The best freelance teams are built by mentorship, experience, and skills. When building a freelancer team, it is important to set cultural expectations that will allow your team to thrive. This article can help you learn the best practices to begin on the right foot and avoid pitfalls that could send your freelancing team member running.
What Types of Freelancers Are Ideal for Remote Work
The ideal remote worker is self-motivated and disciplined enough to work their day from any location. This isn't a problem for some freelancers, but for others, it can be a major challenge. Therefore, it's important to evaluate the personality of your potential hires before agreeing to a remote work arrangement. Some freelancer types tend to be better candidates for remote positions, while others may struggle.
Where to Find Freelancers Online
Thanks to the internet, you can find freelancers on many different job boards. However, choosing the right platform can often seem overwhelming due to the sheer number of choices. Look for job platforms that allow you to check rates, portfolio examples, and reviews from the candidate's previous clients.
Using Social Media to Connect With Potential Candidates
Social media can be a powerful tool for finding freelancers for your business. Social media can post job listings and connect with potential candidates. When reaching out to potential freelancers, include information about your project and what you are looking for in a candidate. You should also include an overview of your company and its values.
One way to connect with potential candidates is to design a Facebook ad. You can select a predesigned template and then customize your ad by adding your own copy, font, images, logo, and more.
How You'll Communicate With and Share Project Details With Freelancers
Email is probably the most common way to communicate with freelancers and share project details. It works well when used properly, but there are some issues that make it less than ideal. For one thing, email is asynchronous communication, which means that replies don't happen right away. If you need an answer or decision right away, email isn't going to cut it. You also need to be careful of information overload — a major challenge in email communications.
Video chat is becoming more popular as a way of communicating with freelancers. This gives you a face-to-face conversation without having to be in the same room or city as your freelancer. Many great video chat platforms are available today, including Skype, Zoom, Hangouts, and GoToMeeting. Use them alongside any content management tools like Trello, and you'll be sure to work flawlessly.
If you're having trouble tracking projects you've assigned your freelancers, PPC Group can help you improve your project management practices with articles, training, and consulting services.
How You'll Pay Freelancers
To find the best payment method for your freelancer, you should start by asking them what they prefer. Freelancers are used to working for clients worldwide, and some may be more comfortable dealing with the hassle of a foreign wire transfer than others.
Usually, the best way to pay freelancers internationally is through a wire transfer service like TransferWise, Bank Transfer, or PayPal. With PayPal, you can send payments to anyone in the world without having to pay hefty bank fees. You'll need to ensure that your freelancer also has a PayPal account (which is free and easy to set up).
When to Expand Your Freelancing Team
You're overwhelmed. If staying on top of your work is becoming difficult, it's probably time for some support. A few extra hours of help each week could make all the difference in allowing you to stay focused and get things done on time.
You can't accept new work. Say yes only to the jobs that really interest you. But if growing demand means there are more opportunities than you can handle, it's time for new help.
Begin Building Your Freelancing Team Now
There's a lot that can go into building the best freelancing team. You'll need to assess your company needs and goals, whether you want to work with a single freelancer or multiple, and how much time you're willing to put in. Consider how you'll pay your freelancers, communicate with them effectively, and use job boards and social media to find competent workers.
Today's guest blogger, Ethel Lair, created legacybasedliving.com. The site helps visitors create financial plans that allow them to leave a legacy of support and love for future generations of their families and communities.
Subscribe for Our Project Management Resources, Best Practices, and Tips
Confirm your subscription to receive an email with immediate download access to Project Manager's Resources, a valuable list of books and web sites.
Get the latest tips and updates sent directly to your inbox monthly.
We hate SPAM. We will never sell your information, for any reason.