The days of hiring workers for a solid 40 hours per week are dwindling fast. Today’s business owners understand the value of outsourcing certain tasks without the overhead associated with payrolled employees. If you’re just getting started or are finally ready to expand your operations, there are a few freelancers that can help propel your business to a place of success. Keep reading for five part-time professionals whose work will provide full-time benefits.
Looking for advice on financial planning and wealth management? Check out the blog and podcast at Average Joe Finances!
Where Are They Hiding?
Fifteen years ago, freelance, or contract, employees often kept their employment status hush. They were afraid of being dubbed “chronically unemployed,†a stigma that’s hard to shake. Today, however, there are more than 56 million freelancers in the US. And although, as Spend Matters’ JP Morris reports, this is 600,000 fewer than in 2017, it’s nearly 4 million more independents than in 2014.
With so many self-employed individuals, you are likely to bump into a freelancer pretty much every day. But when it is time to hire one, your best bets are to utilize websites like Upwork, which specialize in connecting business owners to part-time pros, or reaching out within your own professional network for recommendations.
But don’t limit yourself to freelancers inside the US — there are people from around the world who can help you with your business. If you’re worried about how you would pay these people for their services, don’t fret — you can use websites to help you make sure your freelancers are properly compensated.
But which freelancers do you really need? Your situation is unique, but most small business owners can benefit from those listed below.
Social Media Marketing
A social media marketer ensures that your brand is visible across all social platforms. They will work with you to create marketing campaigns that will hopefully go viral. This job entails much more than simply posting a photo on Instagram or adding a Facebook event. An experienced social media expert will dive deep into your demographics to cater to those customers using each platform. More than that, they will have the skill to identify deficiencies in your online marketing strategy and create engaging and alluring content to appeal to a new customer set.
Virtual Assistant
A virtual assistant is an individual who can take over tasks such as customer service, time management, appointment scheduling, and administrative support. A virtual assistant can update your company’s databases, proofread documents, invoice customers, and may even work with your social media person to ensure that your network profiles are up to date. There are many experienced virtual assistants available online, and some specialize in working in a specific industry, such as health care, real estate, or human resources. Your VA can handle everyday tasks so that you can focus on productivity.
Web Design
VeriSign lists five reasons why having a website is important. The most compelling of these is that you can gain more customers and therefore earn more money. When it’s time to revitalize your online image, find a freelance web developer to get the job done for you. This is a person who can make your site visually pleasing and user-friendly. One thing to ensure your web designer prioritizes is online accessibility. You can hire a service to create a caption for your videos that your web designer can add to your content, which will make it more appealing to people with hearing impairments or those who can’t turn up the volume. This is a less expensive and quicker alternative to having your IT contractors or staff transcribe audio content.
Product Photography
When your business is highly visible online, and especially when you have an e-commerce shop, the photos that you present to the world are crucial to your success. Shopify explains that consumers are visual people. This means that pictures have more sway than words when we are shopping. When you outsource product photography, your products are presented in a much more attractive way. Your photographer will understand everything from hue and saturation to photo composition. These and other elements come together to create photos that accurately represent your products. Remember, your images are vital pieces of the online shopping puzzle for buyers who can’t physically hold the object they desire.
Copywriting
While pictures are powerful at the point of sale, the words you use on your website, brochures, banners, blog, and emails also contribute to your business’s success. When words are not your forte, or you simply do not have time to create, revise, edit, and release engaging copy, a copywriter can step in. Strictly speaking, a copywriter is one who writes text. In today’s digital world, this usually refers to words written for the internet. But it is not as simple as simply writing a few paragraphs that grab attention. A copywriter will understand the appropriate length for your platform and purpose, the difference between a formal and casual piece, and readability. If you utilize SEO, look for a copywriter that specializes in search engine optimization.
One Last Business Consideration
Now that you’re equipped with suggestions for freelancers, there’s still one important thing to consider for your business: formation. Have you chosen a structure and taken all the legal steps to get it established? If not, now’s a good time to work on this. If you’re not sure which structure is best for your business, consider an LLC, which offers flexibility for growing your business while keeping your personal assets protected. You can find more information about LLC formation in ZenBusiness’s article on how to start a business in Hawaii, and you might consider hiring a formation service so that the process doesn’t feel overwhelming.
No matter how big or small your business, there are freelancers at-the-ready who can tackle your most pressing problems. Finding the right contractors will improve your overall productivity and allow you to focus on the areas of your company where you are most efficient. From product photographers to virtual assistants, your freelancer is out there waiting. Don’t be afraid of snapping them up because your competition certainly is not.