Outsourcing

Hi Guys,

I have people approach me who want web sites but I don’t have the time and the carpel tunnel syndrome is beginning to hurt for me to do hands-on work - - so I was pondering the thought of taking more of a client services administrative role (timelines, site maps, status reports, proposals, put out fires, etc.) and outsource hands-on work to people I trust. This way I don’t have to turn away clients.

From a client suggestion, I recently collaborated on a project with a Flash designer and it worked out great and got me thinking: I have lots of quality clients I can outsource and take a percentage off the top.

Does anyone have experience with this type of working relationship and could lend some input?



Thanks!

If you browse through several of the recent threads, you will see how the 'other side' sees things (meaning the sub contractors). Get clear and unambiguous agreements signed up-front and maintain ALL contact between client and subcontractor(s). Many developers completely lack the understanding of the legal liablitity issues, not to mention the general difficulty of finding customers that pay on time, so be absolutely sure that you keep your margins to yourself (which, btw, should be on the order of 50% if you are serious about being in business).

This is how it usually happens, when you're working alone, providing the service from the start to the finish, you're limited in your profits. So the only way to develop is to hire a helping hand...Then second one, third, etc. In the end you'll have a big company with many webmasters working for you. The only thing you should do is to stay in course, and to know all new issues etc. This is how a simple webmaster becomes big boss;-) I had a kind of similar experience... ;-)

It's pretty much as easy as you said, but the important thing is to draw up contracts and make sure that your sticking to them. Your operating with a lot of trust when you putting your name on another guy going out to do your work. Your also making sure that everybody gets what's coming to them.
Make all of this clear before the job starts and you really have no problem. It's a good idea to outsource a little bit thouhg. As mentioned before, this is how it gets going for you. You make the connection and get a little for yourself on the side. Everybody's happy.

Thanks all

I will poke around devshed past threads and will keep you all posted with my progress.

Thanks!

Your idea is good to get a percentage of the top of recommending the prospective client who needs outsourcing.

You should talk to some of outsourcing company and discuss with them about your planning and fix up your percentage there.

I think the most important thing to remember is to make sure that you trust the person, and know ahead of time that their work is acceptable, punctual, and up to your standards all-around. Paying someone in another country $5 an hour is great if you understand their work capacity/ethic, but there is nothing like paying $5 an hour to have an unqualified, faceless person who doesn't speak english more than "hello", "good", and "give me money", to deliever your work full of major errors and holes that anyone with experience should avoid, three months late. Unfortunately, this is the case most of the time with blind outsourcing- as the cliché goes, "you get what you pay for".

Right, it should better to give a phone call to the outsourcing company or chat with them, you can be able to check the communication and technical skills online.

You should also check their reliability by going through their ranking, the list of other companies they are outsourcing and their experience in the technical field.

hey thanks all - very good points indeed.

I will add that outsourcing is the solution for the support techs as well as your other requirements and they are good online resources, if you are not interested to hire it locally.
But you should also thorough check the reliability and skills as well as your technical requirements.