Tag Archives: freelance jobs

Outsourcing Can Help In Successfully Launching A New Business

Entrepreneurs and small business should no longer fear accessing the professional skills required in getting a new venture off the ground.

That’s the message from OutsourceMyProject.com, a web based marketplace which allows small businesses to outsource work and business functions to specialists in the UK and aboard.

OutsourceMyProject launched at the start of 2011 and has already helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs find a freelancer or professional in service categories such as web design, e-commerce, graphic design, copywriting and administrative support.

Recent research carried out by OursourceMyProject.com illustrated the strong demand for its service as 74% of entrepreneurs claimed that they would have found it easier to launch their business if they had access to a network of experienced professionals to outsource specific functions to.

Managing director Loren Holland, said: “Entrepreneurs need access to a variety of professional skills in order to successful launch a business venture. OutsourceMyProject helps connect businesses with a network of professionals and freelancers across a wide range of service categories. Whatever your need, you can find the right expert on OutsourceMyProject”.

The research also found that the main factors in choosing to outsource were, i) access to specialist skills and resource (37%) ii) flexibility and choice of labour (24%) and iii) Price (18%). However, many (33%) struggled to find suitable suppliers and some (17%) are concerned that the level of skills, quality and experience may not be up to scratch.

Loren added, “It’s clear that entrepreneurs and small companies are aware that they need to access external specialist skills in order to succeed. OutsourceMyProject.com provides an online portal to not only find, but also evaluate and manage service providers and projects. Concerns over ability and experience of providers are mitigated by our comprehensive feedback and rating system.”

The research also focussed on attitudes to outsourcing work abroad, with 58% of those questioned admitting they have, or would consider, sending work abroad.

However, the main concerns from those who have not considered outsourcing abroad centred on sacrificing quality compared to UK providers (26%) and ability to meet the required standard (22%).

OutsourceMyProject.com helps smooth the process of finding the right professional or freelancer to outsource to, whether they are based in the UK or abroad. Of those surveyed 82% said that OutsourceMyProject was a service they will use in the future.

One early customer was Manchester based Edge Worldwide Logistics who posted a web design project.

Director Philip Edge said: “We posted our job on OutsourceMyProject and received over 20 offers to redevelop our company website from specialists in the UK, India and other offshore locations, all at a significantly lower price than I had budgeted for.”

Via EPR Network
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OutsourceMyProject.com’s Founders Divulge Top ten tips on Outsourcing

As businesses attempt to cut costs in the new year, many small businesses are looking at outsourcing as a means to reduce outgoings, but how can SMEs and start-ups make a success of a practice traditionally reserved for big business?

ecently launched online portal OutsourceMyProject.com aims to open up the global outsourcing market to businesses of all sizes. Founders Loren Holland and Sumit Agrawal give their 10 top tips on how to make outsourcing pay.

1. Clearly define your project and set out what you want before opening it up to proposals. Poorly defined briefs tend to attract low quality proposals and can often end up as much larger, and so much more costly, projects than anticipated.
2. Don’t just go with the first offer. If possible get a selection of proposals from both the UK and overseas, and evaluate them.
3. Don’t just decide by cost, look at other factors including experience, references and communication amongst others.
4. Come up with a short-list and don’t be afraid to negotiate to get the best possible deal.
5. Get references from people who have used the supplier before, you can ask who they’ve worked for in the past and get in touch yourself. Don’t forget references provided by the supplier are only going to be positive so try dig around for more.
6. Once a supplier has been selected, make sure the full agreement and the payment terms are set out clearly in the contract, misunderstandings can prove costly and time consuming.
7. Negotiate potential copyright and ownership rights upfront and make sure anything that is produced becomes your property on payment. In the case of web design projects, make sure that final files and source codes are transferred onto your own server so you can control future changes.
8. Agree procedures from the outset in terms of communication, project management, delivery and feedback and ensure these are adhered to.
9. Be aware that deviating from the agreed contract once, be that by allowing late delivery of work or agreeing to early payment, is likely to result in accepted practice. Only make one off concessions if you are prepared for this to be acceptable in the future.
10. Finally, don’t forget to leave honest feedback, even if this is negative. Remember how valuable feedback was to you in choosing a supplier.

ENDS

OutsourceMyProject.com is a member of the National Outsourcing Association (NOA), the UK’s outsourcing centre of excellence.

Loren Holland is co-founder of OutsourceMyProject.com, a website which brings together providers of professional services with organisations and individuals looking to outsource business functions or projects.

Businesses which have a project they wish to outsource can visit the new website and upload details of the project and invite bids – free of charge. Potential providers each have their own unique online profile, including details of ratings and feedback for past projects and freelance jobs, to help customers decide who to award the contract to.

The site also includes web-based tools to ensure projects run smoothly. These include a payment platform, project management facility and messaging system to facilitate open, clear and safe communication between customers and suppliers.

Via EPR Network
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