How to Outsource Any Project in 4 Easy Steps
You have heard that outsourcing is a great way to grow and scale your business (that’s true). And while you would like to get started right away, maybe it all seems a little overwhelming. Perhaps you are not sure where to start or what steps to take to get the process rolling.
Good News!
You can get started with outsourcing in just four easy steps. Read on… 😉
–> STEP 1: Determine Your Needs
Your first step is to figure out what to outsource. Ask yourself these questions:
– What jobs do you need done? Here you need to evaluate all the areas of your business – including: research, writing, purchasing, shopping, graphics, prepping, packaging, etc. Then draw up a list of jobs you have in each of these areas.
– Is it cost-effective to outsource? First attach a dollar figure to your time (such as $50, $75, $100 or whatever your time is worth – don’t UNDERvalue your time!). Then figure out how long it would take you to do a particular task. Next, multiply the hours it takes you to complete a task by your per-hour worth.
EXAMPLE: let’s say your time is worth $75 an hour and it would take you two hours to create a graphic – that’s $150 of your time… when you can use a service like Fiverr and get it done for under $20. If you can find someone to do it for less, then it is indeed cost effective to outsource a task. The question is – how much of your time does it take to prep and ship? 😉
–> STEP 2: Advertise Your Job
Once you have figured out what tasks you need to outsource, your next step is to advertise the job in order to attract as many qualified prospective freelancers as possible.
While there are a variety of ways to do this – and you should utilize as many of these methods as possible – one great way to do it is to post your project on a freelancing board like Elance.com, Fiverr or a service like ReplaceMyself.com. You are bound to attract plenty of qualified candidates (the first time I did this I had about 300 candidates!)
–> STEP 3: Choose a Candidate
At this point you will get to choose from among a lot of candidates. But don’t make your choice based on price alone.
Instead, you need to do your due diligence to find the most reliable freelancer who will get the best results for you. That means checking the freelancer’s feedback rating, testimonials, business history and portfolio.
This step takes a bit of time upfront, but it will save you a lot of time, frustration and money in the long run.
Once you have researched all the candidates, select the best one and hire him or her on a short term testing period. Then move on to the next step…
–> STEP 4: Manage the Project
Whether you get mediocre or great results is largely going to depend on what you do at this step. That is because you need to do the following:
– Provide a clear brief and instructions. Your freelancer may have some amazing talents, but mind reading probably isn’t one of them And that is why you need to provide a clear and accurate “no guesswork required” brief for your freelancer.
– Offer protocol checklists to help your freelancer produce the best results. Secondly, you need to continue to communicate your wishes and help your freelancer do great work for you. And one way to do this is by offering a protocol checklist for each project.
At this point you are probably thinking that the whole four-step process sounds simple enough. And you’d be right… But, you may also be looking to fill the gaps.
EXAMPLE: Where can you get sample briefs and protocol checklists? how exactly, do you do your due diligence? And what are some of the other reliable ways to find a freelancer?
Stay tuned! I finishing up a free report and will be sharing soon – How to Run Your Business in 60 Minutes a Day and it has a great strategy laid out for outsourcing in it… 🙂