For some people, the solo aspect of going freelance is actually a perk. Most freelancers get used to working alone, but if you want to expand, that might mean outsourcing.

Outsourcing work vs business tasks

Before you decide to outsource work, you need to decide what it is that you’re hoping to save time on. If you want to outsource work that you normally undertake for clients yourself, take a moment to assess the risk. Your reputation depends on finding someone who can provide the same level of quality that you do.

It’s more common for freelancers to outsource tasks that, whilst still core to the running of the business, aren’t part of what they offer to clients. Doing it this way enables you to spend the time on undertaking billable work.

Where to find outsourced help

As a freelancer yourself, then finding another freelancer yourself might be the most obvious solution. If you don’t already have someone in your personal network, then PeoplePerHour might be your next stop.

Again, if you’re a freelancer yourself then you’ll probably already know the pitfalls to looks out for. You can get a freelancer for a fiver on some of these sites, but that doesn’t mean you should. LinkedIn might also be a useful way to find professional freelancers.

If there are several tasks to be taken care of, you might even want to head down the agency route. Just keep in mind that the price tag might be fairly high.

Make sure you note down your outsourcing expenses

When you spend money outsourcing to others you may be able to claim it as an allowable expense on your Self Assessment tax return.

Obviously, we’re going to recommend you use a good bookkeeping system to record your expenses! It will be a big help when you fill in your tax return each year.

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About The Author

Christopher Jones

Forensics graduate-turned copywriter and blogger. I love turning complex topics into easy to understand, yet engaging pieces of content.

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