Before
hiring
a freelancer
Things you should know in advance
You can employ people per hour or – per project or short-term contracts.
You should receive a pre-work agreement prior to commencement which clearly outlines all work and expectations – the deliverables by the freelancer – any obligations you may have as an employer and the time-frame for delivery.
It is reasonable on a per-project agreement for there to be a penalty fee for any time spent beyond that stated if it is the cause of the employer.
There are many stipulations via IR35 that make a contract necessary for any project or ongoing work – this is a particular consideration and may require specialist legal advice.
When hiring people per hour – take the time to research and, prior to engagement, ask for an estimate on time – more expensive rates often result in a lower final invoice.
You should arrange a collaborative communication channel prior to work commencing.
There may be a requirement for work to be done prior to a pre-work arrangement being able to be drawn up – this is especially true when seeking website updates or where you are looking to improve your WordPress SEO, and campaign planning – it may be that an audit or interim project is required prior to the main work commencing – this should be priced separately and communicated early in proceedings.
It is wise to ask who is going to be completing the different work elements – often, a freelancer will have specialist skills – if you need several specialist services it is wise to get a handle on the individuals’ level of experience for each element of work you require and also, especially in the case of NDAs and start-ups to ensure that all people involved are and can be held accountable for their involvement in the project.
WHY SHOULD I HIRE YOU?
Good Question! I have an enviable set of experiences – this spans big business and start-ups – this ensures that you get someone who knows how to deal with the board and also knows the importance of being able to ‘roll up the sleeves and get-on-with-it’!
On top of this my career spans 20-something years – this is built on a base of marketing – you get an expert in design and development with the professional ability to be able to advise on the integrations that make business process better and perform on a marketing basis – this is rare!
TERMS
+conditions
For information on how the work engagement happens – what responsibilities you have and what to expect –
visit the terms + conditions
FAQ
Do I have to pre-pay?
If it is a retained service pre-payment is required. If it is a one-off project a deposit is required in order to commence work.
What deposit is required?
It is 20% of the project price or in the case of new retained services 20% of the first months work.
Can I hire people per hour?
Yes – I prefer to price and agree a total project cost – however, I do offer hourly rates for tasks such as logo design and some elements of PPC and SEO. I am also able to price on bigger projects – campaign planning or web builds, for example, and can source additional specialists to assist with areas of content writing on an hourly fee.
Which locations do you serve?
I am based on the border of Essex, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk and serve predominantly UK businesses.
I have many London based clients and can offer hybrid or remote working that suits your own office hours. On-location working is especially helpful for long-term retained contracts, as it allows a greater degree of understanding on elements of company culture, ethos and general operations to be gleaned, with minimal disruption or ‘training time’.
In regards to remote working, full transparency on communications and task lists/task completions is always provided and a range of project management tools are utilised to ensure you have the communications delivered in a format that is easy for you to access and at a time that is convenient.
Can you manage PPC Accounts?
I have worked on PPC accounts since the early 00s and have specialist skills in this area, able to provide emergency services as well as consultancy and pay per click management and creative writing services. This experience extends across Google Adwords, Bing and some other PPC advertising opportunities.
What if I change my mind half way through?
The contract is legally binding – however, every effort is made to ensure you get an end delivery that is not only satisfactory – but beyond expectations, with that in mind there is always an adjustment and evolvement period factored into the pricing.
Can you work with my existing in-house teams?
Yes! I have much management and PM experience as well as specialist experience co-ordinating artwork and production teams, developers, content writers, social teams, PPC and PR activities – I can also work with agencies – I have spent many years in such roles as well as experience actually delivering as part of the above teams – this means I can not only plan and task-up workflows- but also be an extra pair of hands on the delivery if needed.
How long does it take to build and launch a website?
This is difficult to estimate – each site is so different. For a fairly simple templated base with original design features, containing up to 25 pages with all features necessary to drive traffic, create interest, facilitate business processes and drive conversions – I would suggest that you factor in a minimum of 12 weeks – It is often more comfortable for the client to allow 16-20 weeks.
Can you write content and source Images?
Yes! However, whilst I provide image sourcing as part of the design phase – premium sources are chargeable. Equally, specialist content writing is also advised and would require the additional hire of another freelancer if outside my core areas of specialist knowledge.
I can also assist with some animation and video creation – but similar to the above it will be specified and communicated prior to work commencing and specific details provided within the pre-work agreement.
How much does a site Audit cost?
I provide a number of different audits – primarily website audits and SEO audits – I can also do Marketing audits – although I tend to treat these as bespoke projects.
For SEO and Web audits you can expect to pay between £550 for a small site and beyond £2500 for a large established site.
You can also book a content audit online – suitable for any sized website the SEO Colour Wheel Chart can be ordered online. Prices start at £850
How much are your SEO packages?
I provide 4 main SEO Packages – content, technical, Local and PR, additionally I provide full-service freelance SEO on a retained basis – the latter is priced bespoke to each client and is usually relevant to websites receiving more than 250 users via organic search per day.
For those of you wanting to improve your WordPress SEO without any long-term commitment or contracts it is possible to select one or more of the SEO plans which are usually delivered within 4 weeks. If you want to extend that you simply need to let me know.
Prices start at £850