Welcome to Smashing Self-Employment
If you're self-employed you'll know how exciting it can be.
However, you'll also know that there are times when it's tough.
In this book (and around this website) you'll discover plenty of tools and ideas so you can not only survive self-employed life but also to move yourself towards a greater level of success.
What's in the book?
There's loads in the book, as you'll see below, but remember that it's all borne out of experience and not just text-book learning.
Forgive me if it sounds a bit big-headed but I've been there and done it and I've made loads of (often expensive) mistakes. What you'll learn in the book will help you move your business forwards.
No high-minded theoretical waffle. Just down-to-earth stuff you can use.
Marketing
Marketing is all about getting and keeping customers but many self-employed people get it wrong and certainly don't do enough of it.
Here you'll learn some down-to-earth techniques that will make a huge difference to your marketing success.
Planning
Planning gets a bit of a bad rep as boring and irrelevant. However, having a plan can be make or break in many cases.
In the book you'll find a simple template for planning your work and then working your plan.
Being Productive
When you're self-employed you have to be more organised than you will ever have been working for someone else.
The book has loads of ways to organise your work to enable you to get more done than you thought possible.
Networking
Networking is a great way to find customers and meet potential collaborators.
The book will guide you through some ideas on how to minimise wasted time and maximise your marketing impact from networking.
Pricing
Pricing is often a grossly misunderstood part of being self-employed and the book has 2 chapters on this.
The first is all about setting your pricing and second is about putting your prices up and using price-points as marketing tools.
When the going gets tough
OK, so being self-employed isn't all peaches and cream, there will be times when it will be tough (sometimes very tough).
In the book you'll find several strategies for breaking through tough times and making sure that your work (and often your confidence) remains in good shape.
Other useful info:
Within this book, you'll learn some simple and down-to-earth ways for making your life easier.
This includes things like:
- getting more done,
- winning more customers,
- keeping customers happy (and making sure you get paid),
- reducing stress,
- having more control and maybe even having a day off without feeling guilty.
Overall you'll learn how to fight and often win the many battles that come your way when running yourself as a small business.
However, this is no rags-to-riches story.
The point of this book is to share the things that the author has learned with the aim of helping you to a greater level of success too, whether that's in financial terms, independence, time or just being able to do things in the way you like to do them.
Real advice, on real issues from a real business owner is vital for any business success… and sanity. And that’s why this book is a great place to start.
Buy Your Copy...
To order your copy of 'Smashing Self-Employment" from Amazon simply click on the button below.
Remember: if you like the book then please leave a review.
About the Author
Karl Craig-West is an award-winning entrepreneur and runs one of the most innovative website design and marketing companies in the East Midlands of the UK.
He started his first business at 19 years old and has met with much success and plenty of failure, including having to declare bankruptcy in 2008.
It's through these hard-won lessons that Karl now shares with audiences as a speaker/author and with clients in his businesses.
Karl now spends his time building marketing channels for his clients and also sharing some of the key elements to his success as a speaker at business events.
What Readers Have Said:
But don't just take my word for it.
Here's a bit of feedback from those who've already read Smashing Self-Employment:
"I love the way Karl puts this stuff across. If you're running a small business then this book just hits the nail on the head because it's just packed with useful information that's easy to read and understand.
Not many authors provide such straightforward help for those who are self-employed and this book gives you plenty."
"Karl's conversational style of writing and the degree of candour he writes with, regarding his own struggles and successes with self-employment, is very refreshing and enlightening.
The bite-size chapters are 'to the point' and are packed full of excellent tips and advice from a small business owner who clearly speaks from experience.
'Smashing Self-Employment is an invaluable tool for anyone thinking of joining the ranks of the self-employed or for those have already made the leap and who may be struggling."
Smashing Self Employment is a back to basics, no nonsense book about the roller coaster ride that is starting a business or trying to survive (and thrive) in self employment.
This book is an ideal, straightforward guide from someone who has been made, messed it up, got it back together, learnt from his mistakes and simply got on with it to make his business and himself a success.
Karl details his ups and downs and presents his experience in a no thrills way, which serves as a great book to keep an existing business owner on track as a reference guide or as an ideal 'start up' book to present to a budding entrepreneur who needs guidance as they begin their self employment journey.
Fully recommended
"Started reading this and within 10 minutes I'd picked up 3 things I can put into effect in my business right away.
Karl puts the information across in such a straightforward way."