Selecting the Right Freelancer for Your Project Needs

More and more people are forgoing a traditional 9–5 job for freelance projects that pay handsomely, offer equity benefits, and allow for a flexible schedule. In fact, by 2020, it’s estimated that freelancers will account for 40 percent of the US workforce. This change in the working paradigm presents the perfect opportunity for entrepreneurs, who can leverage freelancers to help them turn their ideas into businesses while staying nimble and keeping start-up costs to a minimum. Among many things, working with a freelancer can cut down on the time and cost it takes to hire someone full time. When you consider that it costs six to nine months’ salary to recruit, hire and train a new employee — that’s a huge saving for a fledgling business. At the same time, established companies can benefit from the “new blood” of a freelancer on projects that fall outside their wheelhouse.

Nevertheless, finding the right freelancer can be tricky: where is the best place to find someone with the skills you need? What should you look for from prospective candidates? How do you know your working relationship will be successful? Below are a handful of best practices to ensure that your freelance relationship gets off to the right start:

Be specific about the skills needed. And always ask for samples of work.
Whether you’re looking to find a developer, a designer, or a copywriter, make sure you understand the skills they’ll need for your project to be successful. Some developers may excel at Python, while others rock at Java; similarly, a copywriter who bangs out quippy web copy for a commercial product probably isn’t the best fit for a whitepaper on the intricacies of cloud technology. Figure out the niche you need a freelancer to fill and then find an expert in that field. Working with all-rounder may sound like a good way to cut some corners, particularly if you have a few different tasks that you need completing, but you’ll pay for it down the line when the work produced isn’t what you anticipated. Make sure to thoroughly review samples of work to ensure a prospective freelancer is capable of the task at hand.

Understand their working style and priorities
A good freelancer will follow the tenets of client service: meeting deadlines, responding promptly to emails and queries, and setting realistic expectations. Nevertheless, it’s important to figure out if a prospective freelancer will have a working style that works for you. Remember, many freelancers will have a number of gigs going on at once, so it’s important to understand where you would stand in the pecking order. By setting realistic expectations and deadlines with yourself and your freelance partner, you can make sure you’re starting out on the right foot.

Don’t commit to everything
Even with impressive references and work samples, and a stellar interview, there is only so much you can glean about working with a person before you begin. Avoid getting too far into the weeds by parceling your project into smaller pieces or testing a prospective freelancer with a small sample project. You don’t want to commit to someone building every facet of your website only to find your visions aren’t aligned.

Find a freelancer you can trust
Whether you ask a friend or look to a website to make connections, make sure your source is someone or something you can trust. Not everyone has the same expectations on what makes a good freelancer, and difference sites and compensation models will create different outcomes. Some sites focus on providing freelancers who can churn out work quickly (while missing the mark on quality), while others promote a race to the bottom model where you may get a bigger bang for your buck, but again the work may suffer as a result. Ensure the site you choose can connect you with the right kind of partner to make your venture successful.

Loom is the first work-for-equity platform that connects entrepreneurs with freelancers to bring businesses to life. Loom supports both entrepreneurs and freelancers as they work together to realize a shared vision built on mutual interest. We enable any company to build great ideas in exchange for cash, and/or equity. Learn more at Loom.co