| > | | | | language and behavior? Give your team members |
| Five Easy Steps to use Outsourcing to escalate the | | | | time to absorb and understand your business culture. |
| growth of your business. | | | | 3. Think outside the box. |
| Do what you do best and outsource the rest. Today, | | | | More companies are turning to outsourcing when it |
| even solo entrepreneurs and small businesses are | | | | comes to public relations and technology functions. |
| embracing this bit of wisdom, as outsourcing becomes | | | | However, the goal is to personalize your outsourcing |
| more viable, thanks to the wide reach and 24-hour | | | | needs. What don't you want to spend the time on, or |
| availability of the Internet. | | | | lack the expertise to accomplish? To find out more |
| It's not just domestic outsourcing that's become a | | | | about the wide variety of skills and resources available |
| trend among small and solo businesses; even | | | | from "virtual assistants," visit the Web site of the |
| offshoring is now no longer the domain of international | | | | premier training source for Virtual Assistants. Another |
| companies. According to the research company | | | | resource that combines business and personal tasks is |
| Evaluserve, small businesses offshoring their | | | | At this site, you can post your task, whether it is for |
| outsourcing needs has become so common, it's | | | | home office technology repairs, software upgrades, or |
| attracted it's own monikerP2P, or "person-to-person" | | | | traditional home repairs and lawn services that are |
| offshoring. Writing and translation services, tutoring and | | | | threatening to take away time better spent on your |
| software development are among the ways P2P | | | | business. More than 40,000 "virtual" businesses will bid |
| outsourcing is being used by small businesses and solo | | | | on your project, based on the zip code you type in at |
| entrepreneurs, according to Evaluserve. | | | | the Web site. |
| 1. Don't let geography stop you. | | | | 4. Do your homework. |
| The Internet allows worldwide reach. Even virtual | | | | Before you outsource, create a list of specific skills |
| interns are becoming commonplace at major | | | | and valuable attributes, and then cast a wide net to |
| universities with students who are well-versed in | | | | allow you to go deep into your applicant pool to find |
| working online ready to get the experience they need, | | | | the best person for you. Check references closely. |
| wherever the job is located. Online resources such as | | | | Start small before contracting the services of an |
| allow you to juggle time zones with ease. | | | | outsourced team member for a larger project. |
| 2. Acclimate your team to your culture. | | | | Gradually build up to big projects to allow you to make |
| Let your team members know your business culture - | | | | a quick change along the way if necessary. |
| the way you want work done, and the atmosphere in | | | | 5. Protect your intellectual assets. |
| which you want it done. For example, do you | | | | Outsourcing work can open the door to allowing |
| encourage outside-the-box thinking as part of your | | | | outsiders to see or use proprietary information. Guard |
| business culture? Do you reward a fast turnaround on | | | | your valuable resources by consulting with an outside |
| projects? What are your | | | | attorney who specializes in intellectual assets to take |
| acceptable-versus-unacceptable boundaries for | | | | adequate steps to ensure the security of your assets. |