Making The Most Of Our Commissions & Briefs Page

If you're looking to find a freelancer or agency to work with on a digital, media or tech project, Wired Sussex's free-to-post Commissions & Briefs page can connect you directly with our base of over 1200 members.

Our network of members have the skills to help with anything from website development to branding design and project management (plus everything in between!).

Each year we review and approve hundreds of submissions to our Commissions & Briefs page, so to help you get the most out of using this service, here are some of our top tips on best practice and how to craft the perfect project brief.

Less isn't always more.

The first step is to make sure that you're offering as much information about the project as possible so that our members reading your brief can decide whether this is the right project for them. You're essentially asking someone to prepare to pitch or attend a meeting to discuss the project, so they must have enough information to ensure that it is worth their time and yours. Ultimately, the more information you provide, the better an understanding someone will have of your project – so the better their pitch will be. 

What are your deliverables?

Project work in its nature will always have lots of unknowns and unexpected variables, but you should have a good idea of what the core deliverables are for your project. Some things to think about:

• What is the overall aim of your project?
• What are the core tasks you need completing?
• What are the specific skills or experience required?  
• How much time do you expect this will take?
• What is your budget?

Agencies and freelancers will need to know how this project fits around any other commitments they have. Please give them a good idea of the requirements, time scale, and your expected budget.

Speaking of budget…

Project work can be tricky to budget, so it's okay if you don't have an exact amount in mind. Rather than a precise figure, you could instead put a range (e.g., 'Approx. £X - £X'). 

If you're not sure what the cost range for your project should be, you could alternatively ask applicants to provide their day rates. Using vague phrases like 'To be discussed' should be avoided. Our analytics also show that projects posted to the Commissions & Briefs page, which do have budget ranges, or a call to provide rates, always receive a much better response.

Make sure to agree on payment terms, or the project fee, ahead of starting work. If during the project, any additional requirements crop up, be sure to decide on the extra associated cost upfront too.

Finally (and we hope this goes without saying), always make sure to pay your invoices on time. Unpaid invoices can be problematic to cash flow, particularly for smaller agencies and freelancers.

Last but not least

Once you've added your project to the Commissions & Briefs board, you will start to receive responses. Just like when posting a full-time job advert, it's best practice to respond to all interested parties, even if you don't think they're right for your project this time around.
 
Posters who take the time to get back to applicants see a much more consistent response rate to subsequent postings on the Commissions & Briefs board. It also means that if you do change your mind, or would like to engage them for a different project, you've still maintained a good working relationship.

So, what next?

If you have a project in digital, tech or media, and would like to reach out to our member base by posting a project brief to our Commissions & Briefs page, get started by submitting your post here.

If you need a hand or would like to know more, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our Member Services Coordinator, Hannah, hannah@wiredsussex.com.

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Hannah Jackson

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