Reviews by Michael Pellecchia
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Independent contractors -- the fastest-growing class of workers in America -- face organizational, tax, legal, accounting and other hurdles they are ill prepared for, even with an entire previous career that might have been spent in the womb of a corporation. Even though they have tacked on a snappier title than one used to expect from Nolo, this has all the quality of that reliable self-help law imprint. It walks the reader through the basics of choosing a form for your business, dealing with start-up concerns, the myriad tax paying and reporting issues, and introductory information on recordkeeping, intellectual property and agreements. The book contains many sample agreements. The enclosed floppy disk also contains independent contractor agreements.
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This second edition of attorney Fishman's book could be considered a companion title to the above, particularly for independent contractors who hire each other. The emphasis on hiring rather than being an independent contractor means there are more laws and regulations to keep track of. And although there are many benefits to using IC's instead of hiring employees, important distinctions must be maintained which keep the parties separate in the eyes of the law. This book covers how to classify different kinds of contractors, from family members to consultants, and also provides forms in both printed and floppy disk form.
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The first couple of chapters set the tone for this novel book. Chapter 1 is called "Advertising: The Last Choice in Marketing." Chapter 2 is called "Personal Recommendation: The First Choice in Marketing." Need we say more? Probably not, but it is refreshing to see a marketing book that deals with such basic elements as trust, helping people and educating customers. Particularly for the small business, these discussions are invaluable. Yes, there's also the (sigh) chapter on Internet marketing, and chapter on the marketing plan. Even those items are put in the proper perspective. One would think the authors, with 50,000 copies in print of the first edition of their book, might have some say in the title. But no, the publishers rejected the author's choice of title: "It Worked for Jesus!"
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Savvy recordkeeping, diligent tax deductions, and smart shopping are the author's remedies for the worst of all problems for the self-employed: cash flow. It's the item that sinks more small startups than any other, and one of the things the newly self-employed find it easiest to underestimate. This book is almost like a personal finance guide for the self-employed, and the author has tried most of the tips she advocates. The entire book, but particularly the "Annual Checkup" at the end, will serve as a ready reference for anyone caught in the adventure of being self-employed.
Michael Pellecchia writes about business and finance books each month He can be reached at michael_pellecchia@bookpage.com.
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