- The document discusses common mistakes made when outsourcing work to freelancers for e-commerce businesses. - It identifies 8 specific mistakes: providing vague estimates and due dates, giving new workers significant work without testing them, hiring the cheapest workers, lacking clear expectations, relying too heavily on single workers, not encouraging feedback, not sharing business goals, and avoiding difficult conversations about underperformance. - The author provides advice on how to avoid each mistake and hire freelancers effectively, such as starting new workers on small test projects, setting expectations in writing, and being open to feedback.

1. Nathan Hirsch
FreeeUp.com
Andrew Maff
SellersChoice.Agency

2. ● Director of Marketing & Operations
at Seller’s Choice
● Over a decade in e-commerce marketing
● Helped many sellers scale to well over 8-figures
● Automation expert
● Married & loves a good glass of whiskey
(no relation)

3. ABOUT NATHAN HIRSCH
•Own a condo in Florida. Live
with my girlfriend and our
adorable dog.
•Built 2 successful businesses
completely run by freelancers.
•Financial freedom
•Have worked with 500+
freelancers
#EcommVAwebinar

4. BUT IT WASN’T ALWAYS THAT WAY…
• Hired first employee at 20 and had no
idea what I was doing
• A revelation: Introduced to outsourcing
by a fellow entrepreneur
• Made every good and bad hiring decision
you can imagine
• After years of hiring freelancers, I finally
figured out what works and what doesn’t
work
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5. ONCE I LEARNED TO HIRE EFFECTIVELY, I
WANTED TO HELP OTHERS DO THE SAME
•Now, I’m determined to help
others avoid the mistakes that I
made in the past.
•I now speak on stages and
podcasts all about the secrets
I’ve discovered to hiring
effectively.
#EcommVAwebinar

6. TODAY, I WANT TO TEACH YOU HOW TO
AVOID 8 COMMON MISTAKES WHEN
OUTSOURCING
• Vague estimates and due dates
• Giving new workers lots of work without testing
• Hiring the cheapest worker you can find
• Not setting clear expectations
• Putting all of your eggs in one basket
• Not encouraging and listening to feedback and ideas
• Not sharing goals with workers
• Avoiding difficult conversations with underperforming workers
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7. WHEN WE’RE FINISHED, YOU’ll BE AN
ONLINE HIRING WIZ
• Confidence to hire freelancers for all aspects of your eCommerce business.
• Knowledgeable of the mistakes to avoid.
• A strong hiring philosophy that will support your eCommerce goals.
• A platform where you can hire workers quickly without needing to spend
hours interviewing.
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8. ● Assistants
● Social Media
● PPC
● Listing Optimization for Marketplaces
● Graphic Design
● Web Design/Development
● Backlink Building
● Blogging/Content Writers
● Product Research

9. WHAT’S PREVENTING YOU FROM HIRING
REMOTE ECOMMERCE WORKERS
TODAY?
•Can you not afford it? Or…
•Are you scared to do it?
•Have you made hiring mistakes in the past?
•Are you afraid of the security of your eCommerce business?
•Are you worried you’re not going to do it correctly?
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10. Request Past Work
Request References
Get on Quick Call
Vetting in the Job Description
“

11. Mistake #1: Vague estimates and due
dates
•Freelancers set estimates…not
clients.
•You always want 2 numbers:
•Estimated hours (cost)
•Due date
•Allow time for new ideas,
delays, and revisions
Project Starts
Projected Completion
Date: 1 Week
Project Actually
Ends: 2 Weeks
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12. Give Them Small Projects
Then Hire Hourly

13. Mistake #2: Giving new workers lots of
work without testing
•Just because someone interviewed
well doesn’t mean they are perfect.
•Hiring is an investment
•Protect your investment
•Avoid big projects with new
workers…break it down into smaller
tasks.
Post Project
Interview
Hire
Project #1
Evaluate
#EcommVAwebinar

14. 30, 60, 90 Day Rule
Slow And Steady
Create SOPs

15. Mistake #3: Hiring the cheapest worker
you can find
•Hiring college students
•If you are going to hire cheap, know
the risks
•You pay for what you get
•Know what your perfect worker looks
like
•Avoid lowballing
$1.00/hour
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16. Mistake #4: Not setting clear
expectations
• Every client has different expectations
• Keep everything as black and white as
possible
• Share your pet peeves
• Show workers examples of successful
work
• Create a Client Expectations doc
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18. Mistake #5: Putting all of your eggs in
one basket
•Why I’ll never go back to Myrtle
Beach
•Smart business owners diversify in
every way…hiring is no different
•Departmentalize
•Is anyone you work with
in-disposable?
#EcommVAwebinar

19. Slack
Skype
Zoom
Google Drive

20. Mistake #6: Not encouraging and listening
to feedback and ideas
•Best ideas that made me money or
cut costs came from other people
•Create an environment where
feedback is not only encouraged,
but mandatory
•Avoid hiring robots
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21. Mistake #7: Not sharing goals with workers
•Workers want to know WHY they’re
doing what they’re doing
•By explaining goals, details that
you wouldn’t think of come up that
help the worker do the task better
•Sharing goals reduces turnover
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23. Mistake #8: Avoiding difficult conversations
with underperforming workers
•If you haven’t invested a lot into a
worker, cut ties quickly
•Give people opportunities to improve
and fix mistakes, but have a short leash
after multiple corrections
•Make sure you examine why they’re not
performing…
•Could you do anything better?
•Don’t avoid conflict
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24. NO ONE HAS A PERFECT HIRING
RECORD
•Learn from mistakes while hiring for your eCommerce business
•Improve your hiring process
•Become consistent with your hiring strategies
#EcommVAwebinar

26. HOW THE FREEEUP MARKETPLACE CAN
HELP IN THE PROCESS
•A marketplace full of pre-vetted freelancers
•We’re there to assist you along the way
•Protects you as a business owner
•Free to sign up and no monthly fee
•$25 credit to anyone that signs up from the webinar
•Just mention SellersChoice25 as your referrer
#EcommVAwebinar

27. Download 10 Most Common Mistakes
eBook
freeeup.com/10-common-mistakes-of-outsourcing
Or set up a meeting with me here
calendly.com/freeeup-nathan
Contact me with your questions
Nathan@FreeeUp.com
Download Top E-Commerce Sellers Tech
Stacks
bit.ly/TechStacks
30-Minute Marketing Consultation
SellersChoice.agency/Giveaway
(Password: thevagame)
*SLIDES AND REPLAY TO BE SENT OUT SOON*
@AndrewMaff