There is a bit of risk involved with hiring a freelancer. Sometimes it’s hard to verify their credentials. For others, it’s simply hard to trust that someone they’ve never met would give 110% on a project.
However, the reality is that freelancers are becoming more and more solicited by both small companies and large enterprises. The pros simply outweigh the cons of turning to an off-site expert in most situations. Here are six situations which you may be familiar with and prove this point.
When You Need More Experience on the Team
There comes a point in time when projects may get a bit too difficult for your current staff. Or maybe you just need to meet a quick deadline and the people you have are not skilled enough to finish the job in the allocated time.
One solution is adding a new member to the team. But, instead of finding a permanent employee, you can always turn to a freelancer. Someone that works off-site, is an expert in the field you need (IT, design, writing, social media, etc.), and someone that you can stop paying once the project is completed and things return to normal.
When You Want to Cut Costs
Some projects can get quite expensive. One of the easiest and most efficient ways to cut costs without having to fire people is to start collaborating with freelancers.
Obviously, not all freelancers are cheap. If you want to hire one you can’t just hire from the bottom of the barrel. However, even if you pay an independent contractor a higher hourly rate, you still save money on other things.
Since a freelancer is not an employee, you don’t have to have to provide vacation days, food, drinks, and other company benefits. You also don’t have to pay for health insurance and pension contributions.
When You Want to Expand the Team
Expanding your team can have some clear advantages. You can take on more projects, finish them faster, diversify your portfolio, and ultimately bring in more revenue. But it’s not without its risks.
One of the main concerns with adding new members to a team is that you will need extra office space. With real estate in the current state, this type of relocation can take a huge toll on your company’s funds.
This is another situation in which hiring a couple of freelancers is a great idea. They work off-site so you don’t have to rent extra space. They also don’t add to the monthly utility costs.
When You Feel Like You Are Missing Out
Missing out opportunities. Many companies these days, not just in the tech field, tend to branch out. For example, if you’re in charge of a bunch of content writers, you can slowly try to offer more diverse services to your clients.
Photo editing is a nice start. Then you can move to bigger things like logo design and even website design. The more services you can offer the more money you can bring in. Freelancers help you in these situations because they bring a level of expertise that no one on your staff has.
You can hire a freelance designer on one or two projects and test the waters so to speak. See if there’s value in pursuing other avenues besides what you already offer. And remember, it’s risk-free because you can’t get sued for terminating a project or not starting a new one.
When You Want to Offer 24/7 Support
If you’re all about pleasing the customer, then you can’t get around offering round the clock support. Either on the phone or via live chat, this is a must these days in almost any field.
Hiring freelancers can help you cover all the hours of the day without having to pay extra for night-time work.
When More Employees Go on Leave
It’s unavoidable to go through some dry spells. It’s also unavoidable to deal with employees taking a leave of absence either for recuperating or for medical reasons.
But even if your office is half-empty, it doesn’t mean that the work has to stop. Hiring one or two freelancers to fill in for those that are on leave can allow you to keep the workflow going. There wouldn’t be any need to pass up on important projects or to get on bad terms with repeat clients that demand your attention.
Don’t Forget to Establish a Long-Term Collaboration
Although most companies hire freelancers on a per-project basis, it’s always a good idea to end the collaboration on good terms. A mutual beneficial working relationship on one project can turn into a long-term collaboration which can benefit both parties.
For this to work, all you have to do is maintain an engaging work atmosphere. Even if you hire freelancers to work off-site, managing remote workers is still important. Show them that you appreciate their work, that you value their input, and you may be able to add some new numbers to your speed dial.
Guest post courtesy of Amy Lam, Senior Digital Marketing Manager of Compass Offices