Freelancing and outsourcing work might seem like an alien concept to some business owners. After all, you’re paying someone to do work for you who isn’t directly part of your company—aren’t there some glaring problems with that?
Well, no. In fact, freelancing and outsourcing can help to grow your business more than it can harm it. Many professionals around the world that have access to a computer will be at your fingertips. They’re waiting for an opportunity to help you as long as you pay them money. While hiring new workers can be stressful, recruiting a freelancer or outsourcing work gives you far less to worry about.
Freelancers
It’s easy to find talented freelancers that are willing to do work for you. You pay them on a per-job basis so it’s not like you have to interview them and promise them working benefits with your company. You talk to them, give them a job, and it’s done. Just take a look online with a quick Google search and you’ll come across dozens of online services that act as middlemen between you and your next potential freelancer.
Need a logo designed? Absolutely no problem. Head online, find a freelancer, discuss what you want, pay them their price, then you get your logo delivered to you within a couple of days. There’s no hassle, freelancers are flexible, and there are thousands of them out there.
Some freelancers will come to you and pitch ideas. These are the brave ones, and it’s most common if you run an online or physical media publication such as a magazine or blog. They’ll usually pitch ideas for articles and columns, and you might be able to snag a good deal with amateur freelancers who are looking to improve their portfolio. Those kinds of freelancers are usually willing to work for less.
The amount you pay for a freelancer is a fraction of the costs involved when hiring a new employee. There’s no hassle, you are in constant contact, and you don’t always have to monitor what they are doing because they are trusted professionals who are perfectly capable of working on their own without much guidance. Of course, there are occasions when things can go wrong. You are relying on them to be productive, but if they miss deadlines, this can be a frustration. Still, you can use Upwork’s time tracker to monitor their progress, or a more advanced alternative to Upwork’s time tracker if you prefer.
Outsourcing
Outsourcing is the mostly same. You contact a company, you discuss things, and then they carry out your work that you specified. It’s simple, quick, and you don’t have to worry about hiring new employees that you need to keep around for months or years.
Outsourcing is slightly different because it’s usually a large corporation or company that handles all of the workers. Let’s say you run a medical practice and you need an extra employee for a while to help with finances. You could contact an outsourcing company and request a Medical Accountant. Chances are, they’ll have the perfect employee or team to suit your needs.
It’s a little more formal than hiring a freelancer. With a freelancer, you speak directly to the person who’s going to work for you, and with outsourcing your conversations will bounce between the worker and his or her employer. You’re also more likely to encounter entire teams of workers with outsourcing, especially if you request a big job whereas a freelancer is usually just a single person.
