| Tired of the high cost of IT support? If you answered | | | | 4. Don't try to take on too much in your first project. |
| "yes" you are like most small business owners. Utilizing | | | | Complex projects are difficult to scope and difficult to |
| offshore IT resources can reduce your costs by as | | | | communicate. If you have a complex project try to |
| much as 80%. Suddenly projects that once seemed | | | | break it up into simpler phases which will be easier to |
| cost prohibitive become feasible at these levels. Like | | | | convey and easier to manage. |
| any other service you will occasionally run across a | | | | 5. Freelance sites such as Elance have escrow |
| provider you wish you had not hired. That can be said | | | | accounts you can place funds in. This allows the buyer |
| for all contractors though regardless of where they | | | | to place the money for payment in a third party |
| come from. With some careful due diligence and | | | | account and then release the money only after the |
| proper preparation you can make offshore IT | | | | objectives of the project have been met. This brings |
| resources work in your business and gain a | | | | security to both the buyer and the seller. |
| competitive edge. | | | | 6. Finalize your agreement with the provider by |
| The following are important points that I have learned | | | | developing a checklist that needs to be completed in |
| from multiple startup operations that utilize offshore IT | | | | order for escrow payment to be release. Email this |
| resources. Follow these keys to success and you will | | | | too them and ask them to confirm back by email that |
| dramatically improve your chances for success. | | | | they understand and accept the deliverables for the |
| 1. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Preparation is key | | | | agreed upon project price. |
| to a successful project. Define in your own mind what | | | | 7. Communicating on the details of the project can be |
| you want to achieve. You don't need to be a | | | | difficult with both parties typically speaking different |
| technically savvy person to do this. Describe it in your | | | | languages and potentially bad international phone |
| own functional terms what you wish to achieve in your | | | | connections. For this reason I prefer to text chat with |
| project. For instance, you may wish to increase the | | | | providers. This eliminates the issues of bad |
| traffic to your website by 20% a simple statement of | | | | connections and individual accents that may make |
| that goal would be sufficient. | | | | communication difficult. |
| 2. When interviewing candidates be specific in asking | | | | 8. All of the sites have private message boards that |
| how they intend to achieve the goals of your project. | | | | allow you to converse in private with each provider. It |
| There is always more than one way to approach a | | | | is a best practice to avoid providing any company |
| problem but if you speak to enough providers you will | | | | specific details in the public areas but feel free to do |
| see common themes and be able to sort out the | | | | this on the private boards. You never know when a |
| contenders. | | | | competitor may be lurking about and you do not want |
| 3. Feedback is important in judging a provider and | | | | to give them advanced notice about competitive plans |
| most popular freelance sites have feedback | | | | you may have in place. |
| mechanisms for both buyer and seller. I typically don't | | | | There are a number of good sites on the internet that |
| go with anyone that has less than a 90% feedback. I | | | | act as brokers for offshore contractors. I have had |
| will often entertain brand new providers though which | | | | good luck with Elance but a search on "freelance |
| most people stay away from. They are typically very | | | | sites" will return all of the top sites available to get you |
| hungry for business and will go the extra mile to make | | | | started. The first few projects can be very |
| sure you are happy with your results. The key here | | | | frustrating mostly because the time difference makes |
| again is in the interview process to ensure they have | | | | it difficult to communicate in real-time. By mastering the |
| the commitment and knowledge to complete the | | | | skill of working with offshore providers though you will |
| project. Ambition and good intentions are not enough | | | | have a significant competitive advantage over the |
| to pull off a good project. | | | | competition. |