Cutting Out the Middle Man: A Good Idea?
A lot of freelancing sites today are either making it big or barely surviving in the competitive world of outsourcing. There is just a vast number of talents in such a cutthroat world of the online marketplace – from web developers, programmers, graphic designers, writers, to virtual personnel. As usual, doing business in any of these freelancing sites is a hit or miss deal. There are success stories… and there are urban legends. For those who have found the right business relationship, where trust has already been tested, there comes to mind a great concern: Is it time to cut the middleman out?
A lot of underdog freelancing sites out there never lived to see another day just because its talents and clients have decided to do business on their own. Whatever the reason is: It’s purely business! By doing a buyout, a service buyer can get rid of the percentage commission being charged by these freelancing sites on each invoice. This money can then be used instead to pay the professionals directly. Since this activity proliferates and are harder to monitor, many freelancing sites lose thousands of dollars in income.
Should You Work Outside the System?
To answer this question, we have come up with great reasons why working within any freelancing site is BETTER than doing it your own way:
Benefits of Working Within the System for Service Buyers
1. Outsourcing can be tough, specially when it comes to managing your projects. By working within a freelancing site, you get to use the latest project management tools that come with the latest security features on the web.
2. Some freelance websites come with a time-keeping software ( with screen captures ) that can come in handy when you need to dispute for hours worked by your remote workers.
3. If you hate Math, you might as well stay within the system and let the freelance website make your billing and invoice, stress-free, each payment cutoff.
4. You will have a traceable record of all of your projects done and those that are still in progress, plus, you get to build a good reputation as a service buyer.
Benefits of Working Within the System for Service Providers
1. By staying within a freelancing site to do your work, you get access ( most of which are free ) to thousands of jobs across the globe.
2. Not only will you have a ready-to-use tool to find work, but you will also have the chance to build your reputation as a highly-skilled freelancer on the web.
3. Since many of these freelancing sites have their own hassle-free billing and payment processes, the only thing you need to do is sit and wait for your money. There are a few freelance sites that offer payment guarantee.
4. You will have a chance to promote yourself and your services to the right market, which will help you land better paying jobs.
With the rise of freelancing sites offering an easier way to post jobs and get hired for work, some people may just be tempted to steer clear of doing business within the system. If you do so, know that you will be greatly responsible for the consequences of your actions. If someone fails to deliver, there will be no one to help you out ( collecting payments, getting refunds, etc. ). You just don’t have any customer support to handle your concerns. In the end, there will always be risks working outside the fine print and you may just pay a high price for your daring. Don’t Make That Costly Mistake!
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The Superlancers Freelance Marketplace: An Underdog or Another Disappearing Freelance Site?
