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Outsourcing Management 101: How to Manage Your Freelancers




Are you wanting to outsource some of the daily tasks in your company's business model, but unsure of how to manage them? Do you want to understand the best way to improve efficiency for the freelancers you work with?

If so, then you should look into different techniques for outsourcing management. This will help you better understand how to manage freelancers and help you decide if it’s a viable option for your business.

Just remember that the same business practices can be used for managing remote workers as well. See below for several tips on outsourcing management and how to best communicate with the freelancers that you have hired.

Define Your Goals

To get the most out of the freelancers that you hire, you need to focus on quality, not quantity. You don't have to hire several freelancers to accomplish a goal for your business, just one or two driven ones.

For example, say that one of your company's goals is to integrate search engine optimization tactics into your website, then you'll need a freelance writer to do so.

Rather than higher an entire team, find one experienced writer (to start) who can give your brand the attention it needs. As your company grows and you start to see more results with your SEO, you can add more writers to cover different topics if necessary.

If you're unsure of what goals to start with, use your business plan as a reference. This will help you refine what you're setting out to accomplish and what type of freelancers you need to do so.

Set a Budget

With all of the talent that's out there via the freelance market, it's never easy to pick and choose between the eligible freelancers. They all have vastly different experiences that can help your company excel.

To keep your freelancers at a manageable headcount, you should begin by setting a budget. This will keep you accountable for hiring no more than the number you need to get the job done.

Having a budget will also help you understand the level of expertise that you can afford out in the freelance market. The more experience a freelancer has, the more that they will charge for their services.

Using the previous example, say you're interested in hiring two freelance writers to cover different topics for your company's blog. You look at your company's finances and find a budget of $4,800 annually to be placed towards your writing needs.

When defining your goals, you decided that you wanted 4 articles written each month, 1 each week. If you divide your budget of $4,800 by 12 (months of the year), then 4 (number of articles each month), you have a budget of $100 per article.

That really is the best place to start if you’re determined to stay within budget. Any ads you place online looking for writers will have a price range within your budget which will save you a great deal of time when sorting through applicants.

However, remember that you truly do get what you pay for so at times, paying a little more can mean a huge jump in quality of work.

Stay Flexible

It's important to realize that the freelancers you hire don't work for you. Odds are that they have many other clients that they need to meet the needs of as well.

For that reason, you need to be a bit more flexible with them than you would with someone who works for you directly. As long as you offer competitive rates and wiggle room, the freelancer will want to continue working with you on other projects.

Set the Expectation

To get the most out of the relationships you build with the freelancers you've hired, you need to set the expectation from the get-go.

For example, if you're just looking to hire a freelancer for a one-off project, then communicate that in the recruiting process. If you're hoping for a long-term working relationship then tell them there's long-term work for those that do a great job.

More importantly, define what a "good job" looks like in your eyes. How can they represent your brand in the best light? What are your expectations for them when they perform projects for you?

Be sure to streamline communication with your freelancers. Using channels such as Slack, email, and Skype to keep the conversation with your team fluent. The more engaged you are, the more they'll prioritize your projects.

I worked with a lot of freelancers when we decided to rebrand my agency Bubblegum Casting and setting clearly defined expectations was key to getting the project over the line.

So make sure that you’re absolutely clear and what you and the freelancer can both expect from your working relationship.

Set Deadlines for Projects In Increments

Since the freelancer you've hired is balancing projects with other companies as well, you want to set a realistic timeline for it to be completed.

Be sure to sit down with them and discuss what that looks like. How much time does it typically take for them to complete such a project? When does your company need it by? Is there a way to meet in the middle?

One helpful way to ensure you get the completed project by the timeline you need is by setting "deadlines" for different increments of the project.

If you want the project completed in a month, set smaller deadlines for each week. That way, they'll meet your deadline as long as they keep up with the small increments that you've set. It can also help you keep track of their work.

Now that you have seen several different methods for outsourcing management, be sure to use them with the freelance workers that you hire because trust me, these will save you a lot of time and money in the long run.


 

Author Bio: Adam Jacobs is the incredibly busy Managing Director of Bubblegum Casting and Hunter Talent.

He works with some of Australia's biggest brands, media properties, and agencies to secure talented children to work in Television, Film, and Modelling roles. They've recently launched an office in LA too.

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