Articles & News About Jobs & Employment

Outsourcing Your Work

A few weeks ago I touched on the subject of getting other people to do your work for you. I want to cover this topic in a bit more detail as outsourcing is a superb way of saving yourself both time and money.

By way of example, let me start with a short story :-)

At 8.30pm one night last week, I started to wonder whether it would be possible to automate a particular part of one of my website design processes. At present I do this task semi-manually and it takes me about 4 hours to generate a multi-page website.

Anyway, by 8.45pm I had scratched out an outline of what I would need a new custom piece of software to do to automate this task and by 8.59pm the 'project' was advertised on one of the main freelance websites....

Within 2 minutes I had the first bid from a programmer....

Within 15 minutes I had four more bids....

Within 45 minutes I had accepted a bid and the programmer was working on the project.

Two days and $75 later (and with less than an hours work required by me) and I had a brand new piece of custom software which can complete the task in question in seconds rather than hours!

With several excellent freelance sites around nowadays, it is very easy to find a programmer/web designer/writer/whatever that will be happy to work with you and the cost (as illustrated above) will often be far less than you might expect.

If you spend some time thinking about the type of tasks you could outsource, I am sure you will soon come up with a fairly substantial list. The following are just a few ideas:

Website design
Website maintenance
Copywriting
General writing - for example of an entire eBook!
Software design/creation (for your own use or resale)
Graphic design
Script installation (and creation)
Dealing with your support emails
Finding new affiliates
Finding new link exchange partners

And so the list goes on....

Of course, as with anything, there are a few things to be aware of when outsourcing so here are my top tips for a successful project:

1. Only post your project on the main freelance sites (list below). This will give you the best exposure and the highest level of competition from bidders. This means keen pricing and a good range of expertise from which to choose from.

2. When you post your project, ensure that you detail EXACTLY what is required. The more information the better. If you start adding to the brief after a freelancer has placed his/her bid, expect the price to rise....

3. Try and keep the brief as simple as possible. Remember that English may not be the first language of some of the freelancers and whilst I have never had any communication problems (in fact, most of the programmers I have used have a better standard of written English than the majority of my fellow countrymen!), it makes sense not to over-complicate matters with slang etc that may not be understood.

4. Don't always opt for the lowest bid. All of the freelance sites listed below allow you to view feedback ratings for freelancers and I usually base my decision on this rating. I would rather pay a bit extra and use someone with a superb rating than save a bit of money and use a new freelancer. They may be great at what they do but unfortunately when you are dealing with people at a distance, you have no way of knowing and in my view, it isn't worth the risk and potential extra hassle. Go with someone that has already proven themselves.

5. If your project is to create something that you want to resell (for example a software product or an eBook) make sure that you stress in the brief that at the end of the project, you will own the copyright and will have access to the source code/files. Obviously you want to ensure that the freelancer doesn't come back to you in the future complaining that you are selling his/her work and that you can edit the product if you need to without having to find the original creator. It would also be wise to include a condition stating that the freelancer is not allowed to use your product in the future for someone else or indeed sell it themselves.

As for which freelance site to use, there are three that I recommend but my absolute fave is http://www.thetraderonline.com/scriptlance.html and this is definitely my 'site of choice'.

Alternatively, try www.eLance.com or www.Rentacoder.com

Copyright 2005 Richard Grady

Richard Grady has been helping ordinary people earn online since 1998. He writes a free newsletter which is published every two weeks. To subscribe (and claim your free gifts), visit: http://www.thetraderonline.com/newsletter.html

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

PassmoreLab To Work On "Legend of the Sky Kingdom"
Africa's first full-length animation to be converted into 3D.

Affiliate Marketing May Be The Answer For Starting Your Own Work At Home Business
Affiliate marketing is the process of marketing somebody elses products or services for a commission of each sale that you make. Affiliate marketing is becoming more and more a huge business part on the Internet and is one of the easiest business models being the reason why many new entrepreneurs begin with these programs. While affiliate marketing is definitely an option to consider, it is not as simple as it sounds to be because it is a true business which means you will have to work for it. If you decide that affiliate marketing is for you then you need to find some programs to join.

How To Work From Home And Make Money Online From Internet Affiliate Marketing
Can I start a home based business making money online by doing work from home? This question has been in most of us for the longest time. All of us have different reasons for wanting to work from home and make money online consistently well. It could be for some of the following reasons:

Ten Major Tips to Develop a Multilingual Web Site to Work
If you are living in a country that its native language is something rather than English language, then you may like to develop your website to offer content in the language of your own country.There are millions of websites on the Internet that are all in English language but there are billions of people on the earth that speak in a different language and are not familiar with English language.

Advance Your Career with RN Employment Information from Across the Nation
Nursingjobsnews.com provides RN employment information from across the nation with latest news in nursing vacancies to make the most of your nursing career. Find all information from jobs, uniforms, nursing schools to nursing services.

Goal Setting - Road Map To Achieving Your Career Goals
Goal Setting & ResearchYou can only set informed career goals if you acquire plenty of information about the career choices open to you. This will require research which can be conducted online or through a local library.

How To Find Help Starting Your Work From Home Business, Without Spending Your Start-up Capital.
Whenever you start something new, you're usually scared out of your pants, and I was no exception. Oh sure, I'm a self-assured, totally confident freelancer now, but when I got started working for myself, I was sweating bullets. There's no one to catch you if you fall, and there's no one to blame if you mess up. It was exhilarating; it was exhausting! I ended up talking to one of my friends, who happens to be a very successful work at home businessman. That's one of the first things I can tell you about small business help; it's all about the networking. Talk to people who are related to your field, talk to people who don't seem related. You never know where you'll find the real treasures.

Considering Flight Jobs Throughout The World
When the average student or young professional thinks about the flight industry, they typically think of major carriers that fly international routes. After all, commercials and the use of these airlines by millions of passengers per year make it all but impossible not to think of them when provoked. However, potential flight professionals need to consider the bigger picture when thinking about the flight job market. There are many jobs for companies big and small throughout the world, with a job to fit almost any personal or professional need. As well, pilots and other flight professionals who want to see different parts of the world can find work almost anywhere. Pilots and mechanics alike have special skills that set them apart from the ...

Business Career Executive Coaching Article -Motivator, Discipline and Desire
"There is a certain combination of desire and discipline in the way I work. Discipline by itself simply is not enough in the creative process.

Harness Mind Chatter and Make it Work for You!
"When you talk to yourself, you listen. No matter what you say, you're listening.

Data Entry Jobs ? Are They Real Or Scams?
Data entry jobs are one of today's most popular home businesses Check some common types of data entry projects to see if they are a good fit

6 Figure Internet Work at Home Moms On the Rise
Can a work at home mom make a greater income than when she was working? The answer might surprise you.

A Career in Image Consulting
You might have seen them while watching TV shows such as Extreme Makeover, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, or What Not to Wear. Or you might have heard that Martha Stewart needed them to give her advice on how to look sympathetic to a jury.

Work Ethics – A Paradigm Shift
Work ethics is a hot topic in today's business and educational worlds. Yet, how do we define this hybrid phrase with the word work meaning more than a specific outcome and the word ethics being more than the values that enhance that outcome?When we say we are going to work, work becomes the place of employment.