Hiring a Freelance Salesforce Developer vs. Working with an Agency: Pros and Cons
Do you want to hire a Freelance salesforce developer? If you are, you just need clarification about hiring a freelancer or a professional salesforce administrator. It is one of the biggest problems that most companies face, but you have to decide which will be the best according to your needs and does not break your budget.
As a powerful and widely-used customer relationship management (CRM) platform, Salesforce often requires specialized expertise for development and customization. When obtaining Salesforce development services, businesses have two primary options: hiring a freelance developer or partnering with a sales development agency.
Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. In this article, you will explore the pros and cons of each approach to help you make an informed decision. But before you choose either, you need to understand their differences.
About Freelance Salesforce Developer
Developers who operate as independent contractors are self-employed professionals. On short- or long-term projects, they simultaneously work for multiple businesses. These independent contractors have specialized knowledge in the front end, data analytics, UI/UX, and back end.
Pros of Freelance Salesforce Developer
No Multiple Contact
You can be sure you’ll always deal with the same person when you hire a freelancer. Your freelancer will be familiar with who you are and what you need without much explanation, saving you the time you don’t have to spare to get them up to speed on your company’s requirements.
Certain professional services companies provide this type of one-to-one service for an additional price, although not all do.
Usefulness on a Minimal Scale
You only need a modest quantity of work to be completed. You can’t handle it internally, so more than signing a contract with a professional services organization is required. For you, a freelancer is the best choice. The work will be completed correctly and within your budget.
Price
Finding Salesforce consulting cheaper than a freelancer may become almost impossible when you look for a Salesforce consultant. They may frequently provide you with a quote for Salesforce work at a startlingly low price due to their low overhead expenses.
Of course, it’s wise to exercise caution because if your needs change, the initial rate may increase. You are now at the whim of the person you bargained with. However, a freelance consultant is typically a good, affordable choice.
Flexible
Regarding project scope, deadlines, and customization, freelancers frequently provide more freedom. They can provide individualized attention to your unique needs and collaborate directly with you to deliver specialized solutions. Working alongside a freelancer also enables quicker decision- and communication-making.
Specialized Skills
Freelance Salesforce engineers typically devote all of their time to Salesforce development, which enables them to gain in-depth platform knowledge. They frequently keep abreast of the most recent Salesforce features and techniques, delivering high-quality development work.
Individual Accountability
When you work with a freelancer, you are in close contact with the developer who will be working on your project. Better transparency may result from this individual responsibility because it allows you to interact directly with the developer, keep track of their development, and respond quickly to any issues or changes.
Cons of Freelance Salesforce Developer
Qualification
Qualification is a crucial element. Salesforce knowledge may exist among all independent contractors, but how can you be certain? Do they have a wealth of experience and references or testimonials? Do you have faith that they are offering you the greatest guidance? Poor advice can quickly cost you a lot of money and hurt your business and reputation.
Use the Salesforce jargon they should be familiar with when posing inquiries if you need clarification on their credentials. Do they have experience using the Chatter collaboration tool? Are they an AppExchange publisher or developer? Do they know about the brand-new Lightning Experience?
You can use many resources with a professional services organization to find the best solution to your problems promptly and effectively.
Time Crunch
The issue with selecting a freelance consultant is that even if they are only one person, you are undoubtedly their only client. Do they have time to spend with you?
New freelance consultants are entering the market and attempting to turn their work into a business. That’s admirable, but they can be sidetracked and not pay close attention to you. What happens if they take one day or a week off? You don’t have to rely on a single person’s availability because a qualified Salesforce admin at a reputable organization has the help of a network of Salesforce experts working in the background.
Certification
Are you hiring a freelancer who is Salesforce certified? They need to be if the freelancer has to pass the test on managing security and data, maintaining the cloud and service application, and developing unique solutions to pass the certification of Salesforce.
