9 Tips for Outsourcing Freelance Work

Time is money.

We’ve all heard this.

And in the world of freelancing, it’s especially true.

As a freelancer, your time is your money.

You’re investing time in completing projects that deliver value to your clients.

If you run out of time, you can’t deliver more projects. And you can’t make more money.

So, how can you grow and expand your freelancing career?

One of the best options for freelancers is getting help from other freelancers!

In other words, outsource your work.

But many freelancers feel uncomfortable with this idea.

They don’t really know when it’s beneficial to use this for their careers. And they don’t know how to go about it.

In this article, I’ll explain why, when, and how to outsource your freelance work and give you tips so that outsourcing helps you grow your freelance business.

Why should you outsource your freelance work?

Tip #1 - Outsourcing Can Free You to Follow Your Passions.

Remember why you got into freelancing?

For some of us, it’s been quite a long time since we first started, and maybe we’ve lost sight of why we really started freelancing in the first place.

For a lot of us, myself included, freelancing offered us the opportunity and freedom to follow our passions.

Unfortunately, freelancing isn’t just about following your passions.

There’s a lot more to it, including some drudgery like paperwork, returning phone calls, and other mundane tasks.

But, the good news is, you don’t have to do all of those mundane tasks yourself!

You can outsource them.

You can find someone who will cover those things for you so that you can get back to doing what you love most - whether that’s programming, coding, or web design.

Tip #2 - Outsourcing Can Allow You to Expand Your Business.

As a freelancer, you have a special skill set that clients need.

But you are human. You are limited in time, energy, and resources.

So, you can only take on so many clients and so many projects.

When you reach your limits, you can either stay there or you can expand those limits through outsourcing.

This is where outsourcing can greatly benefit your business.

By outsourcing some of your work, you gain more time, energy, and resources that you can offer to clients.

Suddenly, you’re able to take on more projects, and you start to see your business grow in ways you didn’t think possible when you were trying to do everything on your own.

A lot of freelancers are initially hesitant to let go and let someone else handle some of the work because they are used to doing everything by themselves.

Other freelancers are nervous about outsourcing because it does require an initial upfront investment - you have to hire help. They worry about recouping those initial costs.

But, trust me, the initial cost of outsourcing is an investment you make that will pay dividends as you see your business expand!

When should you outsource your freelance work?

Tip #3 - Outsource When You Need Specialized Skills.

Every freelancer has his or her own strengths and weaknesses.

If you need to take on a project that falls outside of your current skill set or area of expertise, it is much more cost-effective and efficient to outsource that work rather than spend days, weeks, or months trying to learn the task yourself.

You may be an expert programmer but find that you are very unorganized.

So, what may be most beneficial for your business is to find someone who can help organize for you and keep you on track doing what you love most.

You could be great at database management but need some help with web design.

Hire a designer to help you perfect the final look of a client’s site.

Or, maybe the client needs you to do something different or unique with a programming language you rarely use.

Find a freelancer who specializes in that language to get the job done more quickly.

So, take an honest look at yourself and even make a list of your strengths and weaknesses.

Then, identify tasks that you really struggle with but that are essential for running a successful freelancing business.

Don’t spend more wasted time and energy trying to somehow manage them on your own.

Outsource those tasks with someone who specializes in them.

When it comes to outsourcing freelance work, the key is to identify which tasks are the most important to your business and the ones that would benefit most from the expertise of an external provider.

Tip #4 - Outsource When You’re Stuck in a Rut.

Have you ever found yourself staring at your computer screen and making no progress?

Or maybe you’ve been doing a particular type of freelance work for so long that it’s just starting to feel old.

Outsourcing can help.

If you’ve been working on a task or project for too long and are struggling to make progress, hiring another freelancer to assist you can be a great way to break the cycle and gain a fresh set of eyes and skills to help you reach your desired outcome.

Sometimes, you just need to collaborate with someone who has a passion or specialized skill set to help you get back on track.

Or, hand off those old tasks so that you have more time and energy to devote to learning new skills.

Remember that freelancing is a changing world, and you have to embrace the journey as a freelancer by constantly evolving.

But, in order to evolve and develop yourself as a freelancer, you need time and space.

That’s what outsourcing can deliver.

Tip #5 - Outsource When Scaling Up Operations.

Even after you’ve been able to evolve, develop, and learn new skills, you’re not done with outsourcing.

In order to scale up your business, you’ll likely need to continue outsourcing.

As you’re able to take on additional clients and new projects, you’ll find that outsourcing becomes even more essential.

Many businesses experience rapid periods of growth that require additional support, especially when it comes to launching new initiatives or rolling out new products and services.

Outsourcing certain tasks or projects can help move things forward and ensure that you still can deliver quality to your clients.

As I’ve said before, you can’t do it all and you can’t do it all on your own!

How should you outsource your freelance work?

Even if you understand the why and when of outsourcing, you may still be wondering how to actually utilize outsourcing effectively.

Tip #6 - Identify Clear Goals and Scope of Work.

It’s critical that before looking for additional help, you have a clear idea of the goals and scope of work that will be outsourced.

Is your goal to free up your time so that you can learn new skills?

