As this year's tidal wave of mergers and acquisitions produces bigger and badder PR conglomerates, a smaller, more subversive force is emerging in the shadows: virtual alliances of PR free agents. Most recently, 10 IABC-affiliated entrepreneurs in the Washington, DC area joined forces to create the IABC Independents - a sisterhood of independent contractors that will leverage its power by sharing resources among its partners' various home-based offices. For clients, one advantage of working with sole proprietors is that solo rates don't reflect the same overhead costs as big agency rates.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there are 23 million small businesses in America, and PR ranks among the 10 most common business disciplines for start-up ventures. (www.sba.gov; www.iabc.com)