|
As the owner of growing small business, I constantly find myself without enough time to do the things that need to be done. I have enough money to outsource if I am strategic about it, but not enough money to waste on attempting to outsource and failing to find the right person to get the job done.
The job (and it is a job!) of outsourcing has been a two year uphill battle for me. From experience, here are some things that I now know for sure:
- Outsourcing the tasks that you like and are good at is EASY. Read more
- A WRITTEN AGREEMENT is key. Read more
- The operative word in the above statement is TASKS. It is imperative to break the work down into manageable, bite size tasks. This will make things easier from an accountability and investment perspective.
- Know when to cut your losses. I'm still learning this one. I tend to hang on too long, but I am learning to trust my instincts.
- Unless you are a very large business, you cannot outsource the overall management of your company. Be sure to build accountability measures into any agreement and evaluate regularly.
Amy Perzan Merrill
|
It may be contradictory to mainstream advice, but OUTSOURCING THE TASKS YOU LIKE can actually be more effective than hiring out for the jobs you despise.
I have no studies to back me on this, just my own personal experience. In hiring out everything from my client design work to my bookkeeping duties to my administrative tasks I have found that the one area that operates most seamlessly is the hiring of subcontract designers. Upon evaluation, here's my best guess as to why this is:
- I understand the design process which means that I can quickly and easily relay job details, manage the project and ensure quality control.
- I don't have a thorough understanding of bookkeeping and accounting, therefore I can't always ask the right questions or provide the best direction.
- I despise many administrative tasks, so when I find someone who can "take over" I tune out, happy to have it dealt with, only to discover that my lack of management has resulted in a bigger disaster than I started with.
So if you're stuck in an outsourcing rut, quit trying to slough off the jobs that make you cringe and send out the work you love. I know what you're thinking - then why be in business for myself? Hang in there. I took a big step backward and started sending out the majority of the work I love so that I could focus on the business. With proper attention, outsourcing the crap work does get easier.
|
Get it in writing!
Things to Consider When Outsourcing Tasks You Dislike
When outsourcing tasks that you don't like or have little understanding of, a written agreement is crucial. Here are some points to cover when contracting a new supplier:
- Interview - Draw on referrals, references and samples/examples of past work to make an informed decision prior to hiring.
- Deliverables - What service is the supplier providing by when? If the terms are not met, what is your recourse?
- Privacy and Non-competition clauses - Be sure to protect your confidential company and client information.
- Fee structure - What are the rates and payment plan details?
|
|
Amy Perzan Merrill is a graphic designer in Calgary, Alberta. Her company, Meringue 3.14, specializes in creative branding and cost-effective print solutions for small business.
For more great tips on how you can turn your material into powerful marketing and communication tools, subscribe to "Designer", Amy's monthly ezine. |
|
|
|
|
|
DESIGNER TIP #48
Outsourcing your graphic design work is one of the most effective ways to free up your time.
Graphic design is sort of like bookkeeping in that it's a full service solution that can be handled on a regular basis by one company. As your graphic designer gets to know you and your company, they can help you build up your visual communications toolkit to be a cost effective branded porrtion of your marketing portfolio.
Furthermore, if your graphic design team offers monthly rates for ongoing services like eZine and newsletter management, you can take one big job off your plate. Ask us how we're saving our clients time and money with our monthly plans!
|
|
Customer Q&AEveryone's asking...
Can you publish our eBook?
AMY'S ANSWER
Yes! And it's easy. The latest version of our preferred publishing software has an "Export to ePub" feature, which, with proper planning at setup, turns your regular book into an ebook in seconds. The result is a file that is ready to be loaded to iTunes library for viewing on iPhones and iPads (and almost any browser).
|
|
