what’s with all the terms?
freelance
take it from a local business owner
local joes
VERSUS:
independent contractor Freelancers and independent
Ashley Jernigan Services:
owner, JDB hospitality llc
Her Montgomery-based firm often uses freelancers and independent contractors to support her business.
contractors have a lot in common, but there are a few key differences.
Scope and length of work. Both freelancers
About how many freelancers/
What are the biggest
and contractors can work for
contract workers do you use
challenges? When you
multiple clients at once, but
in a year? Five to six.
outsource, you are dealing with
freelancers more often take
contractors on their time. Many
on short-term projects with
What services are they
still have other jobs and other
a single deliverable, while
providing for your business?
clients. The biggest challenge
independent contractors
Virtual assisting, graphic
is managing them to work on
often take on longer or
design, digital ad buying, media
tight deadlines. I also realized I
ongoing projects.
messaging.
needed to be more organized
before bringing on a freelancer.
Location of work.
What are the biggest positives
I needed to be specific in what
Freelancers work all over, and
of utilizing freelancers? When
I expected of them and have
many do a lot of their work
I first started JDB Hospitality,
routine check-ins versus a
at a home office or an office
LLC, I felt I needed to do all the
random text of “can we talk!”
space they rent. Contractors
moving parts myself. This led
Managing a contractor for me
are more likely to do some of
to being burnt out and stressed
is about the same as managing
their work onsite, at a client’s
out! Originally, I saw outsourcing
an employee because that
place of business.
as merely an expense I could
contractor is not at your beck
not afford. What I realized is
and call. However, the more
Schedule. Freelancers, due
my time is way more expensive
organized I became and the
to the nature of their work
when dealing with tasks that
better relationships I developed
described above, usually
can be outsourced. As my
with various contractors, the
have more schedule flexibility.
business, and my family, grew,
easier it was to work with them.
Contractors often work more
I realized I can’t afford not to
You just have to be on your
traditional hours, staying in
outsource. Outsourcing tasks
game about what you want,
tandem with their clients’
frees my mind to manage
how you want it, and most
schedules while on a project.
projects more effectively.
importantly, WHEN you want it.
48 MONTGOMERY BUSINESS JOURNAL
