5 Reasons to Hire a Freelancer
illustration by Carla Llanos
As of 2019, an estimate of 57 million Americans work as full-time freelancers. Working from home is a huge part of the freelance life, and a lot of self discipline and planning come with that. Of course there’s much more breathing space and independence for a freelancer, but imagine being your own receptionist, HR and accounts payable, plus doing all the work on your own. Freelancing is not for everyone, it takes a strong minded, organized and fast-thinking, intelligent person to commit to it. As a longtime freelancer myself, I can admit wholeheartedly to this statement; we work 100 times harder and smarter than a traditional office worker.
Why should you hire a freelancer?
WORK ETHIC
A freelancer has a work ethic like no other. They have to hold themselves accountable for every task, project management, follow-up’s, detail orientation, scheduling meetings, calls, deadlines and invoices. It takes a strong commitment to stay focus, remain enthusiastic about the project and see each step through from beginning to getting paid. Not easy, that’s why it’s not for everyone.
I need money not boys illustration print by Carla Llanos
SELF PROMOTE
When you’re a full-time freelancer you become your own personal publicist. For a lot of people, talking yourself up is not enjoyable. Along with the mild narcissistic attributes that come with it, freelancers prefer to have their work speak for themselves. Being proactive is highly necessary and so self promotion has to come with inner and outer confidence. When the two words “team player” come into the conversation, a freelancer has to go out of her way to prove how much of a team player she is and what she’ll bring to the job.
Deep Sea art print by Carla Llanos
PATIENCE
Although the freelance life comes with a ton of independence, patience still remains an essential virtue. Quality will always overpower the quantity of work, and so attention to every little detail is crucial. When a freelancer is working with a bigger client, sometimes receiving feedback, edits or approvals turns into a waiting game. There’s times when all a freelancer can do is wait, patiently.
ULTIMATE PROBLEM SOLVERS
Most creative freelancers are perfectionists, yet leave room for error, only to make sure that the client gets exactly what they need. Problem solving is the whole point of hiring a freelancer. A client wants the freelancer’s expertise to recognize a problem before or as it’s happening and of course to rectify the best solution.
Dream Home art print by Carla Llanos
TIMING IS EVERYTHING
A freelancer has to excel at time management, since most of the time she’s juggling a few clients and/or projects at a time. It’s all about staying on track time wise so that the quality of the work doesn’t have to suffer. If you’re a brand who is considering a creative freelancer for your next project, be sure to be up front about how much time is needed. With so many components to work with, time and money is how a freelancer designate their fees.
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