Resources for Outsourcing The outsourcing corner

“You can’t scale yourself – so create a team that works for your business.

Oh, my goodness (or as Donnie would say – Holy Fuck) it’s 2020! We have a new year to take action to grow and scale our businesses, and create the business we envisioned when we opened our doors. This is MY year for risktaking and scaling!

In this column, I am going to give you some actual resources to outsource the things you hate to do…or don’t do well – so you can do what you do best. A plumber should not be doing his invoicing. Hire someone at $10 - $15 per hour so you can do your high priority income producing activities at $75 - 150 per hour (here is Los Angeles). This is so easy to do – and here are some places to find your virtual assistant or part-time worker.

Local Junior College

If you want someone local, Jr. Colleges they have job boards. There are people of all ages trying to better themselves with education who may not have the time to work 40 hours a week – but would love to get 5-10 hours. If you are looking for bookkeeping help – go in and ask the department chair if there are students, they think highly of…that they could refer to you.

Interns:

Depending on your business, especially trainers, coaches, etc. – many colleges have internship opportunities. Talk to the department you would want a student from, and see if they allow this type of exchange. Many times, this can be free IF you are teaching them something in return.

Freelance/Gig workers job sites

Be careful and do your due diligence…ask for references. They include:

Aquent…Digital creative and marketing professionals can find work around the globe through Aquent staffing agency. You can choose from remote or on-site opportunities, and even look for contract-to-hire positions. The company also offers practical skills training through its free online courses, which can give freelancers a significant edge in the marketplace.

College Recruiter

Most college students could use more cash — and what better way to earn it than freelancing while at school? College Recruiter allows students and recent graduates to search for part-time work or a possible career in various industries. You could post your needs here.

Crowded

Simultaneously recruits independent workers and aggregates freelance job postings from hundreds of on-demand platforms to solve the supply-and-demand problems on both ends of the freelance equation. For freelancers, Crowded helps gather a wide variety of opportunities in one place, making it simple to find a steady stream of jobs.

CrowdSource

This is one of the largest freelance work teams on the market, specializing in content creation, review and moderation for retailers, online publishers and media companies. The company breaks larger editorial tasks into microtasks. Qualified freelancers can choose to work on these tasks through the website’s WorkStation platform. This may be a good place to post your needs.

Fiverr

This is a little different from your average freelance job listing website. Instead of having companies post their projects so freelancers can apply, this site has freelancers create “gigs” based on what they’re best at. That way, freelancers sell their services to the companies that find them. You can categorize your gig by keyword so it shows up in multiple searches.

Freelancer.com

The “world’s largest outsourcing marketplace” offers freelancers several options for work, including project-based jobs, hourly work, and contests. Members can browse jobs that match their specific skill sets and apply them to their chosen openings directly.

Guru

Like many freelance job websites, Guru displays a freelancer’s portfolio, which includes reviews, past jobs and how much that person has earned through the site, so companies can verify the quality of a potential worker.

Upwork

Formerly known as Elance-oDesk, Upwork is a robust platform that connects companies with more than 10 million freelancers who are looking for contract jobs. Freelancers in knowledge work industries such as Web and mobile development, writing, sales and marketing, design and consulting can chat with potential and current clients, and accept or decline job opportunities directly within the Upwork mobile app.

Any way you decide to grow your business using outsourced talent, be sure to have a conversation with them first to understand if there is a personality match. Also learn how to communicate with each other and be clear on your needs, processes and deadlines so you don’t set both of you up for failure! If you want to have many virtual assistants based on skill sets – that is an option to consider.

Make 2020 your year of growth – and take the action necessary to provide the best service. You can’t scale yourself – so create a team that works for your business.

Lorianne Speaks is an expert in the area of Speaker/Author/Podcaster support. She amplifies the visibility of Authors/ Speakers/Messengers while they do what they love - SPEAK! Lorianne has helped spearhead multiple best-selling book campaigns - editing, proofing, through to launch and social media marketing to help authors create buzz and momentum throughout the social media platforms and increasing their message World-Wide. Lorianne and her team have made it their mission to empower these messengers to deliver their message by handling the rest of the details! https://www. LVSConsultingServices.com.