// Introduction

Origins of freelance

The first written reference of the word "freelance" can be traced to the early 1800s in Sir Walter Scott's novel "Ivanhoe". A lord talks about his army of paid "free lances". The idea was of mercenaries who didn't have an affiliation to any nation but rather worked for an entity or a person who paid them the most.

Fast-forward to the modern context

Clearly, the usage of freelancers (or "free lances") is not new. If you were to fast-forward to two centuries into the future, the word "freelance" isn't esoteric anymore. In fact, freelancers have become the lifeline of many companies. There are really eye-popping stats that highlight their importance in modern business.

Of course, instead of being mercenaries without allegiance to any single nation, modern freelancers have taken up less violent skills, and are defined by the concept of not being bound to a particular company.

Ultimate Freelance Guide

In this guide, we intend to shed light upon every aspect of hiring a freelancer, but with a particular focus on freelance developers. To make it a coherent read, we have covered each topic in detail and in a specific sequence as listed below:

In totality, the aim of this guide is to ensure that you are taken care of in every step of your journey to hire a freelance developer. Bookmark this resource and keep coming back to it whenever you face a particular challenge - it shall not disappoint (or so we hope).