by Sharon Redd
Forgoing or minimizing an office space and full-time staff can save lots of money and open up the pool of talent you can access. Freelancing is on the rise, with statistics showing there are 57 million freelancers in the US alone. So, finding talent shouldn’t be a massive challenge if you know where to look. Thankfully, there are plenty of places to find helpful information on getting your business up and running. Here are some ways to build a great team of freelancers and manage them effectively.
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Handling Administrative Tasks
To prepare for your new team, it is helpful to get organized and handle administrative tasks beforehand. This will prevent you from feeling like you must play catch up later. One thing to consider is forming an LLC that will give you limited liability and other benefits like tax advantages and less paperwork. State regulations differ when forming an LLC, so be sure to check the rules in your state before you proceed. Instead of hiring a lawyer, consider using a formation service that will handle the work for you while saving you money.
Knowing Where to Look
Searching for candidates online is easy and affordable, thanks to the popularity of online job boards and websites. Many sites are centered solely around freelancers, which will help you weed out those looking for traditional positions. You can look at applicants’ reviews, typical delivery time, and price range to see if they will be a good fit for your company or project. You can find software developers for your project or other types of freelancers like writers and graphic designers, depending on your needs.
There can be a lot of paperwork when handling new hires, so handling PDFs properly is usually a necessity. A free online converter can help with this. With this tool, you can change PDFs into Docx files or Word documents while preserving formatting.
Perfecting Communication
Outstanding communication is one of the cornerstones of any thriving business and is even more important when you lack in-person meetings or daily facetime. You don’t have to sacrifice clear, concise communication when dealing with remote work, though. Collaborative software, video tools, and screen sharing all allow for you to plainly demonstrate tasks and ideas whether you are across town or the world.
Although real-time video conferencing is a commonly used tool, one alternative is running asynchronous meetings with the help of video software where you can record yourself and distribute it to the team. You can also run these meetings without video using tools like Slack and Trello. This type of communication is great for introverts and others who have a more challenging time speaking up in formal meetings.
To run a successful asynchronous meeting, set an agenda and make sure to include those necessary to the project. Make sure there is room for people to add feedback so everyone can participate, and clearly set guidelines for the type of correspondence that happens in each section of each tool you are using. This will keep your team organized and keep everyone’s inboxes from being flooded with notifications.
The tips above will help you find and manage an excellent freelance team no matter where they are located. You can find a huge variety of freelancers through online job boards—remember to carefully look at reviews, references, and individual processes to see if someone is the right fit for your business. Staying organized and communicating clearly is key to running projects smoothly.
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