Onboarding

I’ve built my website business using freelance talent from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. I regularly dip in and out of those markets depending on project load and expertise. I usually keep two or three people on the books at any given time, as there’s enough ongoing work to justify it.

However, I’ve had numerous bad experiences—some of which may sound odd on the surface, but they’ve repeated enough to become patterns. Please read the following with context and without judgement.

Common Challenges I’ve Encountered

Many freelancers are primarily focused on earning money which is understandable but this often comes before understanding the work. First question “What is your budget” before even knowing the task.
Rarely do they admit when something is beyond their capabilities, even if my explanation has been unclear or the task is complex.
Even when they’ve made no progress after several days, they seldom admit they’re unable to complete it.
With a few exceptions, many are not self-starters. They often lack initiative, rarely suggest better ideas, and don’t proactively search for solutions.
Breaks are frequent. Comments like “Sorry, I was having a snack/dinner/lunch” are common. Snacks and dinner can last 2-3 hours.
Illness and family emergencies seem disproportionately frequent, often causing extended silence or missed deadlines.
Some are juggling three to four jobs. I have no issue with that as long as they follow my simple rules and deliver quality work.
Occasionally, I’m asked for early payment for unexpected bills, despite no work being completed.

This may sound harsh, but it’s based on real and repeated experiences, countless times over YEARS..

I’ve been let down by people claiming to be the best WordPress developers around, only to find they can’t even create a custom post type. Then, when challenged, they request payment anyway.

The Rules

You might think I expect too much, but my requirements are straightforward. I work with people across a range of skills, from low to high end. For example, I have someone who writes content for me every day he does it well, and I pay him promptly. He isn’t a php ninja nor do I expect him to be.

Here are my basic expectations from folsk that keeps the boat afloat:

Let me know when you’re online or offline. A simple message on Slack like “going out, back later/tomorrow” is enough.
If you don’t understand a task, ask. If my explanation isn’t clear, ask again—I won’t be offended.
If you can’t do something, just say so. That’s fine. I can assign it to someone else.

These rules often get broken in the first day. See process e.g. they get fired.

My Process

This is my process for finding people I stil lfine tune it, it may sound ruthless but being nice doesn’t pay my bills.

Assign a task that you know exactly how long it should take—ideally no more than one hour.
Ask the contractor to estimate how long it will take.
If they quote something unreasonable (e.g., $500 and three days), end the working relationship immediately.
If they quote sensibly (e.g., 1–2 hours), assign the task and ask for a clear deadline.
If they don’t meet the deadline, end the contract. You’ll usually hear excuses about food, illness, internet issues, or emergencies.
If they complete it well and on time, assign another small task. Repeat the process.
Once they’ve delivered a couple of successful tasks, pay them promptly—show good faith.
Gradually assign slightly larger tasks—but still no more than 2–3 hours at a time.
Always ask for time estimates in hours and apply the same principles throughout.

Even with these steps, things can still go wrong. Time zones create natural delays, and that’s where SOPs come in.

SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures)

I currently have about 10 SOPs written for repetitive tasks—such as setting up WordPress sites, installing analytics, and configuring plugins. They’re written in painstaking detail because, without that, contractors often make mistakes or go off in unexpected directions.

It took a long time to get them right, but now I can simply say “Do SOP X” and the task gets done properly.

You might think you could do it yourself in the same time. But when you have someone on your team trained to follow these steps, it frees you up for higher-value activities—client calls, marketing, networking, or even taking a break. These are things you can charge for.

For example, I have an SOP for setting up Google Search Console and Google Analytics. It includes setting up a client email address and configuring automated reports. One of my contractors handles this, and it takes about 2–3 hours to do thoroughly. I charge clients for this service and make a small but consistent profit.

It took nearly a week to write that SOP properly and train the contractor, but now it runs smoothly and adds real value to my business