If you’re looking to start a business, the odds are against you:
Opportunities stack up for new businesses, but that doesn’t mean you should lose hope.
Surrounding yourself with seasoned professionals can help you beat the odds. And you don’t have to hire them full-time to take advantage of their expertise.
Here are 10 freelancers you should consider hiring to accelerate the growth of your small business or startup.
1. Business plan writer
Never underestimate the importance of a business plan, especially a well-thought-out business plan.
A business plan is essential to a successful startup because it is your battle plan.
Research shows that entrepreneurs who take the time to develop their business plans are 2.5 times more likely to execute their plans and get their business off the ground.
A business plan describes key touchpoints such as profitability and growth and highlights all aspects of the company, from production to marketing growth to sales.
A professional business plan writer or consultant can help you draft a strong business plan.
They are also honed by experience creating successful business plans, so they can provide investors with insight on how to make your business plan stand out.
Business writers are also familiar with the language and formats that investors are familiar with.
A freelance business plan writer can free up the time for the necessary research and writing, saving valuable time for business owners and startup founders.
The time you save can be used to focus on other aspects of your business, from improving the quality of your product to attracting investors at your startup’s pitch meeting.
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2. Market researcher
Your business plan may define your target market in general.
A market researcher is like Merlin for a start-up company. They don’t have mythic powers. But they have the brains to interpret the data to help create an informed business strategy.
Market research helps you effectively reach, engage, and convert your target audience.
Market research professionals also help improve product and service offerings to prevent miscalculations. I can provide insight to determine if it’s good enough.
3. Branding expert
Many founders and executives don’t realize how critical the branding process is to the success of their small business or start-up.
Poor branding can ruin your entire brand strategy.
Good branding is more compelling, engaging, and memorable for your customers and prospects.
Good design is good business.
Our experienced branding professionals will help you perfect your brand’s voice, look, feel and appeal.
4. Web developer
Much of today’s business is done online. If you are a business or startup with an online presence, you know that building a website is important.
Experienced web developers can use their practical knowledge and professional skills to design faster, cleaner, and more user-friendly websites.
The best web developers are the ones who translate your vision from concept to digital marketing tool that optimizes engagement and conversions.
Remember that in addition to the visual design of your site, you should also: hire a backend developer Build real sites and customize integrations for ecommerce features, subscriptions, and more.
5. Web traffic specialist
There is no such thing as “make it and it will come” on the website. This is especially true if your website is new.
For a startup to grow rapidly, it needs to attract site visitors from among its target audience. An experienced web traffic specialist can help you generate leads organically through strategies such as SEO, social media and email her marketing campaigns.
6. Search Marketing Pro
Many startups often do not limit their paid advertising budgets. And if they choose to spend on advertising, every cent should count as well.
This is why you need to hire search marketing professionals who can guide your marketing strategy through paid search marketing such as Google Ads, remarketing/retargeting, social media advertising, banner advertising and other channels.
Search marketing experts help ensure that when you spend money on paid advertising, your investment is rewarded with traffic and quality leads.
7. Virtual Assistant
Startup founders often wish it were possible to clone humans. Running a business pulls in multiple directions at the same time.
Hiring a virtual assistant allows you to cover a wider area than usual without extending yourself too far. You can delegate low-priority tasks so they don’t get overlooked while you focus on the more important aspects of your business.
8. Digital Marketing Specialist
Digital marketing is vast, fast-changing, and complex, making it difficult to be a successful marketing generalist. People tend to specialize in certain areas and develop great skills.
Instead of taking a generic approach to digital marketing, you can hire a Digital Marketing Specialist who can focus on expertise such as:
- SEO (search engine optimization) specialist for getting more quality web traffic.
- An email marketing specialist who optimizes the customer lifecycle, from nurturing leads to nurturing referrals to driving repeat purchases.
- Content Marketing Specialists are dedicated to adding quality content to your website or blog to drive web traffic and conversions.
9. Copywriter
A good copywriter can help craft your brand and product message.
A good content writer can help you articulate your company’s vision to your target market.
Freelance copywriters are exposed to a wide variety of writing forms and styles, which allows them to quickly adapt their writing persona and voice. You can easily change the style to match your brand.
10. Graphic Designer
Your brand logo, product packaging design, business website, and all other visual elements that reflect your brand all combine to create your business’s brand identity. A brand identity is one of the most powerful marketing tools for any business. If good graphic design can build a reputation, bad design will ruin it.
Hiring a freelance graphic designer can help small businesses and startups fill that gap, allowing them to have a professional, custom-designed visual identity without paying the high fees of a full-time employee or creative agency. I can do it.
6 benefits of hiring a freelancer
1. Save time
Not only are freelancers looking to get results fast, they also want them to be happy with what they deliver so they can get referred to their next gig. Referrals are essential to a freelancer’s survival, so we work hard to make you happy.
2. Lack of supervision
Freelance workers work on multiple projects in different time frames. Experienced freelancers, especially those who reflect highly positive feedback from previous clients, are typically efficient, professional, and highly organized.
You don’t have to oversee everything, so you can focus on addressing other aspects of your business that need your attention.
3. Save money
Money is the concern of every business. And cash flow is especially important for small businesses and start-ups.
Hiring a freelancer part-time can be a more financially responsible decision than hiring a full-time employee. No need to expose your already tight budget to the additional costs of a full-time employee. Freelancers have the flexibility to grow their hiring needs as their business grows.
4. Focus on your core expertise
A startup’s survival often depends on its founder or founders. From the beginning they have a lot on their plate.
Startup founders are often so focused on sales, marketing, accounting and administration that they sometimes overlook core development.
It’s important for startups to see the big picture and not get bogged down in the more basic tasks of running a company.
Hiring freelancers for startups gives founders more bandwidth to focus on their core needs and tasks.
5. Stay flexible
Many startups have hectic schedules that force employees to work overtime. I often have to work weekends to complete orders and projects.
Working weekends is too much to ask of full-time employees who already work at least 40 hours a week. Their motivation and performance may decline. They can burn out quickly.
However, for freelancers, you may not even need to deal with this issue. Many freelancers agree to work on weekends because their schedules are flexible.
Where to find freelancers for small businesses and startups
ask for referrals
Go to your network and ask who did what. You might get recommendations right away.
Try chatting with people online. 85% of successful freelancers participate in online communities and meetup. Many job postings and recruiters move rapidly from freelancer to freelancer.
browse people online
You can start as simple as a Google search for “B2B email marketing specialist”.
Next, explore various portfolio websites. See who is doing what in your industry. Freelancers leave “breadcrumbs” online that can be tracked with a little effort.
use linked in
You can also perform keyword-specific searches on LinkedIn.
Find out if you share your connection with some freelancers. Or check out Services Search (rebranded from LinkedIn ProFinder).
This feature helps you find individual service providers on LinkedIn. The platform does not broker any transactions or take a fee to connect you to anyone.
job board
If you still have crickets, browse niche job boards. Many freelance job sites are now proliferating by industry or profession.
freelancer market
Finally, you can also head to the freelancer or talent market. You may still have to do some serious candidate research, but you will get a good selection of applicants.
Freelancer marketplace platforms such as Cloudspring provide access to talented professional creatives from around the world.
These platforms often allow easy searching using search filters. You can be specific about the skill requirements you need.
Freelance marketplace platforms also have mechanisms for evaluating freelancers based on their work. Filter applicants, review each candidate’s skills through portfolios, review client feedback, and compare ratings.
Surrounding yourself with experienced professionals allows you to do more with less. It can also increase your chances of building a successful and sustainable business.
