Handbook
The self-employment handbook
The directory on the front page describes work you could sell. The handbook covers everything around the selling: getting the first client, setting a price you can defend, putting the job in writing, sending the invoice and chasing it, keeping books a stranger could follow, choosing a legal structure, getting the permits and insurance the work needs, and handling the taxes and benefits an employer would otherwise arrange.
Each section opens with an overview and lists its guides. Guides with tax figures say which tax year they apply to and link to the IRS page the figure came from. Nothing here predicts what you will earn.
- Starting out on your own
How to start a business when you are the only person in it: the order of first decisions, what can wait, and the guides that cover each step in detail.
- Business ideas, examined closely
Small business ideas you can run alone, each examined for what the work involves, what it costs to start, the risks, the rules to check and how to test it.
- Freelancing
How freelancing works in practice: choosing a service, the first clients, rates, projects and retainers, and the admin that comes with working alone.
- Finding clients
How self-employed people find clients: your existing network, referrals, outreach that respects people's time, public channels and repeat work.
- Marketing a small business
Small business marketing for one-person operations: a clear message, a simple website, local listings, reviews, email and steady content.
- Pricing your work
How to price your work when self-employed: a cost floor, hourly, project or retainer pricing, quoting clearly and raising rates over time.
- Contracts and proposals
Freelance contracts and proposals in plain language: what an agreement should cover, writing scope, payment and change terms, and when a template is not enough.
- Invoicing and getting paid
Getting paid as a freelancer or sole proprietor: invoices that work, payment terms, deposits, payment methods, follow-up and late payers.
- Bookkeeping and cash
Bookkeeping for a small business run by one person: a separate account, a simple ledger, receipts, monthly reconciliation and a cash buffer for uneven income.
- Business structure
Choosing a business structure when you work alone: sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership and corporation compared on liability, tax and cost.
- Licenses and permits
Business licenses and permits for the self-employed: how federal, state, county and city requirements fit together, home-based rules, and how to keep proof.
- Business insurance
Business insurance for freelancers and sole proprietors: which risks matter, general vs professional liability, home business cover and buying well.
- Estimated tax
Quarterly estimated taxes for the self-employed: who pays, how the year's payments are scheduled, how to figure amounts and a set-aside habit.
- Self-employment tax and 1099s
How self-employed people file: Schedule C, self-employment tax, Forms 1099-NEC and 1099-K, and the records that make the return accurate and defensible.
- Business deductions
Self-employed tax deductions explained: what makes an expense deductible, common categories, home and vehicle costs, mixed-use items and records.
- Retirement accounts
Retirement plans for the self-employed: SEP-IRA, solo 401(k), SIMPLE IRA and IRAs compared on setup, contributions, deadlines and paperwork.
- Health coverage
Health insurance options for the self-employed: the Marketplace, estimating income, COBRA, a spouse's plan, HSAs and enrollment windows.
- Running the week
Running a one-person business week to week from home: scheduling, focus, admin routines, boundaries, simple tools and avoiding burnout.
- Hiring and growth
Growing a one-person service business: raising capacity, subcontracting, a first hire, simple systems and deciding how big you want to be.
- Side business
Running a side business while working full time: work that fits your hours, your employer's rules, money and tax, and when to go full time.