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Access a wide range of tips, research and tools designed to support the growth and innovation
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Weekly Independent
| < 1 MIN READ

The Weekly Independent: October 18, 2021

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. MBO Partners…

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Manage a Small Business
| 4 MIN READ

How to Become a Freelancer for Big Companies: 4 Steps

There are many benefits to working with large enterprises when you run your own small business. Higher-value contracts, bigger budgets, and the opportunity to gain credibility with a recognizable name—just to name a few. However, in order to be attractive to big organizations, independent professionals must first ensure they have a reliable, trustworthy business in…

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Weekly Independent
| 2 MIN READ

The Weekly Independent: October 11, 2021

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Manage a Small Business
| 3 MIN READ

How to Create a Contingency Plan for Small Business: 4 Steps

For many in the business world, a common saying is: “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.” This saying rings particularly true for small business owners who often have to carefully balance each aspect of their business—especially in unforeseen situations. Whether you’re sidelined by a family emergency, unavailability of resources, or other…

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Weekly Independent
| 2 MIN READ

The Weekly Independent: October 4, 2021

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Contracts and Finance
| 3 MIN READ

How to Bid on Projects for Consulting and Win

If you run your own independent business, you likely know that writing proposals and bidding on projects is an integral part of your job. However, the formal Request for Proposal (RFP) process can be filled with tedious details that can feel overwhelming. Due to the complexity of this process, it’s important to understand how to best assess…

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Weekly Independent
| < 1 MIN READ

The Weekly Independent: September 27, 2021

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Weekly Independent
| 2 MIN READ

The Weekly Independent: September 20, 2021

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Manage a Small Business
| 2 MIN READ

5 Books for Remote Workers

If you’re one of the many independent professionals who work remotely, you know how great the flexibility can be. The ability to personalize your work space, take ownership over how you complete your work, and finding routines that work for you are great perks. But all benefits aside, it can still be a challenge to…

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Manage a Small Business
| 2 MIN READ

Community Spotlight: 1 Million Cups – A National Non-Profit Of Business Founders Giving Back To The Freelance Community

We all know starting a business can be exciting, but at times a lonely and intimidating journey. Since you are not part of typical employee organization and culture, you must work that much harder to find a trusted colleague to bounce ideas off, get candid feedback, or find encouragement. Hiring a professional coach for your…

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Weekly Independent
| < 1 MIN READ

The Weekly Independent: September 13, 2021

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Manage a Small Business
| 9 MIN READ

#ThinkLikeABoss: The 5 Key Differences Between Searching for a New Job and Searching for Your Next Consulting Engagement

The 5 Adjustments to Make, To Maximize How Much You’re Paid as an Independent Consultant Today in the Think Like a Boss series, we’re talking about the differences between searching for a new full-time job versus searching for your next consulting engagement. This topic is important because understanding the nuances between a traditional job search…

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Weekly Independent
| 2 MIN READ

The Weekly Independent: September 6, 2021

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Manage a Small Business
| 3 MIN READ

How to Stay Organized as a Consultant

Two of the most valued benefits to being an independent contractor are the flexibility to work where want and the ability to work how you want. Whether you work out of a home office, leased space, or coworking facility, you’ve likely spent time tailoring this space to best fit your needs. If not, you’ll quickly…

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Misclassification & Compliance
| 4 MIN READ

5 Worker Misclassification Penalties to Avoid

Worker misclassification can result in fines, penalties, lawsuits, and reputation damage. Here’s what you need to know about misclassification and compliance.

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Workforce Management
| 3 MIN READ

5 Reasons to Outsource Independent Workforce Management

The talent management landscape is changing. Forward-thinking organizations today are turning to flexible workforce models, incorporating independent professional talent to supplement their full-time workforce with specialized skills and on-demand project availability. In this new world, it’s important for companies to take an agile approach to talent management in order to capitalize on the latest trends…

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Direct Sourcing
| 3 MIN READ

4 Ways Direct Sourcing Helps Companies Become More Agile

An increasingly popular talent engagement strategy being used by enterprises today is direct sourcing. Direct sourcing allows companies to match highly-skilled candidates with open project opportunities using their own internal resources, bypassing the use of third-party staffing agencies or consulting firms to perform recruiting functions. Many businesses today are using direct sourcing to find and…

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Weekly Independent
| < 1 MIN READ

The Weekly Independent: October 18, 2021

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Workforce Trends
| 2 MIN READ

5 Behaviors and Values of Independent Professionals

The independent professionals available to enterprises today are highly skilled experts who can fill project roles on-demand. By understanding the behaviors and values of independents, organizations become more attractive to top talent and are better able to retain the workers they want for future opportunities. Below, we review five factors that matter most to independent…

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Workforce Management
| 3 MIN READ

What is Workforce Optimization and Why Does It Matter?

