As a small business owner money is almost always tight, but that doesn’t change our need for an occasional web developer, graphic design expert, or some monotonous data entry. Below are three of my favorite sources for hiring low-cost expert help.
Fiverr.com - The name says it all - every service on this website starts at just $5.00 and the contractors available range from blog writers to web developers to voice over and video production. This service is fast and low-cost, potentially a win-win.
Upwork.com - Upwork is my preferred vendor for contracting services although it is not as inexpensive as Fiverr. Odesk connects you with expert contractors around the world and because of this, you can use the power of varying currency to hire a developer or writer in another country for amazingly low prices. My first web developer built me a $5,000 website for just $300. When the value of U.S. currency is in your favor, it’s amazing what you can afford and very easy to do.
DesignCrowd.com - If you don’t feel like looking for an expert, let the experts come to you via Design Crowd. On this website you set your budget, fill out a “project brief” and hours later you will start receiving logos, designs, or whatever you requested straight to your inbox from designers around the world - all within the budget you set.
Hiring tips: When writing an online job/project description, I have found it helpful to ask the applicants reading the brief to answer a specific question in their response - this helps cut down on bot responses and it also shows you how well an applicants executes instructions. A simple question like, “Please tell us the name of your preferred design software in your answer” can help you know right away who reads instructions and who doesn’t.
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David Pride is the owner of Social Impressions - a social media marketing agency that companies hire to run their social media marketing for them. David has consulted and trained companies and associations around the world on how best to implement a social media marketing strategy. Learn more at: SocialImpressions.net