Ultimate Guide to Business Outsourcing: How To Single Out The Best Freelancer For Your Project 

Content Outline

What Kind of Freelancers Do You Really Require?

You’ve begun to consider outsourcing a portion or maybe the entirety of your business. However, before you begin outsourcing, you should consider your requirements and the type of freelancer that can meet them. Otherwise, you’ll be wasting your time (and the time of your prospective freelancer).

The first thing to consider is the nature of the jobs that need to be done. Specifically:

One-time Assignments: This is when you hire someone to complete a quick work for you, such as making a graphic. With a one-off task, you don’t need to exercise as much caution, as you have less to lose.

If you’re employing someone for a $25 work, it makes little sense to spend a week searching for the best applicant. 

Long-term projects: This is when you employ someone to do a larger project, one that could take months or even years to finish.

For instance, you might engage a programmer to build a large piece of software from the bottom up. Not only will the programmer be responsible for developing, but you’ll also want to retain his services for debugging and creating improved versions.

Nonetheless, you anticipate the conclusion of your commercial connection at some point, even if the precise date is unknown.

You’ll spend more time conducting due diligence because hiring the wrong person could cost you a lot of time and money.

Full-time responsibilities: This is where you hire someone on a full-time basis with the expectation that the business connection will continue.

For instance, you may hire someone full-time to handle all customer support enquiries.

However, check your local laws, as this individual is likely to be classified as an employee rather than a contractor (which entails certain legal and taxation steps on your part).

Given that you anticipate working with this individual for an extended period of time, you’ll want to conduct due diligence and interview this individual to ensure they’re the best fit for your company.

Consider the tasks that need to be completed–each one should fall into one of the three categories listed above.

The second consideration is which type of freelancer is best suited to complete your tasks. Specifically:

• Advertising copywriters. Certain individuals conflate “article writers” and other types of ghostwriters with copywriters. Copywriters, on the other hand, write copy – sales letters, classified advertisements, and other marketing contents. Due to the high level of skill required for this profession, expect to pay more than you would for a standard ghostwriter.

• Professional ghostwriters. These independent authors produce ebooks, reports, articles, and blog posts, among other types of content. Take note that some authors specialize in specific types of content (such as articles), while others specialize in specific niches.

• Computer programmers. These are the individuals responsible for the coding of your scripts and applications. However, keep in mind that programmers are not always software architects. If you require assistance in building your software concept and effectively articulating it in your project brief, you should employ a software architect.

• Customer service representatives. This category covers those who answer pre- and post-sale enquiries. If you want your salespeople to assist you in closing the transaction, you might anticipate paying a premium (you may even offer base pay plus commissions). Additionally, if your agents are required to handle technical concerns – such as software installation questions – you may anticipate paying a premium.

• Advertisers. This comprises PPC managers, SEO specialists, and affiliate managers, among others. While some of these individuals may be ready to work nearly entirely on commission (for example, affiliate managers), the great majority will charge monthly fixed rates for their services.

Take Note. Before you even consider employing a freelancer, you should do an audit of your organization to determine which tasks require completion. This will assist you in locating the appropriate type of freelancer for the appropriate duration of time. 

Where to Locate Qualified Freelancers

Occasionally, business owners opt to begin outsourcing. As a result, they put up an ad and hire the first freelancer who responds. However, this is incorrect.

As you can see, there are plenty qualified freelancers available online. However, for every professional, reputable, and trustworthy freelancer, there is an unreliable freelancer. This is the person that consistently misses deadlines, submits shoddy work, or sometimes does not submit any work at all.

Due diligence will assist you in protecting yourself from subpar freelancers. However, if you want to uncover the absolute BEST freelancers, you’ll need to cast a wide net. This entails identifying and attracting as many qualified people as possible in order to locate the ideal candidate for the job.

How to do it…

 Google search It

The secret to locating a large number of freelancers on Google is to conduct numerous relevant searches. For instance, if you’re looking for a writer, you might type in:

• • Ghostwriters
• • Independent writer
• • Writer of articles
• • Ghostwriter of articles
• • Article writer for search engine optimization

 Alternatively, if you’re looking for a coder, you may search for:

• Independent scriptwriter
• Software programmer
• Computer programmer
• Independent programmer
• Independent coder

Make certain to check both the standard search results and the sponsored (paid) advertisements that display to the right and above the standard search results.

Inquire of Your Colleagues

If you know any other business owners, whether online or offline, get their recommendations for freelancers.

If you’re a member of a business or marketing forum (such as SitePoint.com or WarriorForum.com), you can ask other members for recommendations on who to hire for a particular assignment.

