Outsourcing The Smart Way For The Perfect Project Results
Hi there, when you're just starting out in whatever Internet marketing activity
you're undertaking there always seems so much to do, learn and get done in a short timespan. It's especially tricky if like Sam & I you're also still doing your day job.
Getting and keeping that work life balance can be especially daunting at times certainly my son Luke often comments "oh I suppose Dad's on the computer again!!!" Blimey sometimes it makes me feel really guilty. But if you're committed to building a better life for yourselves and your family some sacrifices have to be made.
For me it's working to a plan so trying to get & keep a balance that suits work and family, don't always succeed but I do try.
How Outsourcing Can Help
So what's this got to do with outsourcing and using the skills of others? Well exactly that of giving you the opportunity of sharing the workload, thereby creating more time for you to be able to get your life balance back on track.
Lots of people will tell you that outsourcing is the way to go, certainly for us it works. It offers lots of advantages such as saving you time which I really like, yes it costs but in some instances I'm utilising other peoples skills that I don't possess in abundance which means it would take me a lot longer to do and therefore be costly in time.
Plus it makes my Internet marketing activity more productive potentially allowing me to increase profits and using a larger workforce that I only pay for what I need doing. These are all things that make it sound ideal, but it's not always a good idea & can be fraught with problems.
But hey listen up, as with all things there are areas where you should be careful with outsourcing. Here are some things you should think about before you start outsourcing.
Are They Qualified?
Whenever you think about outsourcing, the most essential factor is the candidate's qualifications. Screen carefully everyone that you are considering for the job. If you give a project to someone who lacks the skills and qualifications necessary, it's going to cost you much more than you expected when they turn in shoddy work at the end of the project. You'll spend time and money fixing their poor quality work and it will cause delays that might set your entire project back.
Now listen up we speak from personal experience here, I out sourced some article writing some time back, the writer was cheap but the end articles were absolutely rubbish, didn't make sense, he re wrote three times and at that stage I just paid him off (highly reduced fee) and ended up re writing myself - what a waste of time, effort and money - really set me back because it stopped me using outsourcers for a while - what a waste!
Do Your Own Checks
It's tough to tell if someone is qualified or not by their resumes alone. Resumes are written so that they talk up the candidate, and not everything included there is always truthful. It's best to verify the information they give you. You can do this by contacting people they've worked for before and asking about their skills and work ethic. Get samples of their work, check them out on the forums and most importantly make sure their command & usage of English is up to scratch. It takes some time to do this, but it will save you time in the end.
Explain The Project Carefully
Once you've hired the right person, you need to go over all the pertinent details of the project with them. Everyone needs to be on exactly the same page or else the results will not be what you expected. Everything should be stated clearly on the contract including project details, schedule and compensation. Whatever isn't written there won't count. Another reason detailed briefs are so important is that they can help if there are any disputes, any conflicts that might come up.
You should also include all details about timescales so that there's no confusion there. It should clearly state what the product should be when it is submitted at the end. For example, it should state whether you need it as a hard or soft copy, or whether you'd provide it to be delivered as both. Make this clear from the beginning and it will save you time later.
Now writing a brief can take time but its time very well spent. The old saying "the devil's in the detail" is very true. Don't short change yourself.
Milestone Meetings
It's also a good idea to set some milestones along the way, this really applies to a bigger project like writing an e-book as an example - don't fall into the trap that's easily done where you wait until the project is finished to only discover the outsourcer didn't understand your brief. You should have regularly scheduled meetings to discuss how the project is going or receive samples of the work completed.
No Need For 'Face to Face'
Now bearing in mind you'll possibly be dealing with someone on another continent so your meetings will not be face to face but with the internet, Skype and messenger it still easy to have these regularly. This helps to keep the project running according to schedule and can also iron out difficulties along the way. It has benefits for both the freelancer and you. For you, it helps you to stay in control of the project and do whatever needs to be done to get it back on track. It also keeps the freelancer on task and forces them to do it in stages, which is much easier for them.
Outsourcing can bring you excellent results, but make sure that you do it the smart way. Find the right freelancer and lay out the whole project beforehand, and you'll get the desired results you're expecting.
by: Toby Russell
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