The Freelance Consultant

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.

Whilst the book is targeted at those considering freelancing or in the early stages of their journey, it is equally of great value to those who like me have worked independently for several years, serving as a prompt to reinforce some best practices. The book is organised, in four parts, providing some great context from the basics, the design, the selling and the developing of your service offering and even goes into the management of payments and along the journey you are presented with the authors vast experiences over his career – This is not so much an academic book but more of a practitioner’s guide. For me, If I read a book, which results in me changing my processes or practices then I consider that the book to have delivered me value. Richard’s book made me thing especially as after reading ‘Typical Topics for a Terms and Agreement Statement’ (table 9.4 page 128) This made me actually look at my standard engagement letter which I subsequently modified. Table 2.1 for had me highlighting several sections – ‘The types of freelance experts’ a list that provides context on the various types of freelancers from Guru, SME, Consultant…. etc to jack of all trades – brilliant ! The tables presented in the book consolidate the context presented and stand on their own in terms of the value they deliver i.e., a wealth of information for those considering freelancing and an excellent reinforcement for those already freelancing Ive attached a snapshot of two tables, as examples, but it really is worth looking at all the tables in this book ! My favourite quote from the book is a reminder to all freelancers “You won’t be leading a team based on a role, position or authority, but instead you must influence through deeds, insights, experiences, and wisdom. You won’t be directly doing your clients work; you will be helping them do it” which applies to a lot of non-IT low level contract type roles.

I’m a seasoned consultant, I have been consulting companies for the last 4 years now after my career in IT. This book really does teach you a lot of small details you seem to forgot about doing it for a while, and really does help you focus on the business itself instead of just your clients. From someone who has just started getting into reading (I’m used to instruction manuals or documentation usually), I found this book to be a really enjoying read that I always found myself going back to when I had any spare time! Really recommend!

I've read a few of Richard Newton's books now, which have helped me with my consulting career. However, this is the one I wish I had read, because it is so highly practical on the real daily elements of consulting. Admittedly, much of the book was things I’ve learned along the way and now do. But what did help me was being reminded of some of the core pillars of consulting, that I have perhaps fallen out of the habit of focussing on. So that really helped me. I haven’t read a consulting book in a while, so it was such a joyful refreshing. Chapter 3 in particular reminded me of why client want consulting, and that has actually helped me recently. Also I appreciated your part on the different types of freelancer, which again helped me think over what my offering really is.

I have been consulting for the past year, and my wife got me this book to support me. I have run & sold my own business recently, as well as held corporate roles. I particularly liked this book for how clearly written and thought out it is. There's no jargon, and the language is supportive; the way it deals with topics such as risk in a clear but calm manner is great, especially if you have only worked in corporate roles previously. The most value has come from validating approaches and checking things you're not sure about. Most AI engines are trained on US data... they can give advice but this book is much more relevant.

I found the advice on offer in extremely easy to read English, approachable, practical and says alot about the kind of business leader Richard is! 😁 His approach is relational and it's written from first hand experience of the consultancy business. He also includes a range of business experiences other than his own which adds dynamic breadth. I sucked up the book as it really spoke to me as someone who has just set up a business although not in the field of direct consultancy. Thoroughly recommended practical advice on how to start a up any small business with a moral compass. Tony Martin

Ok but nothing that you could not find elsewhere

I bought the book because I wanted to get some ideas on how to improve my pricing as a freelance consultant. I ended up reading the whole thing, cover to cover. The Freelance Consultant is a very practical and down-to-earth book. Newton explains in a clear and concise way what it takes to be a successful freelancer. Even though I've been working as a freelancer for the past ten years, helping international tech companies gain a foothold in the German market, I still found the book very useful. I'll definitely keep it as a reference and maybe re-read it in a few years. I highly recommend this book to anyone who sells their services to other organizations based on their expertise, such as independent consultants, freelancers, IT contractors, coaches, and so on. If you're still on the fence about whether or not you want to become a freelancer, this book will help you make that decision.