Give greater weight to the perspectives of respected, long-standing members of these communities.

Submit a Project To Freelance Market Place 

One of the most common methods of locating freelancers is to post a project on a freelancing website. Our Top Recommended ones are:

Fiverr   Top Pick

Fiverr is a thriving open marketplace where sellers and buyers may collaborate to execute jobs for as low as $5.00. One unique thing that makes Fiverr our top pick is simply because it is the largest marketplace where you can outsource just about any project. On fiverr, you will always see freelancers for any kind of project you’re embarking on.  Visit fiverr >>>

  Toptal:

Toptal is a high-end freelance website that promises to have access to the top 3% of all freelance talent. Toptal has employed professionals from Wharton, MIT, CERN, Google, and other world-class institutions.

Here are some examples of specialist freelancers:

• • Software architects, full-stack developers, app developers 
• • Blockchain consultants, data scientists, UX designers 
• • Start-up funding and Venture Capital professionals 
• • IT Project and Product managers, Agile coaches 
• • Part-time CFOs, M&A consultants, fintech consultants, and financial analysts.
• Visit Toptal: www.toptal.com 

• SEO Clerks is a comparable online marketplace to Fiverr that offers minor jobs and search engine optimization (SEO) for a charge. If you cannot find the service you want, you may make a request. The platform was intended to link freelancers that provide services for your website, such as low-cost SEO. In 2011, the platform was introduced. The idea was to create a marketplace where you could search and buy a wide range of SEO services. The graphic below depicts their website and a few of the services they provide:
• Improving your domain authority
• Social bookmarking submissions
• link building
• SEO Social Signals
• SEO Article Writing
• Forum Backlink etc.
• Visit Seoclerks>>>

      Truelancer

Truelancer is a global community of reliable and skilled freelancers. It’s a freelance services-curated marketplace. Based on skills and knowledge, freelancers may sell services and find projects to work on. Clients and employers may buy freelance services and post projects to Hire freelancers. It is a place for accomplished freelance marketers.  

 Elance Market: 

THE NUMBER ONE DIGITAL SERVICES MARKETPLACE Purchase Professional Digital Marketing Services from at $1 for Video & Animation, Programming & Technology, Graphics & Design, Writing & Translation, and more.

This Free Business Outsourcing Course by Allison encompasses so many things you need to know in outsourcing your projects. Your might want to check it out. Learn More

The Seret To Hiring Qualified Freelancers

The secret to hiring highly qualified freelancers is to provide as much information as possible about your assignment. For instance, if you’re looking to hire a ghostwriter, your advertisement should include the following information:

• The precise type of content you require. Article? Ebook? Report? What are blog posts? Be precise.

• The content’s objective. For instance, is this a for-profit endeavor? Or are you going to use it to increase search engine traffic? Or is there another reason?

• Maintain a word count. Utilize word count rather than page count, as word count is more precise.

• Subject. What is the niche and what is the subject?

• The style or format that you’re looking for. For instance, do you wish for it to be written in British English?

• The qualifications you seek in a writer. For instance, you may prefer a native English speaker with experience in the niche.

• Other variables. For instance, do you require screenshots? Will you anticipate that the quoted price will involve revisions?

• Spending plan. In other words, how much money are you prepared to invest in this project?

Investigate Offline

There are numerous offline methods for locating freelancers, including the following:

• Performing a classified ad search in a newspaper.

• Consult the telephone directory.

• Recruiting college students with an advertisement in the college newspaper.

Consult Freelance Platforms.

You can browse advertisements placed by freelancers or create your own. Bear in mind that the more facts and data you include in your advertisement, the more qualified freelancers you will attract.

Example: Copywriter required to develop a sales letter and a five-part autoresponder series for a yoga video series. Preference will be given to those with experience in the health and fitness industry. Referrals are required. Budget: between $3500 to $5000.

Kindly submit samples to [email protected]. In the subject line, include the phrase “yoga letter.”

To summarize…

To discover the ideal freelancer, you must cast a wide net. That is why you should not apply just one or two of the approaches mentioned – rather, combine all five for optimal results! 

The Best Way to Hire a Freelancer

Perhaps you have only one prospective freelancer whom you discovered via a forum advertisement. Alternatively, perhaps you have a large number of freelancers bidding on your fiverr assignment. The question is whether or not all of these freelancers are qualified for the job.

The point is, avoid making rash recruiting decisions. Rather than doing that, exercise caution and hire the most qualified freelancer for the work. This is how…

Step 1: Review the Freelancer’s Reviews. If you’re hiring a freelancer through a site such as odesk.com or elance.com, verify the freelancer’s onsite feedback ratings. You’re looking for a consistent trend of positive remarks from a diverse group of people throughout time.

