What to Ask When Hiring a Freelancer

In this tough economy more and more companies are turning to freelancers to pitch in with big projects. A freelancer can save your business a ton of money by offering job specific help, but there are few things you need to ask when shopping for one.

Who Have They Worked With?

Some freelancers have a specific niche that won’t work for your business. You wouldn’t hire a medical writer to work on a gardening website. Knowing exactly what you’ll need for your project will give you a big head start.

When I meet with potential clients I want them to feel confident I can do the job they’re hiring me for. I expect them to ask me what I can do and who I’ve worked with. A good freelancer will be honest about their strengths and weaknesses and won’t promise results they can’t deliver. 

Do They Do More Than One Thing?

Every company is looking to get the most bang for the buck. A freelancer who can handle multiple aspects of the project can be a gold mine. Sometimes clients call me to whip up some quick copy, but I also offer services like photography, graphic design and marketing strategy. Someone with full slate of tools will often bundle services and cut clients a break on price.

Are They Thinking Big Picture?

Sometimes you hit a wall with a major project. Maybe your new ad campaign is missing something, but you aren’t sure what. A freelancer can be a fresh set of eyes, bringing a new perspective to the project. Before you hire someone, make sure they can help identify your needs.

I strive to give clients exactly what they want, but sometimes they aren’t sure what they’re looking for. Often they have a vision, but don’t know how to put it into words. As a former reporter, I have a knack for drawing out a client’s vision, putting it into their own words and offering up ideas to make it happen.

A creative thinker can be the spark that sets fire to your next marketing or advertising campaign and keeps your customers engaged.

How will they represent your brand?

Smaller projects are usually done off sight, but bigger projects mean the freelancer will be working directly with your team, sometimes for weeks at a time. You need to be comfortable with them representing your brand in the office and in front of your clients. Make sure they can handle themselves in a variety of professional settings.

What Else Are They Working On?

An experienced freelancer will know how much work they can handle, but not everyone will volunteer that info. Don’t be afraid to ask what else they’re working on. That way you know your project won’t fall to the bottom of the priority list. And don’t be afraid to set a deadline. A freelancer is a temporary employee working on your time line. Make sure they can get the work done by the time you need it.

How Will They be Paid?

A professional freelancer shouldn’t give you a quote before meeting to talk about a project. I would never give a client an estimate without knowing exactly what I’ll be doing and how long it will take. Anyone that quotes you a price before knowing the details is either desperate for work or they’re trying to rip you off with an inflated price.

The same concept applies when discussing when they’ll be paid. Never pay the full price up front, no matter how small the job is. I usually ask for one third of the payment up front. The rest is paid as the project moves along or when it’s done. 

Chris Vanasdalan is a freelance writer based out of Indianapolis. He’d love to show you just how valuable a freelancer can be to your business.

GOP Obstruction Strategy: Gains in the 2010 Midterms Could Backfire in 2012

Let me be frank when I say this. The GOP doesn’t want the economy to get better. They don’t want the unemployed to find a job. They don’t care about keeping teachers in the classroom or police on the streets. They make political gains by grinding government to a halt.

It’s a sound strategy that could bring them big gains in November’s mid-terms. But it’s anything but a long term plan for success.

The conservative argument du jour, is that federal government is too big, too slow, too bloated and doesn’t listen to the average American. Republicans are determined to prove them right. They’re shutting down every aspect of government and blaming the Democrats for being in power.

Republicans made the economic mess we’re in right now, but now they’re doing everything they can to keep Democrats from fixing it. That way they can blame the party in power now for not cleaning up.

It’s like when a dog throws up on the carpet. First everyone blames the dog, but the owner takes the blame if they don’t clean it up right away. After six weeks of dried puke on the floor friends come over and say “dude, you still haven’t cleaned that up yet?” But they’re still petting the dog. Only in this case, the dog is biting the owner every time he tries to clean up the stain.

