


1

Subject line: First Lesson - Understanding Outsourcing


Hello "autoresponder code here",

Welcome to the first lesson in the Understanding Outsourcing.

Over the next few days you will receive several lessons that will help you
learn the ins and outs of outsourcing and how it can help your business
productivity.

In this first lesson let's talk a little about what outsourcing is, how it
works and what it can do for your business. We will examine some of
the key elements of outsourcing to help you develop a better
understanding of the concept of outsourcing.

Outsourcing is a term that has received a great deal of attention
lately. Despite the increasing trend in businesses relying on
outsourcing there are still some who don't clearly understand what
the term actually means.

What is outsourcing?

This is the most common question that many people have about
the subject of outsourcing. Before you can dive into the more complex
aspects of this business strategy it is important to have a basic
understanding of the process.

In the simplest form outsourcing is when a company delegates the
completion of certain tasks to an individual not employed directly by the
company. This individual may be an independent contractor or an
employee of another company who is subcontracted to complete these
tasks. In exchange for the individual’s services, he or his company
receives monetary compensation.

This description of outsourcing makes it far easier to understand the
concept. Most people incorrectly assume outsourcing only applies to
situations where large corporations have products manufactured
overseas by a subsidiary and don’t realize examples of outsourcing
can be seen just about everywhere in corporate America.

Domestic outsourcing refers to outsourcing where both the primary
company and the independent contractor or subsidiary are located in
the same country. One of the main reasons for outsourcing is to reduce
costs but it is not always necessary to outsource work overseas to
reduce costs. Cost savings will be discussed in greater detail in the
section on the benefits of outsourcing but essentially outsourcing results
in a savings as a result of a reduction of labor costs.

Overseas outsourcing is the type of outsourcing most people already
understand. This is where large corporations such as Nike, and even
some smaller companies, employ manufacturing plants overseas in
third world countries to upsize their profits. This is significant because
their costs including wages, materials and building lease would be
considerably higher in the United States than they are in these other
countries.

Now that you have a clearer understanding of the concept of
outsourcing let's go over some of the main benefits of outsourcing.

You may still be wondering why companies would go to the trouble
of outsourcing certain tasks. Outsourcing is popular because there are
a great deal of benefits to the companies who outsource the work.
Some of the benefits include:

- Reduced labor costs
- Reduced workload
- Increased workforce
- Greater flexibility

One of the main reasons companies resort to outsourcing is it can
significantly reduce costs. In the case of overseas outsourcing of
manufacturing tasks, costs can be cut dramatically because there are
lower wages and costs associated with managing and maintaining the
manufacturing plants.

However, companies also enjoy a cost savings when they outsource
tasks domestically. Reduction of labor costs is the primary source of
savings in this case. Independent contractors hired on a contract basis
for the purpose of completing specific tasks are often not given benefits
such as social security, Medicare and workers compensation.

Another benefit of outsourcing is enjoying a larger workforce and a
reduced workload, without actually hiring additional employees.
Businesses who maintain networking relationships with qualified
individuals have more opportunities open to them because they are
able to rely on these individuals to assist them if they acquire large or
complicated projects.

Finally, outsourcing gives a company a great deal of flexibility.
Companies who have a significant workload and backlog of work
where the majority of the employees are highly utilized might be
hesitant to compete for new work because they do not have a great
deal of employee availability. However, with a network of individuals to
rely on if the need to outsource arises, the company has more flexibility
in pursuing new work.

We have a lot to go over in the next few days if you want to develop a
firm understanding of how outsourcing works and how you can use it for
your own business, but before we close this lesson I want to leave you
with a list of the top reasons why you should consider outsourcing your
business:

- You can take up more work from a better range of clients because you
have an army of people working with you.

- You can get diversity in your team. When you find different outsourcing
professionals, you find that these people are of different qualifications
and skill-sets, which means you can even take up work which you were
initially avoiding because of your own limitations.

- You can't handle all the tasks related with a business alone. There will
be several things you are not very conversant with and things that you
don’t like doing. If that is the case, you might find outsourcing to be a
great option to accomplish these tasks adequately.

- Outsourcing definitely helps you meet deadlines on time.

- For some people, outsourcing is also a means of reducing costs. If a
particular service is expensive in your part of the world, you could find a
professional from another part of the world where that particular service
is cheaper.

Make sure you look for your next lesson soon. We will be talking more
about the advantages of using outsourcing.

