| Small businesses and entrepreneurs always benefit by | | | | apart from price into consideration. |
| outsourcing their services to professional service | | | | 6. Choose a Service Provider |
| providers or freelancers as this saves them time and | | | | Finally, compare the competitive bids to make the right |
| money. The money saved due to outsourcing can be | | | | decision. |
| effectively and successfully utilized to focus more on | | | | What next after you have chosen a Service Provider |
| strategic and core business functions. | | | | 1. Service-Level Agreement |
| This article will help small businesses and entrepreneurs | | | | It's good practice to get everything in writing from the |
| in making the right decision in choosing the correct | | | | service provider, who will provide the agreement and |
| service provider for them and managing their projects. | | | | project plan. The agreement must have the project |
| Tips for Finding and Choosing the Right Freelancer or | | | | plan attached which outlines a project's scope, |
| Service Provider for your Services | | | | deliverables, timeline, and payment terms. This will help |
| 1. Where to find a Service Provider | | | | in avoiding disputes during the project. You should also |
| You can find service providers or freelancers through | | | | ask the service provider to give you a list of |
| online outsourcing marketplaces. All you need to do is | | | | deliverables/milestones with tentative dates of |
| submit your requirements. Service providers whose | | | | completion. |
| skills match your criteria will submit bids/proposals. | | | | Ownership of work must be stated and included in the |
| Alternatively, you can search for providers through | | | | agreement. |
| search engines and directories - this step is more time | | | | 2. Releasing Payment |
| consuming. | | | | Service providers always demand advance payment. |
| 2. Confidentiality Agreement | | | | This should be 20-30 percent. The rest of the |
| If your requirements contain some confidential | | | | payment should be dependent on agreed deliverables. |
| information, then do not give all the requirements to the | | | | Only release payment when a deliverable/milestone is |
| service providers. You can give them a short | | | | met. |
| description of your requirements and ask them to sign | | | | Tips on Managing your Project |
| a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) before you | | | | 1.When a project starts, introduce yourself or your |
| provide them all the information. | | | | team members to the development team. Specify |
| 3. Provide clear Scope, Schedule, and Deliverables | | | | meeting, reporting, and feedback timings. |
| Clearly define the scope, schedule, and deliverables for | | | | 2.Project scope, deliverables, and price can change |
| your project. It is recommended that you give service | | | | during the course of a project: it is highly |
| providers as much information as you can in order to | | | | recommended that all these changes be agreed upon, |
| allow them to submit realistic proposals with | | | | documented, and signed by both the service provider |
| reasonablerates. | | | | and you. |
| 4. Evaluate Proposals | | | | 3.If your service provider is located offshore, the |
| Evaluate service providers' proposals against your | | | | greatest challenges of successfully managing offshore |
| evaluation criteria. An evaluation criterion is a measure | | | | projects are overcoming differences of language, |
| that you will use to evaluate proposals, e.g., experience | | | | culture, and geography. All the processes must be well |
| in similar projects, approach and methodology, price, | | | | documented to avoid any confusion. These processes |
| etc. Always find the key differentiators between all | | | | may include: resolution of problems, reports, feedback, |
| competitive proposals. Feel free to ask them any | | | | discussion timings, etc. |
| questions to learn more about them. One of the | | | | 4.Depending on your flexibility, ask the service provider |
| important questions can be about what kind of support | | | | to submit daily or weekly progress reports to see the |
| will be available during and after the project is finished. | | | | actual performance in comparison to the plan initially |
| 5. Review Portfolios/Sample Work and Feedback | | | | submitted. |
| from Previous Clients | | | | 5.Make sure the service provider understands how |
| Short-list the service providers whose proposals | | | | you intend to use the deliverables that they are |
| satisfy your evaluation criteria (cost, approach, etc). | | | | agreeing to provide. It must be clear about who owns |
| Check their references and get feedback from their | | | | the final work. |
| clients. View their samples and completed projects or | | | | 6.Save all information from the chats, emails, |
| portfolios to understand their quality standards and | | | | messages and discussions between you and your |
| work capability. Do not choose a service provider | | | | service provider. It may be helpful in resolving disputes. |
| based solely on price: you need to take overall quality | | | | |