Women Entrepreneurship

How to Hire Freelancers in India: The Ultimate Guide

. 8 min read . Written by Shayri Bhattacharya
How to Hire Freelancers in India: The Ultimate Guide

Hiring a freelancer in India can seem like a daunting task with the uncertainty regarding freelancer hiring charges, payment methods, where to hire from etc gnawing at your mind. But fret not, for we’re here to help you with the ultimate guide to hiring freelancers in India.

2020 was the year the workspace and the home became one. So, devising strategies to chase your monthly goals while doing the dishes every day became the norm. The insurmountable stress that accompanied this constant walk on a tightrope taught us the importance of delegating tasks. Especially if you are an entrepreneur or a manager, its a constant struggle to get work done while maintaining the budget and time. That’s where freelancers save the day!

 Who is a Freelancer?

A freelancer is a creative/technical individual you hire to take up a particular project in hand. They complete the task done and take a payment which is pre-decided and then move on to a different project with a different client once they deliver the project to you. Or they might choose to work on multiple projects simultaneously, managing their time and resources effectively. 

Now that almost everybody is working from home, to hire freelancers has become a preferred alternative to full time hiring due to the flexibility and budgeting perks it provides.  

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of a few types of tasks performed by freelancers:

  • Content Writing
  • Graphic Designing
  • Digital Marketing
  • Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
  • Coding
  • Coaching
  • Photography 
  • MakeUp Art
  • Modelling and Acting 

Why Should You Hire a Freelancer in India?

A woman telling us why should you hire a freelancer in India
Hiring freelancers is the new way to get work done for you business.

Well, although this is a common question, we must warn you, asking this is akin to asking, “Am I interested in saving a few precious bucks while running my business and still getting the job done by an expert?” 

If your answer is yes, then hiring a freelancer is the right way to go! But in case you’re still unsure, here are the benefits of hiring a freelancer in India:

  • Cost-Effective: To hire freelancers is to find a cost-effective way to get work done as opposed to full-time staffing. The amount you pay is usually lower and one time for a project. 
  • Saves Workspace: Again, they aren’t here to stay. They work with you for a time period after which they leave. This means there isn’t any added investment on providing a workspace.
  • Get Specialists: Given the popularity that freelancing has gained in the last few years, a large number of people who comprise this workforce are ones who have been working for years and have quite a few tricks up their sleeve. Specialists who have years of expertise in the field of work are always safer to place your bets on. With them, you end up receiving a top-notch end product.
  • Interactive: Freelancers are always ready to listen and take your perspectives on their project to be the very foundation of the work they build. 

Apart from these, the flexibility of the process, lack of need for HR policies and a wide catalogue of choices make hiring a freelancer worth what it is. 

How to Hire Freelancers in India? 

Always make sure you hire freelancers who have verified profiles
Remember to hire freelancers from platforms that shiw verified profiles only!

Once you’ve made the smart decision of hiring a freelancer, it’s time for you to go online. Here’s a step by step guide on how to hire a freelancer in India online:

Choose the Correct Site

To ensure that working with a freelancer turns out to be a good experience, it is essential to choose the right platform. There’s a myriad of online platforms that provide you with freelancers but you need to ensure that you choose a trustworthy and reliable platform.

Some signs of a good platform are:

  • Provides you with verified profiles of freelancers whose portfolios and past work experience is available to you 
  • Shows you with the above details for all price ranges and lets you browse freelancer as various price ranges
  • Provides a seamless mode of communication to you, the buyer to interact with the freelancer on the platform

And some of the best platforms to hire freelancers in India:

  • KoolKanya Marketplace
  • UpWork
  • TrueLancer
  • 99Designs
  • WorknHire

Kool Kanya Marketplace is one of the best platforms to hire a freelancer for your business. Here, handpicked and authentic freelancers offer you a wide variety of services. These freelancers are qualified in their field and The marketplace displays their verified profiles along with their credentials and past work. You can avail these services based on your budget smoothly. 

Browse Through the List of Freelancers Based on Your Budget

Once you’re in the right place, choose the price range to make a purchase. Look at the relevant credentials, degrees, certifications and past works of the freelancers. Do this till you find the perfect match. 

Start a Conversation and Make an Order

Once you’ve narrowed down your search, start a conversation with the freelancer. You can share some basic information about the kind of work you expect them to do.

If the interaction with the freelancer feels like a positive one, it’s time for you to make that order!

