Live your life be free(lance)

How do you source your business needs? For many people, a quick google search is all there is time to do and then a business is chosen based on the top results. Others with a little more time may wish to attend networking and meetup events to try and find the right person face-to-face, but what if we could tell you that you probably already know who the right person is?

Have a look around you. You may see that you are surrounded by diverse, beautiful and unique individuals who have spent their professional years training to be the best at what they can do. A lot of them may well be in full-time employment but what about those who are going it alone? They could be the perfect fit for your business, however, you may have simply overlooked them as they don’t show up in your search results.

With more and more professionals turning their hand (and talents) to the freelancing world doesn’t it make more sense to start looking closer to home to help your business grow? With today, May 16th being #FreelanceHeroesDay, let’s look at some positives . . .

1. They are not as expensive as you think

Many freelancers work from home meaning that their overheads are lower. This is shown in the costs as well as covering their own holiday, sickness and other benefits. And remember, you’re only paying for a freelancer when you need them! Not being full-time means you’re not paying for people to stand around the water cooler or scanning facebook when it’s quiet in the office.

2. They know what they’re talking about

Most freelancers are doing it because they have spent years in their field - they are specialists. That bit in point one about not being as expensive as you think? A freelancer’s knowledge can actually save your business money.

3. Out of hours

A freelancer’s work is never done. In this day and age, they can work on the move and given a brief they can crack on even when you’ve gone home for the day. Chances are that if you send an email at 17:59 on a Friday evening, you’ll have a response waiting for you when you get to work on Monday.

4. You’ll hardly notice they’re there

Your business is getting bigger but you're not quite ready to employ a full-time person. Freelancers can be there to help, form an extension of your team, and move your business in the right direction. They can work in-house alongside you, or remotely without it impacting on the quality of work that you receive.

5. Innovations are their motivations

One of the roles of a freelancer is to be on top of trends and innovations which will help you differentiate your business from your competitors. It’s no secret that sometimes politics and pre-conceived attitudes within a full-time role may inhibit this, but freelancers can help you move forward and be top of your game.

Before we go, let’s set a challenge. Next time you need a photographer, a designer, or even an events producer - have a call out amongst your friends. See what’s about and give a freelancer a chance before you head to google. Who knows the next step for your business may have been within your localised search without you even knowing.