What You Should Know Before You Outsource Your Project
Outsourcing your project is a topic that has been discussed on many platforms and in many different formats. Some people have had good experiences when it comes to outsourcing, while others have not.
Deciding if you should outsource your next project or keep it in-house can be tough because there are pros and cons associated with both choices. In this blog post, we are going to go over some of those benefits and drawbacks of outsourcing so you can make the best decision for yourself or your company.
Here are some of the questions we will address during this post:
What is Outsourcing?
When is it OK to Outsource?
What are the Pros and Cons of Outsourcing?
When Should I NOT Outsource my Project?
How can I tell if an outsourced company is good or not? Are there any alternatives that may be better for me than outsourcing? Is there anything else I should know about outsourcing before doing it myself or hiring anyone else to do it for me?
With that said, let's get started! :)
What Is Outsourcing ? Depending on who you talk to, outsourcing can mean something different. Outsourcing is just like any other business decision. It's not right for everyone and there are a variety of reasons why you, as an individual, would decide to outsource your project.
One reason I have personally gone with the "hire another person" approach for certain tasks is that I don't have time to do everything myself. Many times, it can be a good idea to outsource if you can complete something faster or more efficiently using someone else's skillset rather than yours.
For example:
I want a logo designed that will look good on various products and websites. I also want the logo to be used on both light and dark backgrounds.
Another one:
I want my website designed, but I don't have time to learn HTML. I also don't have the money to pay someone who does know how to code their own website for me.
Hopefully you get the idea! :)
When Is It OK To Outsource? If you are interested in outsourcing your project, then it is probably a good idea to ask yourself some essential questions before doing so. Getting familiar with these questions will help you decide if outsourcing your project is best for you. Also, if you are a company owner or CEO, you will want to know and understand your company's goals when outsourcing.
What are the purpose of my outsourced project?
Can you accomplish my goal without outsourcing? If you can't, then it probably isn't a wise decision for your company.
Are there other options?
If you can accomplish your goal without outsourcing, then it doesn't make sense to outsource. You will probably end up spending more money than you would have in the long run.
Who will be managing my outsourced project? You should be interested and involved in the process of your project being completed. If someone else is going to handle your project (besides yourself), then this is something that should be addressed.
What tasks are assigned to the outsourced company?
The more you ask of your outsourced company, the higher the cost will be. If you want to save money, you should try and decide if it is best for you or your business to do certain things yourself.
I have learned that the smaller your project is, the less time it takes for a company to complete it. You can usually find a company that specializes in your niche or industry that can get your project done quickly.
Another way to ensure success when outsourcing is to make sure they follow through with their promises before agreeing on anything.
What are the pros and cons for outsourcing?
Outsourcing Pros:
1. You can save money. Many times, companies will charge you a lot more if you outsource your project than if you do it yourself.
2. You can hire an outside firm to do your work for you, freeing up your time to enjoy other things or do work that is more important and actually helps in the long run than what they are doing now. 3. Most times when outsourcing, the company is working on another project at the same time so they aren't just sitting around all day doing nothing (if anything). This can be very helpful to you because it means your project will be completed sooner, and they may even complete it a little faster than you would have done it yourself!
4. You can hire someone to do a task that you don't have time or the expertise to do yourself. 5. If the company is doing a project for you, they are likely doing another one at the same time so the work that they are doing for you isn't just sitting around for them. This is good because when they are working on two projects at once, they have more motivation and energy--which usually means more efficiency. 6. It is a great way to find high-quality, educated people of a specific skill set.
Outsourcing Cons:
1. You will have to pay for the service or product you may have had for free if you just did it yourself. 2. Depending on how much your project costs, outsourcing may take a decent amount of money out of your budget that could be used later in the business cycle (i.e.: marketing or other projects). 3. Your company may lose interest in the project being outsourced if they are not involved with it, resulting in poor communication and no results being achieved when the project is completed. 4.
Conclusion:
There are many more pros and cons to outsourcing your project, but these are the ones that I personally found to be the most important.
Are there any alternatives that may be better for me than outsourcing?
I will tell you from my personal experience in designing websites, I would have saved a lot of time and money if I had found a different alternative for creating my website. You see, I had a client who wanted me to design his website in HTML, but there were two problems: 1. He did not have the payment ready at the time I had finished designing his website. 2. He still did not have the payment when it was done and ready to launch.