With an increasing number of people joining the gig economy and setting up as freelancers or self-employed contractors around the world, finding freelance marketers, SEO professionals, and other professionals to help with your business has never been easier.
All it takes is a quick online search to find a wide range of freelance marketplaces and professional freelance job boards to see that there are not only lots of businesses looking to work with self-employed contractors, but just as many professionals willing to work with you.
However, while you actually do have the world at your fingertips when it comes to working with freelancers, it can be challenging to pay them, especially if they live in a different country. Here are some tips to keep in mind.
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Find a Money Transfer App
If you are working with a marketing or SEO freelancer who lives in a different country, then it’s a good idea to find a third-party app to pay them through that you can both use.
This is often easier and cheaper for both parties compared to payment options like international bank transfers. You can use an app like Ria international money transfer to make a quick and secure payment to freelancers living in over a hundred different countries around the world.
Agree on Currency
If you are working with an SEO or marketing freelance professional who lives in a different country to yourself, then you might need to do some research into their currency and agree to pay them in it.
As a U.S. business owner, this could help you save money depending on where they live and the average wage, so it’s worth looking into. On the other hand, you may agree to pay them in US dollars if it’s easier for your business, although you may need to be willing to pay the exchange fee for them.
Some money transfer apps will automatically change currencies based on where the money is sent.
Figure Out Time Zones
It’s important to consider time zones if you are paying an SEO or marketing freelancer who is living and working in another country. Bear in mind that the day that you pay them might not be the same day of the week for them.
It’s worth figuring out exactly what time it is for them – not only will this make it easier for you to communicate with them about work, as you won’t be getting annoyed when they are not answering because they’re asleep, but it can also help you ensure that payments are made in a timely manner and when the freelancer expects them.
Using some transfer apps, you may be able to schedule payments to be made automatically if you’re not going to be able to make them manually at a certain time – for example, if it’s the morning or afternoon for your freelancer but the middle of the night for you.
Working with freelancers can be ideal for your business, and the internet has opened up the chance to work with people from all around the world. But when it comes to paying overseas freelancers for their work, it’s important to keep these tips in mind.