Flexible Friends: The Benefits of Working With a Freelancer

Looking for specific skills or expertise but don't have the workload or budget to commit to a permanent, full-time hire? Here's why a freelancer could be the answer.

I didn’t plan to be a freelancer. In 2004, I took redundancy from a marketing role during one of the TV industry’s many mergers. Soon after, a TV company needed help with writing their show synopses – something they knew I had experience in. The income helped while I looked for a permanent job (my redundancy money was already parked outside in the form of a Mazda MX-5 – don’t ask me for advice on finance or cars). And it left me time to study for a proofreading qualification. Then a PR company needed help. A local company advertised for someone to proofread their catalogues. And I kind of forgot to start the search for a permanent job. 

Fast forward 20+ years, and I’m still freelancing, offering clients copy-related help on a flexible basis, without the commitment of recruiting a permanent, full-time employee. And hiring freelancers is still a popular choice for businesses – in a recent survey, one in four UK businesses said they’re increasing their use of contractors and freelancers and plan to continue doing so. Almost half (49%) cited flexibility as their top reason, followed by avoiding long-term commitment (43%), access to specialist skills (40%), and cost (34%).

If you’re considering working with a freelancer, here are some of the benefits (some specific to proofreading and copywriting) they can bring to your business, plus my tips for getting the most out of the collaboration.

More flexibility

Hiring permanent staff is a significant commitment – not just financially but also in the time it takes to advertise for that role, choose a candidate, train/onboard the new recruit, and comply with all the legal requirements. And if your needs fluctuate or you just need support on a specific project, that kind of commitment might not be necessary. Working with a freelancer brings more flexibility to staffing requirements. You can hire them on an hourly, daily or project rate, scaling up or down as required. Or if you know the work will be ongoing, you can organise a monthly rolling retainer, agreeing a certain amount of work per month until either side gives notice to stop or change the arrangement.

Access to specialist skills

Working with specialist freelancers means you are working with people who are fully committed to that skill and have spent years developing it. If you find a freelancer through a relevant trade body – such as the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading – you also have the reassurance that they fulfil the professional criteria required to offer that service. Sure, you could send a staff member on a course, ask someone in the team to add the task to their to-do list, or pop a prompt into AI, but the knowledge and experience brought by a specialist freelancer gives the work an expert (and human) touch.

Reduces pressure on internal teams

Marketing teams can face a lot of pressure at certain times of the year, whether that’s in the run-up to major industry events/trade shows or during seasonal peaks, with everything from stand design and advertising to press releases and annual reports often falling into their remit. Taking tasks such as proofreading or writing – which are never easy to focus on in a busy workplace – off their to-do list gives them more time to meet all the other deadlines being thrown at them.

Fresh perspectives

Many writing projects evolve over countless drafts, discussions and feedback. And if copy has been picked over, revised and rewritten many times or by many different people, it can be difficult to spot issues. An external proofreader or copywriter brings a fresh pair of eyes to a project. They may pick up on errors or inconsistencies others haven’t noticed or bring new ideas for how to get your points across.

Topic versatility

I’ve proofread and written copy about topics ranging from TV shows and adtech to AI and cybersecurity. I’ve also dived into subjects as diverse as garage doors, boilers and retail display units. Obviously, if your copy is about a highly specialist subject and aimed at an expert-level or academic audience, you might need a proofreader or copywriter with expert-level understanding. But if your aim is to ensure your message/copy is relatable and easily understood by a wide audience, it isn’t always necessary to find a topic expert. In fact, not being an expert can be a bonus – if I can understand it and make sure it’s relayed in an accessible, error-free way, it’s more likely readers will understand and relate to it too.   

Remote help

Working remotely with a freelancer on tasks such as proofreading or copywriting is easier than ever. This means you can choose someone based purely on their skills and expertise, not whether they’re in commutable distance to the office, and you don’t need to allocate desk space or equipment – they already have that covered. However, always make sure you adhere to any relevant tax and employment laws – particularly when working with freelancers from other countries – to avoid any unexpected legal or financial consequences.

Tips for working with freelancers

I’ve worked with clients across many industries, from one-man bands to large multinationals, and on a variety of projects, from single articles to long-term partnerships – but no matter what the client or project, a few key points always help both of us get the most out of the collaboration.

Be realistic with timeframes: A busy freelancer will be juggling many projects and deadlines, so as much as they want to help, if you send an out-of-the-blue email saying you need something done in the next few hours, the answer might be a reluctant no.

Be clear about what you need: Setting out what you need from the start avoids any misunderstandings further down the line. For example, if you need someone to look at existing copy, are you looking for a simple proofread to check for typos, grammar issues, etc., or are you open to a more thorough edit? If you’re looking for new copy, do you know what you want and just need a copywriter to make it work on the page, or do you also want them to help with the thinking and strategising behind what you want? Also send over any brand voice, tone of voice or content style guides where available/relevant.

Keep communication channels open: If you’re working with a freelancer regularly or on an ongoing project, consider setting up a regular voice or video call to make sure everything is progressing as it should. If email queries or comments on Google docs are missed, it could cause unnecessary delays or confusion.

Source experts: Many specialist associations offer online directories to help you find an experienced, expert freelancer – such as the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading and ProCopywriters.

Pay fairly: When you hire a freelancer, you’re not just paying for their time, you’re paying for all the time they’ve spent building up the expertise and skills they bring to the job. And freelancers also need to account for the costs of running their business – as well as unpaid hours for admin, marketing, training, holidays, etc. – so rates aren’t directly comparable with what a full-time employee would earn. If you’re unsure, specialist associations often offer guidance on minimum rates (links here for proofreading and copywriting).

If you’re thinking of hiring a freelance proofreader, editor or copywriter for your next project, why not contact me to find out how I can help? I’m flexible, friendly and always ready to become a temporary expert on any topic...