Freelancers, platform workers (such as Uber drivers, TaskRabbit handymen, and Fiverr web designers), and solopreneurs represent a significant segment of workers in the United States. Approximately 35% of Americans freelanced in 2018 and that number is expected to grow. One reason for the growth of the “gig economy” is the fact that 59% of U.S. companies use a flexible workforce that includes freelancers, so opportunities abound.

I believe that self-employed people as a group are very important to the U.S. economy. To help the group succeed, I wanted provide easy-to-understand explanations of serious, complex, back-office issues for self-employed individuals: keeping records, paying taxes, collecting fees, making smart financial-related business decisions, and finding strategies to grow. This book is aimed at the self-employed service provider who bills for his or her time, works alone, and has responsibility for all aspects of the business. I salute you.