The Autism-Friendly Guide to Self-Employment - by Robyn Steward (Paperback)

About the Book

This practical guide helps autistic people and those who support them explore self-employment so they can do what they are passionate about. It provides advice on being self-employed, including how to work out how much to charge, how to get paid, tips on networking, managing tax and other legal requirements. It also explains how to navigate welfare systems for support. This is the essential guide to discovering self-employment and being part of a local community.

Book Synopsis

You can try self-employment!

Successfully self-employed autistic author Robyn Steward shares her keen insights about the valuable skills and unique visions self-employed autistic people bring to the job market. This book will teach you how to bring these strengths into the world of self-employment, so that you can follow your passions as part of the community.

Featuring first-hand accounts from self-employed autistic people in businesses ranging from arts and crafts to web developer and book shop owner, this book outlines the common challenges you may encounter and ways to overcome them. Based on a survey of over 100 self-employed autistic people all over the world and peer reviewed by experts, it covers everything you need to get started, from networking and marketing products to managing tax and business records and more. It also includes details about benefit systems, getting work and bookkeeping.

Written specifically for autistic people, people with learning / intellectual disabilities, and the people who support them, this book is the essential guide to starting your own business.

Review Quotes

You're great at what you do. Why wouldn't you want to work for yourself? Self-employment may seem hard, scary, and something that "other people" do. But it's not. This book will show you how you can design what I call the ultimate job description: to do what you want, when you want, how you want, where you want... if you want.--John Lamerton, author of 'Big Ideas... for Small Businesses' and 'Routine Machine'

Robyn Steward's fantastic new book will help autistic people enter the world of self-employment and give them everything they need for their business to thrive. Robyn's guide breaks down the complexities of running a business, getting paid, understanding tax and record keeping in a clear autism-friendly way.--Jason Feifer, editor in chief, Entrepreneur magazine

This excellent new book helps autistic people thrive working for themselves. Self-employment is made easy as Robyn explains how to run a business, get paid, and deal with tax and record keeping in an accessible, easy to understand way. This book will teach you how to bring your strengths into the world of self-employment, so that you can follow your passions as part of the community.--Jonah Berger, Wharton Professor and Author of 'Contagious' and 'The Catalyst'

About the Author

Robyn Steward is an autistic woman with experience of mentoring others on the spectrum, and author of The Independent Woman's Handbook for Super Safe Living on the Autistic Spectrum (2013) and The Autism-Friendly Guide to Periods (2019). Robyn is successfully self-employed and is an NAS ambassador and regularly appears in TV and radio as a talking head. She is also co-host of the BBC Sounds podcast 1800 second on Autism.