The rise of freelancing has been a boon for entrepreneurs who need to meet deadlines and keep their company afloat.
If you’re an entrepreneur, there’s a good chance you’re always looking for ways to save money and get the most bang for your buck. You might be tempted to try and do everything yourself, but with so much on your plate, it’s not always feasible. That’s where freelancers come in. There are tons of great websites where you can find talented freelancers—like graphic designers, copywriters, programmers or virtual assistants—to help you with your business needs. So if you’re in need of some assistance, these great websites have got you covered!
Upwork
You’ve probably heard of Upwork (formerly known as oDesk). Upwork is the work marketplace that connects businesses with independent talent. The website is divided into two sections: a “Find Work” section and a “Find Talent” section. The “Find Talent” section is where entrepreneurs will find all of the freelancers who have registered on the site. You can search for freelancers based on their skills, location, hourly rate and more. As for the “Find Work” section, it is where your job listings are posted so that freelancers can apply to them.
Upwork also offers a range of features that make it easy to hire and work with freelancers, including:
- A messaging system that you can communicate with ‌freelancers directly
- A payment system that allows employers to pay freelancers online for their work
- A time tracking system that tracks the progress of your projects
- Business clients may subscribe to Upwork Plus (US$499/ month) or Business (US$499/ month) tier, which offer dedicated account management and reports. An Enterprise option, which provides contracting and onboarding features, is also available in custom quotes.
Overall, Upwork is a nice option for entrepreneurs looking to hire freelancers. However, entrepreneurs hiring from Upwork need to know that the website takes 20% of your payment as a commission fee. So if you hire a freelancer on Upwork and pay them US$100, Upwork will take US$20 off the top. This percentage can vary from 20%, 10% and 5% depending on the total amount billed with a client. Also, Upwork charges employers a 2.75% transaction fee per invoice.
Fiverr
Fiverr connects companies with professional freelancers delivering digital services in over 400 categories across eight verticals, including graphic design, digital marketing, programming, video, and animation.
Entrepreneurs should be aware that on the website, freelancers are referred to as “sellers”, whose services are known as “gigs”, and company owners are referred to as “buyers”. You can search for freelancers by category or location.
Aside from that, entrepreneurs may purchase a range of things to help their company expand, such as stock photographs, e-books, software and more. All of these items are available for purchase using Fiverr credits, which can be obtained for free by employing freelancers on the website or by promoting Fiverr on social media.
For entrepreneurs looking to use Fiverr to hire freelancers, you must know:
- In order to use the site, sellers may sign up for free, post their gigs and establish their own rates instead of putting out bids. Meanwhile, buyers may easily browse through various product categories to make a purchase.
- When a customer purchases a gig, the website charges their commission and places the money on hold. The system charges a commission fee, and freelancers keep 80% of each transaction.
Freelancer.com
Freelancer.com is a freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace. They connect employers and freelancers from 247 countries, regions and territories worldwide. Entrepreneurs may use this website to hire freelancers to do work ranging from writing, data entry, software development and design to engineering, sales and marketing, accounting and legal services.
Entrepreneurs looking to use Freelancer.com should know that:
- Posting a job on Freelancer is completely free. In addition to paying the worker the agreed-upon wage, Freelancer charges a fixed fee of 3% for each assignment. This is somewhat more than Upwork (2.75 %).
- If you require help selecting a freelancer, you may pay an extra US$19 per job posting for a service.
When’s the right time to hire a freelancer?
Freelancing is the new gig economy, and it’s not just for coders or graphic designers anymore. For entrepreneurs, you might want to consider hiring freelancers because it is more cost-effective than hiring full-time workers, especially if your business is project-based; freelancers are usually experts in their fields, and they are ready to work immediately without trials and training.
However, looking for freelancers for assistance may be a huge business decision for many entrepreneurs. After all, you can’t just hire freelancers for everything. The following may be appropriate positions and scenarios for hiring a freelancer:
- Any position—like a copywriter, a designer, a social media marketer, an online consultant—for a project that can be outsourced, especially if it isn’t part of your core services but is important to your company’s growth.
- Freelancing is also an excellent option for your business’s temporary jobs or one-time assignments.
- You don’t teach your pie maker how to develop a new website when you really need a professional. Outsource these responsibilities to someone who already understands what they’re doing.
Hope that these websites will be helpful for you. Make sure to explore them and find the best freelancer for your needs!
Good luck with building your business empire.
Header image courtesy of Freepik
