What tasks can you outsource?

Outsourcing refers to the process of subcontracting work to a third-party.

In his #1 New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and BusinessWeek bestseller, The 4-Hour Workweek, Tim Ferriss argues you can outsource a huge portion of the clutter currently monopolizing your daily calendar. Even better, the process can remove a common bottleneck (yourself) and allow your business to thrive in your absence.

Today’s online communication tools make it easier than ever to get help from the other side of the world. And guess what? The cost of living is very different in some of those places than it is here in America. What does that mean? It means that getting help won’t cost you nearly as much as it would if you hired locally.

A lot of people get frustrated at the process of outsourcing job functions to other parts of the world. They argue it contributes to the local unemployment rate and sabotages our domestic economy. And in many ways, they’re right. It does. But the trends are clear and your competition will take advantage of the opportunities even if you don’t.

These realities are often difficult to swallow, but they’re also impossible to ignore. There are highly skilled people in other parts of the world who are happy to help you for four or five dollars per hour. How can you use those resources to build your business?

I’ve done it myself. I have a virtual assistant in Chennai, India, and her name is Uma. I started working with her in 2009 and have really come to appreciate her contributions.

First, there is an 11-hour time difference so she is awake while I’m sleeping and vice versa. When I have a project for her to work on, I email detailed instructions in the evening before I go to bed. Eight hours later, I wake up and boot up my computer … and the work is done!

Is it always this clean? No. Are there misunderstandings? Yes. Are there mistakes? Of course. Is it frustrating to type out detailed step-by-step instructions for tasks I could easily do myself? Absolutely. But there is also a learning curve in place. Uma is on it and so am I. Over time, our working relationship gets better and better.

Uma has helped me build databases of conferences around the world. She has helped me submit proposals to those conferences. She has helped me build and manage my Twitter following. She has helped me reach out to book reviewers on Amazon. She has helped me contact bloggers who might be interested in this book. All of these are basic but time-consuming tasks. And in many cases, they are tasks I would never have found time for had I not had her help.

Don’t think about what you are currently doing. Think about what you could be doing. Think about the simple tasks that you don’t have time for but that would help build your business.

The following two online platforms make this process easy.

http://www.elance.com/

http://www.odesk.com/

On either one, you can post your job and receive dozens of proposals within days. Take a couple hours and make a list of the tasks you’d like to get done. Write down all the skills that would be required; skills like good written English or proficiency with Excel or familiarity with a particular website. Then compile those skills into a job description and post it on either platform. You’ll be amazed at what you get back.

I highly recommend Tim Ferriss’ book. He takes this concept to a whole new level. The book is packed with content and he has demonstrated the power of his approach by living an extraordinary life himself. Tim is a very smart guy and he’s written an excellent book. Buy a copy.

Of course, this book (yeah, the one you’re reading) is the perfect place to start. It’s full of tactical strategies you can use to promote your business, but it all takes time. The chapters each add a few more items to your to-do list. Why not find a virtual assistant and train him or her to help you complete the tasks?

It’s a new world out there. Think bigger. Think globally. Take advantage of everything you can, including the skilled labor in Argentina, India or the Philippines. Your virtual assistant can be your secret weapon. And believe me; once your friends catch wind of what you’re doing, they’ll all be jealous.

Give it a try. Pick one project; say 40 hours worth of work. Post it on Elance or oDesk and hire someone at $5 per hour to get it done. It’ll only cost you $200 and the process will give you firsthand knowledge of the potential. You never know. You might get addicted! I know I did.

Author Bio: Patrick is the author of \”Marketing Shortcuts for the Self-Employed\” (2011, Wiley) and a regular speaker for Bloomberg TV. Watch his video about outsourcing basic tasks on YouTube.

Category: Business
Keywords: patrick,schwerdtfeger,outsourcing