Outsourcing...What's Working for YOU??

I get a lot of my workers from Craigslist in the Philippines and pay them bi-weekly.

Make sure they report to you everyday and have them tell you what they worked on.

Outsourcing can be a bit of a challenge at times, but it's well worth it...

Hi,

I had two workers (young females with college educations) from the Philippines. One was full time and the other part time. I spend 6 frustrating months trying to train them so that they would be productive in creating websites. They never were able to put up complete sites for me.

Their combined monthly wage was about $200 US dollars. Cheap enough, but I would have been better off in paying more to someone who knew how to do what I wanted.

I no longer have those workers. I probably will outsource again in the near future (and maybe to the Philippines), but with stricter standards and better expectations about costs and benefits.

If you outsource I suggest the following:

1.Use a software program that monitors their online activity (some take screen shots and send them to you).

2. Consider paying by the "project" and not hourly or salary. In any case, hire them as independent contractors.

3. Give them a test project (after you hire, because most are afraid of doing work and not getting paid) that will demonstrate that they can do what you need. If they fail, drop them and look again... immediately.

4. Make them report their daily activity every day by email.

5. Get Skype so you can IM or call them when you need prompt responses (there is a 12 hour time difference Eastern US time and the Philippines).

6. There are many more points to cover, but that'll give you an idea of the importance of policies and procedures.

One other point, if you are looking for website design, you can get someone on the WF to do it for you. Two recent offers ranged in price from @ $60 to $125 for very comprehensive mini-sites. I have decided to go that route now. I could have had a lot of sites created for the $1,200 I spent for virtually nothing.

I may outsource the cloning of professionally created sites using something like WP Twin.

I thought about including some links to some resources, but I have affiliate links to most of what I would have recommended. My intention was to be helpful only, and not to make money for the info. If you would like the links, PM me and I'll provide them.

I hope that this is helpful to you. Good luck with your business(es)!

Doc Reed