Striking Out on Your Own

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As for Zbar, he initially found health insurance through his local Chamber of Commerce, but is quick to add that the policy became cost prohibitive. "We had health insurance through a private carrier until it went up to $758 a month for a family of five in 2001," he says. Faced with breaking the bank or going without health insurance, Zbar's wife, Robbie, enrolled the family on the plan available to her as a part-time nurse. Now, Zbar says she feels chained to her job. "Health insurance is often one reason why people remain in their jobs," he adds.

Legal, Tax, and Accounting Help
Taxes are perplexing even when you're not self-employed, but as a soloist, they get even more complicated. "Taxes are a critical place to get professional help," says Anderson-Ballard. "You can save yourself time, money and a lot of headaches and concerns about making mistakes."

To research professional help, Zbar recommends networking and using Web sites like the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' site, (AICPA.org), and the American Bar Association's site, (ABANET.org). At AICPA.org, you can research contact information on state accounting departments and associations. ABANET.org offers a directory of lawyer referral services organized by state. "There are a lot of resources we [the self-employed] can turn to -- we just have to ask," Zbar says.

When Zbar needs specific financial and legal help, he turns to his accountant and attorney. For general information, he turns to the Internal Revenue Service' s Web site (IRS.gov) for tax information and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Web site (USPTO.gov) for trademark and patent help. "[By using the IRS site] I don't need to go down to the local IRS office and feel like an audit target."

For quick reads on legal and tax information that affect the self-employed, try Nolo.com. A search on self-employed reveals advice on how to avoid an audit, retirement plan options, and information on the home-office tax deduction as well as helpful publications written by attorneys that clarify the law and tax implications of working for yourself.

Managing You, and Your Business
Going solo can be an isolating -- and frustrating -- experience. Where you were previously in an office with people mulling around and an IT department at your beckon call, you're now at home talking to yourself and clicking through Microsoft Help features on a daily basis. But going solo doesn't mean you have to work from home. Some savvy soloists are forming cooperatives to combat isolation and operational aggravations. In "Alone Together," freelance writer Ron Feemster looks at how some ways savvy soloists are combating the isolation -- and revving up their productivity -- by teaming up to share office space. In Ilan Mochari's article "A Suite Deal," he profiles a trio of soloists who developed a cooperative to share resources like software and equipment, as well as office space.

Tackling your own technology issues can be a major aggravation. Many soloists find themselves troubleshooting their own computer ills or spending a copious amount of time with a computer or software manufacturer's tech support. But where do you turn when your modem gets fried by a lightening strike or your handheld inexplicably eats your contact database? Try an on-site tech support provider. Freelance writer Lauren Gibbons Paul shares her views on a few of them in "A Soloist's Nightmare" including PC On Call based in Cincinnati, Ohio; American Technology Group; formerly known as SOHO Computer Pros, in Brentwood, Tenn.; and My Home Tech in Sacramento, Calif.

For quick tips on troubleshooting simpler computer woes, consult PCWorld.com. PCWorld.com writers offer tips and tweaks for myriad computer issues at www.pcworld.com/howto/index.asp. Here, you'll find advice on anything from virus protection to anti-spam tools.

But if there's only one thing you learn about taking care of your computer, Anderson-Ballard suggests, it should be how to back it up. She suggests backing it up using a Web-based service either provided by your ISP or another vendor or backing it up onto a ZIP drive. "Don't play the roulette of, 'oh, it won't break down,' " says Anderson-Ballard. After all, the very livelihood of your business could depend on it.

Though the challenges seem like many, others have faced them -- and survived. Find a network of soloists you can trust. Ask some questions. Bookmark some good online resources for quick fixes and how-to information. Through these resources and more, you'll find the information and inspiration you need for making self-employment work for you.

--Additional reporting by Rebecca Sullivan

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