As a startup business, you need to invest in professional people to streamline the processes. However, for some reason, hiring full-time employees can be a bit hard at this point. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t proceed with the process of finding experts to help streamline your startup business. There are always solutions available. For instance, if you cannot manage to hire full-time employees, you can always opt to hire freelancers. But then, who are freelancers? Where can you get the best freelancers to fill the gap in your startup business? What are the steps you should follow to ensure you get the right freelancer for your business needs? These are among the many questions we will highlight in this guide. Therefore, keep reading to find more valuable insights on mater hiring freelancers for your startup business.

Who are freelancers?

A freelancer is a self-employed or self-motivated worker dedicated to offering specific services to different clients. Freelancers often work remotely, and they are located in different or the same location as their employers. Depending on the dynamics of the work, a freelancer can work for a long-term, one-term, or a short-term period. Therefore, instead of committing themselves to full-time employment, freelancers enjoy the maximum flexibility that comes with working at their own pace and taking as many tasks as they can, depending on their schedules and arrangements.

Examples of services freelancers can offer for your startup business

As a business owner, there are a lot of services freelancers can offer to scale your business to the next level. Examples of these services include the following:

• Web development

A good website will showcase your products and services to potential customers. Besides, you can enhance your brand identity through a website. An expert freelancer can help you execute your business startup vision through a creative website. Depending on the nature of your business startup, you can find the best freelancer to handle the task. You only need to define the skills that align with your business requirements.

• A virtual assistants

Sometimes, it can be hard to run a business startup while focusing on other elements that will add value to the business. For instance, scheduling meetings, keeping in touch with product managers, and handling calls and emails, among other daily tasks in a business setup. In such an instance, you will need a virtual assistants to perform most of these tasks as you focus on other productivity measures. If you’re looking to hire one, consider preparing some effective interview questions for executive assistants to ensure you find the right fit, allowing you to focus on other productivity measures.

• Web Design

Apparently, web design is one field that is in high demand. Many NGOs and small businesses require experts to design their web appropriately. While hiring an agency can be costly, especially if you are just starting a business, an expert freelancer will always come in handy at such a moment.

• WordPress Setup

Many businesses rely on WordPress to enhance the performance of their websites. If you aren’t familiar with WordPress or don’t have adequate time to actualize the plan of integrating WordPress into your website, you can hire an expert freelancer in this case.

• Graphic Design

Graphic design is among the most sought-after skills. There are a good number of freelancers specializing in the graphic design field. As businesses continue to grow, the need to hire specialized graphic designers also grows.

For instance, graphic designers can help in creating book or e-book covers, packaging design, creating logos, infographics, social media graphics, and illustrations, among many others.

These services will help create your brand identity and enhance your online presence.

• App development

Many businesses rely on applications to reach a wider audience. In fact, many consumers prefer to use apps as they sought for products and services. Therefore, as a business owner, having a good app for your business startup will enhance your business growth. Many freelancers offer professional services in relation to mobile app development.

Why hire freelancers? Benefits of hiring freelancers

Hiring freelancers is advantageous in many ways. Among the top reasons why clients prefer to hire freelancers include the following:

• Cost-effectiveness

Hiring full time employees is quite costly, especially if you want to hire an individual with specific skills and the work is less. Hiring a freelancer saves costs because you only pay for the services rendered in a defined time frame. Besides, most freelancers are located in remote places. Therefore, you will save on other operational expenses such as rent space, internet, electricity, and related expenses when the project is on.

• High quality results

Freelancers are specialized in the work they do. As a result, you get great quality in return because you get to hire a person who enjoys doing what they do. Besides, most freelancing platforms have a review section showcasing the past history of a given freelancer. Therefore, a freelancer will strive to deliver their best to get good reviews as they attract new clients.

• Timely delivery of services

When you compare hiring freelancers and full-time employees, freelancers will always deliver their work in a timely manner. As much as they have the ultimate freedom to handle the task at their own pace, they also need to meet the objectives of the clients, including timely delivery. Besides, delivering high quality work on time gives freelancer a good time to look and work on other projects as they build their profiles and portfolios.

• Access to top talents

Depending on the services you want, you will always find many expert freelancers in the same field. What’s more, you have the freedom to scrutinize all the applicants until you get the best freelancer to fit and handle your project based on the skills, knowledge, and experience they have. Additionally, by implementing the predictive index behavioural assessment, you can ensure that you not only find the most skilled freelancers but also those who align with your company culture and project goals.

• Easy to find and hire

Unlike other approaches to hiring employees, freelancing is the most seamless and smooth process. It is also less costly compared to other hiring methods. In most cases, you will simply need a client account for freelancer platforms, then source for the best talent based on the requirements of your project.

Where to find the best freelancers

The internet and social media at large have made it possible for business owners, clients, employers, and employees to connect easily. There are many websites that are offering freelancing services. Among the top ones include the following:

• Fiverr

As a startup business owner looking for various services in digital projects, Fiverr is one platform that will enable you to accomplish your objectives. You will get the best web developers, content writers, digital marketers, and even social media marketers, among other services that can scale your startup business to the next level. On the platform, you, as a business owner, are known as a buyer, while the freelancers are known as sellers. The projects are known as gigs. Connecting through the platform is a seamless process for both parties.

