The term freelancer does refer to a business owner, generally a sole proprietorship who does not have employees. As someone who has been in business for 30 years, the difference I keep seeing now is that many contemporary freelancers do not view thwnselves as ownwrs of a business. I have been noticing the uptick in that perception for the past 4 or 5 years. The one positive ourcome imho is that more people now understand the risk,challenges and struggle associated with running a business. But that will only truly happen when the roses realize they are roses and begin to think like one. Much of the conflict I see today is because we have people who think like employees working as sole proprietors.