Tips on Outsourcing Your Work
I’m proud of myself! I got up at 4:30 am, went to Wally World and bought groceries for the week, came back home, washed and dried two loads of clothes, went walking for 30 minutes, read the Bible, ate, showered and started work by 9:00. I love to get up early and get things done. When I sleep in, I feel like I’ve wasted the day. Ok, enough about my personal life.
Today, I’m going to provide four of the most important tips to remember when outsourcing. I personally feel that all online marketers must outsource work which requires specific skills (e.g. writing software) and/or work that is time-consuming (e.g. article writing). Since time really is money, outsourcing is an essential component of any successful online business.
I have a love-hate relationship with outsourcing. It’s saved me countless hours of time, but I’ve had a few bad experiences due to my ignorance. Hopefully this post will help you avoid the costly mistakes I’ve made. Lets get started with the tips.
1. Don’t trust the stellar feedback.
Sure, you should check a programmer’s feedback as an indicator of competence, however, your requirements and standards may differ from those of previous clients. It’s best to hire a programmer to do a small, inexpensive project first. If you have a killer product idea that you envision will catapult your business, the last thing you need is to throw your time and money into a project that is destined to either flop or turn-out less stellar than expected. If you’re like me, I don’t have a lot of money for experimentation. I need things done right the first time! Always establish a relationship with programmer first before hiring him or her to complete a major project.
2. Communicate, communicate, communicate!
You’ve got to over do it here. No one sees your project the way you see it, so don’t expect programmers to instantly get the big picture of your project without clear, detailed instructions. I’ve used programmers from all over the world. In fact, with the exception of my article writer, all my programmers have been non U.S. citizens, so to overcome any barriers, I’ve had to provide as much detail as possible when posting projects. If all possible, provide screen shots as well. Most outsourcing companies allow you to upload images to help describe your project, so take advantage of this. Believe me, it’s a sick feeling to spend big bucks for a project that doesn’t turn out like you intended.
3. Require a daily progress report.
Outsourcing can be stressful enough, so you don’t need to wonder when or if the programmer is going to update you regarding progress. This should be spelled out clearly in your project description. I’ve had a few programmers go days and even weeks without updating on projects’ status. I must say, this is quite nerve-racking to say the least. It’s not too much to ask the programmer to type a couple of sentences to let you know the progress of your project. Requiring a daily progress report keeps the programmer accountable, focused and may keep him or her from procrastinating.
4. Check the Work Thoroughly!
Even the best programmers make mistakes and most all programmers are in a hurry to finish a project and move on to the next, therefore you must take the time to check the programmer’s work thoroughly. Some projects may take a long time to test (e.g. submission software, etc.), but believe me, even if it takes a whole day, it’s worth it. I learned this lesson a while back when I paid a programmer for creating a submission script for me. He was in a hurry to get paid because the project took about three times as long as it should have taken. I paid the guy without adequately testing the software, but when I finally discovered that the scripts were not complete, there was nothing I could do. I had already paid the guy and left feedback. As a result, I had to hire another programmer to finish the project. Don’t give in to a programmer pressuring you to pay up. Take as much time as you need to check every project thoroughly before paying.
There are several companies I’ve used with great success including, Scriptlance, oDesk and Elance. My article writer is incredible! She is so competent that I don’t even need to proof the articles she sends. Her name is Roxanne and her website is: http://greatinformation.org/copywritegirl/.