With Fiverr, you will enjoy online courses, free registration, and a wider range of services, all under one platform.

• Toptal

If you are looking for the best freelancers in software development, web development services, and financial consulting, then Toptal is your number one platform. The platform only occupies experts in specific fields and connects them to companies looking for their services. One unique feature of Toptal is the in-depth screening process, ensuring it onboards only experts in all angles, including English proficiency.

• Upwork

Upwork is one giant platform that has freelancers offering a wide range of services. From content writers, web developers, web designers, software developers, programmers, marketers, and virtual assistants, among many others, you will get them from Upwork. What’s more, the platform accommodates experts across the globe, giving all freelancers opportunities to deliver services and get payments as long as they are experts in the specific field.

• Guru

Guru cannot go unmentioned when talking about the best freelancing platforms across the globe. Through Guru, different companies sourcing for different services that can help scale their businesses connect and hire experts in a specific field to handle the project at hand. For instance, if you are looking for product managers, programmers, and graphic designers, among many other services, you can always find top talents from Guru. You will enjoy payment protection, which minimizes chances of being scammed, free membership, and customized job postings when using Guru.

• Codeable

‍WordPress developers can now access more work through the Codeable platform. With Codeable, you shouldn’t worry about being overpriced as a client. On the other side, freelancers don’t need to worry about being undercharged. The platform has a special algorithm it follows to ensure freelancers are compensated fairly based on the work they deliver, and clients are charged fairly based on the work they receive.

Good read: best sites to hire developers

Steps to hiring the best freelancer

At this point, it is evident that hiring freelancers for your startup is a perfect solution to scale and grow your business without incurring a lot of expenses. But then, how can you get the right freelancer for your project? Simply take the steps below:

• Identify the services you want for your startup business

Start by evaluating your startup business and identifying areas that need expert touches. Is it a website you need for your business? Or do you need good content for your business? Address the need to hire a freelancer, then validate the idea before anything else. Once you identify the need to hire a freelancer, move to step two.

• Set up a budget

Of course, you must have a budget to carry out the processes and to pay the freelancer after service delivery.

When setting up the budget, think of the services you need the freelancer to accomplish. Also, think of some hidden expenses you may incur along the process, such as sign-up fees, in case the platform you are using will require you to pay for the services.

If you aren’t sure of the exact price, especially to charge the freelancer, you can perform a quick research and see how other clients are charging for similar services. Still, if you have a person to guide you, that’s better. However, don’t just set the estimates blindly, as you may undercharge or overcharge the freelancer, which can affect your planning to some extent.

• Craft the job description

After setting your budget, you will need to create a detailed job description. Make sure you highlight all the details and accomplishments you expect from the freelancer to avoid any misunderstandings along the process.

A clear job description will attract the right freelancers for your project. Don’t forget to highlight the deadline, your budget, terms of payments (can be hourly or fixed), and the tasks you want accomplished, among other concerns.

• Get the best freelancer

Once you have your job description, you can post it to your selected platform and begin the journey to hiring the best freelancer in the specific field. Apart from relying on freelancing platforms, you can also get freelancers through the following means:

• Social media networks – Many business owners and even customers rely on social media to conduct their activities. Depending on the services you want, select the appropriate social media channel to source for the appropriate candidate.
• Referrals – You can ask your social network or people around you if they know someone who can handle a specific task promptly.
• Use job boards – As much as this is an idea for those who are looking for full-time employment, you can always try your luck; you never know, you might just land an expert who will handle your project professionally.

• Asses the freelancers

Before starting the collaboration, make sure you assess the freelancer to evaluate their expertise in the field, skills, knowledge, and understanding of the subject matter. If possible, shortlist your top three freelancer choices, then filter out until you remain with the best candidate. You can opt to do a video interview at this point.

• Hire the best freelancer

Finally, after you have done the processes above, you can now hire the best freelancer for your startup business.

You can now give them the whole job description, the roles, and the objectives you want to achieve after the completion of the project. It is now upon the freelancer to work on their own to ensure they deliver as agreed.

• Create and sign an NDA (contract)

The contract plays a key role in protecting your business and that of your freelancer. By both parties signing the contract, it means your project meets the set rules and guidelines of the law and that the freelancer will not violate any of the set laws. The details to include in the contract include the following:

• Payment method
• Roles and responsibilities of the freelancer
• Names, contract details, and the date
• Terms of ending the contract
• Right of ownership
• Deadlines and possible penalties if missed

Mistakes to avoid when hiring a freelancer

Don’t make the following mistakes when hiring a freelancer to ensure you have an easy time throughout the process:

• Failing to create a contract
• Not paying on time
• Giving unclear requirements
• Not defining your business needs
• Failing to do a background check (interviews)
• Hiring the cheapest service provider

Conclusion

A freelancer is a professional who adds extra value to a business and gets paid in return. Therefore, hiring a reliable freelancer is just like hiring an in-house team. You must plan, evaluate business needs, conduct interviews, select the preferred candidate, pay promptly, and work professionally through a binding contract.

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