The decision to outsourcing is a big step for any company. It requires a deep understanding of the ins and outs of this strategy, so you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.
Assuming you ultimately decide that outsourcing a particular task is better than doing it in-house, that’s not the only stressful decision-making process. You have to decide whether to hire a freelancer or an agency.
Now, the answer to this decision point cannot be generalized. Each of these two options has its pros and cons, so it all depends on your business needs and skills. Not sure whether to hire a freelancer or an agency? Read on to decide which strategy is right for your business!
Hiring a freelancer
Whatever the nature of a project, you can always look for a freelancer to take on the job. Find out if outsourcing a certain task to a freelancer is the right choice for your business.
Advantages
Highly specialised skill sets
Need a specific project within a specific time frame? You can trust a freelancer to stand up for you! You can be assured of delivering quality results.
If you’re hiring a copywriter, graphic designer, website developer, or other industry expert, it’s better to seek help from a freelancer than trying to figure things out on your own.
Flexibility
Choosing to hire a freelancer gives you the opportunity to select the best from a talented pool of talent. This ensures that their skills match project requirements.
Another thing is that freelancers are their own bosses. That means they usually don’t follow hard and fast rules, making it easier to find cheap compromises. For example, some companies offer flexible payment plans and can accommodate your preferred work schedule.
Budget-friendly
Since freelancers operate on their own, they don’t have to cover for overhead costs such as advertising, rent, repairs and utilities. This makes it possible for them to lower their rates, especially for one-time projects.
Disadvantages
Time-consuming
The freelance market gives you access to a wide range of professionals that you need to sift through to find the best candidates. This can take quite some time.
Assuming you have multiple projects to outsource, each project should be assigned to multiple freelancers. Imagine the hassle of having to contact different people every time you need an update.
One-man team
Freelancers may be specialists in their field, but nothing beats the collaborative input of a team to come up with the ultimate output. After all, two heads are always better than one.
Don’t get us wrong – most freelancers deliver excellent results. But considering they work on their own, creativity is limited. Plus, with all the other companies they’re dealing with, they most likely would rush the project just to finish it on time, compromising the quality of work.
Less dependable
Because freelancers usually don’t have fixed work schedules, they may be more difficult to get a hold of when you need to contact them. Aside from this, they usually handle multiple projects at once, so don’t be surprised if you will have to hassle them quite a lot to get things on track.
Using an outsourcing agency
In recent years, many companies are starting to recognise the significant role that outsourcing firms play in maximising efficiency and boosting growth. This might be the perfect solution for you, too!
Advantages
Vast experience and expertise
Outsourcing companies host industry professionals with varying strengths, skills and abilities, so imagine how much detail they can focus on in order to deliver your project in the best possible way. It’s not difficult.
There is no doubt that the most effective results are obtained when several people bring their own experience and expertise to the project, both creatively and technically.
Versatility
One of the biggest factors in using an agency is the ability to delegate multiple projects to the agency at once. This way, you only have to coordinate with one person and take the stress out of dealing with different people.
That said, outsourcing agencies give you access to a wide range of skills without having to hire your own employees. By partnering with a company, you get the complete package!
Faster results
When a team works together to accomplish tasks, you’re almost certain to receive the outcome on schedule, resulting to faster turnaround times.
If you choose a reliable outsourcing agency, you will never have to miss your deadlines. Plus, your business processes will become more organised and efficient!
Disadvantages
Higher cost
Since outsourcing agencies would have to compensate their employees and cover overhead costs, it is completely expected that choosing this strategy will take up a bigger chunk of your budget – well, that is, compared to hiring freelancers.
Less control
If you want control over every little detail of a project, then using an outsourcing firm is probably not for you. Of course, as professionals in their field, they know what works best and would have their own way of doing things.
Although client preferences are always taken into consideration, choosing this solution will require you to be more open to suggestions and changes.
Inconsistency
This may not be a problem for most outsourcing firms as they have their own set of quality guidelines, but for some, this is a prevalent issue.
An agency has several people working on a project, and there may be times when some aspects aren’t consistent. This is especially true for tasks that involve creative input such as copywriting and graphic design.
Summary
To sum it all up, assessing your business’ requirements will lead you to decide which outsourcing solution you should choose.
In general, businesses who are just starting out may benefit better with freelancers. But for companies who are looking to expand, seeking help from an outsourcing agency is the more practical choice.
You should also consider whether you’re looking to complete one-time projects or you’re up for long-term partnerships. Hiring freelancers will typically be more efficient for non-recurring tasks while firms can cover a significant area of your operations.
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