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Outsourcing for Small Businesses
August 11, 2008
Did you realize professionals from around the globe are at our service? For a few hundred dollars, Indian artists will design a logo, develop a website, and even provide admin support. Global outsourcing is no longer just for big corporations. Increasingly, small businesses are finding it easier to outsource software development, accounting, support services, and design work to distant lands. By doing some prior planning and following some pointers, you can get the quality help you need.
- Define what you need. Don't hand over the core functions of your business. Consider outsourcing other operations that are not as strategic.
- Research your service providers. Sites such as Guru.com, Brickwork India, DoMyStuff.com, and RentACoder make payment easy. Guru launched a payment system to mediate disputes and lets buyers put funds in escrow until work is received.
- Clearly define the scope and schedule for your project: Be up front about your project requirements so that service providers know about schedules and deliverables.
- Don't choose a vendor based solely on price: Discard the highest-priced and lowest-priced bid. You want a balance of good value and quality results.
- Look for specific experience fit: You want a company with specific experience with the type of project that your company is undertaking. This is important when outsourcing complex technical projects such as software development.
- Tie compensation to clearly defined project milestones: Define a work plan for your outsourced project, with clearly defined milestones.
- Negotiate ownership of the work up front: Make sure that you are clear about who owns the resulting work product and any important components of that product. Make sure that the service provider understands how you intend to use the deliverables that they are agreeing to provide.
- Don't forget about support after the project is complete: Draft a support clause that ensures you'll get continuing support from the vendor after the project is complete.
Posted by Shanu Singh Guliani on August 11, 2008 | Comments (0)
