When youโre a small business owner or startup founder, you are very busy running your company. Consider hiring independent management professionals with specialized knowledge at affordable hourly rates instead of a full-time employee or firm.ย ย ย ย
management professionals typically have specialized training to hone their management skill set in project management, digital marketing, software development, and human resources.
The cost to hire a management professional will vary due to many factors, including years of experience, the scope of work, project timeline, market conditions, and the contractorโs location.
The best way to budget the cost of management professionals for your project is to decide what specific freelance work is required, any apps used, and if there is any additional copywriting, SEO, or graphic design needed to get the freelance job done. Also, determine whether you will be hiring freelancers at a fixed price or keeping them on retainer through invoicing.ย ย
Experience and expertiseย
When hiring freelancers, itโs important to consider their level of expertise and years of experience. While a more seasoned management professional with full-time management experience may command hourly rates around $50 per hour and up to organize your excel sheets, they may work faster and deliver high-quality work. A new freelancer in management skills may be more flexible with their price. Freelance rates for a beginner or intermediate freelancer typically start at $20 an hour.
Keep in mind that management professionals with experience as a virtual assistant or knowledge in WordPress, social media marketing, or bookkeeping could be valuable to your freelance projects, but could affect the cost of your job.ย
Scope of work
The scope of work is a step-by-step outline of the amount of work, expertise, and recommended experience level needed to get the job done. Be sure to develop a detailed scope of work before hiring a management professional, so the costs associated with your freelance project are accurate. Before hiring freelancers, you should also determine what skills are necessary.ย
Are you working in Zapier or Microsoft Excel? Will they be using Asana or Basecamp? The professional should be familiar with the apps and templates required to complete your freelance job.ย
Timelineย
A beginner management skills professional on Upwork could be a social media manager, web designer, project manager, or accountant. The amount freelancers charge will depend on the number of hours. However, more complex work or system automation will require an expert and could take several days or weeks to complete. You may be able to negotiate a lower rate if your schedule is flexible. If you are on a strict timeline or need the project completed last minute, the independent professional might charge a premium. In both cases, request time tracking if you are not paying upfront and are open to different pricing, like hourly rates.
Geographyย
The cost of hiring a management skills professional can also be affected by their geographic location. Outsourcing your project to freelancers in another country with a lower cost of living can help reduce your cost or increase your ability to negotiate a fixed price. However, if you hire freelancers that live in a country with a higher cost of living, you may have to adjust your expected pay or budget for their time and effort. Also, paying your freelancer in USD is another way to negotiate different pricing.
Popular management professional projects & costs examplesย
While several variables in your costs, here are a few common management skills projects you can find on Upwork:
Project Management: $50-$100/hourly rate
The cost of a project manager creating and managing systems and processes or organizing tasks into your project management tools will depend on their skill level and knowledge of each platform and its assignment.
Content Management: $50-$75/hourly rate
The cost of creating social media posts, scheduling content, and publishing the content should be relatively affordable depending on how many posts and what type of posts.
Online Community Management: $15-$35/hourly rate
The cost of creating or moderating an online community and the projects associated with the community will depend on the skill level of the manager and understanding of the audience in case time is needed for additional research.
Find talent at the worldโs work marketplaceย
You may have a large amount of work to get done in a short amount of time. At Upwork, management professionals can move quickly to transform your small business operations and help you get new clients. Access top professionals and freelancers that can bring your ideas to life within the budget.ย
Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the tools or services discussed in this section. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyze and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.