Outsourcing basically consists of buying the time of others because you don’t have enough of it yourself. When you consider time as money, outsourcing can be quite a good deal. In fact, many Internet marketers say that outsourcing is the secret to their success. It takes all of those little tasks out of your hands so that you can get to your more value-added work. If done well, outsourcing can save you loads of time. If done the wrong way, it can cost you lots of money, and you still end up having to do the work yourself.
Know Who You’re Working With
The biggest mistake is to not know exactly who’s doing the work for you. The time you spend doing your homework and searching for freelancers will definitely pay off. If you don’t research them thoroughly, you just might pay someone your hard-earned cash and watch them disappear on you.
Make sure that you know exactly who you’re dealing with. Check out each prospective worker’s testimonials, samples and references. You should talk with them at least once before you get started on the phone or on Skype. To be on the safe side, start with a small job first before you trust them with something bigger.
Trusting Too Much
To some extent when outsourcing, you’re letting your hired hand into your business. They may be privy to all kinds of information about what you do. You may even have to trust them with your website and your passwords. If you hire the wrong person, you may not only lose your money but also your sense of security.
Again, check references and make sure you know who you’re dealing with. If it makes you feel uneasy to give away certain information, don’t give it away. Let them know exactly what they need to know in order to do the job and nothing more. Go with your gut feeling and if something seems odd, look for someone else.
Set Milestones
If you set up a job with a hired worker and don’t hear back from them for days or weeks, it can make you feel uneasy. That’s why it’s important to set up milestones. Create a schedule for following up with them and seeing how the job’s going. This lets you see how the project is progressing. You can also use these meetings to see if they have any questions they may not be asking.
Whenever you outsource, make sure that you have a backup plan. Even when you’ve chosen someone you think is perfect for the job and things are going well, things can happen. Make sure that your timeframe has some leeway and that you’ve got extra money budgeted just in case there’s a snag. It’s also good to have a few other possible freelancers lined up in case the one you’ve chosen suddenly disappears or finds excuses not to deliver.
When you find someone you can work with on a consistent basis you learn about each other. You learn how best to work together. I’ve had my virtual assistant working with me for over four years. We’ve gotten into a groove. She knows how I work and I know what she’s great at doing, and what she enjoys. Outsourcing isn’t just about giving the hard jobs to something else, its about finding someone with skills that complement yours.
You can outsource well. It just might take a little bit to find that person. In this series I’ll be going more into detail on working with others all over the world.
