5 Signs It’s Time To Build a Reliable Freelance Bench

As a small or medium-sized business (SMB) leader, identifying efficient ways to scale your company without straining your resources is critical. And as your business expands, hiring a team of qualified workers is essential to driving long-term business success. 

Many SMBs have limited budget to add full-time, in-house headcount. Building a bench of reliable freelancers can help you address this challenge and engage workers with the skills you need — without added overhead or long-term commitments. Engaging freelancers also enables you to scale your team up and down as business needs shift. 

As of Q3 2025, 68% of SMB C-level executives, vice presidents, and directors said they planned to expand their use of freelancers. This finding is based on a survey by The Upwork Research Institute featuring insights from 500 500 SMB C-level executives, vice presidents, and directors to learn how they navigated the macroeconomic shocks of 2025.

The research also found that 31% of highly confident SMB leaders indicated that they relied on flexible talent to tap into specialized skills (compared to 16% of their peers). For these highly confident leaders, freelancers aren’t seen as a stopgap, but rather, partners in creating a resilient workforce ready for disruption.

As you look to maintain business resilience and drive growth for your SMB, Upwork Business Plus can help you build a reliable freelance bench. Through Upwork Business Plus, reach the top 1% on Upwork and gain exclusive access to Uma Recruiter, an always-on, AI-powered recruiting agent.   

Start building a bench of qualified freelancers — upgrade to a Business Plus membership plan, with no sales call, subscription fee, or cost to join. Not an Upwork client? Create an account to get started today. 

See the five signs it’s time to build a reliable freelance bench at your organization.