Have you tried to outsource to freelancers and encountered this routine?
- Step 1: Create a freelancing website post
- Step 2: Gather 64 bids from inexperienced freelancers
- Step 3: Admit defeat
- Step 4: Keep writing your own material
Whatever the case may be, business owners and entrepreneurs want assistance, which can be easily provided by hiring freelancers or subcontractors.
So how do you actually outsource tasks to freelancers that will yield results?
If you are looking for how to outsource to freelancers and get a good result without being bombarded with loads of low-quality content, keep reading.
What is Outsourcing?
Outsourcing is a commercial technique in which a corporation contracts a third party to undertake activities, run operations, or offer services on its behalf.
Different firms utilize outsourcing to cut expenses by moving portions of work to outside vendors rather than finishing it internally. Outsourcing jobs to freelancers is a typical corporate practice.
You may recruit top-notch people to help you with jobs and projects that aren’t your strong suit by outsourcing. However, you must keep a watchful eye on the individual you hire. You may make your outsourcing attempts a success if you do this and closely monitor their performance.
See Also: 20 Ways To Ditch The Overwhelming and Become A Productivity Powerhouse
How To Outsource To Freelancers
This is where the substance of this article begins. How to outsource to freelancers that yields maximum results.
1. Be clear about what you want
It may seem self-evident, nevertheless, if you’re willing to get into the trouble of hiring freelancers and spending money on it, you expect results.
To complete anything like a great piece of work, you must first have a good notion of what you expect the finished product to look like. Before even considering hiring a freelancer, I’d go so far as to know precisely what it should be.
That includes considering a title, sections and headers, the overall tone of the piece, and even simple lines if you will be hiring content writers for example. You’re simply hiring someone with more expertise in the field to cover the gaps with an excellent piece of content.
Perform a keyword search to see what’s already available. If you’re creating content to boost organic traffic, for example, be sure it’s not just a watered-down replica of something else publicly available. Visit other blogs and watch YouTube videos, as this will help you to fully understand what to expect.
That’s true, don’t just copy what’s already out there. Concentrate on the questions that your industry is posing.
If you’re going to employ the same subject, concept, or idea as something that already exists, make sure it’s a superior version, similar to how the skyscraper approach is used.
See Also: 8 Sure Strategies on How To Create Persona-Driven Content Marketing Campaigns
2. Pick a platform
I recommend deciding on a single website to manage all of your outsourced projects. Fiverr, Upwork, PeoplePerHour, Freelancer.com, and other sites that operate as marketplaces for hiring freelancers are just a few examples.
If you use a lot of different websites, it can be difficult to keep track of everything, but if you only use one, it’s simple to keep track of everything.
There are other good solutions, but I like Upwork because of its large user base of workers and the ease with which you can handle all of your outsourced jobs from one place.
It’s also worth mentioning that there are more specialist work websites that can help with specific chores.
Furthermore, certain tasks lend particularly nicely to flat-rate service providers.
3. Locate freelancers who are experts in your field
Hiring unskilled freelancers may appear to be less expensive. However, any savings will be negated by the time it takes to train somebody to meet the exact needs you and your specialized clients have.
You can’t retain efficiency while supervising other vendors and focusing on the business while addressing their mistakes. As a result, it’s advisable to engage a skilled freelancer who specializes in your industry and compensate them fairly.
To verify if a freelancer’s performance matches their branding, it’s wise to give a modest, paid trial job.
People aren’t attempting to deceive you, but there is still a lot to learn in the early stages of a connection. It’s preferable to make a minor alteration to a project than to have to redo the whole thing because you hired an unskilled freelancer.
4. Start small
Everything from minor one-time initiatives to large ongoing projects can be outsourced. Before tackling large tasks, I suggest beginning small and being comfortable with the outsourcing process.
You might begin by hiring someone to create a single or a few designs. Starting modest limits your investment and exposure in the event things don’t go as planned.
5. Use as much detail as feasible
It’s time to turn your plans into project specs and state clear expectations to all parties involved.
The duration of the project is among the initial things you should know from step one. If you want to outsource article writing, for example, you should expect a long-term contract.
If it’s a one-time project, such as site design, it’s a good idea to set a deadline for when you’d need it finished. You’ll be performing things without any time constraints in some circumstances.
