Guest Post: Tips for Managing an Efficient Remote Freelance Team

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​It’s hard to turn down work as a freelancer. After all, you’ve worked so hard to build up your business, land new clients, receive referrals, and collect raving testimonials to post on your website. Still, for many freelancers, there comes a point when everyone wants to work with you. But, there are only so many hours in the day. 

What if—instead of telling potential clients that you’re too busy—you could accept all of those enticing projects and hand them off to a remote team of your own freelancers?

You get to earn more money and your clients stay happy. It’s a win-win! Of course, it can be tough to keep all of your freelancers on the same page in a remote work environment, so we’ve detailed some tips to help you out.

Use Tech to Boost Productivity
The right tech can help you keep your teams on track and avoid disappointing your clients with missed project deadlines, so take advantage of the tools that are available to you. For example, ProofHub recommends using video conferencing apps, like Zoom, WebEx, and Google Hangouts Meet, and chat apps like Twist and Ryver for effortless communication in team meetings and one-on-one brainstorming sessions.

​Project management tools like Trello, Monday, and Asana, as well as productivity apps like Freedom and Marinara Timer are essential for keeping everyone on the same page and tracking progress. If you’re paying your freelancers by the hour, finding ways to enhance productivity should be your top priority.

Overcommunicate
Miscommunication is a very common problem among remote teams. A simple communication error can cost you a lot of time and money, so it’s best to prevent these problems before they occur.

To ensure effective collaboration and communication among your team members, try implementing platforms like Slack to keep everyone in-the-know about project updates and requirements. Just be careful not to over-manage your freelancers through the use of needless tools. You want to focus on building a work culture of autonomy and flexibility that will keep your freelancers engaged in their roles without feeling smothered.

Set Realistic Expectations
A great remote team thrives on clear and fair expectations. Make sure your freelancers know what you expect of them. Explain exactly what they are responsible for and why. Let them know how you plan to measure their success. Outline the scope, deadlines, and deliverables for every project you assign to a freelancer. Most importantly, put everything in writing so you and your team members have something to refer to in the event of miscommunication or disagreement.

Avoid Micromanaging
No one likes a micromanager. As a freelancer, you’re likely all too familiar with clients who think they know how to do your job better than you.

​Keep this in mind when you’re working with your own team. Try not to manage their work hours or concern yourself with how your freelancers are getting things done. As long as they’re delivering completed projects on time with few errors, you should be happy with their performance. Whether you’re paying by the hour or project, trust that your freelancers are billing you honestly.

Create a Solid Onboarding Process
After you assemble your initial team of freelancers, take some time to create an onboarding process for future hires. It’s easy to forget that newcomers won’t have any of the information that your existing team members have learned over the course of working for you. In your onboarding process, Contently recommends explaining the details about your freelancing business and your project objectives, establishing communication rules, sharing your style guide, and introducing the rest of your team. 

Ready to take your freelancing career to the next level? Hiring a team of remote workers will help you manage overflow work and stop turning clients away. With a good communication and collaboration plan in place, you should have no problem managing your new team from a distance!

Guest blogger: Tina Martin

Tina Martin stays busy as a life coach and works hard to help herself and her clients achieve a healthy work-life balance. She started Ideaspired as a side project to reach as many people as possible, and encourage them to put their dreams first.