This week, LinkedIn published a piece from their Workforce Confidence Index sharing that freelancers "reported lower confidence in their financial stability than the unemployed."  As if we're not all inundated with enough bad news, there's no need to state the obvious. Most of us are shaken and concerned right now as nearly any business is affected by the pandemic. Even more interesting were the comments on the article from freelancers and entrepreneurs sharing their view of this crisis as an opportunity. 

For freelancers, entrepreneurs and digital agencies, COVID-19 might be presenting more opportunities than expected.

When the Small Business Administration announced a forgivable loan program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, small businesses and independent contractors rejoiced. The only requirements to qualify for the Paycheck Protection Program loan are fewer than 500 employees and to have been in business by February 15, 2020. If your growing business is economically affected or you're a freelancer who has lost clients due to the pandemic, this program was made to help. 

Learn more about how PPP loans will improve your B2B operations and accounting.

For freelancers, startups and small business owners, the COVID-19 pandemic likely has impacted daily life and your business. Startup funding is drying up, employees are being furloughed or in general, we're all living in a state of uncertainty.  You may be wondering if there's anything that you can do that could save your business during a crisis. 

Our advice - Don't Panic! You may be better off than you thought. 

Steps you can take to save your business in a crisis.

Whether you're a freelancer, small business owner or employee, working from home can be quite an adjustment. It's easy to get distracted by laundry or other household to-do's and you're probably reading this because you know that already. With a couple of tweaks to your routine, you may find that you're more productive working from home than the office. 

Here are tips to stay productive when you work from home.

When working a 9 to 5 grind has got you down, you may be considering how to start your own business. If you've been the expert at something in a corporate job, you could break into the business of speaking about it or even consulting to other businesses.  Do you want to make money with your expertise, working on your own terms, and are you ready to get started?

Entrepreneurship starts when you decide what you're good at and how to sell that.

Here are best practices for starting a consulting business to get paid doing what you love.

Whether you're a freelancer, contractor, startup or small business, tax season is the time of year that reveals any changes in your business over the past year.  If you've not kept up with your income and expenses, tax season will kick you into gear. If you're unsure about write-offs, deductions or even how much tax you owe, tax season is the time to get  informed.

Do you know if your growing business is prepared for tax season?

Fan or not, The Walt Disney Company is widely successful. Even with a few movie flops and challenges in management, things have definitely turned around for the better with Bob Iger as their CEO since 2004.  Recently, Iger released a memoir entitled, "The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company". Within the pages are intriguing stories and messages of inspiration for any business owner. He details his steps up the ladder at ABC, Disney's acquisition of Pixar and his relationship with Steve Jobs, acquiring Marvel and Lucasfilm, and opening more Disney parks across the world.

Let's examine some top business leadership lessons from Disney's CEO.

If the thought of an uncomfortable meeting with your client makes your stomach hurt, you're probably already shuddering at the title of this post. Invoice disputes usually mean that the client owes you money and is simply unwilling to pay what you're asking. Is it possible to figure out a solution to this situation with an in-person meeting? 

Should you handle an invoice dispute in person?

One of my closest friends is "hanging out her shingle" as an independent after spending her entire career working for large corporations. We've always texted fairly regularly but our conversations lately are less about our kids and more about self-employment taxes and setting up accounting software. To leave the relative comfort and paycheck predictability of the employee life is no joke and has me revisiting my own brave step into the world of entrepreneurship. 

Becoming an entrepreneur means facing real fears. Here are some ways to push past the fear and do it anyway.

In order to achieve any measure of success, one must be able to survive failure. This adage applies to inventors, scientists, athletes, entrepreneurs and anyone who chooses to venture outside of their comfort zone. Failure is simply a sign that you have tried to better yourself or to create something that hasn't been done before. To survive failure or the chance of failure, it must be put in perspective.

For anyone in business, it's important to learn to stay calm during a crisis. Here's how.