Before You Outsource, Here Are Things You Should Know
As a solopreneur, you’re fully aware that you’re the hardest (and only) worker in your business! Maybe one of the reasons why you pursued solopreneurship is that you trust yourself better than anyone. You know your capabilities and are comfortable wearing many hats.
But as your business grows, you’ll reach a point where you feel the need to get an extra pair of hands. And over time, you’d prefer to get repetitive tasks off your list so you can focus on the creative part of your business.
Before you outsource, here are five things to know. Hopefully, they’ll help you make the best choice on whether to outsource or not.
1. There are lots of available freelance websites to try.
Your first question would be, “Where do I find online freelancers?” You’ll be glad to know that there’s no shortage of websites that provide freelancers from all parts of the world. Now your challenge is to make sure that you use the best marketplace. The best freelance websites include the following:
2. It may not work out the first few times.
I’ve heard horror stories of online business owners who outsourced and got disappointed. To help your business grow, embrace the fact that it may take you more attempts than you expect. Isn’t finding qualified people for your dream team worth the struggle? After all, it’s the long-term results you’re after. If you fail for the first time, identify what needed to be improved and plan your next steps.
3. Get clear on what you want.
One of the key ingredients to succeeding through outsourcing is knowing what you want to get done and how you want it done. I see solopreneurs failing because they give out unclear instructions to freelancers. This creates confusion which eventually leads to subpar results. Before you outsource, define your goals, objectives, and the job description.
4. There’s no perfect timing.
Some people think that there’s a right timing for outsourcing. At what stage in your solopreneur business should you outsource? You can start now or later - the choice is yours to make. One way to tell is to assess your current level of productivity. Despite your efforts to get things done in a day, do you actually get them done? Look at your overall progress as well.
5. Always check work samples.
You want to have a good idea of how the freelancer works and whether his finished product is a good fit for your brand. In order to do that, ask for actual work samples. For example, if you’re about to bring in a content writer, ask links to published articles. Some business owners want to evaluate further by asking a freelancer to undertake a small task.
Once you finally decide to outsource and master the process, you enjoy more personal time and better outcomes in business. I’d love to know your thoughts on outsourcing!