Working with freelancers has a lot of advantages for founders and CEO’s of funded startups, not least providing an affordable way to buy-in expertise on a flexible basis without committing to more fixed overheads. 

My experience on both sides of the table – hiring freelancers as Ops Director at a production agency, and working as a Virtual Operations Manager – has taught me that there are a lot of preconceived ideas about what working with a freelancer will be like.

If you are holding back from booking freelance resource here are my top 3 myth-busters about the reality of working with freelancers.

Myth 1 about working with freelancers: 

Work from home freelancers are mainly parents who’ll be distracted by their kids, so you end up paying more because they’re not focused on the job.

Myth Busted: Yes, lots of freelancers who choose to work from home do have children, some have caring responsibilities or health issues that mean a traditional 9-to-5 office-based job is difficult, and some just prefer to be their own boss.

Whatever the rationale, the reality is, freelancers are business owners with reputations and incomes to protect. They may have other demands on their time but these are usually meticulously managed. School, child-minders, carefully organised rotas and excellent time-management mean they can plan exactly when and where they work to fit around children, elderly relatives and health conditions.

It’s important to remember, that we’re not talking about the make-do-and-mend work from home forced on many employees by COVID-19, but a planned and conscious life-choice.

Since making the shift to self-employment and home-working I have found that I am much more productive than I ever was in the office. Whilst the kids are at school (or less-gainfully entertained on YouTube / Minecraft) I can achieve in 3 hours what would have taken me all day in the office. There are fewer distractions and it’s much easier to focus on the job in hand. 

Some freelancers are very strict with their working hours and will not respond to requests sent outside those times, others are more flexible and able to accommodate out of hours requests or emergencies. Many will work early mornings, late evenings or weekends as it fits with their home life better.

If having projects turned around quickly is important to you check what your freelancers standard turnaround times are, many have 48 or 72 hours as standard in order to manage their workload (extra fees apply to “rush” work). Others are able to be more flexible and will agree deadlines on a project by project basis.

Tips: 

• make sure you understand what your freelancers’ working hours and standard response times are
• if you’re on a tight budget ask them to estimate how long a project will take them or agree a fixed price
• make your deadlines explicit when briefing so that disappointment is avoided

Myth 2 about working with freelancers:

I’ll have to follow their processes and working methods, like only emailing instructions or using project management systems.

Myth Busted: There are some freelancers who will only accept written instructions, who don’t like to take unscheduled phone calls from clients and prefer you to use Asana / Trello to assign tasks. 

This helps them manage their time, workload and energy, enabling them to be focused and productive whilst working on client work (see above!) Many also find that written instructions are clearer and prevent confusion – you can always refer back to what was written.

If you find the transparency and accountability of written communications then emails and systems like Asana/Trello/Monday could work really well for you. But if organising your thoughts in writing feels is just too time-consuming or difficult for you then a phone or video call might be a better solution.

Inboxes can also be quite terrifying places; you go in to send an email and immediately get distracted. Instead many startups choose to use messenger services such as Slack, WhatsApp for internal communications, and switch between them freely, including freelancers in these channels can be an effective way of integrating them into the team.

I find a phone call is often quicker and more efficient than an email or written message; questions can be addressed, and projects contextualised. Sometimes it becomes clear during a conversation that what my client is asking me to do won’t deliver what they actually need. This is usually because they aren’t detail focused and don’t understand the mechanics or processes involved. There’s nothing worse than finding out after I’ve delivered a piece of work that it wasn’t really what was needed and then having to re-do it at additional cost to my client. 

A quick chat helps me to understand what you actually need much better than an email; but equally if written instructions aren’t clear I’ll follow up with a summary of what actions I’m going to take and my understanding of what needs to be done.

Tips: 

• it’s all about building trust and understanding, so before you start working with a new freelancer have a frank conversation about how you like to communicate
• if a freelancer can’t accommodate your preferences, seek out someone who will

Myth 3 about working with freelancers:

They’re experts and will think our systems and processes are shit and want to change them all

Myth Busted: The thing is, often shit systems aren’t actually shit, they’ve evolved pragmatically and do the job. Maybe there are better and more efficient systems, but if it’s not affecting your business and it’s not something you want to invest time or money in right now then what’s the problem?!

