As a crucial growth step in any business—and in varying degrees throughout the business development process—outsourcing becomes a necessity. The big bucks are made not on one person’s efforts alone, but the efforts of many. Today we will look at the inherent characteristics of outsourcing, hiring employees (and the difference between the two), and how you can increase your profits—both emotional and financial—with outsourcing.
As a business owner—the king (or queen) of your castle, the master of your domain, and the ruler of all things to do with your company—you have it all. You also do it all, and sometimes you also try to be "it all" to everybody too.
You manage the core function of your business—keeping customers happy and product moving. But you also wrestle with the day to day operations of managing any business—accounting, taxes, marketing, technology, business development, etc. Then you perform a similar juggling act at home; after family time, cooking, housework, repairs, and maintenance, sometimes sleep can seem more of a luxury than a necessity. This is around the time you should really consider outsourcing.
- How to Find and Hire a Virtual Assistant for Your Small Business—10 tips for finding, vetting, and hiring a virtual assistant.
- 9 Tips for Working with a Virtual Assistant—What to do once you've hired a virtual assistant.
- International Virtual Assistants Association—Use them to find virtual assistants all over the world.
- Your Man in India—A resource mentioned in The 4-Hour Workweek (a bestselling book about outsourcing to improve your quality of life) by Tim Ferriss. Poking around this site will lead you to Get Friday, where you can hire a virtual assistant to take care of any number of tasks.
- Elance—Locate virtual assistants (both individuals and companies) all over the world that will help you simplify your life on many levels. Post a job or search for a candidate by the task you wish them to complete.
- The Outsourcing Institute—A professional association dedicated solely to outsourcing.
- Outsourcing.org—A directory providing information and free tools for suppliers and buyers of outsourcing services
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