Freelance workers, independent consultants and independent contractors enjoy many advantages. Their schedules are flexible, they set their own agenda, and with a little planning, they can take extended time off. However, while these benefits can improve quality of life, there are other benefits that these workers do not receive, such as health insurance.

With 77 million baby boomers reaching retirement, and half of the middle to upper management in this country reaching retirement age in the next five years, our country is soon to lose many of its most experienced workers. By 2015, it is estimated that 20% of the workforce will be 55 or older.

The process of misclassifying workers, or treating workers as independent contractors when they should be considered employees, is a serious problem. The situation is a particular problem in the IT field and other "white collar" professions. Contractor compliance is coming under increased scrutiny from the IRS as well as many states.

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Many independent consultants and independent contractors grow their business completely unaware of how an umbrella company can work for them. Freelancers and other self-employed individuals utilize their own talents to find clients and manage the various details of their business.

One of the most difficult aspects of being a freelancer is finding health insurance. Those who are newly self-employed may never have purchased their own health insurance before, and some are taken by surprise by the high cost of keeping a family insured.

Incorporation is one of any number of ways to structure a business. These include a limited liability company, an S-corporation and a C-corporation. Each structure has benefits and drawbacks, and it is important to decide which type of corporation works best for your situation, or if it makes sense to consider other options like operating without a corporation or working through an umbrella company.

Many businesses can benefit from incorporation. The main benefit of incorporation for most businesses is that it shields the business owner from lawsuits and protects their assets in the event that the company is the target of a lawsuit.

One challenge with freelancing and independent consultant work that you may not have considered is securing business insurance. Business insurance will protect you and your business against unfortunate mistakes and mishaps. There are a number of different types of insurance coverage that you should carry as an independent consultant or independent contractor, each of them designed to protect you from a different type of happenstance or error.

There are some reasons an individual would choose self-employment over working for someone else, but not everyone is willing to take on the problems and stress of owning a business. For some, the notion of running every aspect of a company is more than overwhelming. Those who are employed by a company have many advantages over those who are self-employed. Many of these benefits involve salary and taxes.