Company - freelancer collaboration: best practices

More than 1 million: according to Statista, that’s how many new self-employed workers started working in France in the past 10 years. In 2021, more than 3.2 million people put their skills to work for companies and individuals. This trend shows no signs of stopping: by 2030, a Freelance.com study estimated that there will be 1.54 million freelancers providing intellectual services alone.

This tremendous growth in self-employed work is transforming the landscape of employment relations. Working as a freelancer for a company and collaborating as a company with a freelancer are two things that definitely cannot be improvised.

So, how do you make sure the work goes smoothly for both sides?

To answer this burning question, we asked several freelancers and companies who often work with freelancers to share their thoughts:

• Marine Aubonnet, Trainer and freelancer Mentor, La Cohorte,
• Clément Carrier, former freelancer, Co-founder, and CEO of Aria,
• Clara Casamatta, People operations specialist, Qonto,
• Cécile Haupt, Lead commercial counsel, Qonto,
• Louise Racine, Co-founder of the freelance collective, Lookoom.

Whether you're a freelancer or a company, discover in this article the best practices for successful collaboration between businesses and freelancers at every stage of a project.

There must be no subordinate relationship between the freelancer and the company. That’s what separates an employment contract from a service one. If there is a subordinate link present in the contract or in practice, and work conditions are similar to those of an employee, it is viewed as disguised employment. This can have significant legal consequences.

For a collaboration to go well, it’s crucial that both parties go into the mission thoroughly-prepared. Through this step, both the company and the independent worker can verify their mutual interest in the mission and define the scope of the project. As such, it’s important not to rush this.

It’s the client - the company - that must first clearly define its needs and therefore ask themselves these questions:

• What am I requesting of the freelancer exactly?
• What will their objectives be?
• What will make this mission a success?

Once expectations are set, clients can detail these elements in a brief they then pass on to the freelancer. On the freelancer’s side, after talking with a prospective client, comes the time to ask themselves the right questions and decide if the mission is the right fit. Questions like:

• Do I have the right skills to carry out this mission?

Just as a company needs to be transparent, freelancers, too, need to be honest about their skills to avoid disappointment.

A successful collaboration calls for freelancers who are able to clearly state their positioning and offer, so that prospective clients can quickly identify what they do and whether they’re the right person for the job. - Louise Racine

• Am I interested in the mission’s content?

If a freelancer isn’t motivated by the task given, they might lose steam before the end.

The collaboration must be fulfilling and stimulating. It should provide learning opportunities and new topics to discover. - Marine Aubonnet

• Does the budget match my expectations?

Similarly, if the budget doesn’t align with a freelancer’s daily rate, that is bound to create frustration.

Both sides have a responsibility. The freelancer must estimate as accurately as possible the time they’ll spend on the project to be comfortable quoting a price. The company also needs to be realistic and not look to drive prices down too low. That’s not a good long-term bet, and it carries the risk of comprising the quality of the work or the relationship. - Marine Aubonnet

• Can I allocate enough time for this mission?

Being well organized is key to managing your freelance activity. Knowing how to manage your daily work ensures you won’t find yourself overworked. Having the right tools at your disposal helps a lot, such as a time tracker, a project management tool, and a business account.

Freelancers work with several clients in parallel. Carefully managing the contract and accounting sides of their work is essential to keep track of their missions and invoicing. It doesn’t matter if it’s through Notion or Google Sheets, as long as it’s done squarely. This allows them to have a better idea of the bandwidth they have to take on new missions. - Cécile Haupt.

During this preparation phase, both sides should ask as many questions as they want. This lays the groundwork for a good collaboration, where each party is on the same page.

This is why, once again, time is of the essence.

Once both sides have agreed to the terms of the mission, it’s time to make it formal. This is usually when a service provision contract is established between the company and the independent worker or, at least, they sign a quote summarizing the mission’s details. This paperwork matters as much for freelancers as a work contract would for an employee.

Regardless of the freelancer’s legal status - micro-enterprise, EURL, SASU or via an umbrella company - having a business contract is vital. Not only does it protect the company, but it also protects the freelancer and outlines the mission’s specs. In addition, each side’s expectations and obligations are set in writing. That way, if the mission starts becoming something else, either side can refer to the contract and use it to adjust the mission’s parameters.

