The Canadian Self-Employed Guide
How to Start Your Business, Price Your Work and Pay Yourself the Smart Way
This book is about earning a living from your own business: freelancing, consulting, contracting or a small service business. Most of it is about money coming in, from deciding what to sell and finding clients to pricing, retainers and growing past what you can do alone. Part 4 covers the paperwork, protection and cash flow, and Part 5 covers keeping more of it, including when to incorporate and how to pay yourself.
Price at launch: $29 CAD. Not on sale yet.
By Andrew
- Pages
- 143
- Chapters
- 22
- Format
- Figures
- Rules and rates current to October 2026
Who it’s for
- Employees thinking about leaving a paycheque to freelance or consult
- Freelancers and consultants who need more clients or more money per client
- Service business owners ready to hire, fund growth or open a location
- Self-employed Canadians deciding whether to incorporate and how to pay themselves
Who it’s not for
- Readers looking for a small extra income alongside a job (see The Canadian Side Hustle Guide)
What’s inside
- Can you afford to leave your paycheque? The math, worked through before you resign
- First clients, marketing for a business of one, proposals that close
- Pricing your services, raising rates, retainers and productized packages
- Clients outside Canada, contracts and getting paid, registering and insuring
- Self-employed tax essentials, when to incorporate, salary versus dividends, and retiring without a pension
- "Get it in writing" boxes naming the clause, form or record to keep
The examples you’ll follow
Three illustrative people carry the examples, built from real 2026 tax rates, rules and market data. They are illustrations, not real people.
Nadia Haddad
31, Ottawa brand designer who left a $66,000 agency job to freelance on January 1, 2026
Ravi Krishnan
44, Toronto IT consultant billing $135 an hour: one big client, incorporating, salary versus dividends
Lauren Fischer
38, Kelowna mobile dog groomer opening a storefront salon: funding, a first employee, cash flow
Full contents
22 chapters across 143 pages.
Part 1: Make the Leap
- 1Ready to Go Solo
- 2Finding Your Offer
- 3Your One-Page Plan
Part 2: Win Clients
- 4Your First Clients
- 5Marketing for a Business of One
- 6Proposals That Close
- 7Pricing Your Services
- 8Raising Your Rates
Part 3: Grow Revenue
- 9Retainers and Recurring Revenue
- 10Packages and Productized Services
- 11Clients Outside Canada
- 12Help, Partners and Your First Hire
- 13Funding Growth
Part 4: Run and Protect It
- 14Contracts and Getting Paid
- 15Registering and Insuring Your Business
- 16Banking, Bookkeeping and Cash Flow
- 17Your Safety Net
Part 5: Keep More of It
- 18Self-Employed Tax Essentials
- 19When to Incorporate
- 20Paying Yourself
- 21Retiring Without a Pension
- 22Selling Your Business
At the back
- Quick reference
- Glossary
- Your one-page business plan
What’s free on the site, and what the book adds
Free on Canadian Optimizer
Our articles explain one topic at a time and stay free. Start with Self-Employed & Small Business Tax and Entrepreneur.
In the book
The whole subject in order, in one 143-page file: the same examples carried from chapter to chapter, end-of-chapter tasks and checklists, and quick-reference pages at the back.
- Instant downloadSecure checkout through Stripe, then straight to your download page.
- 30-day refundNot useful? Email contact@canadianoptimizer.com within 30 days for a full refund.
- Free 2027 updateBuyers of the 2026 edition receive one free update in the new year, covering Federal Budget 2026 and the 2027 figures.
By Andrew
Andrew is a personal finance expert, DIY investor and life optimizer based in Toronto, Canada. With over 19 years of corporate experience at a leading Canadian company, Andrew combines deep industry knowledge with a passion for technology to help others navigate personal finance and streamline their daily lives.
Questions
What format is it?
PDF, 143 pages. It reads on a phone, tablet or computer, and you can print pages for your own use.
How do I get it after I pay?
This book is not on sale yet. When it is, checkout will be handled by Stripe and you will be sent to a download page with your files right after you pay.
Can I get a refund?
Yes. If it is not useful to you, email contact@canadianoptimizer.com within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.
Is this financial advice?
For education only. This book is general information, not financial, tax, legal or insurance advice, and it does not know your situation. Rules and amounts change; check the official source before you act, and consider a qualified professional for decisions that are hard to undo.
Who wrote it?
Andrew, who runs Canadian Optimizer. Andrew is a personal finance expert, DIY investor and life optimizer based in Toronto, Canada. With over 19 years of corporate experience at a leading Canadian company, Andrew combines deep industry knowledge with a passion for technology to help others navigate personal finance and streamline their daily lives.
The Canadian Self-Employed Guide
143 pages · 22 chapters · PDF
$29 CAD
Coming soon · $29 CADPart of the Earn More series. Get all three in the The Earn More Bundle.
For education only. This book is general information, not financial, tax, legal or insurance advice, and it does not know your situation. Rules and amounts change; check the official source before you act, and consider a qualified professional for decisions that are hard to undo.
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