• Outsourcing is 2 things:

    1. Hiring someone to do that which you CAN’T do:


    Need a better design, database programming, or blogging plugins, but technically unable?? Go on over to my outsourcer of choice -Scriptlance (BUT FIRST READ THIS ENTIRE POST!!) and get it done for a great price…


    2. Hiring someone to do that which you dont WANT to do:


    Due to number 1, Outsourcing is ‘Kosher’, otherwise its a little Elitist – those who put a higher $ to their time, outsource ‘time consuming’ or ‘menial’ tasks to those who are willing to work for less.. Except for my cleaning lady who earns more than I do.


    People even use outsourcing to order tasks and then hike up the prices to clients / consumers, but thats a story for another time.


    Read my story to know how to OUTSOURCE WISELY:


    A few months ago I wake up in the middle of the night with an Awesome idea..

    as I am accustomed to doing :) .

    I actually got up to write it down, since I had a newborn, was overexhausted, and have had too many experiences of SWARING I wouldnt forget, and then…forgetting.

    Remarkably, I exhibited some patience and waited some time before posting the project, but when I posted it, I offered it as an idea, allowing the programmer to run with it. Only halfway through did I that he misunderstood a lot of my requests and was just copying almost exactly another website I pointed out to use as a reference… I wont get into the other details of my woes, such as every person (Indian) I hire has a grandmother that dies, gets in an accident and has me ready to bomb the Taj Mahal.

    Listen carefully here:

    PLAN, PLAN, PLAN …

    Let me sound mature for a moment:

    Every business, from a large corporate entity to a home-based business, needs to have a business plan. A business plan is a document that outlines your business goals and the plan for achieving them.

    Even if you are working from the kitchen table, you still need a business plan. A business plan can help you do the following:

    * Define your business and set goals
    * Create a plan of action
    * Develop your brand
    * Organize your marketing efforts
    * Keep you focused on your business

    When it comes to developing your business, writing out your business plan will help you sort out your ideas and make it easier to identify which ones make the most sense. When you get excited about a new business venture, it is easy to get overwhelmed with ideas.

    Once you have determined who your target market is and how your business is going to help them, you will need to write out your goals and determine your plan of action in achieving them.

    As you know, there are many different ways to market your business. Another benefit to having a business plan and being able to see the “big picture” is being able to organize your marketing efforts.

    Finally, if someone approaches you about a joint venture project or if you have an idea for a solo project, you can look at your business plan and see if that is something that would enhance your business.

    ……………

    Here is the advice to take from this… By ALL means OUTSOURCE… it is a GREAT way to get services done affordably. If I took this project elsewhere, it would be 5x the price..


    HOWEVER, if you are looking for a medium to large project, sit down with a programmer friend, or hire someone whom you cannot afford to do the entire job, and help them to ‘technify’ (is that a word?) your project. Let them take your idea and tell you exactly WHAT needs to be done – front end and backend. When you post your project with confidence and with specific details that make it obvious you know your stuff, the bidding programmers will not decide to do it their way, but will do it according to your specifications. Of course dont forget to check the feedback..


    I still recommend Scriptlance – it has a long list of professionals in EVERY field, easy navigation, allows escrow payments, private message system, and the prices are still affordable..


    Sorry this was so long!

    ~~Andrea


    PS – My Project will happen, have no doubt….

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