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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 64.6 million independent workers
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Insights
Access a wide range of tips, research, and tools designed to support the growth and innovation
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Manage a Small Business |
The Essential Digital Nomad Toolkit
Spring is here, and the urge to travel is upon many independent professionals. Joining the digital nomad population, even temporarily, can be exciting and adventurous. It can also be a challenge to make sure that you effectively deliver results to clients as you go. In addition to the tools and gadgets that help tourists travel…
Grow a Small Business |
Five Tips for Staying Legally Compliant as a Small Business
When starting your own business, there are many factors to consider. It’s important to make sure you are ready both emotionally, professionally, and financially. You’re probably putting a lot of effort into finding clients and getting those first projects up and running. Something that’s easy to overlook in these early months is compliance. Compliance can…
Webinars |
Webinar Recap: Life Goals – Managing Employee Experience in the Future of Work
More and more, workers are leaving corporate America by choice. Rather than becoming independent due to job layoffs or other events, they choose independence for their lifestyles and life goals. It’s an intentional choice, and the number of people making it is accelerating. Company leaders across all business sectors are recognizing the need to shift…
Grow a Small Business |
An Independent Professional Brand: What It Is and Why You Need One
The US independent worker population numbered 64.6 million in 2022, a 26% increase over 2021, which at 51.1 million showed 34% growth over 2020. Such impressive growth points to fundamental changes in the workforce as more and more enterprises strategically deploy independents to boost business growth and competitive advantage. While this is great news for…
Contracts and Finance |
How to Prepare Tax Season as an Independent Contractor
Tax season as an independent contractor comes and goes throughout the year as you file quarterly, but April 15 tends to be the biggest date of the year as it is the deadline for personal income tax. There are many steps you can take in preparation for this deadline to help make sure filing goes…
Self Employed Benefits |
Why Independents Are Living Their Best Lives
American workers’ top three life goals are: Spending enough time with their family Leading a fulfilling life Getting the most out of life. More U.S. independent workers reported achieving these three goals than the overall U.S. workforce. More independents also reported achieving continued personal growth and helping others. In essence, independent professionals are living their…
Grow a Small Business |
4 Steps to Double Your Consulting Revenue in 2023
Increasing revenue is a common goal for many independent consultants. Having a stable base of monthly income is great but building on that success to truly achieve your financial goals is even better. In February, executive coach Melisa Liberman hosted a webinar where she outlined four steps to double your consulting revenue. Check out the…
Workforce Trends |
At a Career Crossroad? Be a Solution Solver
Volatility has become the norm in global markets and economies. In the U.S., the Federal Reserve is addressing inflation for the first time in over 20 years. The pandemic, war, and supply chain issues are some of the other factors keeping things in flux. In the workplace, companies and workers are responding in their own…
Grow a Small Business |
Build Your Independent Business through Teaming
Whether as an ongoing business model or for a specific project, independent professionals are forming teams. Our 2022 State of Independence report notes this growing trend: Over the past year 26% of Full-Time independents said they had teamed up with other independent workers or micro businesses, up from 19% in 2020 In the next year…
Start a Small Business |
10 Things to Love About Being Self Employed
There are endless benefits to working as a self-employed professional: freedom, flexibility, control over your work, the ability to pursue your passion, and the ability work from anywhere in the world, just to name a few. In 2022, 64.6 million people worked as independent professionals in the US, and that number is only expected to rise…
Workforce Trends |
11 Business Books to Read in 2023
Business books can be a great source of inspiration or much-needed guidance. Whether you’re just starting your independent career or you’re an experienced consultant, there is always something to learn. As you progress through this year, keep a book on hand for when you need to take a break, or tune into a podcast on…
Grow a Small Business |
Why and How to Build a Business Case to Become a Digital Nomad
Have you ever dreamed of working from an exotic location in another country? Perhaps a sunny beach in Bali, the colorful streets of Portugal, or the skyscraping-city of Dubai. For many, this dream is a reality. From 2019 to 2022, the American workforce has seen a 131% increase in digital nomad growth. Digital Nomad Defined…
Grow a Small Business |
10 Ways to Make More Money as a Consultant
As an independent professional, it can be easy to get caught up in the cycle of finding a client, completing a project, getting paid, and then repeating the process. While constantly being on the lookout for new projects and new clients comes with the territory of being an independent, if you find yourself starting from…
Self Employed Benefits |
Life Goals: Exploring the Great Realization in Depth
While it’s been something of an open secret among independents that their work-style choice fosters the achievement of life goals, there is now empirical evidence that supports this. The events of the past few years have prompted many people to reexamine work in relation to other areas of their lives. As a result, the quest…
