There are many advantages to hiring freelancers for your small business. Freelancers are usually more affordable than traditional employees, they’re often more flexible and available on short notice, and you can hand-pick a team of experts to tackle specific tasks or projects. In this blog post, we’ll cover best practices for building a team of freelancers, including tips on which types of freelancers to hire, where to find them, how to vet them, and how to pay them. Let’s get started with these tips shared by Back Stage Viral.
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You Need Freelancers Who Are Comfortable with Remote Work
Certain types of freelancers are particularly well-suited for remote work arrangements. For example, if you need someone to handle administrative tasks like customer service or data entry, there are plenty of talented individuals who can do those jobs from anywhere in the world. Other good candidates for remote work include web and app developers, graphic designers, writers, and marketers.
Where to Look for Freelancers
Now that you know which types of freelancers you should be looking for, where can you find them? A great place to start is online job boards. You can also search for talent on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. Finally, don’t forget about good old-fashioned word-of-mouth — if you have friends or acquaintances who’ve hired freelance talent in the past, ask them for recommendations.
Evaluate a Freelancer Before You Hire Them
When you’re hiring someone to work on behalf of your small business, it’s important to take steps to ensure they’re reputable and qualified. First, check out their online portfolio or samples of their work (if applicable). Then, schedule a video call so that you can get a better sense of their communication style and professional demeanor. Finally, request references from past clients — and actually follow up on those references!
Consider Your Business Designation
As a small business owner, there are certain administrative tasks you’ll need to take care of before hiring anyone, freelancer or otherwise. For example, if you haven’t already done so, you’ll need to designate your business as an LLC. This designation offers a layer of protection that not only protects your personal assets but protects your business from certain liabilities in the event of a lawsuit. You’ll also need to gather the necessary tax forms (W-9 for US individuals and W-8BEN for foreign nationals) from your freelancers so that you can issue 1099s come tax time.
Rely on Schedules to Keep Things in Order
Creating a schedule for hiring freelancers is an essential part of successful project management. With this tool, businesses can create a timeline of expected work that allows them to plan ahead and accurately assign tasks to their freelancers. Creating your schedule with this tool ensures that businesses have the information they need on hand when making decisions about workflow and deadlines. You can use a schedule maker to build the necessary structure for organizing workloads, which helps eliminate common problems like miscommunications and missed deadlines when working with freelancers.
What’s the Best Way to Pay Freelancers?
When it comes time to pay your freelancers, there are a few different options available to you. The best method will ultimately depend on the country in which your freelancer resides as well as your own preferences as a business owner. Some popular methods include PayPal, direct deposit, wire transfer, check by mail, and Venmo. If possible, try to offer multiple payment options so that your freelancer can choose the one that’s most convenient for them.
Hiring a team of freelance professionals is a great way to get the help you need without breaking the bank, but only if you do it right! By following the tips in this blog post — including suggestions on which types of freelancers to hire remotely, where to find them, how to vet them, what administrative steps to take before hiring anyone, and how to pay them — you’ll be well on your way to building a top-notch freelance team in no time. Good luck!