Outsourcing the non-important

[CruzAccountant]

Patricia, your business looks like a very good concept, executed well. I would love to hear your story someday...

This is a great example of keeping jobs within the country.

[relentless]

What a great idea! this is something that is sure to flourish in our every increasing time poor world, flexible work hours at lower costs to the company

[3901#deleted]

Thanks very much for the postitive feedback, we also believe based on feedback and market indicators that there is a good opportunity for it to flourish. Our biggest challenge is currently is getting enough jobs to keep our consultants satisfied.

[wordmistress]

Originally Posted by Michael_R

I think that the whole buying Australian thing is great but when it comes to it all if you can start off cheaply and then create something massive that needs feet on the ground in Australia then I see that as a better solution.

Does anybody on here use an overseas person to help grow their business?? (Or willing to say they do )

Hi Michael

All valid points and something alot of small business owners see as a dilemma: price versus using local resources. Yes, I have outsourced, and do outsource but primarily for menial tasks such as hiring an Indian company for $20 to set up my Google Aps which I simply could NOT get to work properly and it was the middle of the night!

I believe if you can find value for money, i.e. achieve a good quality result for what you can afford to pay, it's best to hire someone local. After all, we speak the same language (and I'm not specifically referring to the English language, but our way of looking at business in general) and it feels good to support a business that can support us back.

Also, cheap doesn't always equal value. Bargain basement $2/hr rates means the job gets done but there is no vested interest in making the work matter. I love it when a local provider is proud of the job they do and they're keen to ensure you're happy with it. Similarly, I get a big buzz out of making my clients happy and whilst my rates are comparatively very low, I take pride in my work and deliver the best work I can.

There are pros and cons for this debate but ultimately, I like to work with people whom I understand and vice versa.

Another way to get bang for your buck with outsourcing is to outsource jobs you really don't like to do. I'd rather pay a cleaner $50 for two hours a week getting the house back to beautiful than do it myself. And since my rate is $77/hr, it makes a whole lot more sense to outsource that and make better use of my time.

[MatthewKeath]

I have used outsourcing before with success. If you are finding people from forums, be careful to check there rep and feedback. If somebody is very cheap, then it usually means they are aiming for volume, and quality may duffer..

I use outsourcing effectively when it only part of a overall project, and clearly defined. And as Chris said, always keep communication wide open.

[wordmistress]

If you are finding people from forums, be careful to check there rep and feedback. If somebody is very cheap, then it usually means they are aiming for volume, and quality may duffer..

Perhaps I should put my prices UP and not appear to offer a cheap, low quality service?

[Chris Bates]

YES YES YES! I think I said that to you once before Gina, haha.

I discovered with my tech support business that what I charged really made no difference to the amount of work I got. I DOUBLED my rate and get the same amount of work, it still comes down to who's finding you.

[MatthewKeath]

Originally Posted by wordmistress

Perhaps I should put my prices UP and not appear to offer a cheap, low quality service?

I think most people understand you get what you pay for. If you are a professional, you need to be able to make a living. You need to be able to charge at a minimum for the hours you (or staff) put into a project.

Some people offer full websites for $150, whereby other companies charge over $2000. How many hours do you think the $150 person has allocated to your project?

But it also about what your are offering. For a example, a PSD to Wordpress company (a proven one) would be able to offer the same service as yourself for cheaper, while possibly doing a better job. The technical outcome is the same, and as they do it all the time the process would be streamlined and procedural. BUT, they are not aiming at the general public, but to designers / marketeers, who are selling an concept.

A SEO company charging very cheap prices though would struggle as SEO is related to the amount of hours put into the project. Certain technical processes to do with SEO can be outsourced cheaply and effectively, but the overall project would need hours put in to succeed, thus the costs associated with would rise.

Also any outsourcing you do take time from you as well. A marketing company might organize all your promotional material, but may use different companies to print / prepare / deliver the project, then charge you to project manage the whole thing.

I can't think of any business that doesn't take advantage of expert outsourcing. Another example is the trend of large companies to outsource warehousing and distribution, Coles / Cadbury etc etc. Why? Because they can get it done better and cheaper by somebody else. Win/Win.

[wordmistress]

You're right, Matthew, and I do believe the value I offer my clients is in the time I take - without charge - to figure out exactly what they need in order to do the job to the highest standard

I've removed my $77/hr message in my signature and have arranged for the web designer who designed my other site (not the wordmistress one) to start building one for www.wordmistress.com.au. Watch this space! (Or another space on the forum lol.)

Chris Bates pretty much coached me this morning and did a fine job too! I'm feeling quite Scarlett O'Hara today, the scene where she announces: "I'll never go hungry again!!" Not that I'm starving, I just love the big drama in the statement!

Thanks, guys.

[Chris Bates]

Glad I could help! It's always good to get a fresh perspective on things - being involved you tend to get stuck in a mind set.