Reading List: The Economy of You
After the birth of her daughter, financial columnist Kimberly Palmer worried constantly about being laid off and landing in a fiscal pickle. While writing about the economic downturn for U.S. News & World Report, Palmer met people in similar situations who were supplementing their incomes with side gigs that they worked around their full-time jobs. Some of these microbusiness entrepreneurs turned their second jobs into real businesses. She launched Palmer’s Planners (a series of guides to navigating life events such as budgets, babies, business, etc.) on Etsy.com, and after many “bumps, false starts and surprises,” Palmer reached her goal of earning an extra $10,000 a month.
In her book about microbusiness entrepreneurs, Palmer shares plenty of inspiring stories of successful side-giggers who freed themselves from financial strain. She also documents the ones who ran into problems and presents a slew of helpful resources, including a master list of the top 50 side gigs and exercises and worksheets to help your side gig soar.
Palmer's guidelines in The Economy of You
by Kimberly Palmer
January
AMACOM; $21.95
Jessica Krampe is the digital managing editor for SUCCESS.com. A graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism, Jessica has worked for news, entertainment, business and lifestyle publications. Outside of the daily grind, she enjoys happy hours, live music and traveling.