Comment posted on Outsourcing: THE Biggest Little Secret Nobody Talks About by Lisa
Demetria:
i just signed up with odesk and I have to say, they have an amazing system going on there!
Lisa also commented
- Ana:
This post is definitely bookmarked!! I had not heard of a couple of these places and am looking forward to checking them out. I agree 100% with 24 hours not being enough time to handle all of the aspects of building our online business!
Recent comments by Lisa
- Blog Audit Black Friday: How to Be Irrisistably Attractive
Just took care of the canonical url issue with my site Ana!! Thanks again for the info! - Stress Less: 4 Tips To Stress Free Blogging
LOL wayne!! well at least you’re in the right direction going to the gym!! You never know, a teenie bopper song may just come out that gets you movin!! Thanks for stopping by.. - Stress Less: 4 Tips To Stress Free Blogging
It definately takes some time!! I try to think of a topic and then drill down to sub topics off of those. Sounds like you have a great campaign going though!! Thanks for visiting!! - Blog Audit Black Friday: How to Be Irrisistably Attractive
Really useful tips here Ana. I especially am interested in the canonicalization Issues because I have that same issue with my blog. I had no idea that had an effect on the serps. Thanks for all your knowledge!! - Do They Celebrate Thanksgiving in Russia?
Agreed oliver!!! She is a Jill of all trades!
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I am a wife to a great husband of 13 years (here ya go, now I have to make changes to this sentence once a year), a mother to a beautiful and, no doubt, genius little girl, and a successful internet entrepreneur. I also devoted my life to Jesus Christ many years ago, and He remains my true priority, focus, and hope.
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Nail-Head baby! LOL
I wasted years (literally) stubbornly doing the one-man show routine. Doing all the things I knew how to do myself, and not doing any of the things I didn’t know how to do at all…this is the one that really killed me.
Example 1: Design. There is very little I knew how to do on my own, so I didn’t. I just went year after year with the crap look, doing the best I could.
I started outsourcing this, this year and love it!
Example 2: SEO. Aye Curumba. I couldn’t tell ya how much time wasted trying to figure it out, not really caring either. I’ve given up on it completely.
As soon as I can afford it consistently, I will be outsourcing that also.
My goal: To get to the point where all I do is write.
Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..Sub Categories and Drop Down Menus – Whats YOUR Take
EXACTLY my sentiment, Dennis!
My time to outsource is NOW; I can’t stand another minute of this madness.
Ana
Outsourcing is really the way to go if you want your business to move forward. Lists the tasks that you don’t enjoy doing or you are not an expert of and you can choose to outsource those tasks. You just have to choose the right person to outsource it to. There are no regrets, you’ll definitely get all your money’s worth.
Choose the right person, no regrets, money’s worth - sums up the entire post pretty well, Andrew.
Thanks for coming by!
Ana
Hi Ana
It is something I definitely need to do….soon! Spending too much time doing things I could get others to be doing. I was put off with the amount it would cost, before I started making serious money online. However, some of these services are affordable.
My only concern with the cheap services was how good the work would be. Cos it’s still my blog and business and my regular readers and customers expect and get excellent customer service and I don’t want to jeopodise that.
Have bookmarked this so I can go through and choose the one most suitable to my needs. Thanks for sharing this information Ana. Much appreciated.
Patricia Perth Australia
Patricia@lavenderuses´s last blog ..So Little Time- So Much To Do
I do understand your concern about the quality of the finished product, Patricia.
However, with due diligence you can definitely find both affordable and excellent help.
Plus, some of the tasks that need to be done are so mechanical, anyone can do them.
Hope you’ll take advantage of these resources!
Ana
Ana,
All a long I have out sourced some of the technical stuff I can’t do. I feel better outsourcing the behind the scenes work.
I recently read where one person video tapes herself doing the tasks she want to outsource. That way it is a reference for the person she hires.
Thanks for the resources.
Sheila Atwood@newbielifeline.com´s last blog ..The Weekend Web – Backlinks
Making videos for your workers is definitely the way to do it, Sheila.
What I usually do is perform the task I want to outsource while making a video of it; it’s extremely helpful and less time consuming.
Ana
When I am still at my starting days, I am afraid of spending my money outsourcing. So I do all the work myself, web designing, coding, SEO and article writing and then I came up to the point that I literally don’t sleep for more than 24 hours (coffee is my best friend that time) to finish all the works. And well, I did it more than a month and I end up lying on the hospital bed.
That’s why, I learned that it’s better to outsource, there are many outsourcing provider out there that you can trust rather than making yourself suffer. Now I am okay, I have my own team with 20 members doing the Jobs, with proper task distribution, it work out really fine! Cheers for you post!
Love and Peace
Anita
Language School Bournemouth´s last blog ..Other Expenses Over and Above your Language Schools
Coffee is still my best friend, Anita - I need to hire a bigger team!