The proctored Salesforce test requires building a wide range of reports, dashboards, and processes for users on the Salesforce platform. Verification information should be available from anyone who is legitimately Salesforce certified, and you may confirm this on the official credential’s verification page.
Limited Capabilities
While freelancers may possess specialized Salesforce skills, they may have limitations in other areas, such as graphic design, user experience (UX), or complex integrations. Depending on your project requirements, you may need to engage additional freelancers or manage these aspects separately.
Working with an Agency: Overview
An agency provides a development team specializing in almost all the skills required to develop a salesforce application. There are several different types of teams, but typically they consist of professionals with experience in project management, development, design, business analysis, and quality assurance. The majority of agencies can provide complete development life cycle services, ranging from idea generation to deployment.
Pros of Development agency
Teamwork
You can’t be sure whether numerous freelancers you hire for a project will collaborate well. On the other hand, if you work with a firm with a team of experts who collaborate frequently, you will benefit from their unrivaled teamwork.
They can easily avoid all the difficulties arising during development because they are familiar with each other’s strengths and shortcomings.
Scalability and Resource Allocation
Agencies can scale their resources based on project requirements. They can quickly allocate additional developers or specialists to meet tight deadlines or handle more significant projects, providing greater flexibility and responsiveness.
Long-term Approach
Even though the idea of a freelance agency is still relatively new, the process demands significant time, resources, and expertise. The toughest challenge is choosing the right agency, and all the benefits could be undone if you don’t select the correct agency because of subpar management or a lack of ethics.
However, you can quickly distinguish trustworthy companies from dubious ones by looking at their portfolios, creating a crystal clear contract, and agreeing to a trial term of service.
Extended Expertise
An agency has several specialists with a wide range of specialties, unlike freelancers who have developed experience and proficiency in a particular set of talents. Each team member at an agency has a specialty in a particular area of development that you could need to finish the project.
Quality in Work
Although some freelancers produce outstanding work, agencies hold them to higher standards. An agency will follow tight quality analysis and review procedures, but a freelancer may only submit a project with little attention after completing it.
Cons of working with a development agency
Higher Cost
A software development company will undoubtedly cost more than a Freelance salesforce developer.
- They must pay more employees
- They must pay more overhead costs for software, office space, machinery, systems, etc.
Because it costs more, agencies are more inclined than freelancers to concentrate on large-scale projects.
Less Flexibility in Customization
Agencies may have standardized processes and methodologies that can limit customization options. They may prioritize efficiency and speed, sometimes resulting in less flexibility when tailoring solutions to your specific needs. It can be a drawback if your project requires unique or highly specialized functionality.
Communication and project management
Due to their larger team sizes and multiple ongoing projects, communication with an agency may not be as direct or immediate as with a freelancer. The involvement of multiple stakeholders and project managers can introduce additional communication layers, potentially leading to delays or miscommunication if not managed effectively.
Key Difference between the Freelancer Salesforce Developer and a Development Agency
These are some of the key differences which will help you differentiate between the freelancer and development agency. It will help you hire salesforce developer based on these factors.
Price
Undoubtedly, these software development agencies usually cost you more than freelancer developers. There are different rates for which they hire, and if you look for a leading software agency, then you will have to pay a premium amount. Sometimes, the difference between their costs is high, but do you know why?
It is because freelancer software developers:
- Use far less overhead to operate
- are typically less experienced
- Don’t provide extra services like business consulting or continuous maintenance.
- It could be headquartered elsewhere, where it can provide more affordable pricing.
But on the other hand, software development agencies:
- Bring more resources, such as bigger teams and tech stacks, to the table.
- Much more knowledgeable about the requirements for specific industries, project kinds, and development processes.
- Provide all-inclusive services or bundles, such as custom support, hosting, maintenance, and business guidance.
- Instead of freelancing in locations with a reduced cost of living, you tend to base yourself in your region where it is more expensive to operate a business.
That is why looking out for the more suitable one is essential before deciding or choosing any.
