Start here
New to running your own business? Start with these guides.
Eleven steps from your first job to your first tax year, in the order they come up. The Business Library has the complete set; outside the US, start with the guides for Canada, Australia or New Zealand.
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Start working for yourself
Registration, structure and the first-week list.
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Price your first job
A number built from your costs, not a guess.
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Create your first estimate
What goes on it, and how to send it.
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Invoice your first customer
An invoice that gets paid on time.
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Get paid
Terms, reminders and knowing who owes you.
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Keep your receipts
What to keep, and how to keep it so it survives.
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Track business expenses
What you can deduct, line by line.
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Track mileage
The rate, the log and what counts.
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Know what to save for tax
Set it aside as you earn, before the deadline.
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Prepare records for your accountant
How long to keep them, and how to hand them over.
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Choose the right business app
Where each tool fits, and what you give up.
All Keel guides.
Short how-tos for freelancers and the self-employed.
- FreshBooks vs Keel: flat price, no client cap
- How much should I set aside for taxes?
- How to get paid faster as a freelancer
- How to invoice a client (freelancer's guide)
- How to scan and organize receipts for taxes
- How to track business mileage for taxes (2026 rates)
- Is this money actually mine? What freelancers can safely spend
- The best private bookkeeping app that needs no account
- Quarterly estimated taxes for freelancers
- QuickBooks Self-Employed is gone: what to use instead
- Revenue vs profit: what freelancers actually keep
- How to separate business and personal finances as a freelancer
- How to track who owes you money as a freelancer
Ready to send the first invoice?
Keel keeps invoices, receipts, expenses and mileage on your iPhone. Keel is free to use, with no invoice limit. Keel Lifetime, a one-time $249.99, adds your branding and signature, premium templates and accountant-ready exports. No subscription.