Consulting Services: 7 Tips
RFPs (Request for Proposals) are necessary for most marketing firms or agencies. They help set the tone and guidelines for what is expected from the company to complete an assignment. A proper RFP can set up a company’s request for consulting services. Clients will be happy knowing that they outline what needs to be delivered…
Workforce Management |
The Contingent Labor Imperative: How Enterprises Strategically Engage Top Independent Talent in 2022 and Beyond
Modern workforces are fueled by contingent labor. The COVID-19 health crisis and surrounding economic uncertainties lit the match thrown into enterprises desperate for optimized business models. Companies plan to increase this sector to gain relevant skillsets and diverse mindsets to keep in step with an ever-changing pivot away from corporate stability to labor agility. In…
Misclassification & Compliance |
Independent Contractor Misclassification and Compliance News August 2022
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. New Jersey Supreme Court Says forming an…
Workforce Management |
6 Ways to Build Relationships with Independent Workers
The most effective workforces today consist of a mix of full-time and contingent labor. If you’ve worked with independent talent before, you’re probably aware of how important it is to build a strong foundation to support these workers. Independent contractors have specialized expertise in a particular industry. They are business owners who are likely to…
Workforce Management |
3 Benefits of Creating a Virtual Talent Bench
A virtual talent bench allows companies to dynamically respond to ever-changing business needs. In order to remain agile and competitive in today’s fast-changing world of business, enterprises increasingly need easy access to skill-based workers. For many, this means reshaping the conventional idea of a workforce into one that is composed of both full-time and independent…
Workforce Management |
4 Steps to Hiring the Right Independent Professional
Work needs to get done, and there’s no time to waste. You need to find a savvy, highly skilled independent professional who respects a strict budget and has the specific expertise you’re looking for. So, where should you start looking, and how do you screen and manage independent contractors to protect your company’s best interests?…
Workforce Management |
Benefits of Hiring Independent Contractors versus Employees
Today, more than 51 million people have chosen to work independently rather than have a permanent, full-time job. And the vast majority of independent contractors are very satisfied with the flexibility and creativity their career path affords. Most plan to remain independent and even build a larger business. This is good news for businesses today….
Workforce Management |
8 Ways to Effectively Engage Independent Contractors
Engaging independent contractors shouldn’t be complicated. Yes, navigating the risk of worker misclassification can be daunting, but there are ways to simplify the process. Many businesses today engage independent talent as part of their total workforce. As the use of independent talent has become more mainstream, so has the engagement process. Follow these eight tips…
Guide |
Employment Types: When to Hire Full-Time Employee, Contractor, Temp (Guide)
Learn the Advantages of Engaging Independent Contractors vs Temporary Workers or Full-Time Employees
Workforce Management |
Contingent Workforce Management: What You Need to Know
Finding, engaging, and retaining skilled talent can be difficult in today’s work environment. There are many more job openings available than job seekers so where can companies find the people they need? We believe the answer is self-employed professionals, a population that brings highly specialized services to the workforce. The number of self-employed individuals is…
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