Researching Your Project: Tips for Getting the job done right!

This article is part of a series on researching your project. If you want to get the most out of this blog post, you’ll need to learn how to research your project. You probably already know how to do it; you just don’t know how to do it right! The more information you have about a project, the better chance you have of getting the job done right the first time. You can research a number of different factors before committing to a contract with a freelancer or an in-house team. It’s not just about price—you need to know if they are reputable, what skills they have, and what experience they have within the industry. Understanding your risks is also imperative when looking for freelancers or contractors. Is the freelancer able to deliver quality work? Do they offer any follow-up services or support? Are there any hidden fees or hidden clauses in their contracts? Without doing some research ahead of time, you may end up being overcharged and/or understaffed on a project. Have no fear! In this article, I’m going to walk you through some common ways that you can research your freelance or contract work before handing over cash — and why that’s important!

Ditch the online form and get in touch with the freelancer

Online forms are designed to collect basic info — and many times, that’s it. You never know if the freelancer has13 read the form, or if they have actually read your project. It’s not unusual for contractors to lie on online forms — and get away with it! Besides being unethical, it’s quite difficult to get a reliable gauge of a contractor’s level of experience based only on their online presence. Many contractors will shy away from discussions about their work because they don’t want to reveal the “how much, what kind of work, and how much I should charge” details until the contract is signed.

Hire a freelancer or contractor — do your homework first

Before you hire a freelancer or contractor, find out what their “track record” is in your industry. You want to make sure you aren’t hiring a one-off freelancer who you’ll never need to work with again. Make sure you get in touch with their past clients and find out what experience they have. Ask for references — you don’t have to call them, but ask first!

Hold meetings with your contractors before handing over

When you’re hiring a contractor to work on a project, you want to make sure you aren’t just keeping them on retainer. You also want to make sure you have a regular meeting every so often to go over the progress on the project, discuss any issues you’re running into, and just generally check in with them to make sure they are on the right track. Make sure you send the right communication style and etiquette before you start working with a contractor. You want to make sure they know how to write a request, when to send documents, and how they should handle difficult situations.

Get to know your client — they may surprise you!

When you’re first starting out as a freelancer or contractor, you may be too busy trying to figure out how the work should be done to get to know your client. You don’t know their story, their past experiences, or their likes and dislikes — all of which can really help with the quality of work on a project. As you grow in experience and begin to work on more complex projects, you may start to notice a pattern in your clients. It may be that your client has done successfully completed projects for other clients, or that they have a track record of delivering quality work — regardless of your initial impressions!

Don’t be afraid to ask for references — they will show you character!

You may be hesitant to ask for references because you don’t want to seem too demanding — and you’re worried that you’ll be expected to pay for them if someone doesn’t have the necessary credentials to back up their words. But remember, you are paying for the service, not the individuals. If someone is providing you with a great service, then it’s probably worth asking for references to show you character. And remember, you don’t have to call or message every single person who has ever used a contractor to get references! Ask other clients for references first, and only then call or message the people who you want to ask for references.

Summing up

Beyond doing your research, you also need to be mindful of your time. You don’t want to spend a huge amount of time doing research on a project only to get sidetracked by another urgent project. And last but not least, you also need to be careful with your finances. You don’t want to end up spending more money than you planned because you were wrong about a freelancer or contractor in the first place.