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You want to do all this before you become a vassal so that you have sources of income and a good nest egg built up beforehand. The money you earn through these activities can then go into enterprises, which will start earning you extra money every week.
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You can use the mercenary interval to do quests, sack villages, and fight alongside your Allied faction during war to build your renown. The mercenary contract will probably last a month, and you can renew at the end of that month. Go mercenary first, you'll start getting paid immediately and that will enable you to recruit a larger warband since the faction who is paying your contract will handle your army's wages.
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