What should the contract - or the quote and the terms & services - contain?

• the mission’s clearly defined parameters,
• the beginning and end dates of the assignment,
• the expected deliverables,
• the payment terms (down payment, payment deadlines, etc),
• the collaboration’s finer points, which both parties agreed on before starting the mission. These must all be written down. In a tech project, these could be, for instance, who owns the intellectual property of the work carried out: will it be a transfer, licensing, or for all usages?

A question that Cécile also gets a lot is: why do companies ask freelancers for professional insurance?

We like to explain in detail why having professional liability insurance (RC pro in French) matters. It insures your business and can help avoid financial difficulties. True, it’s very rare that one has to use it, like all other insurance. But at least, as a freelancer, you’re protected. - Cécile Haupt

One last aspect to settle before the mission can start: who’s going to be the freelancer’s main contact point within the company?

 Clearly identifying this person will ensure a smooth flow of exchanges and approvals.

This attitude is the key to a balanced and stress-free collaboration for both parties. Marine acknowledges that it’s not easy to get it right when starting out, but it allows one to be a real partner.

Once this first phase is clear, the client and the freelancer can start working together for good. How do you make sure the collaboration goes smoothly?

Communication between the company and the independent worker, as always, is key.

Just as one prepares for the arrival of an employee into the company, one needs to prepare for a freelancer’s arrival. Even if they are external to the company, they’ll need access to some tools and a certain amount of information to begin carrying out their mission.

You’ll want to think about:

• giving them access to the different software you use (if need be, a company email address, access to shared files, and so on),
• gathering the information and useful context to know to complete the assignment,
• inviting the freelancer to the relevant team meetings,
• introducing the freelancer to the different team members they’ll be working with.

Of course, the degree to which the independent worker is integrated into the company depends on the project. Some companies will ask their freelancers to work on-site, others will invite freelancers to team events, and so on.

Regular check-ins between the client and the freelancer throughout the mission ensure alignment with the initial brief and make it easier to track progress. It’s best to plan these at regular intervals, even if they only last for 5 minutes. This is the best way to avoid finding out at the end of the project that the deliverable isn’t in line with expectations.

These conversations, while not the most pleasant, are important for a freelancer to have with their client. They’ll feel hard at first, but it’s best not to stay silent on those issues.

This goes hand in hand with the previous topic: mutual respect is the only way a successful collaboration between a company and an independent worker can happen. That means doing what you say (that goes for each side), delivering on time, and also being mindful of each other’s time.

The final deliverables have been sent, now it’s time to officially end the collaboration - or perhaps renew it for another round?

It’s always useful for both sides to take the time to discuss how the collaboration went. What went well? What could have gone better? This is helpful to both the company and the freelancer for future projects.

Depending on the company and the freelancer, different payment terms can be set. These terms, from advance and intermediate payments to payment deadlines, as we said previously, need to be written down in the contract. That way, once the mission is over, it’s up to the company to hold up their side of the bargain and pay out the balance of the project as planned.

Speaking of payment terms, here’s what Clément and Marine have to say about advance payments and intermediate payments:

• advance payments

Once the quote is signed, asking for an advance payment, at least partial, helps instil trust and shows the company is honest. Being paid on time is important for freelancers. - Clément Carrier

• intermediate payments

Spreading payments out over time helps freelancers avoid having to work several months without getting paid at all. It’s motivating and also reassuring. - Marine Aubonnet

It’s not uncommon for a company to call back the same freelancer for a new project. That’s why it’s interesting to maintain a good relationship with the freelancers that worked with the company.

Companies hire freelancers they worked with in the past fairly frequently. Some independent contractors might sometimes desire more job security, professional development opportunities, or want to join a team again.

This is also something Clément experienced:

With freelancing on the rise, more and more independent contractors and companies collaborate on projects. Whether you’re a freelancer or a company, you now know everything you need to ensure your next collaboration goes well (link in French).

Are you a freelancer looking for a tool to help you manage your freelance activity stress-free? Give Qonto a try.