Being First in Your Freelancer’s Life

Even before you hire your freelancer, you should have asked him what his bandwidth is for being able to help you.  How many hours each week can he devote to your business?  Of course, there are many freelancers out there that will commit and tell you exactly what you want to hear because they want your business.

Unfortunately, not all of them can deliver on their promises.  But, you don’t have to go too far into the work relationship before you discover if your freelancer was honest or not.  Make the first project something simple, but with a definite turnaround time.  Did they commit to that time and follow through?  Was it an hour late?  Several hours late?  A day late?

Also, connect with them via phone or chat or email.  How quickly do you get a response back?  Now, I understand that if you’re in California and it’s 10pm and you’re sending an email, your New York freelancer is fast asleep.  But during the normal business hours, you should be able to get in contact with your help.

You should be first in your freelancer’s life, even if he has twenty other clients he’s working with.  For me, that is an important aspect of this business.  If I was physically working at your office, you could walk right up to my desk and talk with me.  You should still be able to do it virtually.

If you’re not getting quick responses and agreed-upon turnaround for your projects, your freelancer has taken on too much responsibility and it’s probably time to start looking for someone new.