| Outsourcing is a must in our line of work, and the | | | | Eventually, this will be much easier to keep track of. |
| outsourcing site you choose to use can make a huge | | | | 4. Don't Hire with Your Own Money - Don't outsource |
| difference. Right now, one of my favourite services is | | | | projects to people unless you have a source of |
| Odesk. There are a number of reasons Odesk stands | | | | income you can use to cover their expenses. Paying |
| out among so many of these services. | | | | an Odesk bill out of your own pocket can quickly ruin |
| First, it allows a much greater degree of oversight. You | | | | your efforts. |
| can create teams, review work diaries, see exact | | | | 5. Manage Your Team with ClockingIT - Whenever |
| hours of your team members, and generate data | | | | someone joins your team, have them sign up for your |
| about your project in real time. You can even receive | | | | ClockingIT account. This allows you to maintain the |
| screenshots throughout the day to see how your | | | | entire project in one place, with all your files and |
| team is working and review their progress. | | | | assignments. Billing is done on Odesk, but everything |
| So, to help you get started with Odesk, here are some | | | | else is done here. |
| of my favourite tips. | | | | 6. Be Very Specific - When you start a project, the |
| 1. Starting New Projects - Make sure, when you post | | | | description might be very general with only a few |
| your first projects, that the descriptions are very clear, | | | | detailed aspects of it. However, as you move along |
| and you list all tasks needed to complete the project. | | | | and your provider gets started, break it down into |
| Don't describe what the project is, as you don't want | | | | small, easy to follow tasks. |
| people learning too much about your efforts. | | | | 7. Hiring a Project Manager - If you push your efforts |
| But, always discuss specific technology and expertise, | | | | to a larger scale and hire someone to manage your |
| as well as the actual things the contractor will need to | | | | projects, make sure they have outstanding |
| do when they work with you. Additionally, as you get | | | | communications skills from the start. They should |
| applicants filter them down, making sure you get only | | | | ideally be able to report to your daily without bringing |
| English skills of 5 and a feedback score of 4.5 or | | | | problems or issues to your desk. |
| higher. | | | | 8. Mobile App - Yes, Odesk has an iPhone App (who |
| 2. Find Affiliated Providers - Odesk has two types of | | | | doesn't?). That's a good thing for you, because you |
| providers - individuals and those working with a larger | | | | can actually check the slideshow for any work done |
| provider. You want an affiliated provider as they are | | | | by your team overnight, quickly easily and on your |
| often managed by someone who can provide | | | | phone. |
| additional assistance and they will never change | | | | Odesk has already started changing how thousands |
| projects or drop off on you at the last minute. | | | | of marketers get work done every day. If you're not |
| 3. Hourly Limits - Always know exactly what you'll be | | | | one of those thousands, I wholly recommend you get |
| paying for a project before anything gets started. I | | | | over to Odesk and sign up for your account |
| recommend starting with a single, small project and | | | | immediately. |
| then working your way up from there. Also, don't allow | | | | The options you'll gain, the freedom you'll enjoy, and the |
| billing of "off-odesk" hours with any new providers. | | | | profit potential that presents itself will all make it very |
| If you get lax on how much you spend per day, you | | | | much worth your while. |
| can quickly start paying more than you're making. | | | | |