High-quality freelancers can be the lifeblood of a business. Thanks to modern technology, you can hire the cream of the crop from all over the globe. You’ll want to find people who are experts in their area of focus, collaborate well, and meet deadlines. Here’s how to build a team of freelancers.
Benefits of Using Freelancers
Freelancers are often highly regarded professionals in their fields, and as such, by hiring them, you’ll be getting someone with a high degree of expertise. When utilizing freelancers, you also avoid having to pay operational overhead typically associated with traditional employees, like paying for a computer, desk, vacation time, benefits, and unemployment.
Freelancers are independent contractors, and as such, they’re responsible for these payments, as well as for supplying their own equipment. This creates a win-win. You get professional expert help without the additional overage that comes with full-time employees.
What Kind of Work Can Freelancers Handle?
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, while theoretically, you can hire freelancers for just about any role, the most productive use of freelancers is usually for specialized work or projects — for example, building a website, developing a cyber security IT platform, creating a social media presence, or drafting a detailed marketing strategy.
You can also outsource certain categories of work, like customer service, accounting, or accounts payable and receivable. Depending on the type of business you operate, you might find it beneficial to hire certain freelancers on a retainer basis so you can use them for “X” hours per month as needed.
Finding the Best Freelancers
There are a number of ways to find high-quality freelancers. You can get recommendations from others in your industry, advertise on job boards, or shop job boards yourself. For example, if you want to hire freelancers, you can find capable candidates through online job boards like Guru. Ask for work samples, portfolio reviews, and references, and read online reviews.
When you’re interviewing, ask about turnaround time, availability, and price structure. You’ll want to put your freelance agreement in writing, and if you’re asking someone to manage proprietary or sensitive information, you might ask them to sign an NDA or a non-disclosure agreement.
Staying Connected
Communication is essential when you’re working with freelancers in a remote capacity from around the globe. Consider a project management software program that allows all freelancers to share work updates and resources and keep you apprised of how projects are progressing. Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Wrike are all good options.
According to Time Camp, you’ll also want to have regular group check-ins, as well as one-on-one meetings, either by phone or a video conferencing platform. Regular contact via email can also be very helpful. For example, you may want to request weekly status updates on various projects to keep you in the loop.
When it comes to building a remote freelance dream team, look for people who are not only skilled in their fields but who also work well with others and will be a reliable, professional representative of your business.
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