The Weekly Independent: April 4, 2016

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.

• Senior Vice President of Solutions Design, John Piazza, takes a look at how to create the next-generation FMS.
• Clients could take these 9 pieces of advice about working with freelancers, via HubSpot’s blog.
• PwC and The Washington Post are using a new model to find independent talent – Harvard Business Review explains.
• Oisin Hanrahan, the CEO and co-founder of Handy, says that he wants to call this new generation of businesses “the flexible economy” instead of “the on demand economy.” He explains why in an interview with Entrepreneur.
• Is Washington out of touch with the 21^st century workforce? At least some argue that the answer is “yes.”
• A new op-ed for the New York Times discusses the future of work and the hazards of the gig economy as it currently exists.
• And according to some thought leaders, 100% of job growth over the past decade came from contractors and temp jobs. The article also explains why that’s a good thing.
• Saying no gracefully is an art. Karen Dillon, author of the HBR Guide to Office Politics, explains how to tactfully decline excessive projects – and thankless tasks – in this piece for Harvard Business Review.
• These 10 tools could make remote work a possibility for (almost) your entire workforce.
• Here’s how to tell if you need to leverage on demand talent in your workplace.
• Companies in every industry claim to be the “Uber for x.” Here’s why one, laundry service Slate, claims to be the anti-Uber, and why that’s a good thing.

Should you have any questions, we’re always here for you.

Of course, we’d love to talk virtually as well. Share your thoughts with us at MBO Partners on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and we’ll see you again next week!