When Is It Time to Hire Freelancers?
When you are already wondering about the perfect time to hire freelancers, then, it’s about time that you do.
Trust me, at the back of your mind you really want to do so. Chances are you are just looking for validation or an extra push to finally pursue what you’ve always wanted to do for so long.
Well, listen to your entrepreneurial instinct – go ahead and hire freelancers for your business.
Why Do You Need to Hire Freelancers Today?
No matter how flexible and workaholic you are, you will always come to a time that you need to let go of some things so that you can move forward.
You can still be hands-on with your business even if you don’t do all the tasks by yourself.
And besides, by the time you started your business all by yourself, you should have known that at one point you would need a team. And there is no “I” in a team.
If you are still weighing things out whether you should hire freelancers now or later, then these five major reasons why you need to hire freelancers could help you decide.
You Can Focus on Doing Things That Matter the Most
Are you an artist, a baker, a writer, or an online coach? Well, you could be anyone and be more productive in anything that you do if you hire a freelancer to accomplish certain tasks that they are an expert at.
Two of the many reasons why people fail are that – they are afraid to start a business because they don’t know how to sell, and they know how to sell but they don’t know how to delegate tasks.
If you want to grow your business, you have to realize that you can’t do everything. If you already have a full-time assistant who works with you inside your office, then, that’s good.
But, it doesn’t mean that you don’t need to hire freelancers onboard. You might have one or two full-time employees who are working with you in flesh right now, but I am sure there are still tasks that can be better handled by a freelancer.
Moreover, there are seasonal and specialized tasks that need to be done. You can’t rely on your assistant to do all these things for you.
Hence, hiring a freelancer could be the perfect solution. And if selling is one of your weaknesses just like what I’ve mentioned earlier, then, you can make use of an expert freelancer to help you with this crucial money-making task.
Get Expert Results Without Long-term Commitment
One of the wonderful things about hiring freelancers is that you are not committed to hire them for a long time.
You can hire a freelance graphic artist, a writer, an SEO expert, or a web developer on a per-project basis.
This way you won’t be bothered by your conscience of having to lay-off someone just because you are cutting off on your costs or simply because you don’t need their service anymore.
Hiring a freelancer is different from hiring a full-time employee who works with you in flesh.
Freelancers know that your professional relationship isn’t permanent. Thus, at the end of the project, there won’t be bad blood between both of you and it’s easier for you to move on with your daily lives.
It’ll Save You More Money
If you think hiring freelancers can just add up to your operational expenses, then, you’d better think again.
The fact is you’ll end up saving more money because you’ll certainly get what you paid for and even of higher value.
Moreover, you also won’t need to worry about other costs that usually go about with hiring a full-time employee – like medical benefits, payroll taxes, employer liability insurance, and other expenses.
And have I mentioned, you don’t need extra space, computers, chairs, and other supplies since these expert freelancers are working at their own space and at their own time?
Hire Independent Contractors
One of the biggest hassles in hiring office staff is the need to train them before they can start working.
With freelancers, you don’t have to bother yourself about this because they are used to working independently and they are experts in their own field.
You might have to brief them with your expectations, an overview of the job, some tools that you use with your team, and that’s it – you just have to wait for their outputs and send their payment whichever mode is comfortable for both parties.
Hiring Process is Easier
If you’ve never hired a freelancer before, it might sound like a tedious idea to scan and screen freelancers from different platforms.
But once you’ve set your foot into it, you’ll realize just how easier it is to hire freelancers online than hire a full-time employee.
You don’t have to work on piles of paper works, check requirements, and process their health benefits and insurance.
And like what I’ve said earlier, you don’t even need to train them. Freelancers can even start working a day after you hired them for a certain task.
Hence, it’s also beneficial if you have some urgent projects that need to be done as soon as possible without compromising the quality of the outputs.
Well, I can definitely enumerate many other benefits of hiring freelancers, but let’s stay with these five for now.
Feel free to comment below if you’d love to hear more reasons why you need to hire a freelancer for your business.
And if you are convinced and ready to hire your first freelancer, below are seven of the top freelance websites that you can look up to.
7 Trusted and Proven Freelance Websites
Upwork
Upwork is the result of the successful fusion of Odesk and Elance, two of the leading global freelancing platforms, in 2015.
Four years after the rebranding of the two companies, Upwork continues to be one of the most trusted marketplaces for freelancers and clients alike.
