How to hire a Freelancer for your business
Being an entrepreneur or business owner and expanding your business can be such an exciting thing - but no one tells you how scary it can be at the same time! From being a one-woman show to now owning a marketing and freelance agency, I know how intimidating it can be when you have to open yourself and your business up to other people: it’s your baby!
The decision to hire a freelancer becomes more than just an employer-employee situation, that freelancer becomes a part of your team and ultimately turns into a co-carer for your business, and that in itself can be an intimidating thought, but don’t worry - we’re here to take away that fear and let you know it’s actually super beneficial!
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How to hire a Freelancer for your business feat Shannon Paten
So on the podcast this week, I had Shannon (one of Content Queen’s freelancers and team members) on as a co-host to chat about the journey that both business owners and freelancers go on when joining the team and expanding the business!
We talked about both the experience from freelancers and the entrepreneur who is hiring freelancers, building an agency, boundary setting, delegating decisions and communication and so much more!
Platforms to find Freelancers
It’s great to be in the right place to expand your business - kudos to you! Now it’s time to start looking for a freelancer that is the right fit for you and your brand, how do you even know where to start looking?
If you have no idea where to start, there are so many platforms specifically designed for freelancers to promote their work - so why not start your search there? Platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer (yep, that’s the name of the platform) are awesome places to find qualified people that could join your team, you can even see what other people think of their work through reviews to get a good sense of what they can bring to the team. Quick fun fact, that’s where I started freelancing and it really gave me some awesome opportunities in a more traditional way to find work and connect with different people!
If traditional isn't your cup of tea though, guess what? We have social media to make up for that! This is where your connections and word of mouth are so important; they act as a guide to lead you in the direction of like-minded people that will suit you and your business goals well!
For example, Shannon and I got into contact through an old uni lecturer we both had and connected from there.
Just remember that you have so many resources around you, so explore all avenues and eventually, you will find the right freelancer for your business - don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and reach out, you may not find the person you want to work with straight away but networking is key if you are using social media over a traditional freelancer platform.
How to approach a Freelancer
Once you have found a freelancer that you think would align well with your business and, of course, work well with you, it’s time to connect!
If they have social media, explore their content and what they create - it will really show you the type of person they are and how they are showing up online. Not to mention they will appreciate you taking the time to show interest in what they do! Don’t be afraid to just send a message, introduce yourself and give them a bit of a rundown of your business, then once the initial connection is made, try to schedule a call or zoom meeting with them to get to know each other!
Remember that it doesn't just have to be all about business and contracts straight away, get to know them as a person as well and you’ll soon be able to tell if your relationship in working together will last!
Setting expectations with a Freelancer
Expectations and boundaries play a huge part in the freelancer/entrepreneur relationship, they really act as the glue and foundation of the work that will be built over the time you are coordinating. This is why it is so important to set these expectations early on!
For entrepreneurs: Make sure you are delegating decisions as well as tasks! As the business grows, of course, you want to be a big part of it all, which you still can be! But at the end of the day, there is no point delegating work for it to be done and then placed back on your desk for you to look over again - you aren't saving any time! Make sure you have established trust in your freelancer to make decisions for your business. Whether it’s writing captions for your IG and scheduling them or ghostwriting and finalising blogs, remember that trust goes a long way for both you and then freelancer, and sometimes giving up that control is a small sacrifice to make so you can focus on other things!
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How to hire a Freelancer for your business feat Shannon Paten
For freelancers: Don’t be afraid to actively ask questions to gain the trust of the entrepreneur! The more questions you ask, the more knowledge you gain so don’t think of it as annoying (because it never is), and be confident in the choices you make for the business. Although it can feel like a lot of pressure to finalise decisions, the entrepreneur has trusted you for a reason so stick to your guns and communicate openly to achieve the goals you have both sets.
It takes time to get in the groove of things and set up a good work process, but once you do it is totally worth it! Remember that expectations and boundary setting go both ways, so communicate often and trust in the goals you’ve set for where you want the brand to go!
PRO TIP: Be realistic with time
It’s important to keep in the back of your mind that although you are working towards a common goal, you are both individual people. In the beginning, allow more time for things: whether it is writing, messaging and replying, learning/teaching new things, or adopting a new platform, everyone works at different paces. Respect that about one another and just keep working at it!
The importance of setting and understanding boundaries
One of the most essential parts of a cooperative business relationship is boundary setting!
Everyone loves a good boundary! They help with so many aspects of business and can really allow your brand to thrive. We wanted to give you some tips on how you can implement boundaries and boundary setting into your own business to create those healthy expectations for both the business owner and freelancer!
Set times for messages/contacting hours. Even though it’s more often than not a remote working circumstance, there still needs to be that split between work and life so arrange times where messages and contacting stop for the day and simply continue the next day.
Avoid working weekends. Having work/life balance is essential, we are all humans and usually, work best after rest, so rather than sending emails over the weekend (because whether you want them to or not your freelancer will open them) schedule send them to go through on Monday instead! Easy peasy
Remember that working with someone new means that it is usually a very reactive relationship. Of course, the freelancer wants to impress you so they will respond very quickly and reply almost instantly to show they are engaged, just be mindful of this while setting expectations and boundaries.
Things to remember when hiring a freelancer
Through our experiences with hiring freelancers at Content Queen, here are some top tips to remember when looking to expand your business and bring in some new people to work with!
Make them feel a part of the team! It is more than just “I” now, it is a “we” so making them feel like one of the team is something super important to build that healthy and efficient workplace.
Communicate, communicate, communicate! Do this as much as possible to make sure goals are being reached, deadlines are met and, of course, you’re getting to know one another.
Most freelancers have other clients they are working for, so just keep that in mind when you're mapping out what you want them to do.
Remember that trust is HUGE! You need to be ready to trust when looking for someone to hire and be a part of your brand.
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How to hire a Freelancer for your business feat Shannon Paten
Final thoughts
If you’re ready to start looking for a freelancer and have most of the things in place, why not have a look at Content Queen, after all that's what we’re here for! We are a talented team of freelancers ready to help you with all of your business needs, so get connected with us today, and let’s work together!
We are talented creators. We are powerful communicators. We are all you need.