Being a small business owner or entrepreneur can be tough but functioning as a solopreneur can be nearly impossible without great organization. Many solopreneurs don’t have the budget to hire other team members, and others may simply prefer working alone; however, they may encounter problems when they need tech-based help, graphic design, or coding assistance that they might not know how to do by themselves.
Solopreneurs can turn to freelancers and employ tech-based assistance to stay on top of their workload and outsource problems to those they only pay on an as-needed basis. Finding candidates is challenging, but as Harver notes, data-driven recruiting is your best bet, as it enhances the efficiency of the process and can lead you to the best quality freelancers. Just as you can count on analytics to boost your customer base and online presence, data can be a driving force in ensuring you quickly find the talent you need.
From there, follow the three tips below to find, interview, and manage freelancers as a part of your enterprise, brought to you by Infosysteria.com.
1. Find and Interview Qualified Candidates
Choosing to hire a freelance professional may seem like a daunting task if you don’t know where to look, and freelance scam artists are on the rise. Instead of worrying about being scammed, turn to popular sites, or ask friends or other business owners for recommendations. ReferralRock points out that word-of-mouth reviews, even in the digital age, are still the most trusted when it comes to finding help.
Consider hiring professionals on a contract or freelance basis to complete activities that are not your forte. This may include finishing website or packaging design, analyzing your internal processes, writing website content, or collecting your finances in one spot so that they may be more easily categorized when tax time rolls around.
2. Employ Automated Payroll Assistance
Payroll can be tough to manage even if you are a small business owner with a full HR department at your disposal. If you are new to being a solopreneur — and if you are the only person who works for your company — it may surprise you to know that you have to pay yourself. The rules may be different if you are legally filed as a corporation or an LLC, so be sure to check with your accountant or tax lawyer for the specifics here.
Though you are aware of the fact that you are making money, you may tend to spend it on business needs or office supplies before you write your own paycheck. This is to your disadvantage. All your hard work should also be paying off for you as income. But you still need to log your income as well as your daily expenses. If this seems a little outside of your wheelhouse, then look into payroll services that can help you keep this aspect of your business organized. A payroll system can also make it easier to pay your freelancers on time and take the guesswork out of filing and calculating taxes.
3. Hire Help for Accounting
Try using an accountant on a contract basis. Maybe you don’t need one year-round, or perhaps you don’t have the money to hire one full-time just yet, but there might be occasions when you find yourself scrambling. Don’t let the rest of your business suffer: Hire a freelance accountant to help you organize your books or put together your taxes.
If you are a solopreneur, you are well-versed in finding solutions to what others may seem to be unsolvable problems. Hire professionals on an as-needed basis to assist you with technical issues and that may help you stay focused and inspire you to develop new ideas for your business.
Find the right way to plan your taxes. For our readers based in the U.S., be sure to complete your 1099 forms if you’ve paid anyone over a certain amount of money (usually $600 per tax year) to get started on the path to organizational and financial success. The IRS offers 1099 templates online and through the mail. European countries use similar templates which are accessible from your government website. A freelance accountant can help you find the right way to plan your taxes.
Though your business may be considered “small”, it can grow into what you dreamed if you have the right type of help along the way. Consider the role of data analytics in your process, then sort candidates accordingly. Automate payroll to ease the paperwork side of things and hire accounting services as needed. Make sure that you use mobile-friendly accounting software that lets you instantly submit your documents such as invoices and bills directly from your phone. You’ll be set up for success with these basic strategies!
Article by Erica Francis from ReadyJob
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels