The European freelance industry has skyrocketed in the last few years — and there are now around 11m people working in the freelance economy.

Among those making a career out of freelancing in countries like France, Germany, and Spain, 52% have a Master’s degree and five or more years of professional experience.

As a result, more businesses are becoming interested in hiring top freelancers. According to a survey of 2,000 businesses conducted by global freelance platform Fiverr, 52% said they are allocating more budget to freelance services. Marketing, IT and tech, and business consulting rank among the most common professions in the freelancer market.

Startups — especially those at the early stage — can take advantage of the talented pool of on-demand web developers, graphic designers, copywriters, and more to complete projects and grow their businesses.

Here are four reasons why startups should consider utilising freelancers:

“A big part of startup life is getting things turned around quickly, and freelancers are well-suited to this.”

1. Freelancers get to work fast 

A big part of startup life is getting things turned around quickly, and freelancers are well-suited to this. It’s typically much quicker to find a freelancer than a full-time hire, thanks to freelancing platforms like Fiverr which allow you to search for a freelancer with the skills you need, from web developers to graphic designers.

Because freelancers arrive with the skills needed for the job (unlike many full-time hires), they’ll spend less time training and more time doing.

2. Freelancers help take the pressure off startups

Founders can reduce pressure on themselves and their teams by bringing in on-demand talent for key projects. Freelancers can work on things like optimising SEO or creating digital advertisements while founders focus on growing the business.

Freelancers can also help startups increase productivity and growth by working remotely across different time zones. While you’re sleeping, your freelance colleagues can get things done from afar.

3. Startups can save money with freelancers

Full-time hires are more expensive than freelancers. By hiring the latter, you don’t have to pay for benefits like health insurance, sick pay, or workers’ compensation. You also have control over how long you need them for. 

Most freelancers are seasoned remote workers even when not in pandemic mode. This can help reduce costs around office space and work equipment like laptops, which most freelancers will already have.

“Most freelancers are seasoned remote workers even when not in pandemic mode.”

The cash saved from hiring freelancers can help you to invest in other areas of the business, such as marketing.

4. There are great tools to work productively with freelancers 

It’s getting easier than ever to work with freelancers, thanks to new business tools.

Platforms like Fiverr Business help startups partner with on-demand talent across the world — whether you’re in need of a marketeer, SEO analyst, or someone else. You can collaborate on the platform by brainstorming with freelancers, sharing information about projects, and managing your budgets so you can plan ahead.

Fiverr Business is a business tool all about collaborating with freelancers. With it, you can organise and manage all your projects, communication, deliveries, and budgeting in one dashboard. You can share a payment method with team members, save and share favourite sellers for quick access, and contact a dedicated Fiverr executive assistant to help you find the right sellers. Learn more about Fiverr Business — which is free for the first year.