There are many people who are independent consultants, reps, distributors (whatever you want to call yourself, you’re all in the same category). You all work for a company selling their products and/or services for commissions.
In being an “independent” that means your income is based on your effort. This also means that you must know what’s going on within the company and be aware of any changes in policy, product or otherwise.
If you don’t keep abreast of what’s going on in the company because “it’s a waste of time”, then do not act surprised when you have no clue as to what’s happening. If you’re not willing or able to invest a few minutes a day to read updates, participate in training or other company announcements, then you really shouldn’t get all bent out of shape and throw a tantrum because you “didn’t want to waste your time” reading the notices about changes.
Though you are independent you are still part of a company, most companies assist their independents by supplying them with training materials, opportunity to ask any and all questions, offer incentives and other benefits. So, while you’re independent you are part of a bigger picture but you and you alone have to make the decision to be active or simply not “waste your time”. Not sure how some people view reading updates and company announcements as “wasting their time” but then again those are the same people who have to be constantly reminded to meet company quota’s (if there is a quota), the same ones who get in a tizzy because months after the fact they discover a policy has changed which had they “wasted their time” and read their email 3 months prior they’d have known about it.
So, basically the point is this…as an independent consultant/rep/distributor you are responsible for knowing the business, knowing about the product, about company policy and keeping up to date. If you don’t…well, you only have yourself to blame as you go on about your way to join another company where you’ll do the same thing because you just don’t want to “waste your time” reading.