Why Outsourcing Could Be The Best Thing You Do For Your Business

While it's probably not true to say that the traditional 9-5 job is on its way out, it IS true that more and more businesses these days are starting to see the value of outsourcing the jobs they can't cover themselves. Things like copywriting, PR, programming - even secretarial and admin support - are being outsourced to freelancers working from home or running their own business. But why?

Well, if you're a small business owner, outsourcing makes a lot of sense.

Take copywriting, for example. Good copy for your website, press release, sales letters and, well, everything else that needs content, really, is an absolute must. But not everyone is a born writer -and not everyone has the time to learn. So you have two choices: you either do it yourself, and muddle through somehow, or you outsource your copywriting to someone else who can do it for you.

Option one is certainly the cheapest option, and for new business owners struggling to deal with all of the myriad costs of starting a new business, the DIY option can seem pretty attractive. Think about it, though. If your house needed to be rewired, would you do it yourself (assuming, of course, that you're not an electrician)? Nope, you'd hire a professional. If your car broke down, would you try to fix it yourself? Well, maybe - but unless you really knew what you were doing, you'd probably find a professional to do that too.

The fact is that there are some jobs that are best left to the professionals. Copywriting, ghostwriting, programming and design all fall into that category. If you don't know what you're doing, you could end up doing more harm than good. That's why good freelancers can be worth their weight in gold. But will they charge their weight in gold? Well, it depends on the freelancer, of course, but in general terms, outsourcing a specific project can actually be pretty cost-effective. Here's why:

1. Freelancers normally work from home. That means they provide their own desk, chair, computer, electricity - even their own coffee and snacks.

2. When you outsource a project, you're paying by the project - so you don't waste money paying for time spent doing other things (like making that coffee, or opening the mail).

3. Good freelancers are normally experts in their field. Because they freelance for a living, they've worked for a wide range of employers on an even wider range of projects. In simple terms, they have the kind of knowledge and experience that you probably couldn't afford to buy if you weren't paying by the project.

Your final problem, then, is where to find quality freelancers to outsource your projects to. This can be a difficult one. To go back to the example of copywriting, unless you're a copywriter yourself, you probably don't know the difference between a good one or a bad one. That's where agencies can help. Freelance agencies like www.WritingWorld.org (an agency for freelance writers, editors, proofreaders and translators) can take the details of your project and budget, and find the right freelancer to fit it. If you think you know what you're looking for, you can post your project on the jobs board, and let the writers come to you.

There are countless other sites online which will help you find freelancers in just about any profession - and at a price that you may find surprising. Why not check them out?

Amber McNaught is the owner of http://www.WritingWorld.org, an agency for freelance writers, editors, proofreaders and translators.

Amber is also a director of Hot Igloo Productions Ltd, the website design and small business specialists.

Reuters - Wholesale inventories surged the most in two years in July, adding to signs that economic growth in the third quarter of the year may prove a bit stronger than many forecasters had expected.

AP - President Barack Obama insisted Friday that the U.S. economy is digging itself out of the deepest recession in decades but conceded that "progress has been painfully slow" and many voters in November's elections may blame him.

AFP - US President Barack Obama said Friday the "hole" left by the worst recession in decades was "huge" and admitted the recovery had been "painfully slow," but vowed his policies were working.

Reuters - President Barack Obama accused Republicans on Friday of holding the middle class hostage as he pushed new ideas to stimulate the sluggish U.S. economy and try to reverse Democrats' grim election prospects.

AP - President Barack Obama says that if voters weigh his economic policies against those of Republicans, then "the Democrats will do very well" in November.

AFP - US President Barack Obama on Friday named Austan Goolsbee, an economics professor currently working in his administration, to chair the Council of Economic Advisors (CEA).

AP - President Barack Obama says his entire economic agenda is designed to stimulate growth and create jobs, despite his administration's reluctance to call his new proposals a "stimulus plan."

AP - Inventories held by wholesalers surged in July by the largest amount in two years while sales rebounded after two straight declines.

AP - President Barack Obama has chosen one of his longtime economic advisers, Austan Goolsbee, to be the chairman of his Council of Economic Advisers, a White House official said.

AP - Japan's economy isn't quite as weak as first thought, but it still needs help, the government said Friday as it unveiled details of a new $11 billion stimulus package.

Reuters - President Barack Obama has chosen Austan Goolsbee as the new head of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, U.S. administration officials said on Thursday, promoting a longtime adviser from his inner policy circle.

Reuters - A set of U.N. goals aimed at drastically reducing poverty and hunger worldwide by 2015 are achievable, despite setbacks caused by the global financial and economic crises, a draft document said.

AFP - US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner will face a key US House committee's questions on possible new steps to press China over its currency policy, the panel's chairman said Thursday.