Step 2: Browse the Freelancer’s Portfolio. This is the section where you can examine the freelancer’s samples.

If you’re employing a writer, for instance, determine whether the writer has an interesting writing style. Alternatively, if you’re hiring a designer, make certain the samples are clean and professional.

Tip: If you’re looking for a freelancer to accomplish a specific assignment, you can request samples demonstrating the freelancer’s competence to complete that task. For instance, if you’re seeking for a technical writer, request samples of technical writing from a freelance writer.

Step 3: Conduct a background check on the freelancer. If you like what you saw thus far, your next step should be to go to Google and search for the freelancer’s name, firm name, website, email address, and telephone number, among other identifying pieces of information.

Tip: Ensure that the information you unearth is relevant to the individual you’re looking for. For instance, the name “Mike Johnson” is quite popular. They may possibly be independent contractors. While an identifier such as an email address or telephone number may have been previously owned by someone else, it is quite improbable that it was previously owned by someone with the same name as your prospective freelancer. Therefore, if a name matches another identifier, you know you’re looking at the correct person.

Step 4: Review the Freelancer’s Rates. The following step is to compare your budget to the freelancer’s prices. This is Step 4 since you do not want to price shop.

Rather than that, you should first locate a qualified freelancer – someone you know will produce an excellent job for you – and then determine if they fit inside your budget. Otherwise, you’ll end up getting what you pay for if you “discount shop” (pay peanuts and you get monkeys).

Step 5: Conduct an interview with the freelancer. If this is a freelancer with whom you wish to develop a more long-term connection, you may wish to conduct interviews. If you are able to do it in person, that is ideal. Alternatively, you can conduct the interview over the phone or via Skype.

Bear in mind that this phase will remove some perfectly qualified individuals just because they dislike interviewing or conversing on the phone. If you believe you have a qualified candidate but they refuse to participate in an interview, proceed to Step 6.

Step 6: Confirm the Freelancer’s qualifications. Do not immediately assign your freshly recruited freelancer your most costly, most critical, and/or largest assignment. Rather than that, begin by assigning your freelancer a series of minor assignments. If he does well, you can give him increased responsibilities and larger projects.

As an example, assume you’re looking to hire a writer. For the first few projects, you may choose to assign minor assignments to your writer, such as a pack of five articles, a series of blog entries, or a brief report. If you’re satisfied with the outcomes, you can begin assigning your writer more projects, such as a full-length ebook or larger article orders (such as 100 articles).

Take Note…

Do not hire the first decent-looking freelancer who comes along hurriedly or blindly. You’ll achieve significantly greater results if you invest the time to conduct due research. 

How to Write an Effective Project Brief

Do you wish to maximize the output of your freelancers?

Then allow me to say two words to you: Take away the guessing.

Your independent contractor is not a mind reader. He has no idea how you prefer your projects to be completed. He has not seen samples of your preferred projects. As a result, he is unlikely to get your job completely correct unless you provide ample specifications. The most effective approach to accomplish this is to provide a detailed project brief.

Now, the specifics you include in your project brief are entirely dependent on the nature of the project.

Therefore, allow me to illustrate two different types of details that should be included in a project brief — one for a conventional writing project and one for a simple graphic design project.

Brief Writing Perhaps you require some writing assistance, such as an article, blog post, or ebook. Here is an illustration of the type of information you should supply to your writer:

• What are your requirements? Is it an essay, a blog post, an ebook, a pre-sell report, a paid report, or another type of publication?

• How many words are there? While the word count is precise, the page number is not. This is because freelancers can alter the page count by altering margins, typeface, and other comparable characteristics.

• Is there a target audience? For instance, “new dog owners who have acquired a puppy and are unsure what to do next.”

• What is the subject? Include a working title if you have one.

• What is the piece’s purpose? Is it to increase traffic, establish relationships, sell something on the backend, or gratify a customer… or is it something else?

• How would you describe the tone? For instance, are you seeking for a didactic tone? A tone of authority? What is the sales tone? How about a conversational tone? It’s ideal if you can provide samples of the desired tone.

• What are your specifications? Do you require the item to be written in a certain manner, for example, optimized around a specific set of keywords? If yes, please provide the keywords. Or do you prefer the piece to be written with several examples and stories? If yes, please include these instances and tales. (Even more so if these are supposed to be personal narratives.)

• What elements do you wish to incorporate into the piece? You should include a detailed outline in this section. For instance, if the document is an ebook, include an outline of all chapters and subsections.