Thank you again for joining, if you have any questions or need any
assistance please feel free to contact me at anytime using the contact
information below. I will be happy to help,

Until then,
"add your name here"

"your email address"

"your URL here"



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2

subject line: Second Lesson - Understanding Outsourcing


Hello "autoresponder code here",

It’s time for your second lesson in the Understanding Outsourcing crash
course. I hope you found lesson one informative. In this lesson we will
be talking more about the advantages of using outsourcing

As I mentioned in the last lesson, outsourcing has become a very
popular alternative for a number of very valid reasons. Outsourcing
initially emerged as a way for companies to cut costs by having
processes like manufacturing and assembly done in overseas
locations where costs were much lower.

Lower wages and operating costs both contributed to these reduced
costs. These lower costs were appealing because they greatly
improved the profit margins for the companies. However, outsourcing is
now gaining in popularity for a variety of other reasons. While cost
reduction is still a primary advantage, other elements such as access to
industry experts, a larger workforce and more flexible options are being
embraced as welcomed advantages offered by outsourcing.

As we discussed reducing costs was the original purpose of
outsourcing and although outsourcing has since been demonstrated to
have other significant advantages, cost reduction still remains one of
the prime advantages. Companies look to outsource tasks which would
be more costly to complete in-house.

An example of this type of task would be a software related task
requiring specialized training. Companies who do not have an on staff
employee qualified to complete this task can benefit financially by
outsourcing this task.

There may be significant fees required to retain the services of an
industry expert on a contractual basis but the efficiency of this individual
will enable him to complete the task much more quickly than it could
have been done in-house. If the task were not outsourced an in-house
employee would have had to complete the task and may have taken
significantly longer costing the company more in the long run.

This can result in a cost savings for the company but having these
experts on call also provides the potential for new opportunities for the
company. With experts waiting in the wings to assist, the company is
able to go after larger and more specialized types of work. This is
important because in doing this the company can find themselves
enjoying greater prosperity.

Still another advantage to outsourcing is the benefit of enjoying a larger
workforce when necessary without the hassle of maintaining a larger
staff. Through outsourcing companies can bring in additional
employees on a contract basis during times of prosperity without
worrying about having to lay them off or keep them utilized when the
surge of work begins to wane. This is particularly relevant in industries
which enjoy peak seasons as well as off seasons.

Another advantage of having a larger workforce is the ability to
generate a larger profit. This is important because smaller companies
can find themselves in a position where they can compete with larger
companies for bigger jobs by outsourcing a portion of the workload.

Finally, more flexibility is another considerable advantage to
outsourcing work. Even the most well planned projects may suddenly
end up behind schedule or under a time crunch due to minor errors,
changes in plans or other incidental activities.

Smaller companies who do not have the resources to compensate for
these inevitable mishaps may find themselves in serious trouble without
the ability to outsource work when necessary. These companies can
take advantage of outsourcing in times of trouble to help them deal with
problems without alienating clients or performing poorly on a project.

That's it for today's lesson. In your next lesson we will be talking about
finding ways to outsource for your business.

Again, I appreciate your joining me for this short course. If you have
any questions or need any assistance please feel free to contact me at
anytime. I will be glad to help.

Until then,
"add your name here"

"your email address"

"your URL here"



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3

subject line: Third Lesson - Understanding Outsourcing


Hello "autoresponder code here",

It’s "add your name here", with your third lesson of the Understanding
Outsourcing crash course. In today's lesson we will be talking about
finding ways to outsource for your business.

I am assuming that since you signed up for this short course that you
have been considering outsourcing but chances are that you don't know
what parts of your business you should outsource and have little or no
idea where to start?

Well you will be glad to know that in almost every business there is the
opportunity to outsource at least a few of the general tasks performed.
In some businesses there may be the possibility of outsourcing the
majority of the common tasks while in other businesses there may only
be the opportunity to outsource one or two of the common tasks. In
either case outsourcing can result in a lightened workload as well as an
increase in profit.

The first step in finding ways to outsource is to take a really close look
at the daily activities you perform when tending to your business. Make
a list of each of these activities and note any related activities that are
typically performed in conjunction with each other. Making this note is
important because activities which are typically performed together
should either be outsourced together or remain as in-house activities
together to maintain the highest level of efficiency.

Once you have compiled this list of activities, carefully consider which
activities can easily be performed by another person and which
activities require your personal attention. This will give you a good idea
of which activities you could outsource and which activities would not
be good opportunities for outsourcing.

