There’s no way around it: self-employment is the future. You’ve probably already read about the rise of the gig economy, and how the next generation of workers has opted for flexibility over wealth.
Today’s new companies are faced not only with the traditional questions of how to best grow their business, but how to do so in the midst of a new, fluid idea of employment.
It’s important to remember, though, that flexible, project-based employment can be an asset to your business. While it’s nice to have a full-time, dependable staff five days a week, contract-based employment offers plenty of advantages for businesses willing to embrace it.
Long Term Projects Equal Long Term Contracts
One of the fears businesses have in the freelance economy is that they’ll have to hire a new worker every time they need something done, but this doesn’t have to be the case.
By planning out your projects far in advance, and having a vision of what tasks you’ll need done not just this month, but six months ahead, you can hire freelancers for extended contracts that are mutually beneficial.
Plus, a talented freelancer with whom you have a good relationship can often become a full-time, remote-work employee down the road.
Still About the Culture
While it’s true that freelancers provide you a service, they’re as much your client as your employee. The quality of work they put into your project often depends a great deal on the feedback they’re given and the way you treat them during their contract.
Make them feel a part of the team, and you’ll help assure they have a personal investment in the work they do for you.
Remember, the best-case scenario for your business is to avoid jumping from freelancer to freelancer every time you have a new project. If you simply treat freelancers like a commodity, they’ll be less willing to work with you in the future.
Assure Quality in Hiring
As great as hiring freelancers can be for your company, there are also plenty of ways it can go wrong.
When hiring freelancers, always make sure they’ve been pre-screened by the database that referred them. Additionally, be sure to check their LinkedIn, personal websites, or simply Google them to make sure that you can trust them with your project.
Of course, small businesses in need of an immediate solution may not have the time or resources to properly vet and manage their contract workers.
At Tara AI, we provide your business with dependable, pre-screened freelancers and manages those freelancers all the through your project, letting you continue to focus on what your business needs to succeed.
No matter which way you go, though, the bottom line is this: the sooner your business embraces change and puts tomorrow’s freelance economy to work for you today, the more sustainable your business model will be.
Pablo Pinto works as a product specialist at Tara AI. He has experienced working in startup-up operations, business development/sales, growth, and product building. Pablo considers himself a self-starter with an entrepreneurial spirit and special interest in data analytics and digital marketing.