The Freelancer's Bible is an all-encompassing, soup to nuts guide on starting and running a freelance business.
While even the most experienced solopreneur will find it useful, it is especially valuable to those who are new at freelancing or considering becoming an independent worker.
Written by freelancing expert Sara Horowitz, the founder of the Freelancer's Union and a well known champion of independent worker rights, the book covers everything from how to get work to paying taxes (no easy feat for independent workers).
My favorite section is on freelance portfolios, which is an approach to developing and managing an ongoing pipeline of business.
The goal of this process is to develop and maintain a steady and manageable level of revenue while avoiding one of the biggest issues with freelancing - variable income. This section (Chapter 3) should be required reading for anyone trying to make it as an independent worker.
Also excellent is the advice on networking and developing a community to support a freelancing business practice. We know from our own experience and our research on independent workers that effective networks and connected communities are key to freelance success.
I also liked the sections on how to manage the day-to-day aspects of being a freelancer. This is much harder than most think. Horowitz's advice in this section will definitely help freelancers avoid some of the common pitfalls (distractions, time management problems, etc.) of independent work.
Another good source for freelancers and those considering freelancing is The Independent's Guide, from MBO Partners (an Emergent Research client). It provides a series of articles, videos and tools to help folks start and run an independent consulting business.
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