The rise of the independent nation is well underway, and much of world has recognized the critical role professional independent consultants can play in today's workforce. As the environment for freelancers and contractors continues to evolve, those of us who are self-employed need to stay abreast of the changes in attitudes and best practices, so we can position our businesses for greatest success.

During this month's #SoloPR Topic Chat on Twitter, our special guest Sara Conde, the director of consultant services for MBO Partners (producers of the annual State of Independence in America workforce study) joined us to discuss the following topics:

1. What has changed about consulting and being self-employed in the past 5 years?

2. What is the hardest thing about going out on your own today?

3. Are companies now more receptive to hiring consultants? Any verticals that aren't?

4. What are some key selling points of working with independent contractors we can use?

5. What are your top tips for negotiating fees?

6. What are common “contract traps” – what should we look for, and how do you get them removed?

7. How do I know when I could benefit from outside help when finalizing a client arrangement?

Scroll through a few of the top tweets, highlighted below (followed by a link to the full transcript):

10.22.14 Chat Highlights

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. Please note that the transcript is in reverse chronological order.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, weigh in on the chat questions in the comments!

In case you missed it, the #solopr chat has moved to a twice monthly schedule. We meet the second and fourth Wednesday of each month from 1-2 p.m. Eastern – a regular ritual for some of the savviest PR pros on Twitter. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to participate.

If you’re looking for immediate answers to your questions and real-time access to wisdom from veteran pros, join us as a Premium member of Solo PR Pro – our private Facebook group is available 24/7.