Computer-based 'hyper-specialists' slash SMEs' costs

Fresh data from a freelance e-marketplace should help dispel concerns in technical circles that in-demand contractors are only an expensive resource that hold clients over a barrel.

In fact, far from eroding bottom lines, so-called ‘hyper-specialist’ computer-based freelancers have led to as much as a 75% “reduction in transaction costs” for SMEs, says Peopleperhour.

Increasingly common over the last few years, such workers offer a ‘niche within a niche’ skill and allow end-users to sub-contract to them a specific, component part of a wider project.

“This trend is enabling micro or small and mid-sized enterprises to realise tremendous gains through improved market efficiencies, lower transactions costs and higher quality outputs.

“Likewise, this rapidly growing section of freelance labour is enabling firms to ramp labour capacity up or down based [on] bursts in demand at that time, or project scope,” the site said.

Web Development/Mobile emerged as the highest growth hyper-specialisation category, as jobs on the site in this area are 38 times more common in 2015 than they were in 2007.

Web/Mobile is also unbeaten in the project completion stakes, taking an average of just 3.3 days to finish – the same as Design projects but faster than Writing and Marketing projects.