Finally, review your list of activities and note how long it takes you to
perform each of the activities you could outsource. This information will
be helpful later if you decide to search for a candidate to complete
these tasks.

After you have carefully examined your daily activities, it is time to
prioritize these activities. Create a comprehensive list of all of your
daily activities in their order of importance. For this list include both the
activities requiring your personal attention and the activities which can
be outsourced.

When you make your decision to start outsourcing some of your daily
tasks, start with the highest priority on the list which you believe can be
outsourced. Attempt to outsource this task as a test to determine
whether or not outsourcing will work for you. If you decide you are
comfortable with outsourcing and that it is working for your business,
you can continue down the prioritized list attempting to find those
capable of handling your daily activities.

We have already discussed the importance of evaluating your own daily
tasks in the process of finding ways to outsource but it is also important
to consider tasks completed by your staff members. Administrative
tasks are often tasks which can be outsourced so examining these
tasks will give you a good idea if you can increase the efficiency of your
administrative assistance by outsourcing some of their responsibilities.

Activities such as data entry, transcription and other activities often
handled by personal assistance are all example of activities which can
easily be outsourced. Additionally, there is a great deal of qualified
candidates available to fulfill these tasks. The industry of virtual
personal assistants has become a booming industry with many savvy
entrepreneurs offering their skills in these areas as a consultant.

Before starting to outsource daily activities, you should develop a plan
for managing all of your outsourced activities. This plan should include
the following:

- Method for selecting candidates to handle outsourced work
- Method for overseeing work performed by independent contractors
- Method for evaluating the work performed by independent contractors

Once you have your plan in place you will want to start looking for
professionals that you can hire to outsource your work to. The best
place to get outsourcing professionals is on online job sites. Here are a
few places that you can begin your search in no particular order.

oDesk - http://www.odesk.com
eLance - http://www.elance.com
GetAFreelancer - http://www.getafreelancer.com
EUFreelance - http://www.eufreelance.com
Guru - http://www.guru.com
PeoplePerHour - http://www.peopleperhour.com
LimeExchange - http://www.limeexchange.com
RentACoder - http://www.rentacoder.com
GetACoder - http://www.getacoder.com
ScriptLance - http://www.scriptlance.com

On each of these sites you will find various job categories. When you
have a particular work requirement, all you do is post your project in the
relevant job category and people who are interested in accomplishing
the task for you will apply and make their bids for the job. While each
site is different the concept is simple, and because the people who
apply are genuinely looking for work you can be sure that you will
receive plenty of capable applicants to choose from.

That's it for today's lesson. In your next lesson we will be talking about
how to outsource business tasks without being  taken advantage of in
the process.

Until then,
"add your name here"

"your email address"

"your URL here"


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4

subject line: Fourth Lesson - Understanding Outsourcing


Hello "autoresponder code here",

How are you?  We're winding down to the end of this short course. But
we still need to go over a few things. That is why today we are going to
jump right in and talk about how to outsource business tasks
without being taken advantage of in the process.

There are many who tout the advantages of outsourcing (including
myself) as essentially a secret to success. As we have discussed there
are certainly a number of distinct advantages to the process of
outsourcing. Some of the most notable advantages include cost
reductions, reduced workload, increased possibility for profit and
the existence of a larger workforce without maintaining a staff of
salaried employees.

All of these incredible advantages may make outsourcing seem as
though it is an ideal resource in all situations but as with most things in
business, this is not true.

To protect yourself and your business from being outsmarted there are
certain precautions which should be taken when outsourcing any
project. It is important to be mindful of these precautions when
outsourcing a project to ensure the project runs smoothly and you get
what you pay for.

1. Verify Candidate Qualifications

When outsourcing a task or project to an individual, care should be
taken to screen all applicants carefully before deciding to outsource the
work. This is important because you want to be sure to outsource the
work to a qualified individual. Awarding a project to an unqualified
individual can be a costly mistake if they turn in subpar work at the
conclusion of the project. It can also be costly if it results in unnecessary
delays or setbacks as a result of the lack of qualifications.

One way to avoid being outsmarted by fancy resumes hyping the
accomplishments of an individual is to verify all of the information on the
resume before awarding the project. This may entail contacting
previous employers as well as references to determine the capabilities
and work ethic of the individual. Taking the time to verify the information
on the resume can help to ensure the individual you outsource the work
to is truly qualified to complete the project.

