5 Books to Read Before You Freelance
Starting Your Freelance Career with Personal Finance Strategies and Best Practices
You don’t have to be an expert investor but learning personal finance basics is a must to help your career as a freelancer flourish.
Money management will be just as important as time management. If you’re coming from a full time job, your money habits will need to adjust.
Any of the financial advice you read from these books (or The Freelancers) should be considered only that. You should always consult with a professional financial expert before making any decisions.
In the beginning, you’ll need to live below your means and find a way to budget with an extremely inconsistent and volatile income stream. It’s super important to note that most companies don’t pay you the day your work is completed, some clients will offer net 30, 60, 90 and even 120 days! While rare, that means you could be waiting nearly 3-4 months after a job is completed to receive your paycheck. Once you get consistent work and the cash starts flowing, this won’t be as big of a deal but it’s something to keep in mind when just getting started or when times get slow.
Here are the five books I highly recommend you read, and you should consider starting with Joey Korenman’s, The Freelance Manifesto.
The Freelance Manifesto | Joey Korenman
“The Freelance Manifesto offers a field guide for Motion Design professionals looking to make the leap to freelance in two clear and concise parts. The first examines the goals, benefits, myths, and realities of the freelance lifestyle, while the second provides future freelancers with a five-step guide to launching and maintaining a solo business, including making contact, selling yourself, closing the deal, being indispensable, and becoming a lucrative enterprise.”
Millionaire Next Door | Thomas J. Stanley
“The Millionaire Next Door identifies seven common traits that show up again and again among those who have accumulated wealth. Most of the truly wealthy in this country don't live in Beverly Hills or on Park Avenue-they live next door.”
Total Money Makeover | Dave Ramsey
“The Total Money Makeover is the simplest, most straightforward game plan for completely changing your finances. And, best of all, these principles are based on results, not pie-in-the-sky fantasies. This is the financial reset you've been looking for.”
A Wealth of Common Sense | Ben Carlson
“A Wealth of Common Sense sheds a refreshing light on investing, and shows you how a simplicity-based framework can lead to better investment decisions. The financial market is a complex system, but that doesn't mean it requires a complex strategy; in fact, this false premise is the driving force behind many investors' market "mistakes." Information is important, but understanding and perspective are the keys to better decision-making. This book describes the proper way to view the markets and your portfolio, and show you the simple strategies that make investing more profitable, less confusing, and less time-consuming.”
Deep Work | Cal Newport
“In Deep Work, author and professor Cal Newport flips the narrative on impact in a connected age. Instead of arguing distraction is bad, he instead celebrates the power of its opposite. Dividing this book into two parts, he first makes the case that in almost any profession, cultivating a deep work ethic will produce massive benefits. He then presents a rigorous training regimen, presented as a series of four "rules," for transforming your mind and habits to support this skill.”
Rob Apse is a freelance Creative Director and Filmmaker and is the founder of The Freelancers. You can view his work at www.robapse.com
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