originally posted: September 5, 2020

Your freelancer is a HUGE part of your future sales. Respect your project enough to pay them well.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

You do what you do. Freelancers do what they do.

A graphic designer, photographer, writer, or web designer would never tell a pastry chef how to make a scone. You know why?

Because we don’t know how to make fucking scones. That’s the baker’s job.

A creative freelancer’s job is to make something beautiful and functional.

When you’re hiring a freelancer, try and remember that this is their lane. Don’t OD and nitpick them on technical things that you don’t actually know about.

Freelancers, like the pastry chef, are passionate about what they do.

They’ve committed HOURS of their life to learning the basics, and then more hours learning MORE than the basics. They have spent YEARS perfecting their skills, and then spent MORE time learning how to go into business for themselves.

Something like your grandparents might say, the freelancer of your dreams has more than likely been doing what they do long before your new business idea was even a twinkle in your eye.

Have some respect

Have enough respect for yourself and your own project to show respect for their time, their knowledge, and their talent. You don’t know how to do what they do. If you did, you wouldn’t need them.

Look at your project. Think about your dreams for that project. Think about how far you want it to go.

Think about all the money you’re going to make. Think about all the people who are going to buy your stuff? All the people who are going to follow your account and like your photos and tell their friends to buy from you.

Your freelancer is a HUGE part of your future sales.

Ask to see their work AND GO THROUGH IT.

This is part of your respect for your project. You want it to be amazing. So do your research. Look through your freelancer’s portfolio. Email their previous clients. Make sure they’re worth your investment.

Your job didn’t hire you just because you dressed well on the interview and your resume looked “okay.” Your job probably ran a background check. Any job that’s going to pay well, is going to dig into the potential hire.

You had damn well better look into your freelancer.

How much money do you want your project to make?

Do you believe you’re going to make all of it? Ask yourself, how I am going to get from here to there?

Can you write compelling, funny, witty, smart, BOLD, impactful copy?

Maybe you can. Maybe you’re naturally gifted at getting a point across.

Can you make images that touch people, can you pair colors and text together in a way that instantly sends a message, and hints at some deeper emotional idea inside people?

Maybe you can.

Can you make a website that looks professional, that works? Because I’ll tell you one thing that’s true:

Anyone can write a few “salesy” sentences. Anyone can hop on Canva and make a logo. And anyone can make a website if you believe those Wix YouTube ads.

Anyone can probably make a scone. But will it taste good?

So maybe you can write some copy, maybe you can make a pretty logo. And maybe if you’ve got 12 hours on the weekend you can make your own website. But will it be good? Not good enough. But really, really, good quality.

Only you can truthfully answer that.

The part you know how to do is your gift – whether that’s making clothes, training dogs, dancing, reading tarot, or making scones. That’s your specialty. That’s what your customers are going to love and PAY YOU for.

The details you don’t know are why you need a freelancer.

If you could do what you need a freelancer for, you would do it right? If you could do it well, and you could do it fast, you would.

And if you could do it and get paid for it, you’d expect something above minimum wage.

The 3rd step to hiring a freelancer is don’t be a cheap fuck.

You do intend to make a lot of money from your project don’t you? Otherwise, why are you even doing it?

Your ideal freelancer is going to give you the quality writing and design your project needs to earn you money. If you’re passionate about the project and you have a vision for it your wallet is going to have find a way to match that.

THE NO BULLSHIT PART:

Be honest and realistic.

How long do you expect the project to take – make a realistic hourly estimate.

If you did it yourself, how many hours would it take you? If a high-end professional creative firm did the project, how many hours would it take?

Somewhere in the middle of that is where you’re going to find your ideal freelancer.

Decide on a dollar amount that’s respectfully above minimum wage, a dollar amount you can afford per hour. Then stick to that.

Most freelancers do not charge what they’re actually worth in hourly rates. Most of them work with small businesses and want to help them. Most freelancers ARE small businesses.

Freelancers will respect and understand if you’ve taken the time to consider the length of the project.

If you’re going to be stingy with your funds, under the pretense that you just need a little a something done – then you can expect to only get “a little something done.”

Do you know what you want? Book your website planning call today.

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