| By covering these areas before you get started, you | | | | options available such as check, money order, bank |
| will ensure yourself of not having any major problems | | | | transfer, or online systems such as PayPal. |
| down the road. One of the biggest reasons that | | | | 3. To go along with point number three, you will also |
| companies and providers have a hard time getting | | | | want to detail costs for any overtime or revisions that |
| along is because they do not ask the appropriate | | | | will need to be done. This can be agreed upon in two |
| questions up front.Listed below are the five critical | | | | ways. First off, you can decide that the overall cost of |
| questions to ask, and points to discuss before you get | | | | the project includes all revisions and any overtime |
| started on your project. | | | | hours that may incur. If one of the parties is not |
| 1. Both companies and providers should ask the other | | | | comfortable with this method, you can set up another |
| for background information before any agreement is | | | | way of payment. You can either decide on a per hour |
| put into place. By doing this, you will ensure yourself of | | | | rate, or a per revision rate. Each one has its |
| knowing who you are dealing with. It is common place | | | | advantages and disadvantagesto both sides, and |
| for companies to ask providers for a resume, work | | | | should be outlined up front. |
| samples, and a past list of clients. This will allow you to | | | | 4. When you outsource a project, chances are that |
| learn as much about the person and their experience | | | | you are going to have a time frame in which it needs |
| as possible. But on the other side, many providers | | | | to be completed. This is something that needs to be |
| often times forget to ask questions of the party that is | | | | worked out with the provider in order to avoid |
| going to be hiring them. This can turn out to be a huge | | | | mistakes and set backs. Not only will setting a time line |
| mistake. There are a lot of companies that are not | | | | bebeneficial to the company, it is also needed so that |
| financially stable, and may have a hard time paying you | | | | the provider can set aside the appropriate amount of |
| according to terms. By gathering information about the | | | | time that they need in order to complete the project. In |
| company that is hiring you, you will be able to find out if | | | | addition to a final due date, you may also want to set |
| here are any special circumstances that you should be | | | | up reviews and check points during the project. This |
| aware of. | | | | way you will be able to assess thework, and make |
| 2. In any business transaction there is money that is | | | | sure that everything is moving along as scheduled. |
| going to be exchanging hands. For both parties, this is | | | | 5. The method of delivering good or services is an |
| often times one of the most important points of the | | | | importanttopic that needs to be discussed up front. For |
| project. The first thing that both parties will need to do | | | | copywriting and ghostwriting jobs this is very important |
| is agree upon a price that is fair to both parties. On | | | | because there are several different ways to transfer |
| many occasions it will take a couple of offers and | | | | the work back andforth. The company that is |
| counter offers to find a good price; this is touched on in | | | | outsourcing the project should have an idea of what |
| more depth in Chapter Five. After both parties have | | | | form they want the work delivered in, and then work |
| agreed to a price for the project, a written agreement | | | | with the provider to make sure that this is doable. |
| should be written up by one or both of the parties. | | | | When you aredealing with writing projects there are a |
| Every year hundreds of outsourced projects get | | | | number of different programs that your project can be |
| completed without a written agreement in place. Even | | | | completed in. They include: Microsoft Word, plain text |
| though it is possible to do business without an | | | | programs, PDF files, and a couple of other less popular |
| agreement or contract, both sides will be putting | | | | options. At the same time, you may also want your |
| themselves at risk. In the agreement, the financial | | | | provider to send you a hard copy of the project via |
| terms should be clearly statedso that both sides | | | | fax or mail, or a copy of a disc so that you can |
| understand. Your agreement should include the total | | | | download everything onto your computer. |
| cost of the project, as well as any overtime costs that | | | | The same standards hold true when you are dealing |
| you have agreed upon. Also, make sure that the | | | | with software projects. If you do not make it perfectly |
| agreement stateswhen payment is supposed to take | | | | clear up front how you expect to transfer the work, |
| place, as well as the method of payment. This | | | | you may end up finding out in the end that one party |
| isimportant because there are many different payment | | | | cannot accept a certain type of program. |