Would you start a webdev agency by outsourcing ?

[FrankyOne]

Hello all,

I would like to ask you if you have ever managed a web agency (a front-end business) using freelancers available nowadays on the most popular platforms.

As you may already know, there are a few factors that limit a freelancer' success and push him/her to find employment as an alternative route. I listed a few of these problems below:

1 - Pricing: competition from tier-2 and tier-3 counties drives it the lowest-end possible.

2 - Scalability: the number of jobs successfully delivered and paid per month.

3 - Diversification of the services provided to enrich the portfolio and to open up to more opportunities

It would be interesting to know your story in case you like to share it.

Kind Regards.

 

[Kostya76]

I am actually considering to start one.

I've been working with freelancers to build my own websites for years, so I have a pretty good understanding of what I am going to get from them and how much it's going to cost me.

I'll specialize in one particular industry that I know a lot about because I've been working in this field for 5+ years. I know what company's need and I also know how to get their exec's attention.

My role will be strategy, management, and business development. The design concept will always start with my vision and then I will work with designers, developers, copywriters, etc on implementation.

I have a short list of reliable freelancers who I'll be inviting to join my team.

My biggest time constrain is the lack of free time to spend on an additional side hustle, but this I may have legs, so I'm kind of serious about it.

 

[FrankyOne]

1 - My role will be strategy, management, and business development. The design concept will always start with my vision and then I will work with designers, developers, copywriters, etc on implementation.

2 - My biggest time constrain is the lack of free time to spend on an additional side hustle, but this I may have legs, so I'm kind of serious about it.

1 - Regarding this point, I think that the critical aspect is communication, professionalism and organisation. Most of the times, those freelancers don't want to get contacted by phone or chat in real-time. Being an excellent human interface between the customer and the developers by handling with professionalism any enquiry can make the difference.

2 - Concerning the other point you made, the issue might be the availability for answering all these queries. Right now, I still need a job, and I am not in the condition to take 6-months out of work to give it a try. I can only start working once back from my daily job. That's the only downside and not sure how much it can affect the result.

Regards.

 

[Kostya76]

1 - Regarding this point, I think that the critical aspect is communication, professionalism and organisation. Most of the times, those freelancers don't want to get contacted by phone or chat in real-time. Being an excellent human interface between the customer and the developers by handling with professionalism any enquiry can make the difference.

2 - Concerning the other point you made, the issue might be the availability for answering all these queries. Right now, I still need a job, and I am not in the condition to take 6-months out of work to give it a try. I can only start working once back from my daily job. That's the only downside and not sure how much it can affect the result.

Regards.

1. Yeah, that's a valid concern. But, as I said, I've probably worked with dozens of different freelancers in the last 10 years, so I have my top 10 list. Not all of them are top performers, but I know what each of them is cable (or not capable) of, so I am going in having realistic expectations of them.

I will be the face of the business. Probably none of them will be allowed to interact directly with the clients.

2. I'll start slow. I am thinking I'll try to pursue 3-5 clients at a time. If I don't see any traction after the first 2-3 months, I'll abandon this business plan. If somehow I like the progress I'll try to scale up.