It does not matter how experienced or smart you are, you cannot simply know everything. That means that at times you may have need for an additional skilled individual who possesses the skills that you do not.
However, when you only need these people temporarily once in a while, and on demand, it does not make sense to hire them full-time. This is where outsourcing really becomes a very interesting option.
Elance is great for outsourcing
If you are looking for on-demand workers that you would only hire for a single project, Elance is the perfect place to be. That is why there are close to 1.5 million registered contractors and 140,000 businesses that are using Elance to connect with one another. Businesses, both large and small, are flocking to Elance.
What sort of worker can I expect to find on Elance?
Even though the focus of Elance is mostly technical, you can find a great number of qualified workers there for other jobs as well. Because Elance does not just allow anyone to bid, (contractors have to register in order to place a bid on any job) you will find that most of the people bidding are extremely professional and serious about wanting to work with you.
What sort of project would make sense to outsource?
Of course you could outsource just about anything as long as it stays within the terms of Elance, but when it comes to outsourcing your project, it has to make financial sense and it has to be beneficial to you. These are seven projects you could outsource to Elance that you may find beneficial.
1. Editing, proofreading
Now proofreading a 100-word email is not something that you need to outsource. However, when you have a flyer or an important proposal, it is comforting to know that you have someone with excellent editing and proofreading skills look over your work. Especially when you have been working on a certain project for a long time, it is quite normal for us to miss even the most basic mistake because our brain does not recognize the error anymore. A fresh pair of eyes would remedy that.
2. Writing
As a business owner, you probably already know how to write. However, what if you want a number of search engine optimized articles written but simply do not have the time? What if you want to come up with a creative slogan to help launch a new product? You can find many skilled writers on Elance, many of them that have experience writing for a specific niche.
3. Legal advice
Legal advice does not just mean that you need help with a merger or have a serious court case. It could be something as straightforward as wanting help filling out a patent, or making sure that a non-disclosure agreement that you have written up is valid.
4. Graphic design
It takes a keen eye to design a new logo or create a new graphic intro to your website. If you do not feel that you have that creative spark (or simply do not want to spend your time on it), outsourcing to one of the many graphic design artists would be a great idea. Because you can view their portfolio before making a final decision, you already have an idea as to what you could expect.
5. Professional voiceovers
Professional voiceovers is more than just having ‘the right voice’. It has to do with having professional equipment (you do not want any feedback) and having the software to ensure everything is in synch. Say that you are creating tutorials for specific software such as VMware vSphere 5 training videos, having a professional voiceover to ensure that the voice quality is good and everything is synchronized is important to making the most out of your video.
6. Transcription
Transcription is not something that requires a great level of education, but it does require a lot of time, effort, and attention to detail. You may not want to transcribe your own work or perhaps you feel that your time is better spent elsewhere. In those situations, outsourcing your transcription work means that you send the audio file and have the transcribed work back before you know it.
7. Video editing
It does not matter if you are interested in creating an opening video for your own website, want to create video training, or want to edit a few videos so they run together seamlessly. If you outsource your video editing you do not need to worry about spending time getting everything the way you want, you do not need the right type of software, you provide instructions and await the return of your video.
By outsourcing, you can stay ahead of the competition on a budget. It still allows you to remain flexible because you hire someone when you have a need for them, and the feedback system on Elance ensures that you find a quality provider each time.
About the Author
Jason Monroe has experience as a freelancer, having worked as an online freelance writer since 2003. Jason has experience in internet marketing, social media marketing, and search engine marketing. Through his own experiences, discussions with his peers, and watching Cisco CCNA video training, Jason understands how to be successful online as well as understanding the workings of the net. In his free time, Jason loves to read.