Outsourcing Small Jobs and Agency Grunt Work

Every agency has small jobs (data entry, creating a spreadsheet, etc.) that need to be completed but seem to just not get done. There are several websites you can use to make sure these projects get done.

There are two basic ways to use low-cost workers to augment your staff and free them up for more important work. One is to outsource small jobs on an individual job basis. This is the easiest way to dip your toe in the water without any significant investment or commitment. The other is to actually hire foreign workers, either through a service or by hiring them directly.

I recommend outsourcing small jobs first, as a way of introducing yourself to this process. Personally, I use a website called Elance for research and writing projects. You can also check out a programmer job board called ScriptLance.

Either provides a forum where you can post a project you want done, and have individuals bid on the job. Similar to eBay, each person is evaluated based on past performance. This site is particularly useful for small marketing, researching, copywriting, and graphic design projects.

Elance also provides the mechanism for you to pay the workers, funding your Elance account with a credit card, check, or through PayPal.

I have just completed a couple of data entry jobs using the oDesk platform and was very pleased with the results. You can select professionals based on work history, portfolio, feedback ratings, and test scores.

Elance
http://www.elance.com

ScriptLance
http://www.scriptlance.com

oDesk
http://www.oDesk.com