On the other hand, if you are embarrassed about your systems, chances are that you know they’re not fit for purpose! Sometimes an outside eye is helpful in simplifying things and an extra pair of hands to implement changes can make light work of something that feels like scaling Everest.

It comes down to personality and approach; some freelancers want to demonstrate their experience and value by suggesting improvements and insisting on best practice. This kind of ground up approach can be very useful when getting ready for growth, but as with all things managing timing, budgets and priorities is key.

Often a more flexible approach is needed and finding someone who’s happy to get on with the current priority and work with existing systems without moaning is what’s needed.  

Tips: 

• Be open to advice and feedback, but also clear about your business priorities 
• Don’t get distracted by shiny new object syndrome – a new system isn’t necessarily a better system

Hire a freelance legend, not a myth!

Some freelancers, as with employees, need a lot of direction and are very linear in their approach, others prefer a less structured and more autonomous style. When hiring freelance support for your business it’s important to consider not only what work needs to done, but also how they will need to work, and how that fits with your working practices.

The best freelancer for you will have a skill set and working methods that complement and enhance yours. Being clear about your expectations from the outset and taking the time to understand how they prefer to work will save time in the long-run. It is often worth asking for a paid trial period before committing to a longer term relationship. This will mean you end up with a legend of a freelancer rather than a mythical monster... 

If you have operational and admin work that’s getting in the way of your growth and want a freelancer who:

• is used to hectic non-linear agency environments
• is able to juggle changing priorities
• is confident communicating fluidly between email, phone, messengers
• understands that your working day isn’t 9-5pm 
• doesn’t think complicated systems are the answer to every problem

Book a call to work with me.

“You’re a bottleneck, you say you’ll deal with stuff but you’re too busy. Stop being such a control freak, why don’t you let one of us do that.”

If you’ve had this, or similar “feedback” from your team, chances are that delegation is causing friction in your startup. 

In most cases, however, the reason for not delegating is not “control freakery”, but instead an expectation that delegation will fail and the task will end up back on your to-do list.

I believe that there are three common mistakes that cause delegation to fail:

1. delegating the wrong things to the wrong people
2. vague or incomplete instructions
3. a fear of wasting money

1. What and who are the wrong things and the wrong people?

Knowing what not to delegate is pretty straight forward, on the whole you should avoid delegating activities that:

• must, or can only be done by you; 
• are high-risk, private & confidential or legally must be done by you;
• you find super easy and quick, or really enjoy doing.

If it’s not one of these, then chances are it’s delegatable. 

But it’s not always as simple to figure out who to delegate to. Startups tend to have small specialist teams, everyone is working hard and putting in long days. Notoriously staff are expected to wear many hats and to muck in where needed; the variety, challenge and exposure are part of what draws people to the sector.

However, being constantly asked to do things outside your area of expertise, or finding that projects stall because infrastructure isn’t in place, can wear thin and become frustrating for your team (and you!) 

In all businesses there are general operational tasks that must be done but don’t (directly) generate income. If you are delegating these tasks to your team of specialists on a regular basis chances are they are getting fed up of: 

• having work to do when they’re already at full capacity; 
• feeling stupid because they don’t know where to start with apparently simple tasks; 
• not being left alone to get on with the job they were hired to do.

For example, you know more resource is needed in your dev team to deliver the big project you just won. You delegate the recruitment process to your CTO only to find 2 weeks later that the job ad hasn’t even been drafted. So, a bit grumpily, you say you’ll sort it…  another fortnight later the job ad is written and live on a couple of job boards, but you’ve lost at least a month and now everything’s running behind. The team is under more pressure and now your inbox is full of hundreds of applications that you need to review…

Your CTO (or whoever) probably was too busy to do this, but also, I’m guessing they don’t have much experience of writing job ads and probably didn’t know where to start. Maybe they did start but aren’t great with words so felt embarrassed or frustrated so kept putting it off. 

Regardless of the reasons, this can be damaging to team morale and leave staff feeling frustrated. Plus, the task is delayed and ends up back on your to do list.

So who is the right person? Well, it's someone with the time and experience to handle the type of tasks you want to delegate, oh and bonus points if they actually like doing these sort of operational tasks too!

That could be an office manager, an admin assistant, or you could consider a more flexible option and use a Virtual Assistant (basically a freelance Personal Assistant). 

The important thing is to have someone you who will focus on the task and deliver.