When you look at the prices, you might find freelancers a cheaper option; usually, people only go for the cheaper one. However, it is true that these agencies cost you too higher and are quite expensive, but it is not an expense; this is considered an investment that will expand your business ROI.
Experience
When deciding whether to work with a software development agency or a freelancer, experience is another crucial factor to consider. Most independent software developers focus on a single industry area and frequently have extensive knowledge of one or more distinct programs, languages, or procedures.
An agency can deploy specialists proficient in various styles, programming languages, and approaches in the interim. With an agency, you’re not tied to a single person’s viewpoint or expertise; they’ll bring in the most qualified candidate for each task and take care of the process management for you.
It offers several advantages for your project, such as:
- In contrast to managing a freelancer, you won’t need to be as involved in the project.
- Because of agencies’ effective procedures and capacity to deploy numerous developers simultaneously, delivery is frequently faster.
- Due to the breadth and depth of industry experience, you are more likely to receive sound business advice.
Choosing the best software development business or freelancer frequently depends on which one is the best fit for the job, which typically implies whether or not they have the essential skills to finish the work on schedule and within budget. If your selected option falls short, you can have a difficult financial situation.
Risk
Let’s consider one thing a fantastic freelancer developer is working for you, and everything is going well, but suddenly, he meets with an accident or gets ill. Though. It is no one’s fault, but you will be held back and unable to get work.
The typical length of a software development project is 4.5 months. Time is money, and that’s already a lengthy period. The longer you postpone deploying your software due to setbacks, catastrophes, or delays, the more your company will pay in project costs and probably lose revenue.
This risk is reduced with an agency because they have a larger team and committed project managers to ensure that your project will proceed as planned. Additionally, a competent software development company will give you greater guarantees for the services you hire them to perform.
Ongoing Support
We all know the launch is not the end of software development projects, and Freelance developers will likely include some time for post-launch bug fixing in their initial quote. However, the more challenging your project, the more likely you’ll pay out-of-pocket for additional maintenance.
Regarding software development cost and ROI, investing in the longer-term services that come standard with a software development agency is worth investing in. Software development agencies come with numerous ongoing support structures, including:
- A technical support desk.
- Marketing advice post-launch.
- Bug fixes and improvements.
- Planning and consulting for future projects.
Scale and Resources
Typically, freelancers operate in small teams. They could only have limited time and resources, especially if they manage several projects simultaneously. Scaling up for more significant projects or short deadlines can be challenging.
Larger teams of Freelance developers, architects, designers, and project managers work for development organizations. Depending on the project’s needs, they can scale up or down and allocate resources accordingly. This guarantees better adaptability and reactivity, especially for challenging or extensive projects.
Presentation and Attention
Freelancers provide a more individualized approach and open lines of contact. They can dedicate all their time to your project, work together with you to understand your requirements, and provide solutions specifically for you. This intimate teamwork may result in faster decision-making and quicker response times.
Processes and communication avenues may be more structured when working with an agency. Due to the numerous stakeholders and project managers, this might provide stability and dependability but may also result in additional levels of communication. Individualized attention may be dispersed around the team compared to a freelancer, potentially lowering direct engagement.
Which One Is an Ideal Option for Your Business?
When it comes to deciding which is suitable for your business, it depends on your business needs. However, it is essential to consider numerous factors, including time and cost, before you hire a dedicated salesforce developer. To make the best choice, one should weigh all the benefits and drawbacks of working with agency and freelancer.
Choose the Professional Salesforce Developer with CRM Jetty
But, when you hire a software development agency, they will have all professionals who will work on your project utilizing high-quality resources and ensuring your business’s success. On the other hand, a freelancer costs less to hire and can still assist you in reaching your target market. When it comes to choosing a Salesforce developer, CRM Jetty is the perfect choice. Taking into account the needs of our clients at a competitive price, we have a team of the best Salesforce developers in the market. Count on us for the best service, and don’t settle for compromises.
