Some projects can be managed comfortably alone, whereas others need multiple people to bring them to completion. Knowing this doesn’t make it any easier to choose a reliable and trustworthy partner to work with. The following will explore a few vital tips you might want to keep in mind if you’re looking for someone or several someones to help you out with a project.
Make A List Of Your Skills
Before beginning your search, it’s a good idea to make a list of your skills and abilities that pertain to the project. This will help you better understand what role you intend to take (or should intend to take) throughout the project. You might also have aspects of the project that are really important to you that you don’t want to hand over to someone else, including those on this list.
Make A List Of The Project Requirements
Of course, you can’t always predict with perfect accuracy what a project will require ahead of time, but you can make your best guess. Create a list of the required skills and steps within the project as far as you’re aware; try to be as specific as you can. For instance, specialists at Vantage Partners emphasize on their blog that there are lots of different types of marketing; CPA marketing is not the same thing as podcast marketing—they involve very different skill sets. You’ll probably notice that there’s some overlap between this list and your previous one. If there isn’t, you might want to consider why you’re looking for a partner at all.
Figure Out Your Gaps
Once you have a list of your own skills and abilities as well as a list of what a given project requires, you should be able to see if there are any gaps that a business partner can fill. This will help you craft a job description or outline and provide clear expectations to anyone you decide to work with. One of the fastest ways for a collaboration to collapse is by bringing someone onto a project without any clear definition of their role.
It’s far too easy for everyone to sit around doing nothing for a few months, under the impression someone else is doing something they need done before they can start. This can also help you develop a sense of the timeline the project is expected to take. A potential partner can look at the specifics involved in a project and at their calendar and give you an estimate for completion.
Ask Around
Before posting your request for help online, take a moment to think about whether you or someone you know has a contact that could help you out. Maybe take some time to scroll through your connections on LinkedIn or other social media platforms. When you post a job online, you can expect an influx of applicants that may or may not be fudging their resumes. Because you’re looking for help with a particular project, you’ll want to focus on people who include the terms: freelance or independent contractor in their job title or description. This will help you avoid interviewing candidates that are expecting a permanent, full-time position. If you don’t find someone through connections, you can then share your project description on job boards.
Enthusiasm Beats Experience
When you’re looking to hire someone or work with them, you want to pay attention to how they feel during your interactions. A hard lesson that many people learn after a few failed projects is that enthusiasm is just as important, if not more important, than experience. If someone has the perfect resume for the project but seems bored and rushed in your first meeting, you can bet that they’re going to bring that same energy to the project. In contrast, if someone isn’t as experienced but seems really thrilled about the idea, they’re likely going to put in the time and effort needed to learn anything they need to as the project unfolds.
Portfolio Beats Education
Similar to the above point, it can be tempting to focus on someone’s educational history, namely, where they went to school and what degree they have. A portfolio full of previous projects that you like is often a better indicator of compatibility than a fancy degree. In the modern era, people can learn just about anything online without the help of an educational institution, so don’t assume no degree or an off-topic degree is necessarily a problem.
The above information should help you find the right help for a business project. Of course, every project is different, and it’s important to always return to the project’s specific needs when making decisions.
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