Outsourcing Tips, from James Wedmore

James Wedmore has created a brilliant 5-video You Tube series, outlining the basics of outsourcing. Here’s the first (the others should pre-load):

What to outsource?

1. What bogs you down.
2. What you should be doing but your aren’t.

Where to find Outsourcers?

• Odesk.com – (percentage) post a job
• eLance.com – (percentage) post a job
• Fiverr.com – $5 gigs in all sorts of areas
• Onlinejobs.ph ($49 per mo.)
• Virtual Staff Finder ($395 one-time fee)
• Endlessrise.com – full service outsourcing company

Hiring

The interview is key. Questions to ask: what kind of access to you have to internet (how many hours each day), what is internet connection like? What kind of computer do you use? Do you have other jobs? Are you going to school? Tell me about your family. Other obligations? What kind of skills? What are you particularly good at? Do you have past work that’s online that you can show me? How much do you want?

Here’s what I’m looking for: Not to be impressed, rather passionate and eager to learn, sense of honesty, integrity, respect

Compare a few people – Hire on a probationary period – couple of assignments, pay them upfront. Cost will be about $65-85; James uses Xoom.com for paymentes

Once hired, give an orientation. Requirements

Gmail address, Google Docs, Dropbox, Jing

Document everything! Put repeatable SYSTEMS into place.

Use a spreadsheet to document every job, when assigned, when due

Daily report: What they did, how did it go, problems, etc., and hours worked.

Weekly report (summary) and payday reminder.