With so many people now working remotely, there’s never been a better time to build a team of freelancers from all over the world to help your small business succeed. But if you’ve never hired a freelancer before, where do you start? Freebeehive shares some best practices for building a superstar team of freelancers.
Opt to Designate Your Business as an LLC
If you’re going to be hiring freelancers, one of the first things you need to do is designate your business as an LLC. This will protect you legally in case any problems arise with your freelancers. It’s a simple process that can usually be done online, and it’s well worth the peace of mind it will give you. If you would rather have professionals handle your paperwork, look online for reviews of formation services. These companies know the state requirements in and out, and can get your LLC up and running quickly.
Why Freelancers Are More Affordable
One of the reasons why so many businesses are choosing to hire freelancers is because they’re an affordable option. With traditional employees, you have to factor in costs like office space, benefits, and paid time off. With freelancers, Field Engineer notes that you only have to pay them for the work they do. And since they’re often working from home, there’s no need to provide them with office space or equipment.
How to Find the Best Freelancer for Remote Work
Not all freelancers are ideally suited for remote work. HR Cloud points out that you’ll want someone who is organized and can keep track of their own deadlines. Luckily, there are plenty of websites that allow you to filter freelancers by skill set, so finding the perfect match for your needs is easier than ever before.
How to Share Paperwork and Use Project Management Tech
One of the challenges of working with freelancers is sharing paperwork back and forth. The best way to do this is by using PDFs. That way, everyone will have access to the same document and can make changes as needed without having to worry about losing any important information. Plus, PDFs can be easily emailed or uploaded to cloud-based storage platforms like Dropbox or Google Drive. If you have files that are not formatted correctly, you can use a free online PDF conversion tool to get the job done quickly and easily. Simply drop in the files and the tool will do all of the work.
Sharing paperwork goes hand in hand with using a project management platform. When executed correctly you’ll find that solutions for a project management tool involve a cloud-based platform that can help teams manage their projects and collaborate in real-time by providing integrated solutions for communication, task tracking, resource management and sharing assets. Evaluating projects, goals, and team capacity all at once with real-time visibility can help you balance workloads and identify the best team members for tasks.
Where You Can Find Freelancers
There are plenty of websites that allow businesses to post job listings for freelancers (Upwork and Fiverr are two popular examples). You can also find talented freelancers by searching social media platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn. When posting a job listing, be sure to include as much information as possible about the skillset you’re looking for and the type of work you need help with.
Recruiting Freelancers via Social Media
If you’re having trouble finding good candidates for your open freelance positions, social media can be a great resource. Try reaching out to relevant hashtags or starting a conversation in relevant Facebook groups. You can also search Twitter for relevant keywords or phrases. By engaging potential candidates on social media, you’ll increase your chances of finding qualified applicants.
How to Pay Freelancers
After you’ve found the perfect candidate, it’s time to talk payment. When it comes to paying freelancers, there are two popular methods: PayPal and direct deposit. PayPal is quick, easy, and ensures that both parties have a record of the transaction. Direct deposit is often used for larger projects and allows businesses to send payments directly to a freelancer’s bank account. No matter which method you choose, just be sure to include the method of payment you’ll use in your job listing so there are no surprises later on.
See Growth with Freelancers
Hiring freelancers is a great way to get quality work without breaking the bank, but only if your business designation is set up to protect you through these contracts. Once you have confirmed your liability protection, look for freelancers who will meet the needs of your project and be a good fit for your team’s culture. Then, provide everyone with the communication tools they’ll need to be successful as a remote team, including a project management platform. By following these best practices, you can build a team of happy and productive contract workers who will help take your business to new heights.
