Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I am thinking of getting some outside help for some basic research and clerical work.  This would be task based work, not a full time position. 

If you have had positive experiences with outsourcing (or insourcing) then please let me know what service you use & what you use them for.  Thanks!

I`d say post the postion on Craigslist and see what responses you get. I don`t think I need to say how bad the economy is right now. There are a lot of people looking for jobs or a second income.  Not sure if your hours are flexible but if they are you might be able to find someone over qualified because it`s a second income for them. I work for a Non Profit and have posted for Volunteer positions and also paid positions and have received positive responses for both. Give that a try and see what happens.  Good look. 

Thanks Michael.  I think I will give craigslist a try.  Finding some local help would be ideal.  I was also considering trying the local college.

I am still interested in finding professional services though, mostly because with a professional service I can establish a relationship and always have someone available when i need them. 

I figured it might help if I give an example of what I am looking for.  The first task is a very simple one.  I want help determining how many competitor sites there are for my new business idea.  At the very least I want someone to do research online and determine who the major players are in my niche.  Ideally, they would provide a list of all existing competitor sites, along with their key features/focus, monetization methods and traffic ranking (alexa, etc.). 

This is certainly something I can do myself, but since I know I will need support throughout the development of this business I figure now is as good a time as any to start identifying services that can ease my workload.  If you have any suggestions, please let me know.  Thank you.

There is this one (http://www.odesk.com/w/) I read about recently. Nothing good or bad just about the service.  You can Google outsourcing work or outsourcing research work also.  If you plan on building a business I`d say find someone part time through Craigslist  or a local temp agency.  I`d say finding someone part time on your own might be best for a few reasons.  Your going to have someone research information for you. If they are smart they will learn the business of what your having them research.  If they have a good head on their sholders they will be able to do other work for you.  I think you`ll have a better chance of one person sticking around for a while. With outrsourcing it online they might have more than one person doing the work, if you get someone through a temp agency as soon as they get a full time job you lose that person.  I`m sure you understand what i`m getting at.     

Put up a couple printouts on the bulletin boards at the local college. I`m sure the kids would love a chance to do something as easy as online research for a few extra beer dollars.

You could probably also find a virtual assistant in your area with whom you could establish a long-term business relationship.

—paula

I use elance.com.  I pay 5 dollars an hour for Virtual Assistant work. There are some providers as low as $2 or $2.50 an hour. Just have to place a bid, see their work and choose who you feel comfortable with.

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Confadate for your peace of mind.

Sandy

I use Offsourcing Inc. They are a boutique outsourcing provider specializing in web development, graphic design, administrative functions, and customer support services. I use their services and they have helped me increase my efficiency while cutting down operation cost. I highly recommend them. 

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Account Manager