100 Small Business Tips and Tricks for Effectively Outsourcing to India

Do you think that just because your business is small you canÂ’t outsource? There are ways to send your writing, IT tasks and other needs overseas to add efficiency to your enterprise. By doing some prior planning and following some pointers, you can get the quality help you need. Starting Out Here are some pointers for launching your outsourcing operation. 1. First, define your core: Don't hand over the core functions of your business. Consider outsourcing other operations that are not as strategic. 2. Evaluate a service provider like you would a full-time employee: Ask questions, check references and ask for feedback from other clients who have used the provider's services. 3. Clearly define the scope and schedule for your project: Be up front about your project requirements so that service providers know about schedules and deliverables.

4. Don't choose a vendor based solely on price: Discard the highest-priced and lowest-priced bid. You want a balance of good value and quality results.

5. Review portfolios and samples: Consider asking the provider to do a quick mock-up or provide a basic outline of a work plan.

6. Look for specific experience fit: You want a company with specific experience with the type of project that your company is undertaking. This is important when outsourcing complex technical projects such as software development.

7. Tie compensation to clearly defined project milestones: Define a work plan for your outsourced project, with clearly defined milestones.

8. Negotiate ownership of the work up front: Make sure that you are clear about who owns the resulting work product and any important components of that product. Make sure that the service provider understands how you intend to use the deliverables that they are agreeing to provide.

9. Don't forget about support after the project is complete: Draft a support clause that ensures you'll get continuing support from the vendor after the project is complete.

10. Get it in writing: Keep a written record of project goals, pay schedules and any changes.

11. Start small: Start with a project that is relatively small and simple in scope to give you a better idea of the provider's style and capabilities.

12. Move slowly and commit incrementally: Don't sign a five-year contract before testing performance and the relationship. Move slowly and commit gradually.

13. Get specialized and expert help: Browse a site that provides access to professionals around the world in your business's field.

Skills to Consider Outsourcing

You may be able to outsource these job functions to make your small business run more smoothly.

14. Public-relations services: Most small businesses cannot afford a full-time public-relations pro.

15. Virtual assistants: Virtual assistants, or independent entrepreneurs, provide administrative, creative or technical support by handling tasks like scheduling and filing.

16. Outsource brokers: These brokers, exchanges and networks can recruit, interview and manage the services your company needs.

17. E-commerce solutions: Hire a provider that can turn your business's Web site into a cash cow.

18. E-mail marketing: Your contractor can be thousands of miles and seven time zones away, but they'll market your business like they're in the same room.

19. Writers: Writing can be done from anywhere.

20. IT Professionals:Consultants are cheaper than hiring someone in-house.

Outsourcing Dos and Don'ts

Keep these tips in mind as your orientate yourself to outsourcing.

21. Carefully evaluate what can really be outsourced: Self-contained tasks or projects are more suited to outsourcing, while team tasks are not.

22. Consider management costs: Don't end up squandering the savings in training and oversight costs.

23. Be prepared for challenges: Even from across an ocean, personalities can clash, and schedules can take a while to sync.

24. Don't walk in blind: Get guidance in choosing a vendor and keep knowledgeable tabs on performance.

25. Consider having a staff employee(s) act as a liaison: Consider entrusting an in-house manager to oversee the outsourced help.

26. Watch out for hidden costs: Consider everything from layoff-related expenses and telecommunications costs for remote workers.

27. Know the outsourcing ABCs: Alignment: Is outsourcing the right move for your business? Business case: Have you taken all costs into consideration? Culture: Can you bridge the cultural difference between your company and the outsourcer?

Where to Find Outsourcing Candidates

Here are some sites that include professionals who can fill your small business's needs.

28. Elance Inc.: You'll find tons of freelance writers and designers on this site.

29. FreelancerNow.com: You'll get services quickly on this site.

30. Guru.com: Post individual projects on this site and have professional bid on them.

31. SHARPSourcing.com: SHARPSourcing.com is an Indian HR outsourcing service that provides Web-development and Web-design outsourcing services to companies across the globe.

32. RentACoder: You can literally rent a Web coder from this site.

33. my pajamanation: Powered by an India-based blogger, this site offers insight into outsourcing, from events to related news from around the world.

34. ScriptLance: You can post a project on this site, which lists bids in a neatly organized list.

35. Integra Global Solutions:Outsource to this firm to expand your business.

36. GetAFreelancer.com: This site can help you find freelance programmers, Web designers and copywriters in India or any other country.

37. Kasamba: Find experts in a number of different fields on this site.

38. GoforFreelance.com: This site works for both freelancers and employees.

39. osLance.com: Post open-source projects here.

40. Sunday LLC: According to the company, "Sunday gives busy people the resources of a 24/7 personal assistant, travel agent, project assistant and tech-support pro, available via both telephone and Internet."

41. oDesk Corp.: Outsource and manage programmers, Web designers and more.

42.Get Friday: A virtual-assistant resource that undertakes any task or business that does not require a physical presence.

43. DoMyStuff.com: This site is as simple as posting a task, selecting an assistant and getting stuff done.

44. Amazon Mechanical Turk: This Amazon.com-powered site offers companies 'artificial' artificial intelligence.

45. craigslist inc.: Post a job under "gigs" or any of the industry sections, and you can outsource work anywhere.

46. Workaholics4Hire.com: Find people 24/7 on this site people by "a team of workaholics who have a compulsive need to work at odd hours, drink too much coffee, and love meeting impossible deadlines."

47. BrickworkINDIA: Get a remote executive assistant operating from an India to do your work through email.

48. iFreelance.com: Post your project for free to receive bids from hundreds of professional service providers.

49. Agents of Value: This Webmaster staffing company specializes in finding full-time programmers, graphic designers, journalists, researchers and link builders to help your business grow.

50. Netgear Solutions: Netgear Solutions is an IT-based solution organization with a strong crew of software professionals and Web professionals.

Tips for Outsourcing to a Personal Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants can do your grunt work without taking up office space.

51. Minimize the kickoff effort: Set up a single inbox where your tasks will be dropped for quick assi...