This is a follow up to What Everybody Ought to Know About Personal Outsourcing. This post looks at how to use Elance for outsourcing low-end tasks overseas for a fraction of what you would pay at home.
From the Elance homepage, you are invited to “Post a project”. This short guide will take you through the dos and don’ts of posting your first project.
Title
Just like an auction listing, capture the theme of the project and entice suppliers to click on it e.g. Simple Spanish to English Translation. The more enticing the title, the more offers you will get and the more competitive the offers will be. Do not use vocabulary that might exclude suppliers and avoid abbreviation, lengthy titles and complexities.
Choose your category, and then subcategory and Elance will offer you a link to view a specimen description. By sticking to the example description it is hard to go wrong but you can obtain better results with a few additions.
- Personalize your introduction, explaining the type of person you are looking for and their potential gains from working with you. If you suggest long term involvement with a provider they will often lower their price.
- Emphasize the critical aspects of the project detailing your expectations and what the supplier will provide in terms of file formats.
- Attach an example of the quality of work you are looking for.
- Offer a breakdown of your budget in your project description highlighting what the supplier will be paid for.
Files
Create a PDF (use OpenOffice Writer) of the project description and upload it; making it easy for you and the supplier to refer to the original description.
Work Type
If you are hiring a virtual assistant you might want to offer a per-hour rate, but if the project is a one-off then offer a fixed fee.
Approximate Budget
Be realistic, you will not get a complete Web 2.0 solution built for $100 but at the same time don’t be afraid to offer small projects for under $500
Who Can Bid
Since this is likely to be your first project and you won’t have any relationships with suppliers, choose “All Elance providers”.
(Un)Sealed Bidding
Keeping your bids unsealed will make your offers more competitive and ensure you get the best price. You might have to use sealed bidding on large or high-level company projects.
Work Location
The location of a supplier is unlikely to affect the quality of their work (make sure their English is of a satisfactory level before committing to a project). Select “Anywhere” to take advantage of low-cost suppliers.
Use Escrow
You pay Elance and release the funds to the supplier once work has been completed. Secure and free, why not use it?
Choosing big or small suppliers
The greatest value suppliers (although higher-risk) are the individuals and first-time bidders looking to make money and establish their reputation. Large companies who bid on your project often have huge earnings because they are designed to churn out solutions as rapidly as possible. You might notice that their proposal seems a little generic and don’t expect their communications to change. They are likely to deliver a quality package, but you are unlikely to establish a relationship with them. Typically, you won’t be in direct contact with the actual people working on your project (rather a project manager).
You put yourself in a much better position if you are in direct contact with the supplier. An individual that really wants the business will likely go that extra mile, free-of-charge and allow you to create a truly bespoke solution. Choose the provider who has set themselves apart and demonstrated the level of quality and professionalism you are looking for.
Maximizing your results
Provide the supplier with as much detail as possible before they go to work and with ample feedback when they send you samples for review. Have a clear idea of what you want before your write your project description. Constantly changing your mind or being vague will confuse the supplier and likely end with you not getting what you are looking for.
You are paying the supplier to work for your; take the dominant role. Be polite and understanding, but get to the point in your communications. Ask for a little more than you expect (politely) and you are likely to get it. Don’t settle for anything less than perfect and remember that you are paying the supplier to complete the project to a satisfactory level.
When you are satisfied with the completed project, pay promptly and immediately leave a paragraph of positive feedback for them. Once this is done, highlight your good work and strengthen your relationship with the supplier. The supplier’s personal email address is available on their page; go get it if you don’t already have it. Contacting your supplier every once in a while or inviting them to bid on new projects will keep your relationship healthy building long-term dedication and making the experience a pleasure for everyone.
Further Reading:
5 tips for outsourcing to a personal virtual assistant
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Source: John
