If you run a small business, working with freelancers can be an ideal way to keep your costs low and ensure that you are able to easily get the services that you need. Freelancers can be found all over the world offering a wide range of services that might be useful to your small business, such as web design, graphic design, marketing, copywriting, sales and much more.
Working with freelancers allows you to cut costs by only paying for completed work and avoiding much of the expenses that come with hiring an in-house team. However, working with freelancers from around the world can sometimes have its challenges.
Dealing with Different Time Zones
One of the main issues that business owners might face when working with overseas freelancers is the different time zones. It is important to ensure that you have a plan in place so that you can communicate with your freelancers at times that are convenient to both of you and make sure that you know what time it is in their country so that there is no confusion regarding work deadlines and other timed issues.
Language Barriers
In some cases, you might find a freelancer who does not speak the same language as you, which could cause problems if not dealt with. In many cases, it might not be important for your freelancer to speak the same language if the work that they do is not writing-based; however, it’s important to keep this in mind when communicating with them and ensure that they are understanding the information you are giving them.
It’s always best to choose a freelancer who is fluent in your language, or at least has a good grasp of it to ensure that communication issues and misunderstandings are avoided.
Cultural Differences
It is a wise idea to learn more about the country that your freelancer is from and find out what the cultural norms for working there are. For example, if you are working with a freelancer who is from a predominantly Muslim country, they may be happy to work over Western holidays like Christmas but won’t be available to work during Eid and other religious festivals. Lunar New Year is a big deal in East Asian countries, so keep this in mind when working with freelancers from around the world as certain days that are just a normal day to you might be an important event to them.
Making Payments
Finally, paying your overseas freelancers can be challenging since they will not usually have a bank account in your country, meaning that direct transfers are not always possible and you may need to find a different way to ensure that they are paid for the work that they do for you. PayPal is a popular choice, but they charge high fees for paying for services, so many businesses prefer to find alternative ways to send money online that are easier for both them and the freelancers that they work with.
Working with overseas freelancers can be an ideal way to ensure that your business gets the best talent while saving money. However, there are some common challenges that might arise which you’ll need to be prepared for.
