The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed


Book Description

This is a book for people like us, and we all know who we are. We make our own hours, keep our own profits, chart our own way. We have things like gigs, contracts, clients, and assignments. All of us are working toward our dreams: doing our own work, on our own time, on our own terms. We have no real boss, no corporate nameplate, no cubicle of our very own. Unfortunately, we also have no 401(k)s and no one matching them, no benefits package, and no one collecting our taxes until April 15th. It’s time to take stock of where you are and where you want to be. Ask yourself: Who is planning for your retirement? Who covers your expenses when clients flake out and checks are late? Who is setting money aside for your taxes? Who is responsible for your health insurance? Take a good look in the mirror: You are. The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed describes a completely new, comprehensive system for earning, spending, saving, and surviving as an independent worker. From interviews with financial experts to anecdotes from real-life freelancers, plus handy charts and graphs to help you visualize key concepts, you’ll learn about topics including: • Managing Cash Flow When the Cash Isn’t Flowing Your Way • Getting Real About What You’re Really Earning • Tools for Getting Out of Debt and Into Financial Security • Saving Consistently When You Earn Irregularly • What To Do When a Client’s Check Doesn’t Come In • Health Savings Accounts and How To Use Them • Planning for Retirement, Taxes and Dreams—All On Your Own




The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed


Book Description

This is a book for people like us, and we all know who we are. We make our own hours, keep our own profits, chart our own way. We have things like gigs, contracts, clients, and assignments. All of us are working toward our dreams: doing our own work, on our own time, on our own terms. We have no real boss, no corporate nameplate, no cubicle of our very own. Unfortunately, we also have no 401(k)s and no one matching them, no benefits package, and no one collecting our taxes until April 15th. It’s time to take stock of where you are and where you want to be. Ask yourself: Who is planning for your retirement? Who covers your expenses when clients flake out and checks are late? Who is setting money aside for your taxes? Who is responsible for your health insurance? Take a good look in the mirror: You are. The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed describes a completely new, comprehensive system for earning, spending, saving, and surviving as an independent worker. From interviews with financial experts to anecdotes from real-life freelancers, plus handy charts and graphs to help you visualize key concepts, you’ll learn about topics including: • Managing Cash Flow When the Cash Isn’t Flowing Your Way • Getting Real About What You’re Really Earning • Tools for Getting Out of Debt and Into Financial Security • Saving Consistently When You Earn Irregularly • What To Do When a Client’s Check Doesn’t Come In • Health Savings Accounts and How To Use Them • Planning for Retirement, Taxes and Dreams—All On Your Own




Money-Smart Solopreneur


Book Description

Build Your Business and Your Financial Future As a solopreneur, you can reinvent the way you work with much more freedom, fun, and financial security. There’s never been a better time to earn more money by starting a full- or part-time solo venture. But being your own boss can be a challenge or feel scary when you don’t have a roadmap. In Money-Smart Solopreneur, Laura D. Adams answers questions every aspiring and new entrepreneur has about creating a business and building a secure financial future. It's a complete guide for what to do, critical mistakes to avoid, and how to start a solo business without taking too much risk. You'll get answers to these common questions: Can I get started without any filings or paperwork? Do I need a business bank account? How can I budget and reach goals with an irregular income? What business entity is best? When should I incorporate? How do I protect my intellectual property? When do I need an accountant? How can I figure out how much to charge clients? What tax deadlines am I required to meet? Do I need a business license? When should I leave my day job? Which tools are worth paying for? No matter if you're a freelancer, independent contractor, or side-hustler in the on-demand economy, you'll get essential knowledge, tools, and inspiration to live a successful solopreneur life. Laura D. Adams demystifies how to start and build any solo or small business. She covers legal, financial, and tax issues you must know to stay out of trouble. Her upbeat tone and approach for managing variable income, using an automatic money system, and creating a self-employed benefits package are just a few gems you'll discover. Laura's smart tips and chapter exercises include refreshing strategies for earning more, managing the unexpected, and reaching financial goals. You'll come away empowered to build your full- or part-time solo business and create long-lasting financial security. After reading Money-Smart Solopreneur, you'll be able to: Earn full- or part-time self-employed income with confidence. Refine your business and brand vision. Evaluate the pros and cons of working as a solopreneur. Create a strategy to exit a day job by building a business on the side. Turbocharge your productivity using pro tips. Create a financial safety net and leapfrog to the life you want. Organize and legally protect your business using simple techniques. Set higher rates, create better proposals, and negotiate wisely. Save money by operating a home-based business. Set up an automatic money system to achieve goals and build wealth.




The Freelancer's Bible


Book Description

Amazingly, one-third of the American workforce is freelance—that’s 42 million people who have to wrestle with not just doing the work, but finding the work, then getting paid for the work, plus health care, taxes, setting up an office, marketing, and so on. Now help is here, and consultants, independent contractors, the self-employed, “solopreneurs,” and everyone else living a freelancer’s life will never be alone again but instead can be part of a strong and vibrant community. Written by the authority on freelance working, Sara Horowitz, MacArthur “Genius” Fellow and founder of the national Freelancers Union and, most recently, the Freelancers Insurance Company, The Freelancer’s Bible will help those new to freelancing learn the ropes, and will help those who’ve been freelancing for a while grow and expand. It’s the one-stop, all-encompassing guide to every practical detail and challenge of being a nimble, flexible, and successful freelancer: the three essentials of getting clients and the three most important ways to keep them happy. Five fee-setting strategies. Thirteen tactics for making it through a prolonged dry spell. Setting up a home office vs. renting space. The one-hour contract. A dozen negotiating dos and don’ts. Building and maintaining your reputation. Dealing with deadbeats. Health Insurance 101. Record-keeping and taxes. Productivity, including a quiz: “What Is Your Ideal Day?” Building a community. Subcontracting and other strategies for taking your freelancing career to the next level. Retirement plans, plans for saving for education, and how to achieve financial freedom.




