(Last Updated On: February 18, 2023)

Key Points:

• Hiring a Freelancer is cost-effective, and less expensive than hiring an additional employee.
• Hiring a Freelancer is safe, and there are many different 3rd-party platforms to enhance the safety of your experience.
• Hiring a Freelancer is a great way to reduce your workflow, and give you more flexibility to find the best person for your next project.

As of now, there are approximately 1.1 billion Freelancers on the planet today. That means that around 31% of the total workforce worldwide. That means many businesses will eventually hire a Freelancer.

In fact, studies suggest that this number is expected to grow significantly in 2022. 

Before you hire a professional freelancer for your business, you might have a couple of questions:

• Is hiring a Freelancer safe?
• How much will a Freelancer cost?
• Is hiring a Freelancer right for me?

Coming from someone who has been Freelancing for small and large companies for almost a decade, I will answer all of these questions and then some on How to Hire a Freelancer

Ready to succeed?

Let’s jump in! 

Is Hiring a Freelancer Safe?

Is Freelancing a legitimate outsourcing option for your business?

The short answer here is, yes! 

Freelancing is generally safe.  

The business term “Freelancer” has become a well-known phrase thrown around the corporate world ever since the popularity of the concept began to skyrocket in the early 2000s. 

Over time, many Freelancing marketplaces began to emerge such as Upwork and Guru making outsourcing easier than ever before. 

While hiring a freelancer is generally safe, it’s always best to vet out your Freelancer before setting up a contract. 

Vetting includes:

• Interviewing was conducted remotely via phone, zoom, Google meet, etc. 
• Doing a paid test run (this is common for ghostwriters)
• Asking for references, reviews, or other social proof of experience and skill level
• Looking through samples or through a portfolio

With that said, I’ve had my fair share of clients over the years.  

And contracts help to provide a safe and reliable experience for both parties. 

As most professionals would agree, a verbal or written agreement before beginning work is highly recommended. 

Additionally, as a Freelancer myself, I also feel that having a clear understanding of business goals before signing on as an independent contractor is a great way to lay out a foundation for a lasting, long-term business relationship. 

If you are considering hiring a Freelancer, always make sure you know exactly what you need from them, have a clear vision to make it happen, and provide a way for direct communication. 

This is the key to success! 

How to Hire a Freelancer

A freelancer is an outsourced employee that works for themselves instead of working under a company. 

Freelancers file as independent contractors and rely on income from completing tasks for a variety of clients. 

This is usually performed remotely. 

For example, many blogs hire Freelancers from all over the world to ghostwrite blog posts. 

This helps bloggers have more time to focus on other business-related work rather than writing out articles.  

In fact, U.S. businesses outsource about 300,000 jobs every year! 

As I briefly mentioned above, Freelancers can be found on platforms such as:

• FreeUp
• iWriter
• Guru
• Upwork
• ProBlogger
• Freelancer

These platforms provide a platform with safe payment options for the completion of work.

Many content creators outsource projects like animation, writing, illustration, design, and video editing. 

For example, the first step is contact. 

You can post a job listing on any of the above job boards and let the talent come to you. 

Remember to mark your job listing as “Freelance or by Contract”.

Finally, your Freelancer will see something similar to this:

You will receive hundreds of applications if your job reaches the right crowd. 

Additionally, the last step would then be to decide which Freelancer is best for your project. 

Is Hiring a Freelancer Expensive?

CNBC did a study in 2019 that found that while Freelancers have an average rate of $20 dollars an hour, overall Freelancers doing skilled services can earn an average rate of $28 dollars an hour. 

That means that Freelancers earn more per hour than 70% of workers in the U.S. economy. 

With that said, hiring an experienced Freelancer is more cost-effective than hiring an additional employee.

Here’s why:

If you were to hire a full-time or even part-time employee, not only would you have to pay hourly, but you would also have to shell out additional money for employee expenses.

Freelancers usually work hourly or are paid per project or milestone. 

If you have a project that will take 10 hours to complete once every month, then you would only pay a Freelancer who charges $20 an hour, $200 a month. 

Whereas, an employee would cost a lot more. 

Not only that, Freelancers are usually skilled in a variety of areas and have the experience that an average employee may not have. 

Such as my personal favorite, SEO blog writing. 

Why You Should Outsource Your Next Project

As I mentioned above, companies that outsource do it because it’s super cost-effective. 

Actually, around 59% of businesses that outsource say that saving money is the number one reason behind their decision.

A reduction in labor spending and operation is the biggest benefit of hiring a Freelancer. 

Other great advantages include improved efficiency, freeing up some office resources, and mitigating any risks of mistakes on difficult projects.

When and why should you hire a Freelancer?

When you need a short-term or difficult project completed that you don’t have the time or skills for. 

Another reason you should hire a Freelancer is that doing so gives you more flexibility. 

You can hire someone for your task, and for the next one, you can decide to continue working with your current Freelancer, or move on to another one who is more qualified. 

This helps you pick the best of the best. 

It also gives you more control over hiring different experts that best meet each project’s needs and requirements. 

For example, before I began writing SEO content, I was Freelancing as a lead generation expert. 

I welcomed new leads with the hopes of converting them into sales. I would offer a free trial and then offer a more expensive service. 

Anyone can do this job given the right script.

However, not every new business had a proven script, process, and strategy.

That’s where I came in, I would design an appointment-setting strategy to help convert new leads. 

My target audience was small businesses just getting started because it allowed me to provide much-needed conversions to businesses who don’t know how to make first-time contact with a fresh lead. 

Not everyone has the same experience levels and skills, that’s why businesses outsource positions like:

• Website creation
• Content creation
• SEO Blog writing
• Graphic design
• Assets and copy for content marketing
• Marketing 
• Customer service
• Virtual assistants
• Lead generation

Hire a Freelancer: Can it Help Your Business Thrive?

Business owners have to have tight control over their brands, which is why many companies choose not to outsource their core business positions. 

With that said, at least 70% of British B2B companies are outsourcing key business operations right now.

Regardless of the “titled position,” important tasks that need a different skill set should be handed over to Freelancers. 

In fact, according to an Upwork survey conducted in 2017, 55% of companies are using Freelancers and this is only expected to increase rapidly over time.  

Given this information, businesses will become more likely to rely on Freelancers in the near future.

Furthermore, here are some additional benefits of hiring a Freelancer:

• The advantage over your competitors
• Budget-friendly
• Access to a wider variety of top talent
• Quicker turnaround time
• The dedicated team focusing on one project
• Fresh eyes
• New strategic partners
• Help you reach a larger audience

Let’s Wrap it Up!

Before hiring a Freelancer, do some research and always follow your gut! 

Hiring a Freelance expert can increase customer retention and help you free up time so you can participate in important networking events and complete other top priorities. 

Lastly, outsourcing is a strategic partnership between you and your Freelancer. 

Contact me today so we can succeed together!

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