FREE…

Freelancing that is. Freelancing is the future, and the future has arrived. The idea of hiring a “freelance” service provider may cause concerns about quality of work, accountability and unreliable results.

The freelance community is full of highly educated and qualified professionals. They have likely chosen their area of specialty because it is where they can provide the most value to their clients.

Top 5 reasons to work with a freelancer:

  • They value you as a client. Managing a team day in and day out can involve personality conflicts, positioning, competing demands and conflicting schedules. Working with a professional freelancer eliminates many challenges that can arise with employee relationships leaving more time to focus on the task or project at hand.
  • Their portfolio and reputation are built on their work. As with most purchases or investments these days, the ability to find reviews, testimonials and examples online are an important part of a purchasing decisions. Services are no different. Freelancers want to make sure their work is of the best quality. Having a strong portfolio with testimonials is important for them to grow their business and help you with yours.
  • They may offer up suggestions based on their experience and knowledge. Employees may be more inclined to “stay in their lane” when it comes to projects. Do exactly what was requested without raising any concerns or making suggestions. A freelancer may have some great ideas to put forward since they approach projects with a fresh perspective. Suggestions on best practices, what has worked well, is on trend or even pointing out inconsistencies in marketing and messaging. This can be invaluable feedback. Be sure to ask for it!
  • They are specialists. Hiring a freelancer to do exactly the job that is required means you don’t have to find other things for them to do to fill 7-8 hours. They can be 100% focused on the work required. You can be sure that the best ones are using time not spent on client work to continuously upgrade their skills and expand their education.
  • Meetings are not necessary. Freelancers are typically very good communicators. Some of my best clients I have never even met! Exchanging information online and having conversations about direction or to clarify key points is much more efficient than the 60 minutes or so allotted for an in-person meeting. Without travel time, small talk and distractions, communication can be much more effective and efficient.

Establishing a relationship with a freelancer or network of freelancers is a great way to free up resources, your time especially. All while working with professionals who will help you get the job done. For more tips on working with freelancers read these tips on “Working with freelancers – best practices” and “Freelance this – Putting out and levelling up”