In response to this widespread challenge of COVID-19, today’s organizations are struggling to do more with less. Forward-thinking companies are leveraging new technologies and experimenting with modes of working, such as virtual meetings and remote work. This new paradigm has highlighted the vast chasm between the traditional business model and the emerging modern one. One…

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Workforce Management
| 3 MIN READ

6 Things to Keep in Mind When Managing Remote Workers

Remote work is more common than ever before and many enterprise managers are finding the need to shift their mindset and policies to align with a virtual work environment. There are many benefits to remote work including increased work/life flexibility, lower costs, and often greater productivity. Of course, there are many challenges as well. In…

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Weekly Independent
| 2 MIN READ

The Weekly Independent: October 11, 2021

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Workforce Trends
| 2 MIN READ

Digital Nomads: A Growing Trend of Remote Workers

Digital nomads—workers who embrace a location-independent, technology-enabled lifestyle that allows them to travel and work remotely—have increased significantly in number over the past few years. Our latest research found that 15.5 million American workers describe themselves as digital nomads, a 42% increase from 2020 and 112% increase from 2019. Digital Nomads Defined While it’s hard…

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Workforce Management
| 3 MIN READ

How to Create an Independent Workforce Management Strategy: 6 Steps

When you engage independent workers, it is critical to have an independent workforce management strategy so that your program can be effective and successful. Whether you work with independent contractors, freelancers or consultants, contingent workers must be engaged and managed differently than traditional employees. There is a distinct level of compliance risk associated with this…

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Misclassification & Compliance
| 3 MIN READ

Contingent Workforce Compliance: What Companies Should Know

Remain both legally compliant and competitive among peers by understanding how to properly work with independent contractors.

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Weekly Independent
| 2 MIN READ

The Weekly Independent: October 4, 2021

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Workforce Management
| 2 MIN READ

How to Determine the Cost of Hiring Independent Workers

There are direct and indirect costs that must be considered when engaging and hiring independent workers. Independent professionals help organizations realize a competitive advantage among their peers by providing access to specialized, in-demand talent, staffing flexibility, and better control over employment costs. However, in order to make the best use of this valuable talent pool…

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Misclassification & Compliance
| 3 MIN READ

Independent Contractor Misclassification and Compliance News September 2021

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. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Reverses Lower…

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WEBINAR

OCT 14

02:00PM (EST)

How to Scale and Optimize Talent Programs

MBO's October Future of Work session highlights the growing trend of organizations to directly source talent...

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Check out a preview of MBO's 2021 State of Independence Report to see key insights into the latest independent workforce trends

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Marketplace

Where premier talent and top companies connect and work together.

Marketplace Overview

Independent Consulting Jobs at Top Companies

Marketplace FAQs for Independent Professionals

Communities Overview

Customer Experience

Cybersecurity

Mozz Code Remediation

MuleSoft and IT Consulting

MOBIS

Advantage Overview

Membership Offering

Meet The Members

Mindsumo Overview

Find Independent Talent

Independent Talent Skills

FAQs for Client Managers

Communities Overview

Meet the Mayors

MindSumo Overview

Workforce Optimization Overview

Direct Sourcing

Talent Pool

Virtual Bench

Program Management Office

Industries Overview

Designed for the independent
professional workforce

There's a revolutionary shift in the workforce where talented individuals are choosing to work
independently to gain more freedom to do the work they love. Our platform enables 70,000+ registered
independent professionals to start, run and grow their businesses.

The platform designed for the
independent professional workforce

MBO offers a customizable suite of business solutions to fit the specific needs of premier talent.
Build your business with the leading platform for the independent professional workforce.

Find your
next project

Find opportunities with top companies
looking for elite independent talent.

Share innovative ideas
& earn cash

Share your ideas and earn cash.
Apply skills and get recognized.

Team with others and
grow your practice

Deliver enterprise-scale projects
with communities.

Empowering enterprises to engage
premier independent professionals

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.

Weekly Independent
| < 1 MIN READ

Manage a Small Business
| 4 MIN READ

Weekly Independent
| 2 MIN READ

Manage a Small Business
| 3 MIN READ

Weekly Independent
| 2 MIN READ

Contracts and Finance
| 3 MIN READ

Weekly Independent
| < 1 MIN READ

Weekly Independent
| 2 MIN READ