The world has embraced the phenomenon of online shopping like never before in the past few years. People have started buying food, medicines, grocery, electric equipment, furniture from online stores. If that wasn’t all, now you can do your job through online sources. The trend has expanded its wings over the whole world. Just like in the real world, you will also find the top quality human resource and below-quality professionals in the online world.
It is challenging to find a freelancer who is well-equipped with the requirements of working from home and is well-qualified to deliver the best quality work. This article offers you some of the most effective tips to find the best home-based freelancers for your next project.
How to Post a Project on Freelance Platforms?
As a client, it is imperative to know what you want from a freelancer. It would allow you to state all your requirements in a clear way on the job boards. Your search for a top-quality freelancer starts with the set of requirements for your project. You need to specifically explain the qualities you are looking for in the right candidate. The project description must include all of the basic requirements. For example, if you need an English article writer, there is no harm in limiting the job to the English native speakers. You should also make sure not to limit your budget strictly. Remember, you get what you are paying for. If you are paying a drastically low fee, better expect to get a low quality of work.
Ways to Choose the Right Applicant
It sounds quite easier but in fact, this is the toughest part in selecting the right candidate. This is the part where the freelancer’s profile, portfolio, previous work, reviews, ratings, and response rate can help you out in making the right decision.
If you have any concerns about a particular candidate, it is always better to discuss them with the prospective candidate. It will also help you in evaluating the candidate’s responsiveness. Also, consider the previous work especially if it is similar to the task you need. Like if you need a graphic designer, yet most the reviews are for video editing, you shouldn’t use their feedback to determine if the candidate is the best fit for you. You should use your judgment about the potential of the freelancer who can help you in your project.
Stick to the Timelines
There should be no excuse for your project not to be done on the timelines that have been agreed by both parties. If you show too much leniency, you will find yourself taken advantage of every time. Shady freelancers are on every platform and they don’t hesitate in making lame excuses. The more you allow them to present excuses, the more often it will happen. It is always better to agree on penalty or deduction on freelancer in case of delay in completing the project.
Don’t Lose Good Freelancers
If you get a chance to work with a good freelancer, make sure you have his or her contact details on your file. It would allow you to contact the tested freelancer for your future projects. Finding good freelancers doesn’t happen every day and this is why you should build strong relations with them. Repeating business with the same freelancer is good for both the client and freelancer as you already have a mutual trust and comfort level. Building a good relationship can help you in getting higher quality work in a timely manner.
Let’s take a look at some of the best freelance marketplaces are listed below.
Upwork
Upwork is a merger of oDesk and Elance. Both these platforms are considered as pioneers of the freelancer industry. Now Upwork itself is one of the world’s largest and well-known freelance marketplace.
At Upwork, freelancers create their profiles, add their skills and experiences, along with their portfolios and professional job histories. Similarly, clients post projects with their details and what they need freelances to do to complete their tasks.
Freelancers submit proposals that they are interested in. Clients evaluate their proposals, portfolio, job history, and reviews from other clients, and choose the one that suits their needs.
Guru
Guru is a company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It emerged in 2001 and is currently catering more to the US freelancers. This platform is designed to attract more expert clients rather than catering to lots of cheap listings. This workroom lets clients easily manage all sorts of jobs.
Toptal
Toptal is a freelance marketplace for experienced and seasoned freelancers. It has a distinctive approach as compared to other platforms. This platform pays around $50 to $250 per hour to the freelancers. The selection process requires proper interviews and better checks. There you can get freelancers for your finance and software or application development. Skillbridge, another freelance marketplace, was acquired by Toptal in 2016.
Fiverr
Fiverr is yet another freelance services provider platform where you can get writers, designers, producers, photographers, even fortune tellers. All jobs posted on Fiverr might cost you $5 or above. If you are in search of micro-jobs, for example, writing or editing a few articles or customization in WordPress websites, this platform must be visited to get a better solution. This marketplace is super simple and can be very profitable if you find some of the top-rated freelancers.
Freelancer
Freelancer is very much similar to Upwork. You can create a freelancer profile and start posting jobs for freelancers. This platform boasts above 29 million clients and freelancers as of 2019. It works best for those who prefer working off and on to get their feet wet in the freelance community.
People Per Hour
People Per Hour is a UK-based platform for outsourcing tasks, offering entirely different listings. It is more inclined towards design and software development, video editing, content writing, and social media.
Conclusion
In the world of virtual companies, freelancing has emerged as the go-to solution to get the jobs done. It is crucial for companies to find the right talent to leave their tasks with them. Similarly, freelancers should always be on top of their game to not only find the right clients but also to deliver their jobs in a timely fashion.
Want to be a freelancer? Anyone can be a freelancer if they have the skills. Nowadays, writers, editors, designers, developers, social media specialists, and virtual assistants are in demand on the freelance marketplace.
To start as a freelancer, you should first invest in the tools needed to perform your tasks. Most freelance jobs will need you to have a computer with decent specs. You don’t need to buy a brand-new unit; there are lots of fully functional refurbished laptops that are more affordable.
Aside from a computer, you will also need a stable internet connection at home. A faster connection may be required for certain jobs, like online tutoring. Once you’re all set up, it’s time to sign up and create your profiles on the freelance platform listed above. Now, you can apply for freelance jobs or wait for employers to find your profile.
