4 REASONS TO CONSIDER HIRING A FREELANCER

The freelance economy is booming: 57 million people, about 36% of Americans, now do freelance work - that’s up from about 42 million in 2004 and that number is expected to grow over the years to come. And that trend especially holds true in the creative economy where digital marketing, UX/UI design, and software development professionals are taking advantage of the benefits freelancing has to offer, such as the freedom to work remotely, set their hours, and improve their work-life balance.

For businesses, hiring creative freelance talent also presents some compelling advantages. Here are four reasons to consider hiring a freelancer:

FLEXIBILITY

Your website needs revamping, your SEO needs optimization, or your social media

content is sparse - all projects that require creative talent, but perhaps your budget is

tenuous, or you’re not sure if you have enough work to justify bringing on a full-time

employee. Legitimate concerns for sure, but that shouldn’t stop you from investing in the

talent you need to grow. By hiring a freelancer, you can test the waters with a candidate

while having a fixed end date. If you’re happy with the value your freelancer brings value

to your business, fantastic - you can extend their contract or even wrap them up with a

full-time offer if they’re really killing it! However, if your budget changes, project work

wanes, or their performance doesn’t match your expectations, you can let their contract

expire.

COST

When you hire a contractor, you cut out expenses that come with hiring employees

Including FICA taxes, Unemployment, Workers Compensation. If you’re a smaller

company, limiting your payroll size can also help you manage healthcare costs.

As of this writing, businesses with under 50 employees are not subject to penalties if

they do not offer health benefits under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Having eliminated commute-related costs, freelancers who work from home can also save you money by offering you a lower rate, especially if they’re living outside high-rent areas.

EFFICIENCY

Creative freelancers have expertise in their field and are used to working with minimal

supervision, which minimizes the amount of time you’ll spend training them. In addition,

because a freelancer’s income depends on the number of projects they do, there is a

bonafide incentive for them work as efficiently as possible so they can move onto the

next project.

QUALITY

Top creative professionals are increasingly choosing to avail themselves of the

flexibility offered by freelance work. What’s more, they have a strong incentive to

produce stellar work on each project, since their reputation and ability to generate repeat

business depend on it.

Top freelance marketing and creative talent is out there, however, finding them can be

tedious and frustrating. If you’re currently looking to hire digital marketers, UX/UI

designers, Front End Developers, or other creative professionals, and want to save

yourself time and energy, consider working with a boutique creative and marketing recruiting agency that has their finger on the pulse of the industry.