For agency owners
Partner, freelanceror in-house?
There are three usual ways for an agency to get more development done, and each one suits different situations. Here’s how we’d weigh them up, including when we’re not the right choice.
Comparison
| Factor | Development partner | Freelancer | In-house hire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to start | Depends on our workload at the time. We’ll tell you when we reply. | Often quick, if the right person is available. | Slowest, once you allow for recruiting, notice periods and onboarding. |
| Range of skills | Frontend, backend and integrations from one supplier. | Depends on the person. Many specialise. | Depends on who you hire. One person rarely covers everything. |
| Continuity | The scope and setup notes are written down, so someone else can pick the work up. | Depends on the person. What they know can leave with them. | Highest, for as long as they stay. |
| Cost structure | A quote or estimate for each project, with no ongoing salary. | Usually a day or hourly rate. | Salary and overheads, whether or not there’s work that month. |
| Management load | One point of contact. We organise our own work, in your tools. | You manage the person and their schedule. | You manage, train and retain them. |
| Client-facing | Behind your agency, or introduced as your partner. Your choice. | Varies, so agree it up front. | Part of your team. |
This is general guidance, without hard numbers. Your situation, and any particular freelancer or candidate, may be different.
Each is best when…
- Development partner
- A project, or part of one, with a clear brief, especially if it mixes frontend, backend and integrations and you want it written down and handed back properly.
- Freelancer
- Small, well-defined tasks in an area you know well enough to check, with someone you already trust.
- In-house hire
- A steady flow of development work, such as a product roadmap or a large retainer, that justifies a salary.
When we’re not the right choice
- You’ll have development work continuously for the foreseeable future. Hiring is probably better value.
- The work is mainly visual design, content or marketing, which we don’t do.
- You need someone on-site every day.
If a partner sounds right, see how we work with agencies or build a brief.