Do you want to find someone to cover tasks that don’t fuel your passion?

Figuring out specific goals you have will help you know where to look for outsourcing help.

Then, outline the scope of work to be covered.

Is this a recurring daily, weekly, or monthly task to be covered?

Or do you need expert help for just one project?

Regardless of the size of the task that you would like to outsource, you must have clear parameters and expectations in order to find the right help.

Also, having clearly defined project outcomes and goals will save you a lot of frustration in the long run because you’ll know exactly what you’re looking for and you can communicate that more precisely to potential freelancers.

On the other hand, if you’re unclear or uncertain about what kind of help you need or what your desired outcomes are, you’ll probably end up with either the wrong kind of help or frustration with having to fix the end result.

Tip #7 - Research and Review Potential Freelancers.

Once you’ve identified the precise freelance work outcome you’re looking for, it’s time to find the right contractor for the job.

Take your time to research potential contractors to find someone who matches your requirements and can complete the job to your standards.

There are lots of online platforms for freelancers.

You’ve probably been on a few looking for work yourself.

Platforms like Upwork , Fiverr , and Freelancer.com are a great place to start looking for freelancers who can take on the work you need to outsource.

But, one thing I always stress is the importance of networking as a freelancer because it’s not only a great way to find potential clients, it’s also an effective way to find other freelancers who can help you out!

So, maybe you know another freelancer who has the specialized skill set you need for a particular project.

Or, maybe you’ve met someone at a networking event who could help you outsource some of those tasks that you need to get off of your “to-do” list.

Now is the perfect time to reach out and ask them for help.

Even if they can’t provide the skills you need, they may know of someone who can.

Once you have identified a few potential freelancers, take the time to review each profile thoroughly.

Make sure to check the portfolio of each freelancer to see samples of their work, and read customer reviews to get an idea as to how well they work.

Tip # 8 - Communicate Effectively and Establish an Agreement.

The more work you put into communicating effectively on the front end, the better the end results will be.

So, don’t be afraid to ask questions, get clarification, and discuss expectations.

Be sure to discuss the scope of the project and the deliverables they are expected to complete, as well as the timeline for delivery.

All freelance work should come with predefined deadlines for each of the deliverables.

This will help ensure that the project is completed on time and that there is sufficient time for any revisions or changes.

This step is important to ensure both parties are on the same page and eliminates any potential confusion or miscommunication later on in the process.

Once the scope of the project has been established, it’s time to discuss payment.

This can be uncomfortable for many freelancers, especially if you’ve never hired someone before.

Previously, I’ve discussed how to talk about money with clients , and some of these same strategies can work when hiring freelance help.

If you’re hesitant to talk about money, check it out.

Setting clear expectations about payments (how much, when and how payments will be made, etc.) will ensure that you’re both satisfied with the outcome of this business relationship.

Finally, discuss the methods of communication that will be used throughout the project.

Whether you prefer email, Skype, or phone calls, it’s important to establish ground rules for communication between the two of you.

This includes how often you’ll check in or meet up to discuss progress and answer any questions.

All of this communication and your final agreement should be set down in writing.

That way, there’s no question about what you agreed upon.

Some online freelancing platforms can help you with written agreements, but sometimes you’ll have to create something, whether it’s an email exchange or some type of formal contract.

Tip # 9 - Track the Progress and Work Quality.

This is critically important when you are initially working with someone new.

As the project goes on, you’ll want to track the progress of the project to ensure that the work is meeting your expectations.

You’ll want to catch mistakes or aspects that need adjusting early on.

Don’t just assume that all is well.

Initially, you’ll probably find that you are checking in more often and feel like outsourcing isn’t saving you much time.

However, as time goes on, establishing a good working relationship where each party knows the expectations will save you lots of time in the long run.

Keep in mind that even though someone else is completing these outsourced tasks, the end result falls back on you.

It’s your reputation and your business on the line.

So, spending a little more time up front to make sure that all is going smoothly will benefit you and your business.

Conclusion

Ultimately, outsourcing freelance work can be a great solution for businesses of any size, as it can help you save time, money, and resources, and ensure that your business functions smoothly and efficiently.

If you want to spend more time following your passions, or you want to expand your business, consider outsourcing.

If you need specialized skills that you don’t have, or you find yourself stuck in a rut, consider outsourcing.

Whether you’re hoping to launch a new product, create a website, or start a digital marketing campaign, outsourcing freelance work to the right person or team can have major payoffs.

Outsourcing freelance work can be a great way to get excellent results with minimal effort.

By outsourcing the right tasks and projects to the right professionals, you can make sure that the most important tasks get completed on time and that quality remains top-notch.

Just make sure to follow the above steps and you’ll be able to find the perfect freelancer for your project in no time.

Good luck!

Juan Cruz Martinez

Juan has made it his mission to help aspiring developers unlock their full potential. With over two decades of hands-on programming experience, he understands the challenges and rewards of learning to code. By providing accessible and engaging educational content, Juan has cultivated a community of learners who share their passion for coding. Leveraging his expertise and empathetic teaching approach, Juan has successfully guided countless students on their journey to becoming skilled developers, transforming lives through the power of technology.