This is part three of the [1] Hierarchy of the Successfully Self-Employed series.

What’s the difference between an independent contractor and a hooker?

A hooker doesn’t get a [2] 1099.

That was a running joke in the group of contractors I worked with in my first long-term gig.

They were a cynical and bitter lot, but they weren’t going to get to me.

After years of [3] hustling and scrambling for work as a freelancer, having a 12-month contract with an average of 25 hours a week was sweet.

[4]
[5] View Full Diagram

The Semantical Goodness

Many people use the [6] terms “freelancer,” “contractor,” and “consultant” interchangeably. There are some gray areas with all types of self-employment. But based on my experience, and the many free agent types I’ve worked with over the years, I have some specific ways I define them.

A freelancer is a single person operation working on several small projects successively, or in some cases, concurrently. They may do several projects for the same client, but typically, the work is short term.

An independent contractor is also a single person operation, but one who works on long-term projects for a single client. Contracts can range from 6 months, to a couple of years, and are usually for a specific type of work. (Contractors who work through an agency are usually employees of the agency, so don’t fit the self-employment profile.)

It may just be semantics, and not every free agent falls neatly into a category, but fits a majority of self-employed people. (If you are a specialist, or a highly paid consultant, I haven’t gotten to you yet. Stay tuned.)

A Water Cooler and a Regular Check

There are many benefits to being an independent contractor.

Some of the best contracts involve a mix of on-site and off-site work. You get to work at home and have some regular interaction with other people.

Good gigs also supply regular work, so that means regular cash-flow.

[7] Security and social needs all in one.

The Honeymoon Is Over, Let the Servitude Begin

After about 6 months, I knew undoubtedly what the hooker joke meant.

I was writing an email to a friend about being an independent contractor and had misspelled “independent.” The top suggestion in the spell-check — “indentured.”

I had become and [8] indentured contractor.

The work was interesting, but I was just an employee, without any benefits. I had a boss, rather than a client. I had co-workers. It was starting to look like a real job.

So I did the only thing I could.

In a meeting, I told my client he was wrong. That as a company, they were wasting time and money.

I stepped forward with my expertise, and capitalizing on the reputation I had built with them, made the leap from contractor to trusted advisor.

It was time to raise the stakes… and my rate…

Hierarchy of the Successfully Self-Employed Series

• [9] Part 1: Hierarchy of the Successfully Self-Employed
• [10] Part 2: Freelancing Is For Suckers
• [11] Part 3: All the Aggravation of Employment, Without All the Perks
• [12] Part 4: You May Already Be an Expert… You Just Don’t Know It
• [13] Part 5: Gurus Share More By Doing Less