Outsourcing can and definitely has been for me one of the most exciting parts about working online. I get a project idea, and someone else does all the hard work. Unfortunately, finding the right people to do the job to the standard you want can and definitely has been for me a challenge.
When I was 18, I was the manager of a small car lot. We were doing pretty good, and I needed to find an extra person to help with cleaning cars, small repairs and the like. I put an ad on the corner, and had to take it down by the end of the day. But finding the right person was really easy. I chose the hardworking clean cut young guy who wanted to do something with this life. He was a great employee. I knew he wouldn’t grow old and retire there, but hell I knew I wouldn’t either.
Unfortunately when it comes to finding an outsourcer online, it’s a little more difficult. If you’re needing some graphics created, you can’t exactly ask for a 30 minute Skype interview first. Well I guess you could, but it’d be weird…don’t do that. You’ll also find that a lot of outsourcers want to get paid upfront. They have to worry about people giving them jobs, completing the job and then never getting paid. And you have to worry about paying for a service that never gets completed.
Once I have a solid reputation built with someone, and I know they’ll do the work no matter what, I’m happy to pay upfront…to me that’s just another step in the process that’s out of the way. But before you get to that stage in a working relationship, you really have to be weary of people online. Never Never Never pay in full upfront to someone that you have never worked with.
It’s simply too easy for them to say ok here’s an incomplete project, and I’m done…then you’re stuck having a project that needs completed, dishing out more money to get it done. A simple answer is to pay half upfront, and half upon completion. Or if it’s a really big project, you can even pay in installments upon certain parts of the project being completed.
Another great solution that I like to use is an escrow service. Sites like GetaFreelancer will allow you to put the money into an escrow account, then once the project is complete, and you have reviewed it and are satisfied with the final product, you can release the money to the outsourcer.
If you come across someone who is unwilling to do either of these, just let them know that you’ll be taking your money to someone else. It’s not worth risking the money or time lost in dealing with someone who doesn’t understand your concerns as well. If they aren’t willing to work something out with payment, what will they say if you’re unhappy with their performance? Don’t take the risk, there are a lot of really bad outsourcers out there, keep bases covered, and never pay everything upfront.