The GOP is relying on American amnesia come November, and they’re right to do so. A recent poll found that 58 percent of Americans don’t think the GOP will return to the Bush economic policies that caused the Great Recession. 58 percent!

The GOP hasn’t offered a valuable idea in 18 months but they still poll better when it comes to offering new ideas to help the economy. Amnesia or not, Democrats are doing a terrible job of calling Republicans on their blatant obstruction. President Obama has started getting harsher in his criticism and a few democratic senators have been vocal, but most rank and file Congressman are silent on the matter.

Conservatives claim to be tough on crime. Yet they’re blocking the confirmation of more than 100 of President Obama’s federal judicial nominees. That’s 103 federal court benches sitting empty, creating a serious backlog in pending cases.

They claim to be the party of small business, but they’ve done everything they can to block help for small business owners, including tax breaks they’ve been proposing for years. Now that President Obama and Democrats are on board, Republicans aren’t.

They “Party of No” isn’t even ashamed of its hypocrisy. Dozens of Republican Governors and members of Congress blast the stimulus bill every chance they get, but they’re not shy about handing out giant novelty checks and bragging to voters about how much money they’re bringing to the district. Even as they publicly fight the money every step of the way.

The same thing goes for Medicaid help, led by Gov. Mitch Daniels here in Indiana. From the AP,

“Democrats are denouncing Gov. Mitch Daniels for saying that the federal government sending additional money to the states is not a good idea - after he signed a letter in February asking Congress to extend enhanced payments to fund Medicaid.



But while Daniels criticized the $26 billion package that President Barack Obama signed into law on Tuesday, his spokeswoman said if the government sends more money to Indiana, the state will cash the check.”

Gov. Bobby Jindal-(R) of Louisiana spent the first half of 2010 blasting the Federal Government over spending, but when the BP oil spill hit his state’s shores he was first in line demanding that the Feds step in with billions of dollars in help.

Unbridled obstructionism is working for the GOP. Their poll numbers are up and there’s a very real chance they could take control of the House in November. But Republicans are putting themselves at risk long term by playing the obstruction game.

Sadly, voters still buy into these tactics.

The GOP fires up its base with rhetoric appealing to hatred and fear. That’s always been their election strategy but it’s gotten even more vitriolic in the past few months. Appealing to fear and hatred is second nature for the GOP and it’s a good strategy for them. It works. Fear and hatred are emotions that are always just below the surface and it takes very little effort to invoke them. The GOP spends very little political capital by doing it and it’s the red meat that energizes the base.

It’s a strategy that might win them seats, but it won’t help them govern. Voters may have a short memory now, but it could work the other way in 2012. More failed economic policy paired with fewer regulations and oversight will certainly set the stage for higher unemployment rates, more American jobs going overseas and more of the pie going to the top wealthiest two percent of Americans.

There are actually Tea Party backed Senate candidates running on a platform of repealing the 17th amendment. That’s the one that gave the public the right to vote for their Senators, taking appointment power away from state assemblies. Potential voters still seem willing to vote for a candidate in 2010, and potentially give up their right to vote them out down the road. And these are the folks that love to shout, 'Throw the bums out!'

The GOP will be dealing with vicious infighting long after the mid-terms. The influx of Tea Party candidates could prove too much for party leaders to handle. Tea Party candidates are promising to privatize Social Security, cut off federal help for states, eliminate unemployment insurance, repeal health care reform and at least two Constitutional amendments.

Even if the GOP could come together to get any of those ideas out of the House, they’d likely die in the Senate. And President Obama certainly would veto any of those Bills.

It’s up to voters to call out Republicans and their mid-term election plan for what it really is, a conscious effort to shut down government, blame the Democrats for the economy, question the President’s citizenship, religion, shoe size and everything in between. Republicans will do everything they can to ensure the economy gets worse between now and November.

It’s a good political strategy for winning a few seats in 2010. The major downside is, you have to be without a soul to execute it.