Goodbye, Cubicle. Hello, Startup!

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I had office supplies in cupboards for eight years. I bought everything in bulk. But I would say don't skimp on a computer or chair or Internet connection—those are essential.

People who work from home often find themselves isolated, working in their pajamas all day. How does one avoid that pitfall?

That's a huge worry for people before they begin, and a huge complaint once they're self-employed. It's imperative to meet people doing what you're doing and other self-employed people, [whether] they're in your line of business or not. There are tons of professional associations in every city. Also, build coffee dates into your week. It's easy to feel like you're working in vacuum.

Does one need a business plan?

It depends on what kind of business, but I say do a reality-check plan. It's very good to have goals to figure out how much your living expenses and business expenses are going to be and how much money you want to make each month and what's your backup plan. Ask yourself: How do you want your business to grow after six months? How are you going to reach the market? What's the going rate for your services? This forces you to answer all sorts of questions that you wouldn't have [asked otherwise].

I've seen so many people become sole proprietors without knowing how much to make each month. And trying to reach people forces you to do preliminary research on the feasibility of what you're hoping to do.

How did you get the idea to write this book?

I had been answering questions about what it's like to exist without a steady paycheck for a number of years by people who wanted to start their own café or freelance. So I wrote the book that I wished I had read when I left the cube. There are dozens of books about how to start a business, but not many spoke to me as a [then] 20-something who could not finance my lunch, let alone a career change. I wanted a book that would take that into account.

You call your book "practical career advice for women who think outside the cube." What was the best piece of advice you yourself received, and one piece that you gave?

My mom told me not to skimp on the benefits: You do need health insurance, vacations, and a retirement plan. I say to people who are looking to do their own thing that they need to be flexible. You can map it all out, but you have to roll with what the market or your client is asking. You need to be willing to be flexible, vigilantly organized, think about all the possible scenarios, and get your ducks in a row.