This is intended to give you the plain and simple steps on where and how I outsource some of my projects.
Before I give the step by step, it is important for me to mention that there is a sequence that I go through before I decide what and to whom I’m going to outsource a project. Read “How to hire an assistant…” for those details.
I’m assuming you have a project that you’ve decided it is worth outsourcing. Here is where and how I do most of my outsourcing and I’ve had good results.
- I personally mostly use GAF, for my outsourcing.
- I go to GAF, login, and I first search for similar projects to the one I’m outsourcing. (Of course I set up my account at first).
- If I find a description that is close enough to mine, I’ll use it as a template and make the adjustments to fit my needs and qualifications.
- Then I post the project. Hint: I tend to post small projects first, which allow me to experience the quality and professionalism of the provider. This is VERY IMPORTANT to me, and I believe it will be for you.
- I screen most of the bids that come in by my needs and budget, then I message the high prospects, requesting a simple task. This simple task, can be calling me at a certain time via Skype. I use this as part of their interview of professionalism and basic problem solving.
- If they follow through and are timely, then I move into the next step of deciding which one(s) I want to use. Then I award the project and put money into escrow (which is a feature right on GAF).
- Finally, I request that they keep me posted on the project on a daily basis via Google Docs and email. This makes it easy for me to see their project and the status of the project.
- As I write this, it may seem like a lot of work. But once you’ve set up a team of individuals that do good work and are professional, it makes it very easy for future projects. At that point I just pay them via Paypal and we are all happy.
Please do keep in mind that it is important to sift and sort through the bids that you get. I don’t always go for the lowest bid. I take a look at their profile and reviews from previous projects they’ve done, and even after that I have them show me that they are good problem solvers, before I even consider them for the project. Use your good judgement and trust your intuition. If after doing your initial “testing” of the provider’s professionalism and problem solving ability, you don’t feel great about awarding them the project, then you probably shouldn’t.
For me, these steps have been very useful in getting some good quality providers and has opened up a great deal of time for me to focus on other things in my life and business.
If you want a more in depth training on what and how to do outsourcing, I suggest you take a look at Outsourcing Made Easy. This is a very good starting place if you are new to outsourcing.
Happy Outsourcing!
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