We all have a budget. Whether we like it or not, our money is limited. We have to decide how much of our budget to put toward each part of our business. This is often where freelance workers enter. Hiring a freelance or contract worker can easily save you money and add some space in your budget. But freelance rates vary considerably. So the common question is, “How do I find a reliable freelancer within my budget?”
Expensive freelancers are likely very talented and reliable, which is why they are so expensive. But if you can’t afford them, how do you know if the freelancer that you can afford is reliable and talented as well?
Because I am a freelancer, I know a few ways you can find a reliable freelancer within your budget without taking an avoidable risk. Here are some tips and tools to use when doing your search.
Compare their portfolio work to the work you want
This should be your first step. And yes it does have to do with finding a reliable freelancer within your budget. Every freelancer has a slightly different focus and talent, and you can determine this by browsing their portfolio or social media.
If what you are looking for matches their work perfectly, this is obviously a good sign. It means they can complete what you want quickly and effectively. This doesn’t always mean they will be cheap, but you will get what you want without frustration and confusion—which are expensive when working with a contractor.
If their portfolio doesn’t match what you are looking for, take some time to analyze the reasons. If it’s simply a different style, that doesn’t mean they can’t complete your project. But if there are no pieces in their portfolio that are similar to what you want, then you should probably find a different freelancer. For example, if you are looking for branding but the freelancer doesn’t have any logos or branding work, they may not have done it very much. And you might be taking a gamble by hiring them.
Research their internet presence
This is the next step you can do before you’ve even contacted the freelancer. Reviewing their portfolio can give you a good idea of their skills, but researching their internet presence can give you a good idea of their reliability.
If they are very present on the internet and are running their business like a business, they are likely more reliable. For example, if they are easy to find, have an actively managed website and social media presence, and are easily found through Google and LinkedIn, then they are more present.
They have more to lose if they have a strong internet presence. If they do a poor job on a project or maybe don’t do the project at all, you have a number of ways to call them out and make future clients aware of their unreliability. They cannot simply disappear or hide.
If they are hard to find or obscure, this may be a red flag. It could simply mean they are very early in their business or maybe their clients aren’t connecting with them through the internet. But it also means it is much easier for them to hide or disappear if they cannot follow through on their promise. If they take on more than they can handle or simply decide they don’t feel like completing your work, it won’t hurt their online reputation or damage connections with potential clients.
Check contacts/references
Some freelancers will have these on their website or social media, so you will have the opportunity to do this before reaching out to the freelancer. You can check with their current or past clients and get a good idea of how reliable the freelance worker is.
If they don’t have a list of references, look at their social media and see if you can find projects posted that are done for specific clients. They may be tagged or mentioned in the posts. Google the client and see if you can speak with them about the freelancer. This will be more possible if the client is a small business or startup.
Reach out and ask a few questions
Once you’ve found someone you want to reach out to, contact them and lay out what you need. Talking to someone on the phone, through chat, or emailing can give you an idea of how well you will get along.
One question you can ask during your initial interaction is how they have solved a past client issue. Every freelancer has had some kind of client problem they have had to solve. How they have solved these client problems can tell you a little bit about how they will address the problems that arise while you are working together.
Start with a small project and give them your budget
Start with a small project before your major project, and give them your budget for the project. Ask them how much they can complete within that budget.
Starting with a smaller project will help you get an idea of their reliability without risking very much. And giving them the budget for the project will help you determine costs quickly and easily instead of leaving this uncomfortable piece to the end.
For example, if you have a budget of $5,000 for a project offer them a small piece of the project for $500. They will likely respond by either negotiating this price up for the amount of work, leaving the price but negotiating down the amount of work, or accepting the price. Another (less likely) response is that they will offer more services for the price. Any of these responses are fine, and it will help you understand the overall cost of this freelancer going forward.
Once you have moved past pricing, ask them for a client contract or proposal (if they don’t offer one). This should always be given to a new client, and one detail of this contract that you should pay attention to is what will happen if the estimate is exceeded. The contract should state that the client will be notified if the estimate is exceeded. If it doesn’t, discuss this with them and ask them to add it. This detail will likely be in a section called Mockup and Revision Policy (or something similar).
The contract should also include scope of work, a timeline, ownership rights, access, and cancelation or kill fees, among other things.
Let them complete the project
Finally, let them complete the project. How satisfied you are with their work and the overall process will decide whether or not you’d like to give them the rest of the project. It will help you understand the overall reliability of the freelancer going forward. By this point you should know if you will continue working with this freelancer or will need to find another one.
If you are in need of a reliable freelancer within your budget, reach out at freelance@brennanhallock.com or 402.318.3924.