Glad it made such a huge difference to your business; I wish more of my readers saw the great advantage in that.
Ana
Ana:
This post is definitely bookmarked!! I had not heard of a couple of these places and am looking forward to checking them out. I agree 100% with 24 hours not being enough time to handle all of the aspects of building our online business!
Hi, Lisa:
This is the only way to make things work and not kill us in the process; I am convinced of it!
Ana
Absolutely, Ana! Hope I’m not duplicating anyone else here, but odesk.com is another good resource for outsourcing, I hear. As I begin to rebuild/rebrand my company I am running across the urgent need to outsource many of my tasks. Thansk for the reminder!
Demetria:
i just signed up with odesk and I have to say, they have an amazing system going on there!
Odesk is definitely great, Demetria; it gives you a lot of great tools to keep track of all your workers and their time.
Give them a shot; it will definitely make your life a LOT easier.
Ana
Thanks A million for porviding the resources that you give us in this post Ana. I alway know that I can get some get information when coming to your blog. Thanks A million for sharing
Kareem Williams´s last blog ..Successful Blogging Webinar- My Successful Blogging Secrets Revealed Tonight!!!!!!!!!
Glad you came, Kareem - always a pleasure!
Ana
Wow, there are so many choices. Thank you Ana for writing about all this services, I only knew 1 or 2.
But I do outsource my tasks, but I usually do it on forums or to people whom I outsourced before or have been referred by a person I know. I will give this services a look, maybe I can find something great!
Alex@Jocuri´s last blog ..Baby Sitter
Referrals are definitely the best way to go, Alex.
I found these services quite helpful since I don’t really know too many folks I can outsource to or afford to outsource to.
Ana
Hey Ana,
You have provided some awesome resources there! The only outsourcing site from the list I know about is Fiverr. And no wonder - it was recently surrounded by a lot of hype. Outsourcing is without a doubt a great way to save some time and concentrate on the more important aspects of blogging - the ones that make you money. After all even though making money might not be the number one task for most of the bloggers, it is among the goals they’ve set themselves. I am considering outsourcing some things I find quite daunting.
Thanks for sharing! Have an awesome day!
Daniel Sharkov@Blogging Tips´s last blog ..7 Blogging Mistakes You Should Avoid by All Means
I am with you, Daniel - there are certainly some tasks I really dislike doing and am more than happy to pay someone else to do!
Glad I provided you with some resources you weren’t familiar with; hope you’ll give them a shot.
Ana
Wow I went on the microworkers link, I had never even imagined that this kind of site exisited, paying people to like a site, or add links on forums. Ok I’m a little “Green” but it might be something to raise a little extra money in between jobs, get the practise in for some else and maybe try outsourcing a bit.
One question though if they pay you to add a link onto a forum, or a blog post or something like that does that not constitute buying a link or will google “not find out about it so it didn’t happen”?
Pippa@web design´s last blog ..Broken links and Sitemaps
Hi, Pippa:
Paying someone to post links for you is not at all the same as paying for links. Google won’t have any problem with that.
I am looking for a link builder, by the way.
Ana
The biggest problem when outsourcing is finding reliable freelancers that provide the quality you are looking for. Users with good ratings and feedback will not always give you results that fully satisfy you, and you may need several attempts until you find someone suitable, which of course, also increases expenses.
Also in the freelance market, for a low investment, you often get a low return, if you are not taking the time to select carefully.
Initial search can definitely be time consuming, Andreas, I completely agree with that.
However, once you do find a few diamonds in the rough, the payoff can be great.
Ana
Hi Ana,
thanks for your take on outsourcing. I just recently started outsourcing some extremely time consuming tasks like transcribing audio files and translating from English into German. It is inexpensive though the sums add up because it’s time consuming. What would be the alternative ? You are right: Not doing it or doing it oneself and making less money.
I found my contractors on oDesk.com and I am very happy with them, the transcriber coming from Moldavia and the translator from the US (native German speaker).
People who are saying that they don’t outsource are usually lying, not consciously of course, but they’re lying anyway.
I tell them, simply sit down and write a list what you are already outsourcing today:
1. Who repairs your car or your computer when they need to be fixed ?
2. Do you never eat out ?
3. Do you never have a baby sitter ?
4. Who cuts your hair ?
5. Who pulls your teeth ?
The list goes on and on.
Thanks again for sharing your insights.
Take care
Oliver
Oliver Tausend´s last blog ..Twitter And Social Media- Ever Heard Of The Importance Of Weak Links
Some great points about outsourcing, Oliver!
We do outsource a great deal of our lives, don’t we?
Odesk is definitely great; it’s a bit more expensive, but definitely offers good workers.
Thanks for your input!