Workforce Management |
Hiring Soft Skills for Future Success: Critical Thinking
This is the second in a five-part series discussing skills critical for future success. Succeeding articles will cover creativity, communication, and entrepreneurship. A recalibration is taking place in the workforce as leaders are moving to skills-based organizations and artificial intelligence (AI) is slowly taking on some roles, either completely or as an adjunct to human…
Direct Sourcing |
6 Reasons to Re-Engage Talent as Part of a Direct Sourcing Strategy
Our research has revealed that enterprises engage highly compensated and in-demand skill sets for their contingent labor programs to address talent shortages and the inability to find full-time employees qualified for the roles being filled. Though financial considerations are a part of the reasons for engaging contingent labor, these five rated higher than cost in…
Direct Sourcing |
3 Ways to Make Direct Sourcing Program Progress
Achieving the business benefits of an effective direct sourcing program requires some adjustments within the enterprise in terms of how it relates to independent professionals. As this portion of the workforce continues to grow, its members—independent business owners as well as independent talent—are interested in more than pay rates. They want to grow their businesses,…
Workforce Management |
Reshaping Company Culture: The Gen Z Effect
Generation Z is a hot topic among employers today. With its oldest members currently representing 15% of the workforce and the youngest just entering their tweens, the first digital-native generation is set to make big waves in business in the coming decades. Companies seeking the skills that Gen Z brings to the table are finding…
Webinars |
Webinar Recap: Life Goals – Managing Employee Experience in the Future of Work
More and more, workers are leaving corporate America by choice. Rather than becoming independent due to job layoffs or other events, they choose independence for their lifestyles and life goals. It’s an intentional choice, and the number of people making it is accelerating. Company leaders across all business sectors are recognizing the need to shift…
Workforce Trends |
Plan for Uncertainty, Prepare for Success: Leveraging Military Frameworks to Accelerate Enterprise Future of Work Models
In the last few years, a health pandemic, supply chain challenges, geopolitical risks, inflation, and social unrest disrupted our economy in ways we had not felt in nearly a century. In a business sense, these disruptions do not drive destruction, they drive innovation. To adapt to this environment, businesses need to adopt a dynamic approach. …
Self Employed Benefits |
Why Independents Are Living Their Best Lives
American workers’ top three life goals are: Spending enough time with their family Leading a fulfilling life Getting the most out of life. More U.S. independent workers reported achieving these three goals than the overall U.S. workforce. More independents also reported achieving continued personal growth and helping others. In essence, independent professionals are living their…
Direct Sourcing |
Leverage “Known Talent” for Direct Sourcing Success
While we may not as far as to call it a “war,” there is certainly very strong competition for talent across all industry sectors. Part of the driving force behind the optimized workforce—a blend of full-time and independent talent—is the need to access high-value and trusted skill sets on an ongoing, but not full-time, basis….
Misclassification & Compliance |
Independent Contractor Misclassification and Compliance News February 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. Federal Court says Federal Arbitration Act Preempts…
Workforce Management |
When to Think Independent (and When Not to)
With the pace of change increasing across all business sectors and unexpected market events remaining within the realm of possibility, there are times when hiring independent talent—or a team of independents—makes the most sense. These times, in fact, seem to be increasing as enterprises seek the benefit of workforce optimization. Our 2022 Contingent Labor report…
Workforce Management |
Benefits and Methods for Forming Teams of Independent Talent
Independent professionals have long recognized the benefits of teaming up to help grow their businesses. Our 2022 State of Independence report notes that this trend is strong in today’s workforce: Over the past year: 26% of Full-Time independents said they had teamed up with other independent workers or micro businesses, up from 19% in 2020…
Direct Sourcing |
Skills Assessment: The Foundation of a Direct Sourcing Business Case
The benefits of a direct sourcing program to engage independent professionals can be compelling for an enterprise. Among the pluses, the ability to engage contractors without going through a third party can save costs and improve talent quality. Maintenance of a talent network of independent professionals can improve the re-engagement of high-value talent and minimize…
Workforce Trends |
11 Business Books to Read in 2023
Business books can be a great source of inspiration or much-needed guidance. Whether you’re just starting your independent career or you’re an experienced consultant, there is always something to learn. As you progress through this year, keep a book on hand for when you need to take a break, or tune into a podcast on…
Workforce Management |
Hiring Soft Skills for Future Success: Introduction
This is the first of a five-part series of articles discussing skills critical for future success. Succeeding articles will cover specific soft skill areas. The workplace landscape has been in flux for some time as technologies and societal shifts have influenced how companies think of work and the people who get it done. For example,…
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