Freelancers are the backbone of British business – Small independent businesses and limited companies provide the skills to keep British business growing.

They provide specialist knowledge and skills with low overhead costs.

Freelancing is a relatively new concept in the UK, but one which is growing rapidly. Many highly experienced experts have realised that this is a viable way for them to provide their skills without being drawn in to office politics.

We know that the UK has significant skills shortages in the Science, Technology and Maths education and specialist IT sectors. However, we also know there are significant barriers to growth for start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises who operate outside of London or other big UK cities.

The best graduates are attracted to big cities and even abroad to start their careers and businesses, which then leaves the provincial areas with a significant loss of skills.

In order for businesses to compete and grow they need to become more forward thinking with their resourcing options.

So, how can you use freelancing as an option to grow different areas of your business:

Freelancing can help manage unexpected peaks and heavy workloads

Having a flexible workforce that you can expand and contract at short notice provides a significant competitive advantage for small businesses. This helps keep your business lean so you can not only be price competitive, but also complete client requests in record speed.

Implementing a business model which uses remote freelancers allows you to tap into skills as and when you need them.

Use freelancers to expand your offering or to enter into new markets

Developing a good working relationship with clients and winning new business requires a lot of time and effort.

If you only offer one service there is limit to how much work you can win from a client. By using freelancers you can offer complimentary services as part of your business model.

For example, if you are a graphic designer why not look for a freelance copywriter or PR expert so you can offer more of a full-service proposition.

Freelancers can cover short and long term key staff absences

Small businesses are heavily reliant on each and every staff member. If a staff member is unexpectedly taken ill or quits it leaves a giant hole in the business which can take months to fill and can also cost thousands in recruitment consultant fees.

Remote freelancers can help fill this gap – They are all experts and therefore require minimal training and can hit the ground running making an instant impact on your business.

You may even find that a remote freelancer is more cost effective and efficient.

Freelancing can help you delegate responsibility to experts

As a small business owner/entrepreneur, you have a variety of very hands-on roles, which means you are often working in a number of different skill area even if you have little experience in this field.

Freelancers are generally experts in only one or two of these specific fields and can therefore be more focused than someone who is a generalist.

This also frees up internal resources so your employees can manage the freelancers and take more of a strategic view rather than doing all the work themselves.   

Scott Owens is the owner of Freelancers On Demand, which is an agency managed service matching talent requirements of modern business with a network of highly skilled remote freelance professionals.