When It’s Time to Outsource
One thing few freelancers realize is that the second they start writing on the Internet, they become a brand – a business that will eventually draw customers based solely on the name and history of that brand. Every time you gain a new client, you create a potential long term relationship – someone who might come back to you time and again for work. Familiarity in business is a powerful tool and if you can leverage it properly, you can be extremely successful.
But, with popularity come a few issues. You’ll need to setup a business structure, organize your work processes, build a website, and finally start outsourcing extra work you don’t have time to do. This is a big step. It’s the moment you realize that your online venture has grown beyond you, that you need to hire other people to help your vision continue to grow.
It’s a fantastic feeling. But, for a lot of writers, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when you should make the leap. Too soon and you handcuff your income, but too late and you end up working 60 hours a week and the quality drops off.
So, here are some tips on when to start outsourcing and how to go about it.
Create a Business Plan
Don’t run out and buy resources on business planning. Traditional business plans are long and filled with tons of financial data that you don’t need (yet). You’re not going to the bank for a loan. However, having a simple, personal business plan can help you immensely in understanding what your business needs to survive.
- Outline Your Personal Financial Needs - How much money do you need to survive, and how much money will you make from an outsourced project? These details are important. You could easily end up getting more work and making less money if you outsource too much.
- Set Goals for Income on Outsourced Content – Set specific goals for how much money you would like to make from each project. If you want to make at least 25% to cover communication, editing, and research, make that a bottom line. This will help when you start posting projects.
- Generate Realistic Timelines for Involvement in Projects – Know exactly how much time you want to spend on each project. A lot of the time, freelancers try to save money by hiring lower paid contractors, but end up spending more time on the project with edits and revision cycles. Know how much time you’re willing to spend for your cut of the project and you can better balance what you’re willing to pay.
- Create Processes for Acquiring, Outsourcing and Editing Work - Have a specific process in mind. Know which sites you want to use (Elance, Odesk, Craigslist, etc) and how you will select winning bidders. Aim early on for long term writers you can use repeatedly.
- Decide How You Will Communicate Your New Model to Clients – It’s important to provide a layout for all existing clients of the changes you’ll be making. Not only tell them that you’ll be outsourcing, but explain any rate changes, timeline shifts, or new paperwork you’ll require.
These five things should happen before you ever start outsourcing – lest you end up with all these writers you don’t know what to do with.
Your Rates
Nine times out of ten, outsourcing will essentially force you to raise your rates. This is a good thing. If you were making so little that you cannot afford to pay part of that fee to someone else and still maintain quality, it was never enough. Raising your rates will do three things.
- Ensure You Can Afford Quality Contractors
- Give You Time to Edit and Polish All Work
- Provide Security in the Projects You Acquire
One thing to keep in mind here is that you won’t and shouldn’t expect to continue making the same amount of money per project as you were before. You’re not doing the work, after all. But, with the right rates, you should make enough to cover the expenses of finding the contractor, editing their work, and communicating with the client.
Maintaining Communication
The last thing to mention is the lines of communication – not just with your new contractors, but with the clients who hire you. Most clients do not care if you outsource work to contractors, as long as they get the same quality for their money. This is doubly true if you decide to start raising rates. Additionally, it is both professional courtesy and in some cases legally necessary to inform your client that their work may be outsourced. If they are unwilling to agree to these terms, you should be ready to complete the project yourself.
The last thing you want is a client getting upset with you for failing to communicate something simple that they may not otherwise have minded.
Outsourcing is a fantastic tool and essentially the only way you’ll ever be able to effectively grow your business. At a certain point you just won’t be able to do any more work on your own. But, before turning to outside writers, make sure you have a carefully laid out plan in place. It will save you myriad headaches down the line.


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