In the modern business world, entrepreneurs and freelancers work hand in hand. To each entrepreneur looking for help with his business, there are several competent and active freelance workers across the world. To make this dream come true, you need a freelance platform.
A big advantage for all entrepreneurs. You can invest in the skills of freelancers, in areas as diverse as graphics, copywriting, customer service and much more. Did you know that the world-famous Nike logo is not the result of the hard work of a team of in-house graphic designers? No, the Nike logo was created by a graphic design student who was just starting out as a freelancer. This is proof of the quality of work potentially provided by the self-employed.
But as the gig economy explodes and more and more people choose to freelance, the number of freelance platforms is also growing rapidly and it is becoming difficult to navigate. This is why we have put together in this article a list of the best freelance platforms, you can consult based on your needs.
Who is a freelancer?
Before we dive into exploring the best freelance platforms, let’s take the time to define what a freelancer is and how your collaboration will unfold.
A freelancer is someone who works independently. This is a professional who offers his services on the basis of a contract. Most freelancers specialize in a specific field, such as graphic design, which helps them develop their clientele and therefore their authority in their field. But you can also find non-specialized freelancers with a much wider range of skills and who can therefore assist you with all kinds of tasks.
If you decide to work with freelancers to grow your business, chances are they will work remotely. In these conditions, communication is essential and you will have to choose your tools wisely. I recommend Slack, a communication platform for businesses. It will also be wise for you to use management tools such as Asana or Trello to follow the evolution of the missions assigned to your freelancers.
Why collaborate with a freelancer for your business?
If you need help with a task for your business, or if you find that one aspect is taking up too much of your time, freelancers can help you maintain a steady pace of work. It is financially more beneficial to hire a freelancer than a full-time employee. You can, therefore, if you wish, reinvest this money to further develop your business, for example in advertising.
Before signing up to a freelance platform, start by assessing your strengths and weaknesses. Think about the tasks you are currently doing and ask yourself, “Would someone hire me to do this job, based on my current performance?” If the answer is no, then it is best to hire a freelancer, at least until you have mastered this area. If on the other hand, you find that you are good, then take advantage of it and invest your time in this function.
How to find freelancers? The top 10 platforms
Now that we’ve seen how freelancers can support your business, let’s see which freelance platform best suits your needs. Each site on this list brings together highly qualified freelancers who will soon join your team. It is essential to find the best freelancers for your business so do not hesitate to register on several platforms.
Upwork
Upwork, formerly known as oDesk, is one of the largest freelance platforms, with a customer base that runs into the millions. This is a very comprehensive site that entrepreneurs can use to hire freelancers by project or on an hourly basis. The profiles of freelancers are classified from beginners to experts, so you will be able to recruit the person according to your needs and your means.
Once your account is created on Upwork, you can establish a list of missions detailing each task. Thus, only freelancers with the required skills will apply for your offer (in theory). After your ad has been validated, freelancers will be able to see your ad and respond to it with a rate (based on an hourly rate or per project, depending on your ad). You can then, if you wish, request a quick interview or make a decision and make them an offer. When the compensation is validated on both sides, a system of stages within the project is put in place and the project can start. Upwork is an American platform, but you will find many French freelancers there. If you are otherwise proficient in English, this will be perfect for you.
Malt
Malt is a freelance site in France, created in 2013, under the name of Hopwork. Today, it brings together more than 170,000 freelancers in various fields such as web development, SEO consulting, photography, artistic direction, graphic design or writing.
Malt allows you to quickly assess the quality of the profile of a freelance specialized in community management or that of a freelancer in IT, thanks to beautiful dedicated pages. The registrants present their background, their portfolio and their daily rate.
Malt defends the value of a job well done and supports fair prices. You will therefore not find freelancers taking 5 € for a mission. The platform receives a commission of 10% excluding tax on the negotiated rate. This freelance platform is fully secure, provides invoices and contracts and has a real team that supports you in your search for the right employee.
Finally, the customer reviews system allows you to spot the most popular freelancers and therefore probably the best.
99designs
99designs is, as the name suggests, the perfect place to find freelance graphic designers. Whether you need a professional, high-quality logo or help with your website design, the 99designs freelance platform can help.
