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There’s a common misconception among designers that if you decide to go freelance, that you have to do be able to complete every piece of a job for your clients.
Ha.
The simple fact is that most designers specialize in only certain aspects of design, be it print, web, Flash, scripting, video, SEO, etc. Instead of taking on the nightmarish, nearly unthinkable task of becoming an expert in all these fields, most pros learned an invaluable vocabulary word that helps them do business. That word is “outsourcing.”
By outsourcing certain parts of your work, you are hiring a vendor or specialist in another field to complete the part of the task at which you don’t consider yourself to be an expert. For example, let’s say you’re a talented web designer, but have little to no idea how to create a database to interact with your designs. What to do? You go out and find someone who can create a database for you. Simple as that.
Outsourcing, like everything else, has pros and cons. On one hand, you’re able to provide extra service to your clients, thereby taking on more jobs and bringing in more money. However, you also have to monitor these freelancers to make sure they’re doing a good job in order to deliver the product as promised. If they don’t, then it’s your ass on the platter.
So, how do you make sure you’re getting a good freelancer and protect your interests? There’s no iron-clad way to accomplish this task. However, let’s go through some great safeguards and general advice.
If you want to power up your search and get reviews and vendor info up front, try sites like www.gofreelance.com. Sites like these cater directly to freelancers and those looking for freelance talent. You can search all kinds of background info on your freelancers and check out their reviews and ratings.
You can also check on sites like www.craigslist.org. But make sure you do your homework; ask for at least three references for each vendor and ask to see samples ahead of time. You have to work a little harder to verify the integrity of these providers, but it may be worth it.
Okay…so you have your freelancers. But wait; are you protecting your interests?
There’s no question that you shouldn’t hire someone you don’t trust. However, you still want to make sure you spell out the terms of the agreement so that there’s no confusion down the line. You can either accomplish this through a Project Brief (the details of which are spelled out very well through some of the books (even the free sample chapters) at www.sitepoint.com.
However, we also highly recommend using contracts. Whether it’s a question of who owns the designs once they’ve been created or how much the freelancer gets paid in advance, it’s all best to have it in writing. You can find some great contracts over at www.proposalkit.com that aren’t very expensive and cover a wide range of graphic design business needs. Although you’d be wise to eventually hire an attorney to review and/or design your contracts, this is a highly cost-effective way of getting started with some adequate legal protection while doing business.
Now go get started!
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