10 Pros and Cons to help you make the call
Since money doesn’t usually rain down on new companies, most startups outsource work to avoid adding another salary to the payroll. But each project has different demands, so many startup CEOs are left wondering whether they should hire someone from a freelancing website like Upwork, or pony up for a studio.
Knowing what you need and what each option has to offer is the key to understanding whether a freelancer will meet your needs, or if hiring a studio is the better choice. To help guide you through the process, we’ve compiled a list of benefits and drawbacks for both camps so you can decide which gives you the best return on investment.
Hiring Freelancers
Benefits
- They’re cost-effective — Because they work as lone wolves with little overhead, freelancer fees are generally lower.
- They’re space-effective — Freelancers take up no desk space in your office, saving you money, space, and energy.
- They’re flexible — If you’re unsatisfied with a freelancer’s work, you owe them no loyalty and can move on to the next.
- They’re low risk — Since freelancers usually work on a project-by-project basis, you can cut ties if things get tight.
- They’re quick to hire — Freelancing platforms like Upwork, Thumbtack, Fiver, etc. have made it very quick and easy to hire freelance workers. Simply scroll through potential candidates, check out their ratings, then start a conversation that very same day.
Drawbacks
- Quality is Hard to Find — Since many people like the idea of working from home, it can be difficult to find a freelancer with standards as high as yours.
- They’re free to come and go as they please — Freelancers owe you no loyalty. If another, better job comes along, they can disappear, leaving you in the lurch.
- Selection can be time-consuming — There are a lot of freelancers vying for your attention, leaving you to comb through a crowd of profiles before finding one that works for you.
- They’re difficult to supervise — Are they scrolling through social media, eating fruit loops in their underwear and charging you for it? While most freelancers take great pride in their work, there’s always the risk that they’re not being forthright in the amount of time and effort they spend on your project.
- They don’t go through standardized training — A freelancer is not part of your team, and that means they may not share your, or your company’s, values.
Hiring a Studio
Benefits
- It handles everything — Because a studio takes on your whole project, it leaves you with the time and energy to focus on what you do best — running your business and dreaming big.
- It’s well-rounded — Whatever service you’re in need of, most studios have the skills or network required to take on your project.
- It leverages a teams — Studios have diverse teams of creatives in place, which means every aspect of your project is taken care of by a specialist.
- It boasts collective experience — With many employees on deck, studio members have the ability to lean on and learn from more experienced colleagues.
- It’s professional — Studios have processes in place to make sure their reputation is upheld and they hire employees with proper training and skills.
Drawbacks
- It’s more expensive — With workers to pay, and all the costs associated with running a business, hiring a studio is more expensive than hiring a freelancer — unless you’re an innovative, fully remote studio like Flying Saucer, of course!.
- It can lead to confusing communication — With many people working on your project, there’s rarely one person with all the information.
- It can feel like you’re another number — Studios juggle many different clients, and some might be larger than you, making you a lower priority.
- It can lack specific industry experience — A studio likely has many clients in a variety of industries, and so it might lack knowledge and experience in yours.
- It can cost more for similar quality — Often, with larger studios, you’re paying for their brand name even when they assign workers with little experience.
Don’t Settle for a Compromise
With all of that said, today’s business world isn’t nearly as binary as it once was. Access to internet connectivity and affordable creative tools mean startups have more choice than ever. That’s the premise on which we’ve built Flying Saucer Studio. We’re a fully remote team of creatives dedicated to startups, which means we’re flexible enough to bridge the gap between freelance and studio. We leverage our unique structure to offer the low cost/fast turn-around of a freelancer, with the well-rounded, holistic approach of a studio.
That means you get the quality you need for the price you want.
Article written by the Team — Flying Saucer Studio
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