• Conduct research. If you already have reliable sources of information, share them with your freelancer.

• Provide examples. Whenever feasible, demonstrate to your freelancer examples of writing projects you enjoy. Simply state what you enjoy about these samples. (For instance, “I appreciate the conversational tone of this work.”). 

Brief for Graphic Design

Assume you require a simple design, such as an e-cover or a banner. The following is an example of the type of information you should include in your brief:

• The graphic’s general specifications, such as its dimensions and resolution.

• The intended usage of the graphic – online, offline, in print, on t-shirts, etc.

• Colors that you’d like to see used. (Exhibit samples.)

• Graphic components. Provide samples wherever possible. For instance, if you want a dog in your illustration, specify the breed. Additionally, if possible, include a stock photo for the designer to use.

• The text you wish to include.

• Font style.

• Your vision for the graphic – how do you envision it appearing?

• The graphic’s “feel.” Is it amusing? Serious? Is it capable of eliciting warm, loving thoughts in the observer… or does it appear refined?

• Examples of comparable visuals that you enjoy. Make certain to specify what you enjoy. “I like the colors on this one, but I prefer the overall feel of this other one,” for instance.

To Note…

The more information you can provide your freelancer, the better. Encourage your freelancers to do the same! 

How to Motivate Your Independent Contractors

Whether you have one freelancer or 100, you want to push them to be productive and provide high-quality work. And you want your freelancers to be satisfied in order to remain on your team and perform well.

Therefore, how do you ensure the happiness of your freelancers? How are you going to motivate them? By following these five straightforward tips…

Recognize Excellent Work

Yes, your freelancers get compensated for their work. However, your freelancers are human as well, which means that the majority of them will enjoy a kind word. Therefore, do not be sparing with your praise. Inform your freelancers when they are performing well.

To achieve the best outcomes, be specific in your appreciation. For instance, “You did an excellent job on this graphic despite the fact that you were working against a tight deadline – and you even turned it in early!” Alternatively, “This sales letter is incredible — it’s already converting at a 5% rate!”

Clarify Your Expectations

If you allow any space for guesswork when assigning a project to a freelancer, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.

As a result, always provide clear project briefs to ensure that freelancers understand what you want from them. Additionally, if you have other requirements – such as requiring an update every 24 hours – be sure to communicate those as well. The more communication between you and your freelancers, the happier everyone will be.

Utilize the Sandwich Strategy

Occasionally, you will be required to provide a critique of the freelancer’s work. If this occurs, sandwich the criticism within the praise.

“You did an excellent job on this report – the introduction, in particular, is flawless.” However, page 5 might use some work… [explain modifications]. Again, thank you for your efforts!”

Provide Bonuses

Your freelancers will welcome monetary bonuses, such as an additional 10% or 20% “tip” on top of the usual payment. However, you may occasionally offer additional incentives, such as paid time off or gift certificates.

Tip: Be careful to explain why the freelancer is receiving the incentive; this will motivate them to repeat their excellent performance!

Bear in mind that you can offer bonuses in two ways:

• Bonuses that have been announced. These are the situations in which you offer a bonus if the freelancer meets a specific, measurable objective. The simplest approach to accomplish this is to provide a bonus if the freelancer meets the deadline. Indeed, many freelancers charge a premium for “rush assignments” (i.e., companies that pay more are prioritized in the freelancer’s work queue).

• Bonuses that are unannounced. These are the unexpected bonuses you offer in recognition of a job well done.

Abstain from micromanagement

Your freelancer is a self-employed individual. Additionally, he is an expert in his specialty. And, like you, he is an entrepreneur. Just as you would not like someone watching over your shoulder and attempting to dictate how you do your business, neither would your freelancer.

Yes, you can communicate with your freelancer. And, yes, you can certainly establish requirements for the work’s quality. However, you cannot compel your freelancer to perform certain tasks, such as:

• Work specific hours or be available during specific hours.

• • Accept any project you propose to him.
• • Work on specific days.
• • Complete a specified number of days of work.
• • Be accessible via certain channels, such as Skype.

Take Note: Some freelancers refuse to receive calls because they consume a significant amount of their time. If they spend 30 minutes on the phone with you and do not charge you for the consultation, you are utilizing their valuable time that they could be spending on a paid job. 

Conclusion

Happy, motivated freelancers are devoted professionals that will gladly provide you with the highest-quality work. Ensure that you utilize all five of the tips you just found to urge your freelancers!

The post Ultimate Guide to Business Outsourcing in 2023 first appeared on Wealth On Net.