‎"‎I wish this book had been available when I began my independent career‎.‎ There‎'‎s only one word for it ‎- PRICELESS‎!‎‎!‎‎!‎‎"‎ ‎-Shay McConnon‎,‎ psychologist‎,‎ trainer‎,‎ coach‎,‎ magician and mentor ‎"‎Grounded in common‎-sense and humour and very clear about what can send you off track‎.‎IF YOU NEVER WANT TO WORK FOR SOMEBODY ELSE AGAIN‎,‎ YOU NEED STARTING UP ON YOUR OWN‎!‎ Chances are that if you‎'‎re looking at this book you are at least thinking about taking the big step of going it alone‎.‎ Or you‎'‎re already in business as an independent and you want to get better at it‎.‎ Well‎,‎ you‎'‎ve come to the right place‎.‎ Starting Up On Your Own covers everything you need to get ready to work for yourself and‎,‎ once you‎'‎ve taken the plunge‎,‎ how to develop your business and stay the course‎.‎ If you‎'‎re not already in business‎,‎ the first step is to decide if this is the right path for you‎.‎ To help you with this critical decision‎,‎ this book takes you through the reality of what‎'‎s involved and has a unique self‎-assessment quiz to help you check out your suitability for the independent working lifestyle‎.‎ You‎'‎re probably an expert in your chosen field‎.‎That‎'‎s great‎:‎ you‎'‎ll be selling your expertise‎.‎ But when you‎'‎re working for yourself you have to be good at a whole lot of other things too‎.‎ Starting Up On Your Own covers everything you need to do to make money and survive as an independent‎.‎ * Where do I start‎?‎ * How should I market myself‎?‎ * How can I get repeat business from my clients‎?‎ * How do I win new clients‎?‎ * What should I charge and what do I need to do to make sure I get paid on time‎?‎ * When can I put up my fees‎?‎ ‎(‎And when shouldn‎'‎t I‎?‎‎)‎ * Can I work from home‎?‎ * How much will I need to invest‎?‎ * Should I hire someone else to work for me‎?‎ * How shall I organize my time‎?‎ The answers to all these questions and more are right here‎.‎ What are you waiting for‎?‎ Mike Johnson began life as an independent‎,‎ freelance consultant in 1982‎,‎ before founding a corporate communications firm in Brussels and London‎,‎ following a career in journalism and corporate communication for multinational corporations‎.‎In 1999 he started again as an independent consultant and freelance‎.‎ This book is about what he has learned on his freelance journey‎.‎ His focus today centres around the world of work‎,‎ talent management and corporate communication for both private and public organizations The author of eleven books on business and management issues‎,‎ including Winning the People Wars‎,‎ Talent Magnet and The New Rules of Engagement‎,‎ Mike also developed a series of World of Work studies for the Financial Times and The Economist and for many international corporations and consulting firms‎.‎