You're the Business

You're the Business

How to Build a Successful Career When You Strike Out Alone

Summary

Are you your own boss? No idea where to turn for help? This is the guide for you.

The 9-5 isn't the only way to make a living. More and more of us are becoming freelancers, side-hustlers or creative entrepreneurs, drawn to flexible working, a better work-life balance and a greater sense of self-worth - all on our own terms. But once you've decided to strike out on your own, the reality dawns on you: where can you turn for help? How do you deal with a knotty client problem alone? What does "payments on account" even mean?

These uncertainties left Anna Codrea-Rado feeling overwhelmed and alone when she first started out. But now, having documented the hard-won lessons and mistakes made along the way in her popular newsletter LANCE, she knows what makes up a successful freelance career. Based on these personal experiences, her candid advice has already helped thousands of people - florists, accountants and journalists alike - develop the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to thrive. And now you can too.

From finding clients and setting rates, to saving for taxes and dealing with insecurities, You're the Business will help you build a long-lasting career you love. Packed with everyday examples and transformative insights, this book will remind you that although you're now going it alone, you don't have to be alone.

Reviews

  • Brilliant, incisive and empowering. Essential reading for anyone going it alone
    Laura Jane Williams

About the author

Anna Codrea-Rado

Anna Codrea-Rado is a journalist, podcaster and campaigner.

She writes about business, culture and technology with a particular focus on working life, and has appeared in publications including the New York Times, the Guardian, BBC, Wired, the Paris Review, and New York Magazine.

In 2017, when she first went freelance, she started a newsletter about her experience of losing a job and striking out on her own. LANCE has since grown into a weekly staple for tens of thousands of readers, who turn to it for its candid advice on how to make freelancing a viable career choice. As a vocal proponent for freelance workers' rights, Anna launched the #FairPayForFreelancers campaign in 2019. The campaign calls upon the media to pay its freelancers fairer, better and faster.

Alongside the writer Tiffany Philippou, Anna co-hosts the hit weekly podcast Is This Working with guests including the bestselling author Laura Jane Williams; award-winning journalist, Vicky Spratt; and the American writer, Gretchen Rubin.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more