2. Outline Project Requirements Carefully

When outsourcing a project it is important to be very clear in outlining
the project requirements. This is important so both the client and the
independent contractor understand all of the requirements of the
outsourced project. Preparing contract documents stating the exact
project details and compensation to be provided is a good idea as
well. Taking this extra precaution will ensure the client does not have to
pay fees until the contract specifications are met. A contract can also
be helpful if disputes arise and mediation is required to resolve the
conflicts.

Additionally, it is wise to include information regarding the required
deliverables in the contract documents. This should include the exact
end product which should be submitted. In this portion of the document
the client can specify information regarding whether they require the
project submitted as a hard copy of the completed project, a soft copy
of the completed project or both.

3. Schedule Periodic Milestone Meetings

Regularly scheduled progress status meetings are very important when
a project is outsourced. These meetings should be scheduled often
enough to ensure the project does not fall too far behind schedule
during any one phase of the project.

These meetings can be helpful to both the client and the independent
contractor. The client will benefit because they will remain in control of
the project and can intervene if the independent contractor is heading in
the wrong direction with the project. These meetings are also beneficial
to the independent contractor because they can prevent him from being
caught by surprise at the conclusion of the project if he misinterpreted
the project requirements.

It is important to keep these things in mind when you are selecting and
working with an outsourced professional. Before we close this lesson I
want to leave you with a quick list including several things that you
should include in your job description when posting your projects on job
sites. This will help ensure that you are selecting the right person for the
project.

As I mentioned above you have to make all of the project details very
clear. Write down everything you that expect in your job description.

These are some of the things your project post should cover:

- The nature of your work
- The amount of work in total
- Any milestones, like if you want the work to be completed in small
  chunks and within what frame of time
- The time you can give for the completion of the whole project
- The price you are willing to pay
- Any special qualifications you are looking for in your employees
- Any characteristics that you don’t want in your employees
- Special points that you will need to make your decision, such as
  samples.

When you take time to spell out as many details as possible, you can
be almost sure that you will get the right people bidding on your work.
You will also want to make sure that you post the project in the right
category. People will get alerts based on the categories they have
applied for.

Make sure to check out samples of their work. If you require an original
sample, you can mention that in your project post. This can help you
weed out less serious applicants and narrow down the right candidate
for the job. You may also consider posting several short-term projects
initially. This can help you build up a good reputation of trust with
employees.

Here are a few more tips for choosing people with the right
qualifications:

- The quality of their work, which you can see through their samples.
- The ratings and reviews they have obtained on the site.
- Their responsiveness – It is very important they respond to your
   emails quickly and it is best if they have an instant messaging id that
   they can use.
- Their pricing – Price shouldn't be an important factor unless you
   are working on a budget.

Once you get a good professional, make sure you pay them promptly
and give them reviews according to their work. This helps ensure that
they will stay with you longer and you won't have to undergo the process
of repeatedly looking for new employees.

I hope today's lesson was helpful to you. Don't forget to keep an eye
out for my next email. There will be some great stuff in your last lesson.

Until then,
"add your name here"

"your email address"

"your URL here"


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5

subject line: Fifth Lesson - Understanding Outsourcing.


Hello "autoresponder code here",

Well, we have come to the final lesson in the Understanding
Outsourcing crash course. I sure hope you have enjoyed your lessons
and learned a lot about what outsourcing can do for your business.

In this last lesson we are going to switch gears and talk about when
outsourcing is not a good idea for your business.

As we have been discussing over the last few lessons, outsourcing can
be very beneficial for a number of reasons. Some of these benefits
include reduced labor costs, larger workforces, access to industry
experts and increased flexibility.

However, despite the obvious advantages to outsourcing there are a
number of scenarios where outsourcing is not a viable business option.
In these situations it is best to keep the work in-house rather than
attempting to make an outsourcing situation work.

As we have learned one of the primary advantages of outsourcing is
cost reduction. In many cases outsourcing results in reduced labor
costs because costs such as social security, health care and workers’
compensation are eliminated. Additionally, the increased efficiency
resulting when tasks are outsourced to industry experts can also result
in a cost reduction.

Despite the many opportunities for cost reductions, there are some
situations where outsourcing might be the more expensive alternative
and it may also lead to a financial loss instead of a gain. This may
include a situation where the cost of outsourcing to a highly specialized
expert exceeds the budget for the project. Fees for individuals with
highly specialized degrees or areas of expertise are often quite
expensive. Another possible situation is one where finding an individual
qualified to complete specialized tasks would be too expensive of a
process.

