Written by Steven Brough on November 14th, 2009

Project Planning: How To Outsource A Project Successfully

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Many businesses indulge in some form of outsourcing, whether it is hiring someone in their town or city or in another part of the world. This is a lucrative business for both organisations and professionals looking to save and earn money. Increasingly, small business owners tend to outsource their day-to-day tasks in hopes of gaining a competitive advantage. In order to enjoy the benefits of outsourcing an organisation should gain at least a basic understanding of how to outsource their projects; this article aims to give you just that. Examine these points below.

1. Do You Need to Outsource?

Before considering how to outsource a project, you need to consider if outsourcing is the correct solution for you. Listed below are two key points that you might consider:

• Investigate the benefits of hiring both local talent and freelance service providers.
• Consider what to outsource? Depending on your organisation’s requirements you may wish to outsource only a part of a project or the whole, this all depends on how you wish to outsource.

2. Project Planning

When learning how to outsource it won’t be long before you realize it’s all about project planning! Getting the project planning right from the start is the key to having a successful project. Some activities you might consider:

1. Defining the scope of the project – Define clearly the boundaries of the project. Having a project without a clearly defined scope can create many problems.
2. Clearly define timelines – Establish exactly when you need the task completed. It would be easier if you can identify the key dates clearly in advance.
3. Break the project into smaller tasks – Breaking the entire project into smaller tasks would make your life easier. In project planning terms this is known as work breakdown structure or milestones.

3. Find a Suitable Freelance Partner

When first learning how to outsource you may think that finding potential service providers by your self can be a difficult task. Use the assistance of a professional freelance website. Today on the Internet you can find a variety of freelance websites for posting your outsourcing projects on, here are some of the most widely used today; ScriptLance, GetAFreelancer, RentACoder and Elance , these sites are visited every day by thousands of both buyers and freelance service. They offer the chance for business people to save money by finding quality service providers to do their work and at the same time, offering them a chance to earn a living where otherwise it may not be possible. With effective project planning you will benefit highly at these types of websites.
These sites not only assist potential suppliers and buyers to meet but also offer much documentation that tell you how to outsource safely. They also offer dispute reconciliation and payment gateways including Escrow and PayPal which will help you to manage your employees inside a safe circumstance. Each website offers a unique service. Do your homework and sign-up for the one that best suits you.

Fees for buyers:

4. Advertising and Attracting the Correct Candidates

This is another vital component in the journey of how to outsource your project successfully. A good project description will not only give the potential employee an understanding of what is expected but it will also filter out undesirables from applying for the job opening. Consider the following key points:

• Selecting an appropriate title – Most professionals looking for work will perform a search on the website’s database. Make sure you have the correct keywords inserted to the title of your advert.
• Writing a clear job description – An important part of project planning, state with as much detail as possible about what you need done, perhaps you can also attach supporting documentation (if available) to illustrate the type and quality of work you are expecting. A clear project description is how to outsource your project most effectively.
• Post your project under the correct category – Many providers are notified when ever a project is posted under their preferred profession.
• Specifying a budget – You may specify your budgetary requirements in your project description; this will help filter prospective providers based on your terms e.g. Budget $40.
• State the skills you are looking for - Most freelance websites provide you with various tools to measure the skill level of the candidates. Take advantage of this feature wisely.

5. Hiring the Correct Candidate

There is a good chance that you will receive many applications for your posted project. Take advantage of the tools provided by the freelance website and filter out the candidates you prefer, then when the bidding begins to slow, start to make contact and interview. Eventually you will find the right person that suits your project perfectly. It may be best if you can kick start off with a test project to see if the chosen candidate is the right person.

The tips listed above are a few basic tips on how to outsource a project successfully. You can find more tips and secrets on outsourcing in my free eBook “Outsourcing – A Resource of Growth”.