Many who have just begun to consider outsourcing as a strategy to grow their business find this like learning a new business, or at least relearning their business. Yet outsourcing can and should be easy to implement into your business. It should allow you to stop performing the tasks that don’t best use your expertise. It should provide the time for you to become more strategic and to really focus your business. Outsourcing should be one of the secrets to making money online. In this article I present 5 steps when outsourcing for your online business.
1) Check the references of potential providers. Don’t just blindly accept the word of a person or company offering to provide the outsource services you need. Ask for samples of their work. Ask for references. Then examine the samples to make sure the quality meets your standards. Check references to make sure previous users were completely satisfied with the outsourcing provider. After all, your ultimate plan is making money online and wasting time and effort with a contractor who doesn’t meet your needs fails to support that plan.
2) Don’t share all the details with every potential provider. There’s no reason for providers to need all the minute details about the support you need during initial discussions. Clearly state your standard expectations and anything specific to the current assignment. But hold back and share the real detailed pieces about the assignment only with the providers you are most interested in retaining. Share all the details and expectations upfront with the finalists you are really interested in using.
3) Use trial projects or trial timeframes to verify the provider really meets your needs. It’s perfectly acceptable to include a trial in the agreement you make. For example; if you are retaining an article writer outsource resource you might provide a request for 20 articles to make sure the writer can move from topic to topic successfully. It would also be fine to include a 2-week test period to make sure everything works.
4) Reward providers who deliver and over-deliver to your stated expectations. While these are business-to-business relationships, it’s perfectly acceptable to reward excellence. If a key project is delivered ahead of schedule or the quality and quantity far exceed the agreement, be sure to reward the extra effort. You’ll find contractors remain more eager and strive to continue performing to the higher level when this occurs.
5) Don’t compromise. Keep looking if none of the providers meet your needs. It takes time to go through the entire process of soliciting for and then finding the perfect outsource resource. Don’t compromise by accepting support that doesn’t meet your needs. No-one wins. You’ll regret making this decision because the results fail to provide what you need, and your ultimate goal of making money online. The resource will regret it as they will likely end up seeking another client with a need that better fits their support abilities.
To your outsourcing success!
