I really enjoy reading Seth Godin's Books and blog. If you're not familiar with Seth, I highly recommend reading his latest book, Linchpin.

In a post today he suggests hiring a professional—"someone who costs a lot but is worth more than they charge" or an amateur—"a talented person willing to trade income for the chance to do what he loves, with freedom rather than to get the job done." He then goes on to warn against hiring "someone who just thinks it's a job."

I wanted to add to that list—consider hiring a freelancer. While freelancers can certainly fall under the professional or amateur categories, I believe they can potentially combine the best of both.

When you hire a freelancer, you typically get a professional who is very passionate about his or her line of work—you have to love what you do to take on the risk of working for yourself. An independent freelancer has their name on the line and they will generally bend over backwards to get a steady flow of work from you. A freelancer also has very little overhead, allowing you to get great value for your money, when compared to hiring an agency. Note that freelancers typically maintain a network with other freelancers that they can plug in when necessary, making them virtually as strategic and versatile as agencies.