Summary: When you really want to scale up your Internet Marketing business you will have to outsource at some point. Most entreprenuers know this however not all of us are able to do it as well as others. This is when you look to others and see how they do it and get some ideas.. I've built a great team over the last year or two I now have helpers in Australia, the Philippines and also India, USA and London. Categorize Break down the online outsourcing into your main categories. (Design, Content, Traffic, Programming). Each of these elements need to be managed as a separate business unit. By setting up team managers the team can be managed effectively with cutting edge software. Where to start? Once you decide to outsource you can either use an outsourcing management company or you can learn the more advanced outsourcing techniques and do it yourself through a talent aggregation website. How much should you pay? You should avoid dealing with the lowest bidder. Also you should be avoiding automatic bidding companies (people who reply to every job without even reading the brief). Look for people with experience in the exact field you are requiring. Check feedback and ratings to make sure they were rated for the same type of work you are requiring. Make sure they are responsive prior to getting the job. Advanced tip Post small jobs first to select a few people to do it and then scale up with the winning supplier. If you get a few people to complete the same small job you will be minimizing the risk over the long term. How do you pay outsources? Keep the money in the system you are using. So if the network you use (like RentaCoder) uses escrow then continue to use that. If you branch out to friends and referrals from your original designer you may wish to use Paypal or a direct debit / International Bank transfer. What mistakes should you avoid? Software is one of the hardest things to get done for you. Hence the rule of 3 to 6. Software usually costs 3 times more than quoted and 6 times longer than quoted! The other common mistake is to delay outsourcing too long. If you value your time then you really need to outsource as soon as possible. Start out small and start early. On a limited budget? Pay a little bit more and do your diligence. Spend a little bit more and make sure you have a chance of getting the job back. Post the small jobs to a few people at first and then run with the winners. Measure the results early and go with the most effective supplier. Write great descriptions for your jobs. What things should you do your self and what should you outsource? Strategic stuff and relationships should be done by you. If it is tactical stuff like FTP, design, content, traffic, programming, help desk can all be outsourced. Spend your time on your marketing. Look for ways to use system. Anything you hate should be outsourced!. Is it bad to do things your self? In the beginning it is ok to do stuff yourself. The trick is to get your outsourcing in motion as soon as you can re-invest in your business. Make sure you record the processes so that you can give the recordings to your outsource worker. This leverages your time. Daniel steps us through his action plan as if he was starting from scratch. Within a week he would be bringing in affiliate commission to re-invest in content. The next investment he would make would be design. Look to your personal life first to free yourself up for your business One key to building your business is to outsource the stuff you do at home. Here is a list of some of the things you might look to get others to do for you both at home and in your business: - lawn mowing - dry cleaning - driver (hire car) - food preparation - event management - personal assistant - help desk - link building - keyword research - spying (research tools) - ppc management - design - recruitment - management - backup - call centre - copywriting - newsletters
