Outsourcing Pros and Cons?
April 5, 2011Today saw a BIG development in my online business… I finally took the plunge and hired someone full-time! It made me consider the pros and cons of outsourcing.
Outsourcing Pros
- You’re free to manage your business instead of getting bogged down with the day-to-day tasks. Having the time and freedom to think about the direction of your business allows you to really expand.
- Live the dream lifestyle. Working for yourself from home is definitely better than working for someone else but at the end of the day it’s still a job. Outsourcing allows you the freedom of actually doing what you like, while your business is still working for you!
- Better quality of work. While no one would ever care for my business the same way I do, I don’t get work done efficiently. Why? Because I’m always preoccupied with all the different things that are involved with running a business or stressing out about sales, etc. Someone that is paid to do a task learns to do it well and don’t get distracted by all the other things.
- Specialize tasks. You can outsource specific, specialized tasks to those that have that skill; whether it be a full-time position, part-time or at an hourly, ad-hoc rate.
- Delegate mundane tasks. Really hate doing a certain task – outsource it! Article writing is something I don’t enjoy doing, unless I’m passionate about the topic (like Internet marketing). Outsourcing it lifts a heavy burden off my shoulders.
- Profits. Your staff member should be paying for themselves and making you a profit.
- Less Liability. If it’s not working out with someone that your outsourcing your work to, you can easily get rid of them and find someone else. Hiring an employee is a whole different ball game.
Outsourcing Cons
- Finding someone reliable. This was my biggest obstacle, getting over the psychological barrier of wondering if I could find someone I could trust. Knowing where to look helps a lot. For virtual assistants, webmasters and programmers, the Philippines is a great place to look. Just check out the resumes on Craigslist or try Replace Myself.
- Training. At the beginning you will most likely need to train your new staff member. Using image screen captures and video screen captures will help out a lot. Skype is also a great free way to communicate with anyone anywhere in the world.
As I considered the outsourcing pros and cons, I found that the pros where much easier to come up with that the cons. And now that I’ve taken the plunge, I wish I had done so earlier!
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