In order to make your cooperation work, it might be useful to learn how to manage freelancers. Are you curious how to manage freelancers? Read the article below containing our advice. If you put it into practice, you will realise that working with freelancers can be more effective than ever!
Useful tips to manage freelancers in a more effective way
1. Optimise the time spent on contract preparation
Preparing the contracts for freelancers you work with can be a demanding and time-consuming task. There are however a few ways to optimise this tedious process.
- Consider preparing a few contract templates in advance. When needed, they can be adjusted to a certain project. Thanks to that you will save some time instead of preparing your contracts from scratch each time you want to work with a freelancer.
- If you want to make sure that your contracts are legally compliant and protect your interests, consult a lawyer to get assurance that the contract is comprehensive and protects both parties. A lawyer will also help you with customising a contract so that it fits your project.
- Be innovative – one of the ways to ensure that is using a platform that helps you with billing when it comes to freelancers. Useme.com is a popular website that takes care of all the formalities, e.g. drawing up contracts, proper classification of work or legal compliance. When you work with freelancers using Useme, you do not need a legal or accounting department, but you do get the assurance that your cooperation is legal. At the end, you also get a tax invoice.To start cooperating with freelancers via Useme, all you have to do is invite them to our platform by requesting an invoice for the work that needs to be done. Your freelancers upload the work to Useme. We issue a tax invoice on behalf of your freelancers.
2. Take care of secure payments
Secure payments are crucial to managing freelancers – after all you do want to make sure that the service you have paid for is going to be performed, don’t you? One of the tools that can help you with that is Escrow from Useme. How does this service work and how can it be useful if you want to manage freelancers?
Escrow is a modern and innovative mechanism which allows secure payments between both clients and freelancers. Here is how it works step by step:
- Set payment terms – commissioner and freelancer decide on the payment terms in a specific project;
- Deposit the funds – as a commissioner you deposit the funds for the freelancer’s pay on the Useme platform. Please note that the payment is not transferred to the freelancers straight away;
- Wait – while the freelancer works on the project and eventually delivers their work;
- Approve the project – you give approval to the freelancer’s work. Once this condition is fulfilled, the money will be paid out to them.
This system allows both parties to be sure that the terms and conditions of the contract are met and that the payment goes through according to your agreement. You do not need to nag your freelancer about the upcoming deadline – Useme will do that for you. In the meantime you can focus on other aspects of running your business.
3. Communicate
As an entrepreneur you probably realise the importance of communication when you want to manage freelancers successfully. The best way to do that is to be open about your requirements, expectations and deadlines from the very start of the onboarding process. By keeping in touch with your freelancer you will be able to follow the project’s progress, come up with solutions if any problems arise, and simply maintain a good business relationship. In responding to your freelancer’s questions, be systematic and make sure that your answers are both comprehensive and relevant.
4. Build long-term relationships
If you are happy with the way your freelancers work, consider establishing a long-term cooperation. A team of freelancers who know the specific of your work and its key principles can be a very valuable business asset. Having a go-to freelancer team will prevent you from wasting time on looking for a person or agency to work with in any new projects.
5. Monitor progress
If you want to know how to manage freelancers, remember, that control is actually a vital part of the process. If you have access to any, use tools that monitor progress on your projects. With their use you will be able to check if the work is moving according to your plan and identify any delays. It is better to divide larger projects into stages – after each milestone you will get the impression that the project is moving forward.
6. Understand the freelance industry
One thing you may need to realise is that the best freelancers rarely suffer from a shortage of work. Many employers know the advantages of hiring freelancers. On the contrary, they have numerous projects and assignments to stay busy with. If need be, be prepared to compromise especially when it comes to paying freelancers and deciding about the best rate.
On your part, make sure that the payments are on time and in accordance with your agreement – Useme can be of help in this aspect. Bear in mind that although hiring a freelancer is usually more budget-friendly than having a full-time employee, it is not the best practice to offer below-market rates. Poor pay often equals poor quality. Do you want your freelancer to deliver solid results? Pay for it!
7. Never skip feedback
Give your freelancers feedback regularly – this will elevate your relationship to a new level and improve the quality of your projects. Your feedback should be concise, clear and constructive. Avoid any personal arguments – focus on being professional instead. Evaluation of the results is particularly important in building a fixed team of freelancers. Noticing the mistakes helps eliminate them in the long run, and that will save a lot of time that can be used on something more productive – both for you as well as your freelancer.
We hope that now you know how to manage freelancers
Working with them can be efficient and effective, but some tools and strategies are worth using in the process. Optimising the contract preparation, safe payments and proper work management are just some of the elements of a successful commissioner-freelancer relationship.
