With Earth Day coming up on April 22, it's a great time to think about how eco-friendly your freelance business is. Sure, as a freelancer you're probably saving a lot of gas from not having to drive to work every day...but are you causing even more waste with the way you do business?

The freedom of being a freelancer can be loads of fun. But when it comes to reporting taxes, that freedom means filing a bit more paperwork than required for the traditional employee.

On one of those blue-sky days when everything is going your way, Karen, who had just graduated in industrial design, landed an internship with a small firm with great work and a wonderful studio overlooking the bay and the mountains beyond.

I’m very committed to maintaining and building my “network” — as I’m sure you are as well. So when a recruiter buddy of mine suggested that I have lunch with a friend of his, I agreed. HIM: Freelancing (his Mrs. carries the salary and benefits) and a dad like me. Worked at several of the big shops in our area, but had given up the full-time world in exchange for the freelance existence. Basically admitted he was “finding himself.” ME: Well, you know. Digital copywriter with offline background. Dad. Voted Talent Zoo’s #26th favorite columnist.

Don’t think of this advice as “the grass will always be greener someplace else” but rather as “the best defense is a strong offense.” You can do your best work and your company can still go belly-up in the blink of an eye, and just because you are looking for something new doesn’t mean that you have to act like you’ve got one foot out the door at the company at which you’re now gainfully employed.