Outsourcing - Know Your Limits

For an internet entrepreneur knowing your limits is an important thing. You need to know what you are good at and what you have time for. Starting off ventures many want to minimize costs at every corner and try to do everything themselves, but this is not always the best idea. Below I will explain a few pitfalls to such a plan and when outsourcing specific tasks is a good alternative.

From past projects I’ve learned a lot about what I am good at and what I am not. I’ve realized that I may not be the best graphic or web designer. I know that I can design my own website if I put a lot of time into it, but is that extra time beneficial to me or should I outsource this work to someone who can finish it in half the time and make it look twice as good?

For me it really depends on my current workload. If I have the time to do the design work myself, chances are I will. I’m a bit of a tightwad sometimes. But as the number of projects I manage increases, my time becomes more valuable and the idea of outsourcing design work becomes more enticing.

Once you finally decide that outsourcing a bit of work is a good idea (Don’t worry it is) then you have to find quality help. Emphasis on the quality! I’ve dealt with a number of designers on different projects and sometimes good help is hard to find. A few places to check out would be:

Rent-A-Coder
E-Lance

Both of these sites have rating systems involved to help you pick reliable help. If you prefer to find help without the help of the freelancing sites above, consider looking in the help or jobs section of your favorite SEO or programming forum. I find DigitalPoint’s Forum as well as SitePoint’s Marketplace to be good starting points (* Note SitePoint charges a fee for a job posting)

The overall concept is simple… determine what you are good at and what you aren’t so good at. Everyone has their strengths and admitting a weakness isn’t the end of the world. Once you find these weaknesses, think about outsourcing some of the related work and focus on what you’re good at.

Just remember time is just as, if not more, important than the money you invest in projects. Manage it properly and your businesses will succeed, manage it improperly and you will find yourself stretched thin in no time.

Good luck!

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