ongoing job help for their projects that is quick and easy. However finding and hiring the right set of people for outsourcing projects is not easy. There can be issues with selection process, rating system, project monitoring, payment scheduling as well as dispute resolutions.
On the whole, finding a good service provider for freelance projects and then managing him or her throughout the project
tenure is an intimidating task. New employers would find it more difficult to draw the attention of right bidders and make the whole process a pleasant and rewarding experience. Project outsourcing process that is simple, flexible, trustworthy and hassle-free can make a huge profit. Else it could be a big disaster.
1. Understand project need
This is the key success factor to begin with. A good employer knows what exactly he or she is looking for out of a project and how to approach service providers to ensure the best quality bids. Available budget, project deadline, bidding time, ROI, service quality, payment terms and methods, feedback system, future relationships - there are more factors to consider. A little research on project posting basics and bidding trends would help you take better decisions.
2. Specify project name:
Project name should be descriptive so that a freelancer can easily relate it at a glance. For example, you need a good developer for building an e-commerce site. Now if a project is named "e-commerce site", it may draw attention of web designers, developers, programmers, copywriters, graphic artists, SEO and link builders. This may create confusion as freelancers from all walks of life will bid on it. However, if you specify "e-commerce site builder in PHP" in the project name you can expect bid request from developers and programmers only that you actually need.
3. Describe project in detail:
A detailed description is necessary. Your explanation should answer almost all possible questions of freelancers. Be clear to
what you expect from a freelancer and how much you can pay for that, given other basic terms and conditions are kept intact. Here are a few details one must not miss while drafting project descriptions -
Required software skills, language efficiency, programming language, purchased copyrights, length or scope of job (word count for writing project, work hours for design jobs), payment terms and methods and most importantly job type.
Budget selection is the most crucial part in job outsourcing. A budget that is fixed too high may create some price gouging. On the other hand sticking to a low budget may eliminate better talents for your project. Set a price that you are willing to pay. Don't quote high just to attract more bidders. Experienced freelancers know the tricks well and may not waste time in price game. Bring transparency in payouts and expect the same from your service provider.
5. Show some reference work:
If you can upload some sample work done earlier, this will be of great use to freelancers and in turn to you.
6. Take time for bidding:
If a project is not so urgent, there is no point asking service providers to bid in rush. By choosing bidding time too short you may end up missing out top professionals for your project.
7. Questions to ask yourself:
Filtering out the right freelancer based on a number of bidding requests is bit overwhelming. Many often employers get confused where to start with. Here are a few questions you may ask yourself to avoid risks and uncertainties. This will not narrow down your search for the ideal candidate but also get you a profitable deal.
The questions are as follows:
Is cost the major concern for your project?
Keeping budget a bit flexible you may ensure better service. Some freelancers are worth paying more, because the output you will get may surpass your expectations.
Can you accept new service providers having no feedback?
This is again a critical decision to take. New freelancers often bid lower than the average to prove themselves in the job market. By taking a little risk of hiring them you can win good deal in the end. Moreover promising talents and new resources are always welcome for future assignments.
Is bidder's full information is available online?
By asking this one question you may get rid of a surprising number of bids. You can ask for specific information about the bidder in your project description. This sure will save your time and effort to sort out the final ones.
If your project is time-sensitive, state it clearly in the project description right in the beginning. Top freelancers are particular about deadlines whereas newbie are not so. Therefore, you can often expect a mismatch between the deadline given and the deadline required. Experienced freelancers may ask more time than you mentioned in the project. In that case you may need to reconsider the time frame. Setting up a realistic time-line is good for both employer and freelancer.
These are the important checklists which you can use to avoid any further confusion or financial losses. It is better to be aware of facts sooner than later.
8. Focus on feedback and rating:
This is important for both service providers as well as service buyers. Cumulative rating, comments on previous projects and feedback scoring bring fairness in the process. Since these reviews are publicly posted, each party can understand each other and avoid future issues. For service buyers, feedback on payment records could a decisive factor.
9. Engage service provider more into regular communication:
This is vital as long as the project continues. Sometimes it is required even after completion of the project. Interactions could happen through any system -private message boards, email, phone anything. There is a common say - Out of sight means out of mind. Make sure you take updates from your freelancers periodically.
10. Select payment methods:
Finalize payment procedures before posting a project. Mention if you are interested in direct transfer of funds, milestone payment or advance payment. A successful project should not end up at a bad relationship. It affects the outcome of next projects in coming days.
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