Ben Bleikamp's blog about technology and college

Tips for dealing with freelancers (from a freelancer)

Hiring a freelance designer, coder, writer, or dog walker can be tricky if you’ve never done it before. It’s particularly difficult if you don’t have much (or any) experience in the field you’re hiring someone from. Aside from looking at previous work, talking to previous clients, and having more than one conversation with potential freelancers (all of which you should do) there are a few tips that will make for the best experience possible.

• Don’t be afraid to discuss price immediately
  If you’re not going to be comfortable with their prices why waste time going into details about the project? I always tell potential clients my minimum prices to avoid any shock down the road. Avoid telling a freelancer your budget before they tell you their prices - most of us are honest, but some people will up prices if the budget allows it.
• Once they’re hired, listen to them.
  They were contacted because they have an expertise that you don’t have. If they clearly know what they’re talking about, who are you to disagree? Would you tell a doctor how to diagnose you? Feel free to exchange ideas, but if there is a clear reason your idea won’t work or is “bad,” don’t take it personally and allow the expert to do their job.
• Be descriptive and detail oriented
  I hate when a client initially says “you’re free to be creative,” only to decide a few weeks and a few comps later that they really have something very specific in mind. Explain what you’re looking for. For examples sake, with web design you should talk about colors, sites you like, sites you hate, give the designer statistics on what resolution your visitors are using, and so on. If you don’t talk about this you can’t blame them when you don’t like the puke green background on the initial comp.
• Set deadlines
  Make sure there is a timeline. It doesn’t have to be set in stone, but do not say “Lets be finished in 3 weeks.” Set a date for a date for any major milestone the project might have and make sure the freelancer knows which parts of that milestone they are responsible for.
• Hold up your end of the bargain
  If you’re responsible for giving the freelancer comments and feedback, a logo, or any other deliverable, do it as quick as possible. If you don’t hold up your end of the bargain then the whole work flow gets slowed down and deadlines start getting pushed back. Yes, the freelancer has a job to do, but so do you.