Thanks to inflation, everything is more expensive now. Seems like a good excuse to raise your rates, and now is the perfect time. 

The easiest time to raise your rate is on the cusp of something new — a new year, a new project, a new client. With the new year just around the corner, now is the time to inform your clients that your rates will be going up next year. Read on for ways to make this easier. 

"As a solopreneur, does it matter how I get paid?”

Absolutely! In the U.S., being paid on a 1099 tax basis as a business instead of on a W-2 tax basis like a temp worker makes a huge difference to your profitability for two key reasons. First, you can save more for retirement, and second, you can pay significantly less money in tax!

The biggest stress for self-employed professionals is business development: how to cultivate meaningful regular work. It's vexing for at least three reasons. First, solopreneurs are experts who are good at helping clients solve problems or achieve certain goals, but they are not usually trained in sales or marketing. Second, when knee-deep in actually doing "the real work," solopreneurs are hard-pressed to find time to publish thought-leadership articles or create and manage marketing campaigns. Third, although they have the confidence to be self-employed, many solopreneurs just aren't comfortable selling themselves or doing any sort of self-promotion.

If you tell people you are a consultant, many of them will not understand that you are an independent professional in business for yourself. They have good reason to be confused. Many people who call themselves consultants are employees of large global firms like Accenture, and others perform temporary assignments through a staffing agency. Still other people market themselves as consultants when they take on projects between (or in addition to) full-time jobs.

Being misunderstood by people in social situations can be frustrating. Being misunderstood by prospective clients and networking partners will hurt your profit.