Hi Ana,
I haven’t got a mental block against outsourcing, but I spend so much time on other tasks, I haven’t got time to do it! Come to think of it, you’re exactly right about this viscious circle. I remember you mentioning in a post about outsourcing to correct html errors. Is one of these sites the people you use for that formidible task?
Lou
Lou Barba´s last blog ..TWO DEAD TOO DEADTOO HIGH A PRICE
Hi, Lou - yes, that’s how I get things like that done.
I tried to do it on my own in the beginning, but it was like learning a whole new language.
After spending hours on it and getting nowhere I decided to make a a priority to find someone to take care of it for me.
It’s been a breeze since then!
Ana
Ana,
I agree completely. I am a huge fan of outsourcing, I have used 3/4 of these service sites, to at least a small degree for my niche sites, as well as having a VA help with some of the other mundane stuff.
Outsourcing does cost some money, but it is a matter of spending a little bit now….and freeing up your time to work on things that really require your input and can make you more money
Steve@Lifestyle Design´s last blog ..6 Affiliate Marketing Emails that MAKE You Money
I ABSOLUTELY agree with your way of thinking, Steve.
Outsourcing allows us to finally achieve that personal freedom we all are looking for - the freedom of making money without dedicating every minute of our day to it.
Ana
Ana - I have been thinking about outsourcing for a long while now, but I have the same mentality about outsourcing like you used to have. I don’t want to spend too much money and outsourcing seems like it is expensive.
The only one I have tried using is MTurk to get some people to bookmark my sites for me. It works great and is pretty cheap, but I really would love to outsource some more tasks for cheap. Thanks for this list and I have bookmarked this page and will explore the other 4 to see how I can implement them.
John´s last blog ..Naturally Stop Underarm Sweating
I hear you, John.
It doesn’t hurt giving it a shot though, don’t you think?
You’d be surprised how much more you can accomplish when using outsourcing and I was blown away how INexpensive it was.
Ana
Good information. I have found some great uses of outsourcing and some not so great uses. After reading the 4 hour workweek I was ready to outcourse every single thing I did but found out that was NOT the best practice but there are still many things that I outsource that would drive me crazy to do. Thanks for this post, will check out the links as I have not heard of most of them
Ray Higdon´s last blog ..Staying Positive in a Cynical World Video
Outsourcing does have its benefits, Ray, although I still want to be in full control of my blog and its content!
Ana
Ana, this is a vritable smorgasbord of outsourcing solutions which, I’m sure, many internet marketers will find very interesting.
I think why this is a field that has not really been emraced by the masses is not only the perceived cost of outsourcing, but also the trust issue. Generally speaking, we are all aware that most customers will need to get to know, like & trust someone before working with that person or endearing them with a task that will reflect on them as business people.
I for one, find it difficult just thinking of asking a stranger to write blog content for me, design graphics for me etc…as I’m apprehensive as to the quality that I will be getting in the finished product.
How do we know that what we are asking for & paying for - is in fact what we will be getting?
Perhaps I need to investigate a little more!
Stay inspired!
Michael
Michael B Wilbraham´s last blog ..The WRONG Way To Go About Marketing On Facebook
You are right, Michael - trust is a big issue here.
A couple of things I learned along the way that might help with that:
1. I’d rather have certain tasks done well enough than perfect, but have them done, as opposed to having them on my to-do list for months.
2. These services I mentioned are perfect for smaller tasks that actually are more mechanical than anything else - for instance, if you want to set up 20 profiles on different social media sites. Will take you hours to do on your own; will take $5-10 to outsource it. Does not involve creativity or much thinking to perform this task.
3. I forgot to mention ODesk in my post - you just reminded me of it. You can choose to outsource your tasks via ODesk and that will give you a way to monitor your employees’ every move.
Anyway, I recently hired an outsource manager. It took a while to train her, but it’s such a relief to not be tangled in certain tasks of the day!
It’s worth a try…
Ana
Hi Ana,
Thank you for bringing outsourcing out of the shadows. A good trait of a good entrepreneur is the ability to delegate tasks to others in order to free time to focus on where the business is headed.
I can definitely concur there are certain tasks in my business that need to be done, but are not necessarily money producers. And If I could hand them to someone else to do, it would free up a lot of time for me to do more of the things that do get me the results I want.
It’s good to know that outsourcing can be effective and inexpensive. Thank you for exposing these other great resources, I haven’t heard of them before.
Take care,
Wayne
Wayne Wu´s last blog ..Are You Attracting the Right People to You and Your Business
You are very welcome, Wayne.
Happy to see that you and I see eye to eye on the issue - many beginning entrepreneurs are so stuck on not spending any money on their business, that they overlook how important outsourcing can be to make their business successful.
Ana
Awesome post Ana, Yeah, outsourcing is sure-fire thing to do. Learn to do things you are good at and outsource for the things you lacking. Thanks a lot.
You got it, Samuel - thanks for coming by!
Ana
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