They outsource bookkeeping, writing and editing, proofreading, graphics and artwork, search engine optimization, website design and management, and more. It lets them complete far more projects in far less time, and it saves their sanity.
Outsourcing is a valuable skill—yes a skill—that can help anyone who wants online and offline publicity. You could be outsourcing things like press release writing and distribution, press kit updates, video creation, writing and editing marketing materials, and even blogging.
Why is outsourcing a skill? Because most people who have done it have made mistakes. Me included. I’ve hired someone who speaks English as a second language to write an article. But I never knew that until I saw the finished product.
Far worse things have happened to other business owners. Some have hired freelancers who stole work from other writers and passed it off as their own. Others have had legal disputes with freelancers over things like the terms of service. Open yourself up to those kinds of problems and could be spending days in a courtroom.
Leili McKinley, one of my business coaches, has worked with many independent contractors with great success. But she, too, has made mistakes. She will explain some of them and offer valuable tips that will help you understand the world of outsourcing and sidestep the land mines that await you if you don’t understand the best ways to find independent contractors.
She will be my guest during a teleseminar at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, June 18. It’s called Outsourcing Secrets: Your Guide to Getting the Best Quality, Price and Teamwork from Freelancers.” Who should attend? Anyone who can’t do it all and needs help growing their business.
Register for the teleseminar and check out Leili’s video. She’ll tell you how to get five free outsourcing tips you can start using immediately.
I am a freelancer myself, and I have heard time and again all of those nightmare stories. I don’t understand how freelancers who can’t meet a deadline, don’t want you to alter copy and pull stunts like stealing work get enough work to eat. It’s my belief that behaving like that is its own punishment. Sooner or later, you won’t be able to make a living. I would welcome freelance work from you, Joan, or anyone else reading this who wants to talk to me.
One thing I often do is I write up a document that spells out what I’m going to do for them and what the price is, and I ask them to sign it and send it back to me. It’s not exactly a formal contract, but it does spell out exactly what I’m going to do, and gives us both a chance to make adjustments. Just the act of typing it out is good discipline for me.