Get my free New Biz Jumpstart Kit! <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nTip 5: Create SOP<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The fifth tip that I have for you is to make sure that you’re investing in creating SOP for whatever it is that you’re going to hire a freelancer for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You have to remember that freelancers or contractors, which means that they are not full-time employees, which means that you have even less of their time than a full-time employee, which means that you have to have really clear instructions as to exactly what you want done for whatever it is that you’re looking to fill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, if you want a virtual assistant to read through your email is to do a preliminary pass through and then organize them for you so that you the focus on the things that matter. You have to help that person understand exactly what makes an important email versus an unimportant email. It’s really important that you detail a standard operating procedure for every single task that you are looking to get done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To do this, I recommend that you use a combination of writing out the instructions, as well as recording a visual video that actually walks through you doing those instructions. That way they can see visually how exactly you would do it yourself as well as read and follow along in the case where they are not a visual learner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s really important that you cater to the different learning styles of different people. And the best way to do that is by having written instructions, as well as a detailed video, where you’re voicing over exactly what work you want to get done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the case where you haven’t actually done it yourself, so for example, maybe you’re not used to video editing and you have no idea where to start, what you’re going to want to think about is how would you define it to the best of your ability? Exactly what are you looking for in your key deliverables?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A lot of times people get frustrated with freelancers in terms of some of their contracts. And oftentimes the reality is that the reason why the freelancer wasn’t able to do the job was because you weren’t clear enough in your expectations of what you were looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tip 6: Understand what your budget is<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The sixth tip that I give for you is to make sure that you’re paying competitively and understanding what your budget is going to get you. Depending on where you’re at in your business. You’re going to have a different budget for different projects. And so it’s really important for you to start to get a sense of a general benchmark as to how much it costs for X Y Z task versus ABC task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, in the case where I might have a bug on one of my WordPress sites, I know that a WordPress developer is going to be cheaper or more affordable than another freelancer that might be a rails developer or react developer and so on. So it’s really important that you understand in general what the market rates look like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To better understand this, what I recommend is you check out the talent section of Upwork. So to do that, what you’re going to want to do is you’re going to want to hop into your Upwork account and then go to the talent tab. And from here, you can look up whatever category of work you’re looking for to get a sense of what people list their rates at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This’ll give you a better understanding of the different geographical differences in terms of how much people are in a particular country, as opposed to another, as well as different things in terms of experience level and past projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By having a better sense of exactly what your budget can get, you can be more realistic about the outcomes of the freelance work that you’re looking to hire for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 7: Build up a strong client feedback profile<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The seventh tip that I give you is to make sure that you’re building a strong client feedback profile. It’s really important that it’s a two-way street in which when people are applying for your job, that they know that they’re applying for a job that they’re going to want to want. And that means that you’re a helpful and communicative client and that’s clear in your feedback profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So in the case where you haven’t established a feedback yet in your first few projects, you want to make sure that you’re working really well with your freelancers and that you’re getting them to leave reviews on your profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pretty much this is Upwork’s way of making it a two-way marketplace, similar to an Uber driver versus an Uber rider. Both people want to be on their best behavior because that’s, what’s going to be the best outcome for both people involved. So make sure that you build up your profile in the case where you haven’t already, and in the case where you haven’t already, all you need to do is make sure that you’re a friendly and cordial client as you’re ramping up your first projects, you’ll start to build up that profile gradually. And then over time, you’re going to have a much stronger profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another tip that I give you is that if you want to get really fast feedback quickly, you can always break down your projects into smaller tasks. And then from there wrap-up small projects, one by one to accrue a ton of feedback at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tip 8: Be constantly communicative and set expectations early<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
My eighth tip for you today is to make sure that you’re being communicative and setting expectations early. At this point, people should have a clear understanding of exactly what they’re applying to in your RFP, but it’s also really important that you communicate what else is important to you as a client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So that means things like how often you’d like them to be in communication with you as well as when you’d like particular deliverables sent to you by and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So by having these sorts of expectations clearly, you’re going to avoid any mishaps that you might have with your freelancers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tip 9: Be respectful and build trust over time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The ninth tip that I have for you is to make sure that you’re being respectful and building trust over time. A lot of times people think of freelancers or contractors as just part-time work, that they can treat really poorly. And I can’t stress how bad that is in terms of getting the best freelancers for your budget, as well as for your projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
People don’t want to work for people that are mean or just inconsiderate in terms of them as people. So remember that the freelancer you’re working with is a person too. And the best way to get somebody to want to work for you is to inspire them, to motivate them and us to make them feel supported in the work that they’re doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So try not to be too hard to work with because nobody’s going to stick with you that way. And you’re definitely not going to get the best freelance talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you found this article helpful, be sure to\u00a0check out my YouTube channel<\/a>\u00a0to get new videos every single week. I\u2019ll help take you from zero to self-starter as you grow your business, get more customers, and hone your business acumen. Also, feel free to share this with anybody that you think might also benefit from learning how to hire the best freelancers on Upwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n