How to choose a contractor for your project.
Do you already have an idea for your project? Even if it is not fully developed, it's time to choose the contractor. This decision will really determine if everything goes according to plan. Here you will learn how to approach it responsibly and why haste is not advised.
Start with questions
Even the best ideas that have appeared on the market began with asking a few questions that help one visualize what the advocate of the idea really wanted to achieve. What's the budget? What product do you need - mobile application, web application, website, dedicated system? What would you like to achieve with your product? Do you already have a written specification that covers all aspects of your project?
The last item is not required, however, at a later stage it will be a necessary document that will help the contractor implement your idea. After choosing a company or a freelancer, you can create such a specification together.
Choose wisely
If you have answers to the questions above, you can start looking for a contractor. The IT market is developing very dynamically, so choosing the right company or person may not be an easy task. Below are some factors to consider when selecting a contractor.
Price
First of all, we must point out that price is not the most important criterion. The cheapest contractors may not be (and in our experience they are generally not at all) the best option. This is mainly due to the fact that quality requires more financial resources. Here it is worth bearing in mind that if you choose a company, you will almost certainly face paying per hour, due to the developers' work system.
Technological stack
A tech stack is nothing more than the scope of technology used by the contractor. There are a number of companies on the market that use, for example, one type of technology or programming language, but there are also those who have a set of technologies that they combine .. Of course, this has its advantages and disadvantages, but it is worth asking at the stage of choosing the contractor whether they will be able to implement your ideas utilizing their stack.
Opinions
In the age of the Internet, an opinion (whether positive or negative) can be easily added to social media or Google profiles. However, it is worth remembering that these are not the only sources of information about contractors. There are dedicated websites on the market that meticulously check each added opinion (which makes it more detailed), which makes it more credible. Such websites are, for example, Clutch or GoodFirms. There are special rankings based on the opinions, which take into account the number of opinions issued or the overall rating. However, remember that such websites allow you to buy a higher position, so one should use common sense here.
Portfolio
This is one of the most important factors that should be taken into account when choosing a contractor for your project. A good portfolio or case study allows a potential client to check the contractor's level of advancement, experience and approach to the appearance of the website. Before you decide on a specific contractor, check his previous projects. In case you do not find a similar implementation, you can always ask for additional information. A contractor who cares about a customer will surely give it to you.
Maintenance
If you have managed to implement your project, you are on a very good way to achieve the goals you set at the planning stage. However, what if, while using your website or mobile application, errors start to appear? In this case, many companies offer maintenance of the project after its completion. Thanks to this, you can be sure of the continuity of your services, and you do not risk financial losses due to incorrect operation. This is of course an additional paid service, but it is worth considering, regardless if your project is simple or complicated.Testing
Before starting work with a contractor, ask how he approaches the issue of the quality of the software, in short - whether he has a software tester on board, whose task will be to check possible scenarios of the user's operation and moving through the website. This is a very important task that will allow you to eliminate potential errors in operation before the final project is handed over to the client.
Where to find a contractor
There are quite a few possibilities how to find the perfect contractor for your project. You can start your search, for example, in the previously mentioned websites, such as Clutch or GoodFirms. Facebook and social groups will also be helpful. There are also platforms for the publication of advertisements on the market, such as Oferia, Oferteo in Poland. For several years, the use.me platform has also been operating in Poland, in which there are both customers and contractors looking for new projects. It is worth mentioning that mainly freelancers operate on use.me, but more and more software companies are starting to advertise on use.me.
When implementing a project financed with EU funding, it is your duty to organize a tender, under which contractors send you their offers using the tender form. Such applications are published in the Competitiveness Database, available at Baza Konkurencyjności.
If you want to find contractors only in your area (which we do recommend, especially in times of remote work), the Google search engine will be useful. You can enter, for example, software house + name of the city / province and then you will receive the results along with users' opinions. Currently, virtually every company tries to get a high position in the Google search engine, mainly using keywords, so finding companies should not be a problem.
You can do it
The issues described above are the absolute basis for choosing the right contractor. Remember that after this stage, good communication between you and the company / freelancer is very important, because you and the contractor will want a positive outcome. In fact, when you start cooperation, you become equal partners, so just treat each other as partners. A well-initiated and completed project will result in accomplished business goals, and thus - the acquisition of new customers.