Whether you are looking to hire specialized experts or agencies for large projects, expand your team with more skilled freelancers, or hire a pool of diverse experts for short-term tasks, Upwork is the place to be.
Feel free to check out my guide below on how you can hire a freelancer on Upwork.
OnlineJobs.ph
Outsourcing freelancers from Asia can be more cost-effective than hiring freelancers in the UK or the United States.
And although the Philippines only ranked second to Singapore when it comes to English proficiency, hiring freelancers from the Philippines can save you more money since it has a lower cost of living than Singapore.
If you are considering hiring Filipino freelancers, then, you’d better check OnlineJobs.ph.
It’s the largest and safest online marketplace that connects freelancers from the Philippines with foreign employers worldwide.
Toptal
With the thousands of applications that Toptal sees each month, typically less than 3% makes it to the cut. That is why with their rigorous screening process, they esteem themselves of giving their clients only the top 3% of freelance talent worldwide.
Their freelancers are mostly experts in the field of software development, design, finance, product management, and project management.
They also offer a no-risk trial where you only need to pay if you are satisfied.
Fiverr
Unlike other freelancing platforms, Fiverr works in a way where freelancers offer services that they are good at rather than companies posting gigs where freelancers can apply for.
And the name Fiverr comes from the idea that freelancers can start their prices at $5 per project.
Although this is not a requirement, you can see a lot who are following this as a starting point for the services that they offer.
PeoplePerHour
With more than 1.5 million freelancers on board, PeoplePerHour is certainly one of the best platforms for freelancers and employers worldwide.
PeoplePerHour is known as a home for experts in the field of digital marketing, social media, marketing, writing, business, technology & programming, music & audio, video, photo & image, and, design.
The Creative Group
The Creative Group, or TCG as it is simply called, is a go-to platform for employers who are looking to hire highly skilled digital, marketing and creative talents whether on a freelance, project, contract-to-hire, or full-time basis.
They also have physical offices across the United States. So, if you are in the US and you’d like to talk to one of their staff in person, you can visit them at an office near your location.
99Designs
This freelancing platform is the best place to search and hire talented designers to help grow your business.
With their global community of professional designers, you are just a few clicks away towards having a one-of-a-kind design for your logo, website, book cover, or typically any design in their over 90 categories.
There are two main ways where you can work with their amazing pool of designers – by hiring a designer directly and by starting a contest where you can invite the entire creative community to join in your project.
The first option is best for people who already have a clear idea of the art direction and the style that they want.
The second option is recommended for people who are open to new styles, concepts, and ideas for their projects.
How to Hire a Freelancer on Upwork?
Upwork has more than 16 million freelancers. And it’s pretty much expected considering that it’s the result of the combined reach of Odesk and Elance.
With this number, it’s safe to say that Upwork is one of the leading freelance platforms in the world right now.
Hence, if you want to start looking for freelancers for your business, you can begin your search on Upwork.
Hiring freelancers on Upwork can be summarized in these 5 simple steps:
Sign Up to be a Client on Upwork
You need to pay special attention to your profile since it works as an ad for freelancers in the same way that their profiles are designed to catch your attention.
Post a Job
Creating a job post properly is important if you want to attract the best freelancers that fit what you are looking for.
The thought of writing it might scare you and cause you to overthink, but there are easy steps that you can follow so you can get it done right the soonest time possible.
You can check this example on how you can create an amazing job post on Upwork.
Check the Proposals that Were Sent to You
After posting a job, Upwork’s system jumpstarts the process by shortlisting possible freelancers based on their skills and the requirements of your job post.
Upwork will send you a list of these freelancers, and you can send them an invitation to submit a proposal.
Of course, you can also search for other freelancers. Once you’re done reviewing all the proposals, you can then invite a few finalists for an interview.
Interview the Finalists
This may be the only time that you’ll have the chance to speak to the freelancer, so it may help if you use video interviews in your hiring process.
You can also get a better understanding of the remote worker if you can speak and see them on cam.
Hire the Freelancer
Once you’ve made up your mind, you can click the “hire” option on the proposal of the chosen freelancer and create the contract offer.
And then that’s it, he or she is ready to start working. If you have more questions, you can easily reach out to Upwork’s support center.
Delegation is The Name of The Game
What happens if there’s too much on your plate? You end up exhausted and you won’t also enjoy the food.
The same concept applies to your business. When things are just too much for you to bear, you need to share the workloads with someone who can best handle them.
Could you think of other advantages of hiring freelancers for your business? Or have you finally decided whether hiring freelancers is an option for you or not? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
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