This freelance site works in a unique way, which guarantees you receive the best quality of graphics. Once you have signed up, you will need to create a brief including information about your business and detailed explanations of the outcome you expect. Then you will select a design pack, depending on your budget.
After these steps, you can launch a competition to which several freelancers will respond with proposals. It is possible to give them your feedback and after 7 days you will choose a winner. The winning freelancer receives full payment and you receive your design with full rights.
Freelancer
Freelancer is another very effective freelance platform for recruiting freelancers. With Freelancer, you will gain access to a wide variety of specialized talents in all fields.
Like other freelance platforms in this list, you can create an ad on Freelancer and wait for proposals from registrants with their prices. However, Freelancer also offers a recruiting function, through which the Freelancer team helps you find the perfect candidate. It’s even less of a hassle for your research.
We recommend this freelance platform if you need some guidance in choosing the right candidate.
Codeur.com
Codeur.com is a French freelance platform founded in 2006 by two partners. It is a platform connecting project leaders and service providers in an impartial and transparent manner. Transparency is due in particular to the fact that the rates offered by freelancers when they apply for your offer are visible to all. Each candidate can thus adjust their prices to those of the competition, which guarantees you a competitive price.
Freelancers are evaluated after each project, in order to guarantee the general level of quality of the site. You will be able to find freelance writers, freelance web designers or freelance graphic designers by consulting the various associated sites.
For entrepreneurs, the service is completely free, unless you choose a premium option that will highlight your project on the site.
Hired
If you are looking for technical talent to help you grow your online store, Hired is arguably the best freelance platform for you. Hired brings together more than 70,000 freelance profiles each month. Resources which are thus regularly renewed. Famous companies such as Facebook and Github have already used this freelance platform. Names that guarantee you a high level of quality. This is a perfect freelance recruiting site for complex web development or programming tasks.
Fiverr
Fiverr is a marketplace for freelancers aimed at supporting entrepreneurs. If you want to collaborate with freelancers to grow your business quickly, all at affordable rates, Fiverr comes highly recommended.
The interest of the platform lies in the fact that it attracts rather a beginner freelancers (but nevertheless talented) offering quite advantageous prices compared to more confirmed candidates. The evaluations will allow you to ascertain the skills of a particular freelancer.
404Works
404Works is also a French freelance platform, which brings together 50,000 freelancers each month. The site is commission-free and really easy to use for entrepreneurs. You publish your project for free by providing a certain amount of information:
The category, the type of contract, the skills and the profession of the ideal candidate, the constraints of the project and finally your personal information. You will receive proposals by e-mail, which you can compare and then negotiate.
The platform brings together freelances in artistic direction, business development, community management, illustration and many other professions. Customer reviews and portfolios from each freelancer will help you make your choice.
Kang
Kang.com is a freelance platform that is also generalist, and even a little larger than that. Indeed, in addition to the usual profiles such as freelancers in IT, freelance community managers or freelance translators, there are also lawyers, accountants, service providers related to sound and voice, video and animation, coaching and even astrology. Yes, you read that right. Maybe some entrepreneurs trust the stars to run their businesses.
5euros.com
5euros.com is what we call a platform of mini services whose first prices start at 5 euros. Don’t imagine, however, that you are going to be able to commission a branding or social media strategy for your business at this price.
In general, freelancers who register on 5euros.com break down their services to offer a single service at this price. For example, a freelance graphic designer will make a copy of a business card for 5 euros. But you will have to pay more for any other option: € 15 to get the source file, € 10 for unlimited edits, € 15 for overnight delivery, etc.
You will find all kinds of services on 5euros.com, from marketing to audio, writing to web development.
Grow your business with freelancers
Now that you have all the information you need to find and work with freelancers, it is high time to grow your business. Before committing, here are some tips to keep in mind when looking to work with a freelancer:
- Create a clear and detailed advertisement, which you will post on several freelance platforms to increase your pool of candidates.
- Maintain fluid communication with all the freelancers who work for you.
- Check the performance of your freelancers. Praise them if they are doing a good job and see how they can improve if you feel like they are below their performance.
- Trust them! You are on the same team.
And There you go! You are ready. If you have any other questions about freelancers, or entrepreneurship in general, let us know in the comments, we will be happy to help you in your entrepreneurial adventure.
