The Freelance Consultant Paperback – 20 April 2021

TL;DR summary: this book is a practical field manual for newly minted independent consultants & freelancers-> It is ideal for those about to take the leap from third party employment to self-employment.-> It will have some interesting sections for experienced consultants, particularly those who haven't been focused on "working ON the business rather than IN the business."Note that I contributed 500 words to this book at the author's request. I received no remuneration for that, nor for this review.What I really like about the book:Richard Newton is an experienced consultant and prolific author, and so as you'd expect the book is very well written and organised. It's overflowing with details and relevant tips, and I particularly like the number of tables and charts explaining all of the different options.It's almost exhaustive detail, but the super logical organisation makes it perfect for scan reading and skipping directly to the section that is most relevant to you. I've included a couple of photos of these as they are too far into the book to appear in Amazon's "Look Inside" preview.What I don't like about the book:I'm not crazy about the title, specifically the word "freelancer". Richard does actually mention in the book that it is extremely difficult to pick a word that encompasses the spectrum of readers that this book is relevant to.My advice for anyone reading this review: don't use the word freelancer, call yourself a consultant, an independent consultant, or use a brand name and position yourself as a business. The reason I say this is because "freelancer" is a term often associated with low-value staff augmentation roles, and are often considered a commodity. (As you'd expect, the different types of consultant is a topic touched on in this book).Apart from my not liking the title, the only other negative could be the sheer density of information in the book. That said, the logical organisation and extensive use of tables make it easy to navigate and skip irrelevant sections.Overall, this is a well-written, well-organised field manual. The subtitle is "your comprehensive guide to starting an independent business" and it does exactly what it says on the tin.I'd love to have read a book like this early on in my consulting journey, it could have saved me a lot of time and money.

I bought this after reading a number of Richard Newton’s books. I found The Management Consultant book an excellent take on the different aspects of professional consulting and so when this came out I decided to buy it. I’ve been a freelance consultant for a number of years and thought it would be interesting to help me explore my role.The Freelance Consultant is written in the first person and in plain English so it’s really easy to read. As you read each section, it feels like you are having a great discussion with the author as he poses some questions and outlines the considerations you need to make.It cuts through any of the mystique around consulting and lays out the landscape of being a freelancer and choosing your specialism in the marketplace.The layout and structure of the book provides digestible elements to dip in and out of and although I planned to do that, once I started, I read all the way through.There’s some parts of the guidance that I had thought about a while ago when I first started but it was great to re-consider them after a number of years in freelance consulting. What was great was some really fresh thinking and perspectives that has started me questioning how I can make my offer clearer and more valuable to my clients.I particularly enjoyed reflecting on the sections around skills and behaviours exploring the HOW of freelance consulting as well as the WHAT.It’s sprinkled with examples and ways of thinking about your own freelance offer. It has some great case studies from a range of freelance consultants which all take different personal lenses, sharing their experiences and tips. So, it’s really practical as a way of thinking through your choices.Also I think it could be a good handbook for clients who engage with freelance consultants, as it helps to explore the different motivations for engaging with a consultant. It’s always really helpful to set off on an engagement with shared clarity across freelancer and client (accepting that some motivations may always be covert).Whether you are starting to think about freelance consulting as a future career route or if you are already in this space and taking some time to reflect on your freelance position and offer, it’s a highly recommended read.