When you are a small or medium-sized business, all the expenses you incur for professional services can quickly mount up and affect your bottom line, threatening your future and your ability to do what you’re good at. That’s why it’s always important to look for smarter ways to operate, which will save money and help you find new opportunities for growth, expansion, or diversification.
Top 5 reasons why SMEs should hire a freelancer
#1- Pay-as-you-go flexibility
Coupled up with the fact that freelancers are ultimately less costly than hiring permanent staff is also the flexibility they offer.
You can hire a freelancer only during periods of growth or when you need their services for specific projects or when you need a very specialist skill such as a copywriter for your ad campaign or a photographer for a photoshoot to showcase your products, etc.
Then, when business is slow, you can easily reduce your spending on freelance platforms such as Fiverr, where you only pay per order without any commitment or minimum spending.
This flexibility is mutual, as the freelancers themselves also prefer to work on a variety of projects which ensures they gain varied experiences and can contribute with more innovative and out-of-the-box solutions to their clients.
#2: Put in a continuous effort
The ability to employ freelancers who work for you and your company while you sleep is one of the many benefits of the global gig economy, including access to expertise globally. You can always find a skilled expert to do it right away, whether you need a rapid turnaround on an investor deck the following morning, someone to update your email template, or you need to begin a social media campaign right away to sell more shares.
Additionally, although having dependable and trustworthy personnel is fantastic, you won’t be improving your employer’s reputation if you continue giving them last-minute assignments, particularly after hours, when a copywriter or developer in a different time zone would be more than delighted to assist.
#3 – Professionals with experience
You may obtain access to a highly skilled pool of experts in many fields if you pick the correct freelancer(s) by defining the proper goals and looking at various platforms. This is a huge advantage, particularly in a VUCA (Volatile Uncertain Complex Ambiguous) environment where small businesses can’t succeed if they simply depend on tried-and-true techniques.
Employing a freelancer with the correct skill set can help you remain ahead of the competition despite the difficulties and ongoing changes, even if you spend a lot in training your personnel.
#4: Managing limited resources
When beginning a firm, it’s important to keep your goals focused and your expenses as low as possible as you expand. However, even once you get traction and begin to pay certain people, it may be challenging to grow by adding additional full-time, permanent personnel. As a result, hiring a freelancer can help you save expenses while still obtaining a wide range of expertise and experience without making a lengthy commitment.
#5 – Freelancing is the future
According to data, not just in the US but also in the UK and Europe, the overall share of freelancers as a fraction of the entire employment is consistently increasing.
Better mobility, a rise in the number of home-based and digital nomad workers, as well as the tendency among younger generations to desire to expand their skill sets and not settle for working for a single company are just a few of the reasons that have had a significant impact on the trend.
The situation varies by the nation in Europe. It is constantly improving for several occupations, including graphic and web designers, copywriters and editors, photographers, SEO consultants, and many more in the top 20 most popular Google searches.
Cast a broad net.
To get the necessary assistance at the right price and within the anticipated delivery period, you may cast your net as widely as you want after you’ve identified the talent shortages in your company or have a particular long- or short-term project in mind.
To locate a solid freelancer match, make sure you know what’s essential to you. Questions about talents, experience, portfolio, and references from previous customers are all appropriate.
Start small if you’re concerned that you could make the incorrect pick. Then, if you’ve developed a strong network of freelancers or discovered the appropriate one for you, stick with them as they grow to be an integral part of your company.
Remember that every freelancer is also an entrepreneur, so you may find that you have more in common than you anticipated. Use this to your advantage, and everyone will benefit.
