When a California farmer’s entire grape crop was rejected over a 0.1% sugar shortfall, he lost a year’s income overnight. Freelancers face the same risk when they depend on one agency or client. If that relationship sours—or gets bought out—you’re back at zero. Diversify now. Build multiple income streams so your livelihood doesn’t hinge on someone else’s decision.
Tag Archives: FreelanceLife
Do Freelance Court Reporters Have to Provide Parking Receipts? The Truth About Fixed-Rate Line Items and 1099 Independence
One agency insists I upload parking receipts — even though my rates are fixed by contract. Here’s the truth: 1099 reporters don’t owe receipts for fixed-rate line items. The “requirement” is usually a software stopgap, not a legal rule. Upload your rate sheet or agreement instead — protect your independence and bypass bureaucracy.
Agencies Exploit Reporters Twice – Once for Their Labor, Once for Their Marketing
Court reporting agencies profit twice: first from our labor, then by conscripting us as unpaid sales reps. Some agencies do better, but one is too many. Reporters are not brand ambassadors, cookie pushers, or mock jurors. We are officers of the court, and when neutrality is compromised, justice itself is at risk. Agencies must change — or be called out.
Why Court Reporters Don’t Owe Agencies Loyalty—And Why That’s Okay
In a post-COVID world, court reporters are redefining their roles—not as agency staff, but as independent professionals. Remote work isn’t laziness; it’s survival. Agencies profiting off outdated loyalty narratives forget that freelancers have overhead, choices, and value. We’re not driving two hours for 16 pages anymore—and we’re done apologizing for it. The industry has changed. We adapted. Time for everyone else to catch up.
STENOIMPERIUM 