Our own book
Go freelance without the expensive mistakes
Most early mistakes cost money, not knowledge: the wrong legal setup, too little put aside, a rate that never covered your costs. The Greenprint walks through those decisions in order — 95 pages you can finish in one evening.
Note: the book is currently published in German only. An English edition is in the works — until then our free English guides cover much of the same ground.
95 pages · paperback & Kindle · verified Amazon reviews
Starting out is not hard because the work is hard
You can do the work — otherwise you would not be going freelance. What is missing is everything around it: which legal form, how much to set aside, what to charge, when to say no. Those questions all arrive at once, and none of them belongs to your actual field.
Guessing has a price. An hourly rate set too low follows you through every follow-up project, because taking it back from an existing client is hard. Too little put aside only shows up when the tax bill and the prepayment land in the same month. The Greenprint is written for exactly that sequence of decisions.
What changes afterwards
- You register the right way Legal form, registration, tax paperwork: you make these calls once, and the wrong one costs you money or admin for years.
- Your first tax bill does not blindside you How much to set aside, where it sits, and why revenue is not profit. This is where most people stumble in year two.
- You name your price without underselling A rate that carries holidays, sick days, downtime and tax — plus the reasoning that holds up in the conversation.
- You say no to vague projects How to spot the project that will eat your quarter, and how to fix the scope before you say yes.
- Your routines survive a slow month Outreach, bookkeeping and follow-ups keep running while you are busy — otherwise the dry spell arrives six weeks later.
One chapter you can try right now
The hourly rate calculator works out for free, in two minutes, what you need to charge so something is left after tax, holidays and downtime. The book covers what to do with that number — and how to hold it in a client conversation.
What's inside
Four blocks, in the order the decisions actually come up.
Starting clean
Legal form, registration, small-business rules, insurance — the decisions of the first few weeks.
Money under control
Bookkeeping, reserves, VAT, and the gap between "earned a lot" and "kept something".
Clients and pricing
Where the first jobs come from, how to calculate your rate and scope work before it sprawls.
Keeping at it
Tools, routines and the habits that separate year one from year three.
Who this book is not for
Better before the purchase than after — the Greenprint is a starter guide, not a reference work.
- You have freelanced for years and want advanced strategy.
- You are looking for a guide to scaling, hiring or building an agency.
- You need case-specific legal or tax advice — no book replaces that.
- You work outside German-speaking countries: the legal chapters are written for Germany.
Recognise yourself here? Our guides are free and go deeper on single topics than 95 pages ever could.
Why we wrote it
Fastlancer is run by two self-employed people in Berlin. We have been testing and comparing software for freelancers and small businesses for years — and kept getting the same questions that have nothing to do with tools: how do I register? what do I charge? when do I need an accountant?
The Greenprint is the answer we wish we had when we started: stripped down to the basics, no motivational filler, the things you actually need on day one. How we work and verify is laid out on our methodology page.
What readers say
Verified buyers on Amazon · All reviews
Highly recommended
Very well structured and packed with expertise, presented clearly and accessibly. Ideal for beginners and for anyone who has been freelancing for a while.
No complaints
A really great book for getting started in freelancing!
Helpful
Very well structured and genuinely helpful!
Reviews are from the German edition and translated here.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Fastlancer Greenprint available in English?
Who is the book for?
How long is it?
Does it replace an accountant?
Ready to start?
95 pages, one evening — and you stop making the first decisions on gut feeling. Currently available in German.
View Greenprint on Amazon* Affiliate link. If you buy through it we earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you.
Prefer to read for free first? Our guide How to become a freelancer covers the start, and our book picks list the other titles we recommend.