Hi Anthony,

As requested I’ve submitted the minisite to discussed sites and attached a report of the submission.  Writer got back to me with the 10 articles as well.  They have been uploaded and the sitetitle is now ready.

Its 6am (no I’m normally not an early waker, but thanks to jet lag I’ve woken surprisingly early today.  And I’ve already managed to write and publish 10 articles to a minisite and submit another one to targeted bookmarking and directory services…..sort of.

You know what this post is about – outsourcing.  And you’ve probably read a quantity of similarly themed posts.  Yet somethings holding you back.    I’m going to take a wild guess, and take a stab and what you’re feeling right now:

Yeah I know outsourcing is the way to go, but honestly I don’t enough things for an assistant to do.  Furthermore, why should I pay someone else to what I can do….I don’t mind working long days.

Did I get close?  This is exactly how I used to feel about outsourcing.  I had read the 4 hour Workweek, and became engrossed in searching for a suitable VA (virtual assistant), but It took me forever to take the jump and finally get myself a VA……and I’ve never looked back.

You Have a Backlog

Even the most productive and motivated people I know have tasks to complete that have been set aside.  Think about all those projects you want to complete “sometime” in the future.  Those projects can be a reality right now, make “sometime” today.  Sure you shouldn’t take on too much and you do need to focus on your most important core project(s).  But that doesn’t mean you should hold back and not be aggressive when it comes to work.

Motivation

A surprising side effect of having a VA is motivation.  If I don’t respond to a request, my VA bugs me.  Some may find this annoying, but for the self employed this is essential.  I need someone ensuring I don’t let things drift on by.  Its also good to work with other people even if you are your own boss.

Content, Content, Content

Content is king when it comes to a passive income.  You know this already and you probably already create a decent amount of your own content.  But the more the better.  I don’t think you can have too much content.  So obviously, outsourcing content on mini-sites and other niche outlets is a smart idea.

Think Big

The idea with outsourcing its to think big.  Its all about scaling up your current operations.  If you’ve got one mini-site making $5 a day, how many could 5-10 make?  It might not be possible for you to run all these on your own, but by outsourcing this becomes very much a reality.

But Start Small

It’s a sensible idea to start outsourcing small tasks like social bookmarking, directory submission etc.  You can than expand and outsource tasks like site construction, content creation, contact management and selling ad inventory.

Remember, just like all things outsourcing takes practice.  If you’ve failed once, don’t just give up.  I’ve worked with over 50 freelancers and many have been duds.  It would take another post to explain the intricacies communicating effectively and hiring the right freelancers.

Have I convinced you?

photo by – anselm23