However, setting a deadline is still a smart idea to avoid the job dragging on for too long. You’ll need to define the exact requirements from the freelancer or organization you’ll be working with once you’ve established your deadlines and timetables.
See Also: The Ultimate Guide on How to Create an Outstanding Freelance Project Proposal
6. Call for bids from freelancers
You can invite particular freelancers to bid on your job on many auction websites. This helps to attract the ideal freelancers to your project and can have a significant impact on the number of bids you receive.
When you’re posting a new project, try to find people who have worked on closely related portfolios and projects that match the level of work I’m looking for.
Additional freelancers will be able to see and bid on your job if it is advertised publicly, but the invites help to guarantee that you receive some offers from reputable suppliers.
7. Don’t be concerned with the price
When it comes to outsourcing, most people make the mistake of merely hiring the individual with the lowest price.
You’ll probably get a wide range of bids for your projects, partly because you’ll be getting offers from people all over the world with varying degrees of experience.
You should think about the cost involved, but it isn’t the only thing to think about.
See Also: Learn How to Make Money With Blogging [New & Proven Ideas]
8. Take a look at their portfolios and qualifications
One of the advantages of hiring platforms is that they come with built-in reviews for candidates, allowing you to evaluate real feedback from prior clients to predict future performance. You can also look at the person’s LinkedIn profile or simply ask for references.
Unless you’re employing someone for a position where reviews are not necessary, you should also request samples of previous work. There are typically ways to see their experience in action, such as social accounts they assisted with, a website they managed, HR support materials they prepared, and so on.
9. Interview and test the top prospects
Once you’ve narrowed down your list of prospects, don’t forget to verify their portfolios, references, assign test projects, and interview them.
The aim of the interview is for you to ask any concerns or doubts you may have about outsourcing to that specific person. It does not have to be as formal as a job interview.
It’s an opportunity for them to ask any questions they have about the project. Almost every good specialist in their profession will have some.
An excellent strategy is to give all candidates a test before hiring them. A simple test can help sort out undesirable candidates or ones who won’t be a good fit, even if it seems superfluous. Just make sure you pay interviewees for their time so you’re not asking for free labor.
Finally, don’t expect exceptional work if you offer cheap rates. While the cheapest offer isn’t always the worst, don’t choose a freelancer or organization purely on the basis of price.
10. Go over the payment options
Most seasoned freelancers will have a favorite method of payment.
However, you should also conduct research into industry best practices and evaluate the best alternatives for your specific company.
Would you like to pay hourly or per project? Would you send payments once a week or once a month? What if you don’t like the final result? Do you require a bill? Direct bank transfer, Paypal, Bitcoin, or Venmo may be preferred by some freelancers.
You don’t want to be ripped off, therefore don’t offer a deposit, and then have a freelancer leave.
Look up similar positions or job listings on Google and see how much they pay. You may even seek assistance from other business owners on message sites like Twitter and even online forums.
You might wish to consult a financial specialist, such as your CPA if you have a high-paying freelancing job.
Before moving further, communicate your desired payment arrangement to your prospect and make sure they agree.
11. Establish a contract
A contract is a written deal involving you and the freelancer that details the project’s structure, deliverables, and payment arrangement. It also serves as insurance in the event that something goes wrong with your freelancing relationship.
Important details, such as the number of revisions or modifications you can seek, are spelled out in contracts.
You can find many freelancing contract samples to download and alter with a quick internet search. If you plan to hire freelancers for a long time, you need to hire a lawyer to draft a contract that is appropriate to your company.
12. Always have a backup plan
While working with a freelancer, any project manager will tell you that they build a few days into their deadlines.
Do you have any idea why? It’s just due to the fact that something always pops up. This is true for all freelance projects and positions. Assign projects a few days ahead of time, if possible.
That isn’t to imply you won’t be able to locate trustworthy, deadline-driven freelancers; it’s just the reality of the business.
Freelancers work with a variety of clients or businesses, last-minute projects pop up, and life gets in the way.
You can’t physically drop by a freelancer’s office to enquire about a status report if they don’t respond to your email.
