We recently ran a story about how Danish couple Mikkel Jersin and Julie Karla were able to build a team of freelancers on Freelancer.com. Through the site, they were able to hire a developer, a translator, a writer, SEO specialists, and an illustrator, all of whom helped them put together a Nordic food website called Karlasnordickitchen.com. The employers were from Denmark, while the freelancers came from different countries (Canada, Romania, Nigeria, India, and Pakistan). Despite the international nature of the project, it was completed at minimal cost.
It may seem daunting to try to put together a team of freelancers that you only know by name, resume, and what they send out on the Internet, but it’s actually a breeze. Here’s how.
Create a reputable employer profile.
Before you send the word out that you’re hiring, you have to make sure you have a good profile that applicants can trust. An empty profile page or company website can seem suspicious, so try to share some information about you or your company and what you do. Your reputation as an employer plays a big part in getting quality job bids.
Figure out what you need done.
If you have this huge project that you need a lot of help with, you need to break it down into chunks. Dividing the work into parts will help you figure out what kind of freelancers you need and what tasks you are to give them.
Hire people with specialized skills.
When you have an enormous goal to conquer, it’s easy to go for the person who has a general skill set and seems to be capable of everything. The thing is, such a big project requires specialized knowledge for specific tasks. If you’re making a lifestyle website for instance, you might need a web developer, a writer, a graphic designer, and maybe even a photographer. Don’t post one project and say you need someone to help you come up with a lifestyle website. Post the ads by task instead.
One of the best things to happen to outsourcing is the emergence of a global network of freelancers ready to work at a moment’s notice. Use it to your advantage and don’t limit your hiring to just one country or one industry. The world is at your fingertips, and tapping into a resource like Freelancer.com will help you find the exact people you’re looking for.
Ready to build your dream team? Start posting projects!