Freelancer Prices in India

One of the major highlights of hiring a freelancer in India is the money you’d save. Thus, it is quite necessary that you have a rough idea of the prices that prevail in this market before you conclude the hiring process. 

Here’s a list of some common freelance services and their charges: 

Freelance ServiceAverage Charges 
Content Writer₹250-₹500 for a 500-word article
Graphic Designer₹1000 – ₹ 10,000 depending on the level of experience
Photography ₹4700 – ₹13000 hourly
Fitness Trainer₹4000 – ₹14,000 per day
Marketer₹5000 – ₹20,000 per project
Search Engine Optimisation Expert ₹5000 – ₹10,000 per project

Freelancer Payment Method

A common confusion for employers revolves around the method to pay a freelancer. 

Well, it’s simple to understate!

  • Place the Order: Place your order after choosing the freelancer
  • Make a Payment Online: After you’ve finalised the order, you need to make a payment before the project begins. But in most cases, even after you’ve paid, the freelancer receives the payment only after the employer is completely satisfied with the product. Hence, it is hardly a risky deal. 
  • Receipt: This is a given. Collect and keep the receipt of your order payment till the end of the project. 

Once you’ve paid, you can start with your brief for the freelancer. They can then start working on the project. 

How to Draw a Contract to Hire Freelancers in India? 

Employer giving contract to freelancer to sign
Once both parties have signed the contract, you’re good to go.

Having a written contract while hiring a freelancer helps you establish a formal agreement. It ensures that both the parties are on the same page with respect to essentials like money, deliverables and timeline. 

If you’re hiring from an online platform you might not always need to prepare a contract. These platforms usually have their own terms of work laid down comprehensively. But, if you’re hiring a freelancer on your own, through an ad or a referral it’s wise to have a contract made. 

Here are the things that you’d need when making a contract for hiring a freelancer: 

  • Name and Contact: Basics first, you need to put the legal name of the freelancer and the employer or business. Billing address details, contact details for both the client and freelancer need to put in. 
  • Project/Service Details: This part of a contract needs to be very specific in nature. Discuss Exact details of the kind of work you expect put them down. If there are numeric descriptions attached – for example, 7 blogs need to be SEO optimised – include that as well. You can also include the steps that the freelancer needs to go through to complete the project. 
  • Terms of Payment and Compensation: Here you include the mode and amount of payment agreed upon by both parties. If you’re paying the freelancer by the hour or as a lump sum towards the end, lay out a schedule of payment.
  • Deadline: This one is pretty simple. Talk to the freelancer beforehand and come up with one single or more than one deadlines or each of the deliverables. Don’t forget to highlight these in the contract. 
  • Expenses: There can be extra expenses incumbent during the course of the project. Decide on the the ownership of those expenses beforehand and lay them down in the contract. 
  • Copyright: Talk about ownership of the copyright for the product. If there is to be a transfer of copyright from the freelancer to the client/employer after payment, make a mention of that too. 

Once you’re done with these, make sure that the contract has been carefully read by you as well as the freelancer. Once both parties sign the contract, you’re good to go!

Make sure you have fun with the flexibility that this process brings with itself. Communicate well with your freelancer and hire from the right platform to have a great experience!

Here’s a list of Kool Kanya’s top freelancers offering a range of services! 

Social Media Management Digital Marketing

Sheen Jain: Sheena is just the digital marketing wizard you’ve been looking for. She knows the ins and outs of social media marketing and creating SEO-friendly content for websites. Strategizing and paid market planning is one of her many talents in the Marketing universe!

Content Writing 

Nilanjana Mazumdar: A writing professional equipped with the perfect combination of expertise and experience. With solid  experience in advertising, copywriting and content writing, she is the wordsmith you’re looking for!

Divya Sebastian: Bit by the writing bird early on in life, Divya chose to write poetry to pursue her passion. Winning accolades for the same, she turned her passion into a profession and it’s been about two years and since then she’s gained expertise in writing blogs, articles, official and unofficial letters and poems. Her exemplary work has led her to become one of our top content writers. 

Graphic Designing

Pranchal Jain: Pranchal is a solid example of career and passion coming together as one! With over two years of experience in the field, she knows her way around social media posts, designing interactive logos and appealing brochures catalogs, sketches and illustrations.

Make your pick or head over to Kool Kanya Marketplace to find a curated list of talented women who will get your work done!