Freelancer, self-employed, contractor, independent, temporary or gig worker and entrepreneur are all terms used to describe sole proprietors. While sole proprietorship isn’t new, it is most definitely on the rise. Sole proprietorship – popularly referred to as “gig work” or the “gig economy”- is fast becoming a thriving industry in Canada. A new generation of workers is trading the stability of a traditional job for the flexibility to customize their work around their lives. In fact, 20-30 percent of the Canadian workforce comprises part-time, freelance, consultant, contractual, temporary, virtual and other contingent workers.¹