Freelance marketing support is, in my opinion, a smart choice for business owners. As a freelancer, it's hard not to be biased, but with my most independent hat on, here's why I think you should seriously consider it... 

In times of economic uncertainty, you are not locked into long-term contracts that can add to the stress of a rapidly changing environment. The ability to stop one project and start another as priorities change is a big advantage of using outsourced marketing services that cover a range of areas. Packages that allow you to pick and choose from different services will give you the best flexibility and, if the worst comes to the worst, you should be able to put your package on hold for a short time if cash flow becomes a problem. 

By contrast, highly-scoped services from specialists don’t readily allow you to swap from one offering to another – once the statement of work is signed, then you are locked into the specified work and escaping it will invariably involve a penalty charge or being liable for the entire fee. 

And by further contrast, if you have employed a marketing professional in-house and you encounter operational difficulties such as supply chain issues, they may be sitting there twiddling their thumbs while they are prevented from promoting products that you don’t have on hand. Employment contracts come with a massive range of implications and obligations; from needing to stick to job descriptions through to giving notice for when employees should take leave, it can be a minefield. Job satisfaction and retention will always be on an employer’s mind to juggle with commercial challenges. 

When I needed to get my first website developed, there were at least a couple of reasons that I Googled for a local freelancer. I knew I could: 

• deal directly with the person doing the work, eliminating the need for second-hand information through account managers and often speeding things up 
• reduce the costs involved – a freelancer generally has fewer overheads than an agency set up 
• support a small business owner that is often trying to balance earning an income with other lifestyle factors (such as raising a young family) 

If you are keen to chat about Flex Marketing’s outsource marketing packages and how freelance marketing support could be right for your business, please get in touch.