Many self-employed people believe they cannot afford to outsource. There are actually good, sound business reasons for outsourcing and delegating. Take an honest appraisal of what you are spending your time on: Are you working on things you do not like doing? Are you spending time on tasks that are not part of your Unique Ability?

Are Outsourcing and delegating your resources better spent on other things? Have you gotten to a point where you simply can no longer do everything yourself?

Outsourcing is a skill as well as a powerful business tool. Here are two initial aspects of it to explore to begin to flex your outsourcing muscles.

When deciding to outsource externally, one important element is price point. This is not the most important aspect of choosing a contractor, but it is a consideration. I do not necessarily always select the lowest price or bid. Selection of a contractor is also made on the quality of the response and, level of experience, and communication. I caution you against always taking the lowest bid when selecting a contractor. Remember that you are not looking for the cheapest person to do the job; you are looking for the right person.

Hire people with the right skill set and experience level. Before you can do this you must begin with clarification about the task. What is the most important aspect of the project? Is there some skill or experience level that needs to be met? After your goals and steps are clear, you need to figure out what skill sets are required to achieve the end result you are looking for. It is important to be clear on this so you know who to hire to join your team.

There are numerous online outsourcing platforms. Two that I have had great success with are www.Elance.com and www.Odesk.com. Watch this blog for upcoming information on how to work most successfully wit

Author's Bio: 

Hugh Stewart's education is both diverse and substantial. He has two degrees from the University of Miami; an undergraduate and a graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is also a graduate of the Strategic Coach® program and is currently enrolled in the Strategic Coach® Masters Program.

As an owner of several businesses, he understands how organizations flow and thrive and is able to help bridge deficits in communication and engage everyone in an organization to be able to focus on the things that are most important.
Hugh is a prominent businessman who has been involved in 17 businesses in the last ten years.

In order to get clarity about the most efficient way to ways to delegate and outsource effectively, he created the Delegation and Outsourcing workbook . It will guide you through creating a precise and clear understanding of your project goals and requirements.

The one business that he is most proud of is a money service business that was started in 2005. In the beginning, it was doing close to $7 million per year in revenue. In the last year, it is now generating up to $44 million a year in revenue. With thirteen employees with an incredibly low turnover rate, Hugh works only 10 to 12 hours a week in that particular business due to leveraged time and systems.