2. How do vague and incomplete instructions deter delegation? 

I know so many brilliant founders who are absolutely hopeless when it comes to distilling ideas and tasks into a simple brief. 

Believe it or not the following do not constitute a “proper” brief:

• a rambling explanation of why the task needs to be done, why it hasn’t been done and who said they’d do it but then didn’t (and digressions into 2 other things that you also need done); 
• hand-drawn squiggly diagrams with illegible labels; 
• one and a half Slack messages.

If you are already delegating to the wrong person, giving vague and incomplete instructions is pretty much suicide to any attempted delegation. The person you’re delegating to is going to be unsure about what you want them to do, or how to go about it; this will make them feel vulnerable and exposed.

Odds are they won’t do it (or at least not quickly or efficiently), will make errors that could be expensive and time-consuming to fix later, and will keep coming back with a gazillion questions. This will piss you off and you’ll end up taking it back and doing it yourself. 

If this makes you feel a bit panicky, then one solution could be to find a talented mind-reader  who can transform your brain-fog into a coherent brief with a click of their fingers. If no mind-readers are available, then maybe an “Intelligent Doer” would be a close second. An Intelligent Doer is someone who: 

• understands what you need, even if it’s not what you actually asked for;
• asks relevant questions and challenges you if instructions or outcomes make no sense;
• will liaise with your team to figure out how things work (if your explanation was clear as mud);
• does their own research and presents solutions to you, rather than just coming back with more questions;
• quickly grasps the business imperatives and sensitivities;
• supports with empathy and humour, they get that doing what you do isn’t easy and genuinely wants your business to succeed.

3. How can delegating save you money?

I saw you wincing earlier when I suggested you delegate to an Office Manager or Admin Assistant. The last thing you need is another salary to cover, right?! 

Anyway, there’s probably not enough work to keep them busy all the time, and to get someone senior enough so you don't have to spoon-feed them all the time, you’re going to have to pay a competitive salary.

Maybe you’ve looked at a freelance option (like a VA) as the flexibility appeals, but again, the idea of paying someone when that cost can’t be recharged to a client or doesn’t contribute directly to a product sticks in your throat. 

Okay, so do this:

1. Pick a task, any task that fits the “non-profit generating / general operations” definition
2. Pick someone from your existing team to do it 
3. Estimate how long it will take them to do it
4. Multiply that by their hourly rate
5. Now add on the cost of your time re-doing it

It is already costing you money

Now do this:

1. Take that same employee
2. Consider what you could have billed had they spent those hours on profit-generating work 

It is costing you double 

And consider:

1. They are doing it slower, less efficiently and probably less thoroughly;
2. How draining and distracting juggling all these things is for you;
3. How productive you could be and what you could achieve if you didn’t have to constantly chase, cajole, coerce and deal with squabbles in your team relating to this stuff;
4. Think of the strategies you could develop, the funding rounds you could deliver, the new clients you could be schmoozing...

It is costing you triple

Stop tying your team up with tasks which distract from their core purIpose. Instead find yourself a flexible resource that fits and get delegating. 

If you’re in need of an Intelligent Doer to set your team free - click here to book a call with me.

As we emerge from lockdown it feels right to take some time to reflect on what's been good about the last 3 months and what we might want to carry forward to the new normal.

It’s been a tough few months but many start-ups seem to be surviving. Teams have pulled together to solve problems, staff have proven themselves trustworthy and committed, leaders have adopted new management styles.

Things that would have been deemed impossible just a months ago are now a daily reality. This could be the catalyst for seismic changes in how we live and work.

I’ve worked from home for 2 years with start-ups that are entirely or partially virtual, so here’s a handy list of 8 reasons that you might want to consider keeping your team virtual post-lockdown:

1. Sickness – (ironic huh?!) I’ve had far fewer coughs, colds, sore throats etc and those I have had have been milder and shorter since leaving the office environment. If the changes to SSP stay in place (as I suspect they will do) this could save your business a tidy sum. 

2. Productivity – even my friend, who’s currently parenting 3 kids under 11 on her own, says that she’s at least as productive working from home as she is in the office! And she’s not alone; in a recent study of 10,000 global employees, 69% of respondents reported that they are more focused and productive when working from home. 

3. Cost Reductions – with your team working from home having a permanent office space may be a thing of the past. Smaller or flexible working spaces will save you a huge chunk of cash. That photocopier can go too, the cleaning contract, and the stationery bill will be practically non-existent!

