The Weekly Independent: September 14, 2015

That’s why each week we highlight the best of the best in our condensed #IndependentLife roundup, a brief skim of the industry’s top news.

• Deloitte University Press released a new study on the on-demand workforce as part of their “Global Human Capital Trends 2015” series. It encourages companies to think broadly about how to engage contingent and part-time workers. While the contingent workforce represents between 30 and 40 percent of workers globally (and is growing), the report finds that companies readiness to deal with these types of workers has slipped. While the report itself is geared towards employers, ICs can also take away critical detail about how to best engage with clients to become a contractor of choice.
• Even as an IC, it’s important to brand yourself and your capabilities. This fascinating look from Fast Company explores how color science can influence what people think about you and your business – just from the logo.
• Last week we told you what to read before you quit your job. Now read these 7 titles to train your brain to overachieve.
• The Aspen Institute hosted a discussion on the 1099 economy earlier this week. The livestream, which trended briefly on twitter under the #TalkGoodJobs tag, featured a look at the implications of independent work on the economy as well as policy alternatives for today and the future.
• Uber is now a verb, not just an on-demand car service. But while most our associates aren’t “on demand” workers, you can certainly take a page from the gig economy playbook, prioritizing things like feedback, branding, and self-promotion to grow your business.

If you haven’t already, take some time to visit the all-new MBOPartners.com. We’re updated our site to make it faster and easier to navigate, so that you can get what you need and get back to business.

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