Experts say all businesses, big and small, should hire online freelancers to remain competitive

Freelance platforms also provide businesses with local talent in countries where they have or plan to have a presence, said AnyTask CEO and Founder Richard Ells.

A survey conducted several months before the Covid-19 crisis revealed that more businesses than ever before were using online freelancers to fill their staffing needs. However, some have not considered using them because they still believe the risks outweigh the rewards.

Various websites that focus on the online digital freelance economy are asking business owners to re-evaluate their position.

“We encourage you to take a second look at how working with a third-party freelance service can alleviate some of the stress,” wrote Bunny Studio, a global platform that helps companies with their creative projects.

AnyTask CEO and Founder Richard Ells said the rapid growth of his crypto-powered freelance platform confirms a considerable demand for freelance websites and freelancers themselves.

“We have also found that people purchasing tasks from freelancers on AnyTask do so because of how easy it is to find experts for specific projects,” Ells said. “Freelance platforms also provide businesses with local talent in countries where they have or plan to have a presence.”

Launched in late 2019, AnyTask is possibly one of the newest freelance platforms in the industry. “Most of the AnyTask freelancers come from other leading platforms. Many more are new. The majority of both these freelancers are highly skilled and experienced. They are also very keen on creating a network of clients, so the work they deliver is of the highest quality.”

Three reasons to hire freelancers

Bunny Studio provided three main reasons why a business should consider hiring freelancers.

“First, online freelancing increases the flexibility to onboard highly skilled workforce very quickly when required,” they said. “Second, it allows overriding geographical and administrative barriers to hiring specific talent that could not exist in your home country. Third, embracing freelancers gives startups the ability to cut down on hiring and overhead costs.”

They conclude that “adopting online workers will allow you to grow your market by unlocking a diverse field of workers with a range of experience, education, and skill to fit any project need as fast as needed.”

Amid the global pandemic, online digital freelancing has taken a whole new meaning. Millions of people worldwide have lost their jobs. That has caused a surge of professionals turning to freelance via freelance platforms to make ends meet.

Businesses are also increasingly turning to online outsourcing tasks through digital platforms, mainly to reduce administrative costs and legal barriers.

Today, remote work, in general, has become one of the most discussed topics globally as the global health crisis has forced businesses to re-evaluate their hiring strategies.

You should think again

In a recent article on Small Business Trends, writer Sandeep Rathore said, “If you don’t hire freelancers, thinking that they are ideal for short-term assignments only, you should think again.”

He based that statement on the Bunny Studio survey showing that 97% of respondents consider freelancing a long-term career choice, which means many freelancers are highly motivated, skilled, and talented.

“What’s more, 85% of those surveyed have been freelancing for over five years,” said Rathore, whose article links back to another Small Business Trends article entitled “Why your business should be embracing the freelance revolution.”

The article explains that small business owners can benefit from online freelancers with better talent.

“With freelance workers, however, businesses can bring on employees on a per-project basis, and they no longer need to worry about workload,” the article says. “There’s no long-term commitment, and different freelancers can be hired to handle specific jobs within a company. That translates into better talent.”

More flexibility and greater expertise

“Situations change fast, and the freelance revolution can be a boon for your startup because it allows for better business flexibility and agility in the face of these changes,” Small Business Trends added.

“Instead of the overhead that comes from a set of regular staff employees and the office and equipment infrastructure that requires, using freelance workers means that businesses can add or take away workers as-needed and make faster changes in both the business model and business processes.”

The article explains that when, as a business owner, you can add workers on a project or per-use basis, the level of expertise goes up.

“Rather than hire employees who can perform many tasks, startups that use freelancers can make every hire a seasoned specialist since these workers are being hired for a very specific job,” it said.

“Instead of hiring a general marketing manager, for instance, someone who must handle content marketing, strategy, SEO, SEM, branding, event marketing, and many other specialized tasks, businesses can hire several freelancers to handle the combined effort, each one an expert on the particular work they’re tasked to handle.”

There is also an improved productivity element in hiring freelancers. Firstly, because their pay is based on a per-task or per-project basis, freelancers are motivated to finish as quickly but with a significant focus on quality to ensure repeat business.

“Since most freelancers work remotely, there also are productivity gains in absolute terms; freelancers are more efficient than people who come into an office each day,” the article states.

In a recent blog post, Website Planet told those who are running a small business that if they want to “ access to the widest range of skills at an affordable price,” they must use a freelance platform to find a freelance digital marketing consultant or specialist in the area of digital marketing they need most.”

Hiring freelancers on AnyTask is easy

Mr. Ells explained that once businesses decide they do want to hire freelancers, they must research which platform is right for them.

“Purchasing tasks from freelancers on leading online platforms is more daunting than on AnyTask because you have to be involved in a bidding process,” he explained. “However, AnyTask lists tasks with a fixed price, making buying easy.”

He also explained that both buyer and seller are protected by the AnyTask platform, so satisfaction is 100% guaranteed.

“On AnyTask, the possibilities are endless as we have nearly 11,000 active freelancers with almost 17,000 tasks listed across dozens of categories and subcategories,” he concluded.

Originally published at https://news.anytask.com on October 15, 2020.