4. Your Staff Save Too  – no travel, less childcare, fewer coffees, not forgetting spending £8 on a sandwich and bag of crisps for lunch! 

5. Access to a new talent pool – by opening your “virtual” doors to those unable or unwilling to commute to an office or work 9-5 you can access a new and valuable talent pool: gig workers, carers, stay-at-home-parents, differently abled, retirees etc.

6. Logistics – figuring out how you’re going to zone the office, stagger working times, make sure the cleaners disinfect everything properly, sit 2m apart in meetings etc – letting your team work from home solves so many of these problems. You’ve already overcome most of the hurdles, laptops, remote access to servers, expectations around start times, dress codes etc it makes sense to capitalise on this.

7. Happier, less stressed staff – whilst not everyone loves working from home, many people are going to find shifting back to the old routine difficult having enjoyed an improved work-life balance since working remotely . Forcing your team back into the old established work routine is bound to cause stress and friction. 

8. And on a personal level – with all the time you would have spent sniffing someone’s armpit on the tube you can exercise/pursue hobbies/spend time with loved ones/chill out in your pants watching boxsets…

“So who’s going to pull together the proposal?”

Silence… Sinking feeling… It has to be you… Doesn’t it?

Everything you need is in your head, in your inbox, in GDrive, in the finance system, in a strategy document. You just need to:

• put it in a logical order
• write the content in a clear and concise manner
• chase Jim for the financial analysis you asked him for twice already
• make sure you have all the right logos and images
• check that the numbers add up properly
• double check your market stats are correct
• re-do the table Jim sent you because it’s in Excel and won’t format properly in Word
• figure out how to draw a Gantt chart in Word
• decide it might be better in PowerPoint 

How amazing would it be to have this all taken care of so all you have to do is brain-dump the information and then check it over?

My Painless Power Package allows you to do just that by following my simple 5 step process:

1. Brain dump

We’ll schedule a 45 minute Zoom call where you will run me through what you need, things like:

Purpose of the proposal: Is it a sales proposal, fundraising pitch, implementation plan etc?

Format: How are you going to deliver the proposal - virtually, in person, email etc?

Look and feel: It’s really helpful to have some examples of other proposals you think have been done well.

Key dates: When is it due with the client? When can key information be delivered? How much time do you need for rehearsal?

Content: How are you going to supply the content to me? And what do you need me to source / create? I can work from scribbled notes and drawings, Word docs or emailed notes, spoken word over the phone, WhatsApp, Voxer etc

Questions: Be warned… I’ll ask lots of questions, I like to be sure I understand what it is you need and why, and would rather challenge you to make sure you get the finished proposal delivers.

2. Template

From our conversation and the content you supply I will create a working template or outline with content dropped into the relevant sections and notes indicating what is missing and who is responsible for providing it.

This is not a thing of beauty, but a starting point to ensure we have a clear and logical path through the proposal and know exactly what each section will contain.

Depending on how you like to work, this can be done in Dropbox Paper, Google Docs or directly in our agreed software: Word, PowerPoint, InDesign etc

3. Collation

I will liaise directly with your team members, consultants and external sources to collate the information we have identified; I am tenacious but charming in my pursuit whether over the phone, on email, Slack…

If desk-research is needed, or reports need to be summarised I can do that too.

4. Creation

This is where I pull everything together and make it look professional and slick:

-   turning your scribbled diagrams into neat charts

• Excel spreadsheets into tables
• adding graphics, logos and pictures
• ensuring formatting, styling and tone of voice is consistent

5. Review

you're deliver what is needed. You don't trot off and do as you're told, you're an intelligent outsourcer that delivers professional and effective proposals. You get to the core of what is needed.

I will work with you, throughout the process to ensure that the proposal looks professional and is effective, and that I deliver what you need.  

I won’t just go away and do as I’m told: 

• if something doesn’t make sense I’ll ask
• if I think something is missing I’ll point it out
• if I think the wording or visual you’ve supplied could be done better, I’ll make suggestions

Once we have a complete document that you are happy with, I send it to you for final approval and supply the agreed formats (open files, PDF etc).

Remember what a headache it was last time creating the proposal fell in your lap? How much of your time it sucked up? You'll be amazed how painless the process is when you work with me.

For pricing click here or to get in touch drop me an email.