Just started a business? Congratulations! Most small business owners find the initial pre-launch phase of their business very stressing. There are all the things to consider- from getting your logo designed to handling with the launch event. And you obviously want the best for your business, but probably don’t have the money to hire the best in the field.
The internet has made life so much easier for small businesses. Now they can hire designers from India, China or Bangladesh to help them with their design needs without costing a fortune. You’d be surprised at the rates offered by skilled labor from these countries.
How to Outsource Design Jobs
While the cost of design work is significantly cheaper in Asian countries, the logistics of getting the work done from outside can be challenging. Here’s how you can get the best designs for your business, without feeling disappointment:
Where to Find the Right Talent
There are tons of ways to connect with designers from all over the world. Again, the world of internet is making lives easier every day. Some ways to find overseas talent is:
– Freelancing Websites: Create an account of Upwork, Fivver, or Freelancer.com. These websites have tons of freelancers available to you at all times of the day. All you have to do is create an account and post your job opportunity. Wait for the applications to start pouring. And they will literally pour, believe me.
– Facebook or LinkedIn: Recently Facebook and LinkedIn have also emerged as great platforms to connect with the global talent. For Facebook, join virtual assistant groups or entrepreneur groups. Once you post you job opp on the group, you might be flooded with offers. For LinkedIn, again you can join groups or post directly on your profile. Word travels fast on LinkedIn. You can also great a job opportunity directly on both platforms.
– Hold a Design Contest: If you want just the best for your business, you can also hold a design contest. Websites like 99 designs, Design Crowd and Crowd Spring allow you to hold a contest. Invite people to participate in the contest from the website. Choose the best design. You can then hire the same person to do the rest of your design work.
– Use Your Small Business Network: Your small business network or friends probably already know a great designer who has helped them with their business. Ask them for recommendations. This way you will be getting someone who is already vetted out.
Finding the Right Fit
Once you have a good number of talent pool, it’s time to narrow down your choices. Ask for experience, testimonials and most importantly, their portfolio. Get an idea for their rates also. Narrow down your choices, based on this criteria to around 10-15 people.
Once you do it, invite these people to a Skype conversation. Talk to them about your design needs. Decide how you feel about this people. Use your instinct to guide you here. Offer a paid trial if you can do that.
The Best Ways to Communicate
Once you select the right person for the job, it’s time to set up the best ways to communicate. Sign a contract to avoid misunderstandings later on. Lay down everything you expect in your contract. This will include communication means, payment scale and methods, time frames and everything. Decide on the number of revisions you can expect from the designer.
Establish a platform of contact. This can be email, Skype, or even through Slack or Asana.
Give them idea of what you expect from them. For this, go online and look at designs that inspire you.
Save the designs or take screenshots of the page.
Read more: How to Take a Screenshot in Windows.
You will also need to decide on the payment method and structure. When and how will you pay your designer? Paypal is a good and secure way for international payments.
At this point, I would suggest not misusing your talent. Offer them a fair pay scale. Yes, it would be lower than the pay structure in your market, but don’t go too low. Remember the designer also has to pay bills.
You should also decide on working hours also. When you outsource your business, you should know that your working hours and your designer’s working hours might differ, since you are both on different time zones. Most designers are willing to work on similar time zones. Ask him if he can do that. Or at least be available on your time zone for weekly meetings and catch-up.
Recommend Your Designer
If your designer has been great with you, why not recommend him to friends and fellow business owners. Your designer is probably looking for more work. If he has met your expectations, and completed work on time and with dedication, recommend him. He will thank you for it and maybe even offer you a discount later on.
