With so many people around the world joining the freelancing field, Dubai is not left behind. There has been a rise in the number of freelancers in the region, most of whom are professionals in particular fields. If you have a project that you would like done for you in Dubai, you can always find a freelancer who has expertise in that field.
There are a number of talented freelancers in Dubai whose services will be helpful to you. However, the same as choosing the right full-time employee choosing the right freelancer for your work is not always the easiest task and many clients always fear picking the wrong freelancers.
Here are our top 6 factors you need to consider in order to avoid hiring those wrong freelancers:
1. Writing the correct project brief
The first step to finding the right freelancer, not only in Dubai but also everywhere else, is to write the correct project brief. This is one part most clients go wrong, hence failing to attract potentially talented freelancers. If the outline of your project is not clear or professional, experienced freelancers would not wish to waste their time on projects which have not been well outlined, or at least partially explained.
“I need your service” is something that doesn’t clearly explain what you are looking for.
On the other hand, if you write.
“I am looking for a social media marketer who can design and handle my Instagram and Facebook accounts. My companies name is ****** and our website is www.*******.com. Our monthly budget is around 4-5k AED. Please let me know if you are interested.”
This message gives out a clear intent of what you are expecting, you don’t have to be very specific on how many posts you want to be created or what kind of content you want to publish. Just a general understanding of the project is more than enough to catch the right attention.
Just be sure to indicate the detail of your project, which would give freelancers a picture of what to expect. This also increases the number of proposals you stand to receive, as only freelancers who have understood exactly whatever is expected of them will send in proposals.
While in Dubai, many freelancers are looking for opportunities, you are much likely to spend less time looking for the best ones if your project brief is clear.
2. Come up with a hook term or phrase for filtering the unwanted freelancers
You are looking for the best freelancer, right? Well, did you know close to 80% of those who bid for your project have their bids generically sent? Now you know. When you come up with a hook term or phrase which you include in your project brief, you can then ask interested freelancers to send in their proposals beginning with the word or phrase you provided.
Some of the generic bids that you will receive have a higher chance that whoever the freelancer is, did not take time to go through your project brief. Hence might not even be an expert in that field. This saves you time as you are able to filter out the automatic bids which do not begin with your hook term. After all, you are looking for the best freelancer who has taken the time to understand your project.
3. Consider your project’s budget
While posting a job description, you should always have a budget range in mind. You will receive a number of bids or proposals from different freelancers. These freelancers will all post different budget ranges for their work.
Some can stay within your range, others will go past it, while a few will actually charge you lower than your expected range. This is, in some cases, a gamble as you do not know who the best freelancer is considering their prices. At times, more talented and experienced freelancers might charge you a bit higher than your anticipated budget range.
One common misconception that employers have is that freelancers become freelancers because they cannot find a job. But this is not true, there are many freelancers who have deliberately chosen this path. And you will regularly come across freelancers who are better than regular employees. This misconception leads employers to expect freelancers to work for cheap.
4. Request for a face to face meeting
If you wish to settle on a freelancer, other factors considered, you can request a face-to-face meeting. You can ask them why they charge that way and see if you can come to an agreement on the price befitting both of you. Those freelancers who charge way lower than your expected range, might not really deliver the best quality you need. However, while still starting fresh, some talented freelancers, tend to charge less in order to appeal to many clients and build their portfolio.
5. Go through the freelancer’s reviews
Most platforms will show you the freelancer’s portfolio when looking for a freelancer off the internet. You are able to see their reviews from other clients whom they have worked with before. Complaints and negative reviews are enough to raise a red flag for you to skip such freelancers. Check on their ratings based on the quality of their work, if deadlines are met, and their project completion rates.
6. Portfolio and freelancers website
On mostly all freelancing portals you can find the freelancer’s portfolio, websites, and social media links. Take your time to go through all of the profiles patiently and mainly go through the portfolios and links of the freelancers. This will give you the best understanding of what the freelancer has worked on and what he or she is capable of doing. And is he or she the right candidate for you.
Where do you find freelancers in Dubai?
There are many ways of finding freelancers in the UAE.
Bawabba
Bawabba is an open online freelancing community that directly connects people to freelancers, with no middlemen involved. The majority of the freelancers in the platform are from Dubai and other Emirates and you can easily choose the one you prefer working with. The whole community is free.
Social media platforms
The 21st-century adage, ‘the power of social media is very applicable to when searching for the best freelancers. Join platforms that you are likely to get freelancers from Dubai such as Facebook, Linked In, etc. Just post your job description and without even realizing it you start getting proposals. You can also find professional photographers in Dubai, bloggers, and influencers in the UAE, on Instagram.
Global freelance platforms
Apart from Bawabba, you can also search for freelancers in Dubai using other global freelancer platforms such as Upwork, Fiverr, or even freelancer.com. There, you can search for freelancers specifically from Dubai and you will receive a number of them whom you can work with.
Blogs
You can contact bloggers to work as freelance content writers, explore guest posting opportunities, or even work as affiliates to promote your products and services. WordPress.com is a great platform to find bloggers and contact writers in any niche.
Take away
While the search for the best freelancer is a tedious one, this post will at least make it easier for you. With the rise in numbers of freelancers in Dubai, you have a whole list of freelancers to choose from. Do not fear trying out newbies as well, as they might be new on that platform, but experienced in your field. Also, they bring a fresh perspective to your table.