It won't happen often, but every now and then a project will shoot you and your business in a completely new direction. Aquent talks with three IPs about the accounts that changed their businesses. Full Story	Yes, we know, you love your clients. Most of them. Sometimes, however, a client crawls out of your nightmare swamp and almost makes you wish you were a wage slave again. Sound familiar?    Full story.
Since 1995, the coop on the knoll behind John Babiarz's Grafton home has hosted a 20th century gaggle of noisemakers new to farm country -- computer servers.  Full story	People hire personal trainers to keep themselves fit. So do healthcare institutions like hospitals, medical clinics, and advocacy groups. Consultant Matthew McClain is their soft-spoken task master.  Full story

You Call This Work? Teaching office workers to freak out and be goofy -- what kind of job is that? Okay, it isn't exactly a "job" -- it's an IP career. One of our "A Day in the Life of an Independent Professional" series. Loosen your shirt collar and read the full story.

Don't Be Bashful: Nobody's saying you have to cruise the town square bellowing your name and phone number. Nobody's saying you shouldn't, either. But if you expect to succeed in self-employment, you'd better make time to market yourself somehow.   Full story   Tips

Film by One: Even in the complex film projects of tinsel town, some people work for themselves. Meet well-known film producer John Daly. Full story

Naming Your Business: You can invent a name for your solo business, or simply use the one you were born with. We found that IPs disagree on this issue. Full story

Beating The Night Terrors: No work coming in? Living in your own private horror movie? We feel your pain... no, actually, that's baloney. Only you feel your pain. But we do have some advice.   Full story     Tips

A Day in the Life of an IP: Surely you knew that museum curators can be independent professionals. It's an interesting life, complete with mother goddesses, problem clients (sound familiar?), and a diabetic male cat named... Susan? Don't ask; just read.

Professional Associations: Gold Mines or Coal Mines: Most independent professionals know that joining an association can help their networking. But what should you do once you join?   Full story

A Day in the Life of an IP: When it's hot in the Hamptons, superstar summer residents hire IP landscape designer Elizabeth Lear.
Full story   Tips

Classified ads for IPs? The Great Scott, a magician, is used to stunning children and adults by making things appear and disappear. But not even smoke and mirrors can conjure up new clients... Full story    Tips

Taxes as Melodrama: At least once every year -- usually in April -- IPs have a first hand experience of film noir. We found an IP lawyer/accountant who divides his time between murder, bombs, and... tax preparation. Call it IRS noir. Full story

Should you do your own taxes, or have a professional tax preparer do it? 1099 speaks with three professionals about the pros and cons of each method. Full story

April's long gone, and if you were a good little girl or boy and filed your taxes on time, you can ignore this. But if you screwed up and are still having IRS nightmares, here are our picks of Key Web Sites for Tax Panic.

Nice Work, If You Can Keep It: Client relations and project management.  Full story

Email from our readers: Readers ask tax questions, complain about ignorant clients, react to our columnists, and much more...

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