Why should XR Start-ups Prioritise Freelance Talent?

The demand for Virtual and Augmented reality talent is on the rise. According to reports, the extended reality (XR) marketplace is set to reach an incredible value of around $397.81 billion by 2026.

It’s not just the rise of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality entertainment pushing this sector to new heights. Increasingly, XR is becoming a crucial investment for companies around the globe. Businesses looking to invest in the metaverse, unlock new levels of collaboration, or inspire better product design experiences are all leveraging XR technology.

Virtual and Augmented reality start-ups are in an excellent position to take advantage of this rapidly growing marketplace. Ensuring you have the right talent in place guarantees greater long-term success. Virtual and Augmented reality companies need a host of professionals, from Unity, Unreal or 3.js (etc.) Software Developers to 3D Artists, Creatives and Producers to bring their initiatives to life.

Hiring a wide range of traditional team members would naturally strain already limited business budgets significantly. However, there are alternative options: Virtual and Augmented reality freelance professionals.

Freelancers are Perfect for XR Start-ups

Agile, flexible, and often more affordable than traditional employees, freelancers are the perfect choice for a growing start-up. They allow companies to stay lean in their development projects and access the skills they need on an on-demand basis.

Virtual and Augmented reality freelancers are becoming a lot more commonplace in the modern marketplace. According to Upwork, “VR skills” are now among the most sought-after capabilities on their freelance platform. Virtual and Augmented Reality freelancers can specialise in everything from Unity, Unreal, Javascript, software development and programming to computer vision, 3D modelling and animation, machine learning, and graphics rendering.

As the number of tech-focused Augmented and Virtual Reality freelancers continue to grow, companies now have more options for the kind of flexible professionals they can access. If your start-up hasn’t considered using freelance talent yet, here are some reasons why you should.

There’s a wide variety of talent to choose from

Freelancers in the Virtual and Augmented Reality landscape can bring a wide selection of unique skills and expertise to your start-up. With endless platforms listing today’s flexible workers, you can easily hire exactly the skillset you need for your specific Virtual or Augmented reality venture.

For example, if you’re building a new Virtual Reality app, you can find 3D Artists, Unity, Unreal, Javascript Software Developers, graphic rendering, and computer vision specialists. Suppose you’re designing an AR solution capable of responding to the physical environment. In that case, you can track down specialists with machine learning and WebAR software development skills such as AFrame and 3.js etc., ARCore, ARKit etc.

Engaging with freelance Augmented or Virtual Reality talent provides you with access to the best worldwide talent; finding Virtual and Augmented reality professionals is much easier without being limited by geographical boundaries. Identifying an XR industry specialist with the right set of skills closer to home can often be much harder.

Freelancers provide greater flexibility

In an XR start-up, talent needs are likely to evolve rapidly as projects continue to expand. Working with freelancers allows you to purchase exactly the support you need as you grow. You can start by working with a 3D Designer on basic content creation, then progress to 3D modelling and Unity or Unreal Software Developers.

Freelancers can also work according to your specific schedule. You can utilise a freelancer’s skills to work full-time with your business for a few months when you’re in the initial development stages of building your Virtual or Augmented reality environment. After that, you might only require their services on an ad-hoc basis to make updates or perform maintenance.

There are no restrictions on how long you engage with a freelancer, and you can create your own specific scope for each project before agreeing to hire someone. This means you essentially customize your own talent network as you go.

Onboarding a freelancer is easy

One of the best things about working with freelancers is they’re already equipped with everything they need to hit the ground running. They can also generally add value more quickly than a permanent team member.

You don’t have to waste time and resources trying to grow your start-up by training your new employees or getting them accustomed to HR.

The payroll process is also more straightforward as you’re charged a total day rate, and there are no additional cost implications for national insurance or PAYE tax.

Thanks to the flexible online world, you can discuss the project scope via Teams, and they can start working immediately. For a fast-paced start-up, the time you save can be essential to growing your company.

Freelancers are more affordable

Start-ups often have limited budgets. Most of your finances will go towards helping your business grow and attract new customers – this means you need to be cautious about how much you initially spend on talent.

In the past, financial restrictions have often prevented many Augmented or Virtual Reality start-ups from moving at the right pace. After all, it’s impossible to create the ultimate Virtual Reality headset if you don’t have the right 3D Designers and Software Developers in your team. However, hiring full-time employees comes with a host of fees to worry about, from office overheads to taxes, holiday pay and benefits.

Though the price of engaging a freelancer will vary, hiring flexible talent is generally much more affordable for any start-up. You can skip training, overheads, and tax-based expenses entirely. Moreover, because you’re only hiring services when you need them, you can reduce the risk of paying for specialists when they’re not necessary to your team.

Working with Freelancers is Easy

Finally, a common misconception in today’s digital world is that working with freelancers comes with various challenges.

Seasoned freelancers are experts in delivering fantastic, productive work in a way that gives business leaders peace of mind. You can set your expectations with your employee when laying out the initial project scope, and they’ll keep you up-to-date on their progress as they go.

In some cases, your freelancers can even be available to continue working on projects while the rest of your team is asleep, thanks to the global hiring opportunities. With various tools available to help facilitate project management and online communication, working with freelancers can be more efficient and simpler than running an in-house team.

The Augmented and Virtual Reality marketplace is a relatively small industry; hence, a seasoned freelancer relies on having a great reputation for securing future projects. As a result, they’ll want to make sure they deliver a fantastic result and get positive feedback on their work.

 Find Your Ideal Freelance Talent

Taking advantage of the rapidly growing Augmented and Virtual Reality landscape means being ready to adapt, evolve, and develop as quickly as possible. For agile and innovative companies in the XR world, freelancers are an excellent way to maintain your agility while ensuring you have the talent you need.

If you want to keep costs low and productivity levels high, working with freelancers could be the ultimate way to grow your business. And ensure long-term success!