Freelancers are skilled individuals who sell their expertise on the open market encompassing all major fields such as writing, design, management, finance, human resources, and more. During the pandemic, the freelance market experienced an exponential rise as millions of individuals made the leap from traditional full-time jobs towards flexible projects. As an entrepreneur, leveraging the expertise and affordability of freelancers can help take your business to the next level. In this article, we explore finding the best freelancer for your business and how to go about hiring them.
Create a Project Framework
As freelancers are not full-time employees, it’s important to thoroughly brief them about your organization and project. In addition, having clear, measurable, and time-bound goals is advantageous for both the freelancer as well as the business. Here are a few essentials needed before hiring a freelancer.
Define Project Scope
A project scope document lays down the framework for assigning, reviewing, and accepting work done by the freelancer. In addition, it also provides clarity regarding the impact the project will have on the business. Your document should address the following:
- Who will be the stakeholders of the project?
- Will the freelancer be responsible for the entire project or work with a team member?
- What will be the deliverables?
- What are the project acceptance criteria?
- What is the expected result of the project?
Freelancers often ask clients to fill a questionnaire before accepting a gig. Having a project scope document ready will make you a preferable client over others.
Set Detailed Timelines
When dealing with freelancers, adhering to timelines is important. In addition to having a project start and end, include various weekly or project completion timelines to review performance and make it easy to supervise freelancers. Additionally, this also aids in the payment process as instead of paying for the work up-front you can decide to pay based on how and when milestones are met.
Do Your Research
Freelancers vary based on their level of experience, compensation, niche, and reputation. For example, if you want to hire local SEO services, you’ll need to dedicate time towards analyzing past projects and reviews and asking for referrals. It’s advised to move forward with freelancers who have prior experience working in the niche your business operates in. As reported by Lumen Marketing, don’t make the mistake of making the pay a focal part of the decision-making process. More than the cost, it’s important to hire a freelancer who is the right fit for your business.
Consider All Hiring Avenues
The best place to start searching for freelancers is your network. Create a short job description and share it with your fellow entrepreneurs, friends, and family. Receiving references can significantly cut down hiring time as you can directly ask for performance reviews from the referrer. Through prominent freelance marketplaces such as Upwork and Fiverr, you can also connect with numerous freelancers across the globe, allowing you to find the freelancer(s) which fit the required combination of expertise and compensation for your project. From the Philippines to India to the UK to Australia to Mexico to Brazil and beyond, there are plenty of freelance workers who can provide the skills you need.
Payment doesn’t have to be a challenge either. While transferring funds via bank accounts is an option, these can be expensive. Many freelancers will prefer the option for a wire transfer through a site like Remitly for secure and quick payments. For example, if you’re sending money to a freelancer in Brazil, you simply need their preferred provider in order to send funds immediately. Fees are reasonable, and your recipient may even benefit from a better exchange rate. When it comes to hiring individuals to manage growing business needs, freelancers are the perfect choice providing a balance between skill and affordability.