How Do I Know That You Have What I Want?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions by business owners (even if it’s just in their head), and one of the hardest to answer for freelancers.  Freelancers can’t just say, “Because I said so” or “because I know that I can”.  For that matter, very seldom would any business owner be happy with the response that they got from questions such as this.  However, there are few things that any business owner interested in hiring a freelancer can look at, which can make it easier to figure out before the hiring process is done.  

1. Portfolio – A freelancer’s portfolio is the lifeline to their work.  Believe it or not, many freelancers spend a lot of time on building up a portfolio because this is as good as a resume’.  Whether the freelancer performs web site development, writes content or any number of other things, a well-established freelancer will have that information in their portfolio.  
2. Samples – on occasion even well established reliance’s won’t have a portfolio.  If this is the case don’t be alarmed; this doesn’t necessarily mean that they haven’t done anything. It may very well mean that their clients preferred not to be mentioned in their resume or portfolio.  If you come across a freelancer whose pricing is good, but they don’t have a portfolio, ask them for samples.  Don’t expect the samples to go along with what your project is, however.  Many freelancers are wary of people stealing their work (it does happen), and will most likely give you a sample about something else.  What samples they do send though, should give you an indication of the type of work and the quality of work that they do. 
3. Questions – If you get past the reading stage and on to the interview stage, pay attention to how the freelancer answers your questions.  For that matter, listen for questions that they may ask you.  No matter how careful you are in your project outline, most people will not be able to give you exactly what you want without asking clarification questions.  Therefore, if you’re interviewing a freelancer and they ask no questions, or they seem to assume automatically that they know what you want, the chances are 50/50 that you will not have a pleasant experience.

By keeping just these three things in mind, you can turn a problem project into an excellent working relationship.

Freelance Contracting FAQs

Many freelancers have done fine for years without a contract for their business transactions.  Many business owners have done fine without contracts while hiring freelance business resources.  Then again, many people – freelancers and business owners alike – also have horror stories; for each horror story a business owner has about a freelancer, the same is true the other way around.  Here is a short list of Frequently Asked Questions, from both sides of the line, about contracts:

Freelancer: Do I really need to include the specifics for the job?

Not at all.  For instance, if the project is something simple like “optimized articles”, and you and the owner know what it means, why bother writing it down?  Of course, they could always argue that they needed six when you turned in four, or they were all supposed to be 600 words instead of 400, but who’s counting when you really get down to it?

Business Owner: Why should I make sure I have full rights for the deliverables?

You don’t have to.  You can always assume that you’re buying full rights to any deliverables. 

Freelancer:  Do I really need to bother with a contract?

Nope.  You and the business owner talked about the specifics of the job and have a verbal agreement on what you’re doing and what you’re getting paid for it.  There’s no reason to write it down, because you know for sure the business owner will follow through.

Business Owner:  Do I really need to sign this contract?

No.  You can assume the freelancer fully understands everything about the contract, and that they will adhere to the things you agreed on in PM, email, IM or on the phone.  Of course, if they don’t, you’ll have no recourse to get your money back if you’ve paid them ahead of time, but that won’t happen.

It’s been said that a little sarcasm goes a long way, and it’s true.  The reality of the situation is that contracts protect the business owner and the freelancer both.  As much as you might hate the thought of signing a legal document – no matter which side you’re on – a good motivation is remembering the money involved, whether it’s money you’re making (as the freelancer) or money you’re spending (as the business owner).

Before starting any project, make sure you read over the contract carefully and then, if you agree with the terms, sign on that dotted line!

Don’t Get Stuck in a Rut – Hire Outside the Box

A lot of business owners have an idea of what a good freelancer is before they even start to hire one – before they even look for them.  The problem with these preconceived notions is that no freelancer is going to meet exactly the qualifications a business owner is looking for.  While you can keep your notions and your ideas of what a good freelancer is, don’t be afraid to step outside the box.

When looking through freelancers and deciding which one to hire, here are few things to keep in mind and consider before choosing the one to match your project:

• Education doesn’t necessarily equal know how.  There are several very qualified freelancers with no higher education who are self-taught.  In fact, these might actually be better for your project because self-taught individuals are generally more willing to try different or unique methods then someone who is taught in a structured, college atmosphere.

• Low pricing doesn’t necessarily mean the best deal.  As you gain more experience with hiring freelancers, you find that the best bet is a normally a mix between pricing and performance.  Most freelancing sites, including YesFreelance, have ratings for freelancers that show how they have performed in the past. 

When you choose specifically on low pricing, what you generally end up getting is low quality as well as low price.  In effect, what happens is that you end up spending more money because you now have to hire someone else to make up for the low quality deliverables of the first person; you lose time and money.  Therefore, as you look through the bids, make sure that you don’t just look at price – look at everything.

• Never be afraid of the questions.  If you look over a freelancer’s resume or portfolio and you feel that there is information missing or something else that you’d like to know about, ask questions.  You’ll never know if you have the right freelancer – until it’s too late – if you don’t learn everything that you can about them. 

Hiring a freelancer can be a great thing for your company, but if you’re not careful, it can end up being the same thing as hiring a bad employee.  Pay attention to what each portfolio says and what it doesn’t, while keeping these three things in mind.  Happy hunting!

Gunslingers of the Business World

The Internet provides great potential for businesses of all kinds, and almost everybody knows now that it is vital to have an Internet presence for their company. Okay—got that, now how to get it?  There are new hiring needs that often boggle the mind. Even once you figure out how to develop your web presence, how do you keep it? You need staffing for programmers and video software development. That’s where freelance marketing employment comes in. Then the economy kicks in and you can no longer afford to keep a full time secretary or executive assistant. Now what?

Can a Freelancer Perform Like A Company?

Yes, and many times, better. There are many benefits to hiring freelancers to do work you would otherwise have to hire an independent company to do, or hire a full or part-time employee to do. When you have projects ranging from jobs and careers in business marketing to freelance translation career fields, having one person on your staff may not fill your needs. Hiring your own employees might work, but at what cost?