Don’t Get Ripped Off
There seems to be an increase in the number of people who are getting ripped off by freelancers who don’t follow through with their contracts. There are a couple recent examples on wickedfire here and here.
I’m not sure if there’s a surefire way to prevent this from happening. What I am sure of is that this happens much more often than is reported, and it happens on many different levels (i.e. a freelancer does a half-assed job or only finishes 99% of the work and claims it’s done).
When I outsource my work, there’s one thing that I consider above all else: the freelancer’s reputation for doing the work.
Notice that I said “reputation for doing the work” and not just “reputation.” I have a reputation for delivering quality PHP applications, but I suck at design. Hiring me to design your website is not in your best interest. I realize this and would never take on any design work unless I planned on outsourcing it myself, but too many freelancers get caught up in the dollar signs and take on work they’re not exactly qualified to do.
Before you hire someone to work with you, check out some forums to see if others are talking about them in a positive light. If you can’t find anything, ask the freelancer for some references or places on the web where others have praised them.
Make sure they have something to lose if they run off with your money, otherwise you’ll only have yourself to blame if they do.
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