I have been in the internet business for about 8 years now. I have made some money and I have lost some money. You never know what is going to happen with your project till you have it out there and live.
The one thing I can say that I have become an expert on is finding a cheap reliable outsource partner to handle all of the work that is either tedious or out of my scope for a great price. This has made a huge difference on how much money I have invested into various projects and really saved me a lot of money.
I have written a step by step approach which I use when trying to find a quality outsourcing partner to take over some of my work.
Define The Issue
First figure out what you can outsource. Is it a design of a new website? Or is it tedious labor that you do daily. Beware of security of your business. Do you feel safe someone handling the task you want them to complete?
Research
Start searching for outsourcing. When I determine outsourcing it means to me anyone that is not employed directly on your payroll. So it can be from a freelancer to a big outsourcing company. Here are some places that I have got projects completed on.
ScriptLance.com – Scriptlance is a place where you can find freelancers from all around the world. I DO NOT RECOMMEND sending being elaborate projects through these freelancers. There is lack of communication and trust can be an issue. Trust is an issue but this can be a great place to get a logo design, or web designed here for very cheap.
Craigslist.com – Let them come to you. Post a job in the jobs section of your town. The best thing about this is that you can get someone locally. You will also get big companies offering you their services. So you can do your research and compare what people have to offer.
Communication
The most important thing to me when working with outsourcers is communication. I want to be able to contact them if I have an issue or question. Fast response is a must. When you start talking to an outsourcer ask questions.
How can I contact you?
How soon will you reply?
Tell them that this is the most important thing when it comes to business because I need to be able to contact you. The thing you will hate the most is being left in the dark.
Meeting
Schedule a meeting with the person or company you are going to be working with to talk about your goals and what you are trying to accomplish. Listen to them to get the sense if they are treating you like a number or a first class client.
I generally like to hire people that live in my area for bigger jobs. This is why I use craigslist for this. I will find someone local to the area and meet in a coffee shop. I will come ready with a bunch of questions.
There is a lot of undiscovered talent in the world. I am a believer of finding that talent and being able to get a good price on building my projects.
Test Projects
Now that you have picked out your outsourcing partner I suggest give him a test project. Do not tell him it is a test just says I will need this completed before we move onto the bigger things. Make milestones and deadlines for your partner so you can evaluate them on that. Make a checklist for yourself and make sure you test him on the following.
Communication – See how fast they reply to questions.
Deadlines – Do they complete on time.
Contract
Now it is time for the big deal. Create a contract with your partner. Tell them exactly what you expect from them. Write everything down on paper and have it signed for your safety .
I have used this time and time again and you would not believe the projects I have completed for such a great rate.
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