The New Journalist’s Guide to Freelancing


Book Description

Freelancers make up one of the fastest-growing groups of workers in North America. But, in today’s fractured and quick-paced media industry, where do you start? This book is a guide for journalism students, recent graduates, and early-career journalists looking to better understand both the creative and business sides of freelance work in Canada and the US. Learn how to develop your personal brand, how to pitch to different types of publications and media outlets, and how to plan for your financial future as a freelancer (yes, it’s possible!). Practical and easy to read, The New Journalist’s Guide combines more than a decade of the author’s personal experience as a freelance journalist with the perspectives of freelancers and experts across Canada and the US in a range of fields.




Starting Your Career as a Freelance Web Designer


Book Description

Break out of the cubicle and gain the business savvy you need to launch your own freelance web design business with Starting Your Career as a Freelance Web Designer! Written by seasoned pro Neil Tortorella, this book guides web designers step-by-step down the path to success and helps them avoid common pitfalls. Jam-packed with practical know-how, this book also contains the wisdom and advice of noted industry authorities and business leaders. Readers will learn how to draft a solid business plan, negotiate contracts, manage time and money, deal with taxes, manage projects and clients, determine rates, and create winning proposals.




Work That Matters


Book Description

So many of us feel trapped in wage slavery and deadened to our true talents and life’s purpose. Or we’ve wandered through dozens of jobs and are left feeling adrift and without meaning in our lives. Livelihood is a source of great suffering for way too many. Author and longtime meditator Maia Duerr wandered through several professions and dozens of jobs (including alfalfa sprout packer and Buddhist chaplain) before she finally unlocked a combination of work that was deeply fulfilling and sustainable. These experiences provided her with rich material to examine the emotional, psychological, and cultural barriers to creating work that expressed her life’s core intention, what she calls “Liberation-Based Livelihood.” Work is one of the primary vehicles for expressing our deepest selves. Using the 6 Keys to Liberation-Based Livelihood as a framework, Duerr takes readers through a comprehensive process that can lead to breakthroughs and positive reformulation of their careers. Mindfulness practice is an invaluable tool in the process of gaining new perspective. Work That Matters gives you the tools to create joyful work that embodies love and compassion—for yourself, and for the whole world.




The 10 Commandments of Money


Book Description

From the #1 personal finance columnist on the Internet (Nielsen/NetRatings)-a clear prescription for financial health in the 2010s and beyond. For previous generations, living within your means was a simple formula. Now, with the staggering rise in education, health care, and housing costs, millions of people find themselves skating from paycheck to paycheck with no idea how to move forward. As the most-read personal finance columnist on the Internet, Liz Weston has heard the questions and has the answers. Her 10 Commandments of Money will help readers avoid critical mistakes, survive the bad times, and thrive in the good ones. Just a few of Weston's invaluable pointers include how to: • Balance Your Budget • Pay Down Toxic Debt • Get the Right Mortgage • Pay for College • Save for Retirement • Maximize Your Financial Flexibility Liz Weston's goal is to provide THE practical guide to the brave new world of money. What Sylvia Porter's Money Book was to the 1970s, The 10 Commandments of Money will be for the 2010s. Watch a Video




The Creative Professional's Guide to Money


Book Description

The Creative Professional's Guide to Money teaches creatives everything they need to know about the financial side of running a creative business. Creatives - which include anyone promoting their own creative services (designers, copywriters, photographers, illustrators, interior designers, web designers, and more) - are great at their work, but when it comes to running the financial side of their business, most would rather not talk about it. This book focuses on proven techniques and resources used by a wide range of successful creatives to manage their business finances. Expert advisers are interviewed on topics such as accounting, taxes, contracts and financial planning. Using examples, case studies, and real-life stories from actual creatives, this book addresses: How to build the financial structure of a creative business from the ground up How to set up and achieve long-term financial goals and plan for a prosperous retirement Common financial mistakes small business owners make and how to avoid them How to handle taxes and insurance How to perform day-to-day accounting tasks How to create a budget and adhere to it What to charge for work and how to determine a profit margin How to talk about money with clients and prospects




Writer for Hire


Book Description

Awarded the "Outstanding Book Award" in the service/self-help category for 2013 from the ASJA (The American Society of Journalists and Authors)! There's no shortage of books on crafting book proposals, writing novels, overcoming writer's block, and getting in touch with one's muse. But what about a book for writers who simply want to earn a regular paycheck? Writer for Hire is just the wisdom full- and part-time freelancers need. Author Kelly James-Enger details: • 101 secrets to success, organized into five overarching strategies. You'll be able to implement what you learn immediately. • Invaluable advice on managing deadlines, querying effectively, working with clients, handling taxes, invoices, and more. • Strategies for getting more writing gigs, including networking (in-person and online), establishing yourself as an expert, working more efficiently under tight deadlines, and handling rejection with confidence James-Enger looks at the "whole freelancer," addressing both the craft and business of freelancing.