The Self-Employment Survival Guide: Proven Strategies to Succeed As Your Own Boss

PR consultant and ghostwriter Yocum (coauthor of New Product Launch) offers straightforward advice and coping strategies in this helpful guide to self-employment. It’s the right choice for many, she writes: in 2015, 15 million Americans were self-employed. It’s also a choice to make with “eyes wide open,” and Yocum begins by sharing challenges she faced and straightforward suggestions for dealing with them. Throughout, Yocum’s guidance is simple but useful: “discipline is required,” “set expectations with clients,” and “be willing to listen.” Yocum addresses financial matters, from tips for adequate preparation when starting out to getting the inevitable “deadbeat clients” to pay up. Readers will be most eagerly interested in the section on retirement, but it unfortunately lacks substance. Still, Yocum doesn’t shy away from exposing some of the challenges of self-employment—paying for health insurance, avoiding burnout, and dodging common behavioral traps such as perfectionism and “clinging to your comfort zone.” Salaried employees wondering about taking the leap and becoming their own bosses will find answers to many of their questions, and plenty of encouragement, in this well-written primer. (Apr.)