Why hire a freelance designer?

Whether you are part of a start-up, a small business owner or a larger corporation there always comes a time you need some graphic design help. Some consider doing the work themselves, getting a friend ( who knows a little photoshop) or hiring an agency to get the job done. Or perhaps you would consider hiring a designer full-time? But there is another option - hiring a freelancer can help fill the gaps, lighten the workload and provide an expertise not currently available to you.

Here are 5 benefits of hiring a freelance designer for you business:

1. Affordability

When you hire a freelancer their costs are known ahead of time and you pretty much know what you're getting yourself into. Hiring an agency can be extremely costly. With a freelancer you're not paying for an account manager, an art director, a designer, a production artist and all the higher ups. You're paying for the expertise of one person. A freelancer who works out of home won't have a lot of overhead costs, so they can afford to offer you lower rates.

Or perhaps you've considered a full time designer to work in-house? With full-time employees, you will also have to consider any additional costs like benefits, office supplies, equipment, and space. Freelancers can work from anywhere and already have their own tools, so you only have to worry about compensating for the work that they do.

2. Flexibility

With a freelancer you can hire them as needed. There are always ebbs and flows with projects required and a freelancer can be there when you need them. Plus, a freelancer works on their own time, you will probably find when you assign a project it is done a lot quicker than you imagined.

3. Work is done faster

Like mentioned in flexibility, a freelancer gets the work done faster. Doing it yourself, on your own time, can be tiring and overwhelming. An agency could take weeks or month to complete a project after it goes through all their people. With a freelancer you can get the job done in half the time. Freelancers are small business owners, they want to impress you, exceed your expectations and move on to another project. They don't have time for office chatter, they don't have to attend meeting after meeting, they have no one interrupting their workflow.

4. Experience

Most good freelancers came from somewhere first, whether that was an agency or part of an in-house team. Plus, each new client and new project they have adds that much more knowledge to their craft. You too will benefit from all that knowledge and experience in your projects. Freelancer also stick together, so that means if they don't have the expertise for a certain project chances are they know someone who can.

5. Independence

Doing the work yourself or hiring an in-house designer there will always be a learning curve. Take out the time it takes to learn or train a new employee and start getting results faster. A freelancer is used to working on their own and have all the skills already required. Sure you will have to provide your expectations and any assets required, but you will not have to sit with them and explain everything. You can focus on your work while they focus on theirs.

The bottom line is that hiring a freelancer will save you time and money. It is a innovative way to get things done and grow your business.