By BloggerKhan

My profession is Management and Marketing and it revolves around outsourcing, ecommerce and marketing on the internet. Wise men say identify what you are passionate about and then see if ...

According to BusinessDictionary.com, a freelancer is a person working on a contract basis for a variety of companies, as opposed to working as an employee for a single company. Freelancers are often considered to be self-employed, and have the freedom to pick and choose their projects and companies they would like to be associated with.

Basically, freelancers are professionals that perform certain tasks for companies that have decided to outsource. This profession has recently seen an increase in popularity as many companies have seen the benefits from outsourcing some of their work.

Typically, the tasks do not require work on a regular basis for an employer. Freelancers are self-employed, set their own hours and they can choose whether they work part-time or full time.

The most commonly outsourced tasks are data entry, payroll, bookkeeping, design, IT work and more. But, freelancers can also help you out with:

• Creating content

• SEO optimization

• Web design

• Graphic design

• Translation

• Bookkeeping

• Accounting

• Virtual assitants

• Copywriting

• Ghostwriting

• Email handling and more.

Once you have defined the need to hire a freelancer, how do you go about finding one?

There are two options: turn to your contacts for recommendations. They may have worked with someone and have a positive experience in the past. In this case, the solution comes easily. Or, you could always turn to one of the many portals where you can find individual freelancers.

The most popular freelancing sites include Freelancer, Truelancer, Upwork and People per Hour. These work on a project basis. You post a task/project you want finished and your budget and interested freelancers bid to do the job for you. Then it is a matter of looking through their profile, the portfolio of work they have already done, reviews they have received from former employers and find the individual that meets all your criteria and can finish the job within budget. Or, browse through the portal of your choosing and find a freelancer with the necessary skills and hire him/her without posting a project. In the first case, you choose whether you will pay them for the work done on an hourly or upon-delivery basis. In the second case, the chosen freelancer may already have a fixed rate and time when they will be able to deliver. Keep in mind the freelancers are usually flexible and you may be able to negotiate the details. Communication is the key factor. Discuss the details of the project and when you expect to see the results to avoid misunderstandings.

The first time you are hiring a freelancer for a particular job, it may take a while to find the right person. But if you need a similar task done a few months down the line, you already have the contact and know the person and how they work. You can call him up and get started on a new project.

We hope this article was helpful. In a subsequent article, we will discuss whether it is better to go with a solo freelancer or go with an outsourcing company who can provide multiple types of resources.

Good luck!