Another scenario is when outsourcing causes you to lose control. Even
when tasks or projects are outsourced the company responsible
for the work likes to continue to manage the project and keep close
tabs on the progress of tasks.

It is important for your business to continue to manage the project even
after it has been outsourced because they are the ones who are
ultimately responsible for the successful completion of the project.

Whenever an individual or business wants to deny the company access
to project files or documents, outsourcing is a bad idea. The business
who has the vested interest in the outcome of the project should never
be excluded from participating in making decisions regarding the
project.

Before outsourcing a task or project care should be taken to establish
criteria for the management of the project. Depending on the length and
complexity of the project it may also be wise to schedule regular
meetings to provide updates on the progress of the project. During this
time the contractor should provide the employer (you) with all
documentation necessary to evaluate the progress of the project and
verify it is still on track for completion by the established deadline.

You will also find time when outsourcing is not permitted and it is not a
good idea simply because it is not permitted by contract requirements.
Some project contracts may have stipulations stating the work cannot
be outsourced to an individual or to another company. Inserting such a
clause into a contract document is well within the rights of the clients.

When they hire a particular company to complete a project or task, they
expect all work related to the project or task to be completed by
members of that company unless they specified otherwise when
negotiating the contract. Violating the contract documents in this
situation is not a good idea. The company could be penalized by the
client. Penalties may include withholding payment or refusing to award
future projects or tasks to the company.

Deciding whether or not to outsource particular tasks is one of the
many important decisions both large and small businesses often have
to make. It can be a difficult decision at times.

It is important to consider all of the tasks involved before you make the
final decision to outsource certain business projects. Situations in
which your in-house staff is not qualified for the tasks, when your in-
house staff is overburdened and when there are specific client
requirements and tasks must be completed by individuals with specific
qualifications are all valid reasons to choose outsourcing as an option.

Before we finish up this last lesson I want to leave you with a quick
recap of three basic guidelines for outsourcing your own projects:

- Select Qualified Candidates Carefully

One way to greatly simplify the process of outsourcing is to give special
consideration to selecting a qualified candidate to complete the
outsourced tasks. This is important because outsourcing the project to
an individual who is qualified to complete the tasks and motivated to do
a good job will make the outsourcing endeavor more likely to be
successful.

To find the right candidate for the job, place advertisements outlining
the project requirements and preferences and carefully review each
application which is submitted. Immediately disregard applicants who
are not qualified for the position. Then review the applications of
qualified candidates carefully and select a small group of the most
promising candidates. Next interview each of these candidates and
verify their references and passed work experiences to learn more
about these candidates and their abilities and work ethics.

After interviewing these candidates it is time to make a decision
regarding hiring one of the final candidates. Do not be discouraged if
none of the final candidates seemed right for the job because you are
under no obligation to hire any of them. You can continue your search
for a qualified candidate by placing your job advertisement again and
soliciting new responses.

- Establish Definite Requirements

When outsourcing a project or tasks, it is important to clearly define the
project requirements. This is critical because it is important for the
contractor to fully understand the tasks which are being outsourced to
ensure he is fulfilling all of the requirements and completing the task in
a satisfactory manner.

Failure to establish definite project requirements and goals can lead to
a great deal of problems when outsourcing a project. The contractor
may feel as though he has completed the project as it was outlined but
the employer may disagree. When this happens there can be harmful
delays until the issues can be resolved amicably. In the case that this is
not possible it might be necessary to employ the assistance of a
mediator to evaluate the contract documents and the work produced to
determine if the contract terms were met.

- Establish a Firm Deadline

Another important element of outsourcing is establishing a firm
deadline for the project. This is important to avoid misunderstandings
and to prevent late submissions of work. Setting milestone goals is
also important because it gives the employer the ability to evaluate the
progress of the contractor during different stages of the project and to
ensure it is proceeding according to schedule.

Ideally the deadline should be established before the candidate is
chosen. This is important because this enables the employer to verify
that the contractor is available for the duration of the project. Schedule
should be discussed early in the process of selecting a candidate to
avoid selecting an ideal candidate only to find out he is unavailable
when his services are required.

As we close this final lesson I would like to thank you again for joining
me and I sincerely hope that you have learned a lot about whether or not
outsourcing can help your business grow!

Even though we have come to the end of the short course please feel
free to contact me if you have any questions about how to effectively
outsource your own projects. I will be glad to assist you in anyway that I
can.

Best of luck to you in all of your outsourcing ventures,
"add your name here"

"your email address"

"your URL here"





















































