Talented freelancers have the right to charge premium rates, no matter where they’re from. This book will equip you with effective strategies and tools to help you reach your full potential as a freelancer and achieve financial prosperity. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Is it okay to pay someone in a developing country $4 an hour for gig work? (Short answer: no). Some entrepreneurs from developed nations claim that their low payments are a great opportunity for the freelancers they hire. But think about it. If you would pay an expat living abroad three times more to do the same job as someone who was born in that country, you need to reevaluate your business practices, educate yourself on anti-racism and make major changes in how you hire and pay. The truth is that you should pay someone based on that person’s skill, talent and his or her right to make a good living. If you can’t do this, then you shouldn’t hire freelancers anywhere. Full stop. Here’s how to hire freelancers from developing countries. Be open to hiring offshore freelancers for important positions Don’t just turn to developing countries for entry-level assistant work. Hire experts too. “The most important thing to keep in mind when hiring a freelancer from a developing country is that we’re just as good as freelancers in developed countries,” says Chima Mmeje, an SEO expert and the founder of The Freelance Coalition for Developing Countries , an organization dedicated to helping BIPOC freelancers from developing countries gain the skills and confidence they need to charge not only fair, but premium rates. Don’t expect lots of work on a low budget A developing nation should not be treated as an unlimited source of cheap labor. Negotiating BIPOC freelancers’ rates down (particularly as a white entrepreneur from a developed country) is an extremely damaging use of your privilege. By doing so, you perpetuate colonialist concepts that their labor, and their lives, aren’t worth as much and that they don’t have the right to thrive and live abundantly. “Choosing to work with BIPOC freelancers shouldn’t include strings like cheaper pay and more work,” says Mmeje. “Treat us how you would like to be treated when working with your clients — with respect and dignity.” If your budget is low, offer other opportunities Sometimes new startups aren’t trying to muscle their way towards paying low-ball rates. They might simply not have a high budget. If that’s you, know that you can still engage with a freelancer from a developing country, but you need to lower the expectations of how much work can get done. And, you need to make the effort worth the freelancer’s while. “If budget constraints prevent you from hiring a top-tier freelancer, think of how you can sweeten the pot for newer freelancers,” says Mmeje. “This could include feedback on work done, exposure to trade secrets that have helped you scale, advice on improving the skill and business side of freelancing. For […]
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