The best places for outsourcing odd jobs

As a small business owner, you already know it’s close to impossible to be the master of all trades. It’s likely at some point you will need the help of a freelancer or contractor. Whether it’s a one-off task, or ongoing part time work, it pays to know where to look for talented help.

Your own network

Before you look further afield, start by asking your own network for referrals. It could be as simple as sending an email around to your team or emailing friends and family with details of the type of help you are seeking. Your business social media pages – such as Facebook and LinkedIn – may also be useful outlets for posting a callout.

Speak to other business owners and peers in your industry who may have worked with contractors they could refer. For example, they might be able to suggest a professional photographer they’ve worked with, if you need someone to take photos at the opening of your new restaurant.

Airtasker

From office cleaning, to assembling furniture and helping you move, to making deliveries, distributing flyers and all things maintenance, Airtasker is the ultimate site for finding people for hands-on odd jobs.

The premise behind this community marketplace is simple. Post an advertisement with a description of the project you need help with, your location and the price you’re willing to pay. Members then apply to undertake the task. You choose the applicant that best fits the role and check their online reviews from previous employers.  Once completed you pay and then rate their work as reference for others in the future. Simple and easy!

The Loop

When it comes to looking for creative freelancers, The Loop is well worth visiting. Serving as both an online creative portfolio and job marketplace, The Loop offers ‘gigs’, a handy way to find creative help for one-off and occasional jobs.

You can post gigs on The Loop for one-off roles across web development, branding, photography, copywriting, design, video production, illustration and more. When posting a gig, include details of the type of help you need and your budget. Interested applicants then apply and you can view their online portfolios before choosing the person you would like to work with.

The Loop’s Gigs are ideal for businesses looking for help around tasks like updating their business website, writing a press release, making a testimonial video or getting a logo designed.

OneShift

OneShift is ideal especially for hospitality, manufacturing and retail businesses looking to fill one-off or ongoing occasional work of various kinds.  This unique job site matches jobseekers to employers who post an ad for work, spanning one-off shifts and contract work, all the way through to casual, part-time and permanent jobs.

Simply post an ad and you can immediately view candidates that match your job requirements. You can also search and filter your matches and directly contact any candidates you think are a good fit.