13. Keep the relationship going
The goal of outsourcing is to give up your time while still getting tasks done at a low cost. It may take some time to find and hire the ideal freelancer. You’re obviously not making the best use of available resources, which is your time if you’re doing this on a regular basis.
In an ideal circumstance, you’re supposed to continue working with the same freelancers if they have been delivering results.
When you find someone that does an outstanding job, communicates well with you, and is reasonably priced, it’s better to work with them on a regular basis than posting new projects, scrutinizing each new bid, then repeating this time-consuming process.
Once you’ve found a good freelancer or a few good freelancers, it can save you a lot of time to delegate work to them on a regular basis.
14. Evaluate your approach
If you work with freelancers on a regular basis, it’s a good idea to examine your method and strategy from time to time to ensure that it still serves you effectively.
If you’re outsourcing content production for your blog, for example, you should check the stats and analytics on a regular basis to ensure that the article is having an impact. You can also assess how much money you’re spending on outsourced tasks and how much money you’re getting in return.
If your ROI is low, you may want to attempt an alternative technique or maybe cancel the outsourced project entirely.
15. Return the favor
Finally, while hiring freelancers, remember the golden rule: treat others as you would like to be treated.
There’s a reason you’re a successful business owner: you have consumers or clients who pay for your product or service.
While there are a plethora of ways to be a lousy freelancing employer, here are a few to avoid:
- Make realistic timetables
- Don’t make someone go after you for money
- Communicate kindly and patiently
- Pay a reasonable wage that is consistent with experience. Be open and honest about any budget modifications or fluctuations
- Do not request multiple modifications, revisions, or iterations beyond the project’s initial plan
- Don’t leave folks hanging. Respond to their emails as soon as possible. Even if you won’t be able to read it right away, confirm receipt and provide a progress update
- Provide a freelancer with all of the necessary tools, information, and resources for a project
Keep in mind that a happy and motivated freelancer can be a great benefit to your company. The success of a freelance project or job hinges on effective communication and expectations from both of you.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the benefits of outsourcing?
a. Cost-effective
Do you simply consider money when you need to outsource to freelancers? Training, taxes, benefits, and insurance are all factors that add to your entire cost. Those expenses are already covered when you hire a freelancer.
b. Human resource concerns have been reduced
Hiring a new employee is usually fraught with danger. Will they be successful? Will there be any complications that could cost your company money in the future? These problems can be avoided by outsourcing your writing projects.
c. Increased productivity
A typical income earner lacks the motivation to increase productivity. Since a freelancer is in charge of their own schedule, they will normally work as quickly as feasible.
d. Concentrate on your business
You could do the task yourself instead of outsourcing it, but running your firm is what got you here. Any small project can be outsourced, allowing you to focus on your business.
e. You are pressed for time
Since your business gets you busy, hiring an employee will add to your workload rather than detract from it. Freelancers are accustomed to conducting their own research, which helps to reduce your workload.
f. Boost or cut output
Would you like to have to cope with the stress of hiring or terminating a staff member when your marketing needs rise or fall around a significant marketing campaign? You can swiftly scale your project demands using freelancers if there is an increase in business growth and vice versa.
2. What are the best websites for outsourcing?
The following are the best outsourcing websites for finding quality freelancers at a low cost:
3. What kinds of tasks are you able to delegate?
What type of freelancer are you looking for? The possibilities are unexpectedly numerous, and the amount of time that may be freed up is quite thrilling.
The following is a list of task that can be easily outsourced to freelancers:
- eCommerce
- Creating Content
- Data Entry
- General business management
- Blog management
- Graphic design
- Social media marketing
- Email marketing
- Transcription
- Video production
- Lead generation
Conclusion
The habit of outsourcing to freelancers is an option you should explore if you’d like to be a successful entrepreneur.
When it pertains to building your team, remote employment is becoming a more affordable, feasible, and frequently better alternative.
While outsourcing the less important aspects of your work may not work in every case, it is a certain strategy to boost your productivity.
Consider creating a procedure for each activity you outsource and be certain to include the tips from this article.
Use this post on how to outsource to freelancers to serve as a guide to hiring the best freelancer for your company.
Blogamigo is a digital resource that contains the most effective tactics for growing your blogging business. Several reviews of the top tools you’ll need to make six figures blogging are available.