10 Reasons Why I Won’t Outsource
As I wait patiently for the pony express to deliver my copy of Four Hour Work Week, I have already begun to gently toy with the idea of outsourcing some of my hellish workload.
When I look at the list of possible tasks that could be done by someone other than me it seems crazy that I have done so little outsourcing before.
I pulled out a pen and paper and pondered “what makes me so reluctant to outsource?” Here’s the list I came up with…
#10 Outsourcing is Not Worth the Trouble
What if it takes more of my time and effort, to tell the person what to do than to just do it myself?
#9 The Employee Won’t do a Good Job
What if they don’t do things properly or as well as I can do it?
#8 It’s Too Big a Job to Set Up My Systems
It can be a big job to set things up properly to take full advantage of having help. What if I get lost setting up systems and the business suffers
#7 What if I Can’t Communicate Properly With The Employee
Communication is difficult enough, won’t it be impossible with a non-native English speaker living half-way around the world?
#6 Can I Trust Someone Hired Online?
What if my man in India deletes my website or sends spam from my email address?
#5 I Don’t Actually do Tasks That Can Be Clearly Communicated to Another Person
Mostly I just piss around in 20 different directions randomly and somehow, almost magically stuff gets done…how can I teach someone else to do that?
#4 What if a Person That I Train Quits?
Can I afford to be constantly training people and then having them quit and I have to train someone else; the turnover could be expensive.
#3 What if the Employee Drives Me Nuts Asking Questions?
How can they perform a task the way I want it done without asking a lot of questions…the questions will drive me nuts?
#2 What if I Don’t Make Any More Money?
What if I hire someone, and I don’t actually increase my productivity or my earnings?
#1 Bosses are BAD. I Don’t want to be a Boss!
Having to tell someone what to do is bad enough, what if I have to give them sh*t or heaven forbid fire them, I can’t handle that.
Okay, there’s the top 10 reasons not to outsource courtesy of my inner 2 year old.
Did I miss any that you would like to contribute to the list?
Tomorrow I’ll have a rebuttal from a more adult, and more business minded, member of my psyche. 
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Comments ( 15 )
[...] 10 Reasons Why I Won’t Outsource and the follow up [...]
Outsourced My Life » Blog Archive » Links To Great Outsourcing Articles added these pithy words on Dec 16 07 at 6:58 pm[...] Art of Money, Online Business Inside Out is a funny guy and in this flip side, tongue in cheek top 10 list of reasons why he would not outsource, he lets his inner 2 year old go, my favorite is #3 What if the Employee Drives Me Nuts [...]
10 Reasons not to Outsource « Talent at Reach added these pithy words on Sep 10 08 at 8:21 pmCraig added these pithy words on May 23 07 at 12:22 pmHi Jon,
Before your more adult, business minded member your psyche has a chance to rebutt, let me weigh on your Top 10 List:
10. Outsourcing saves me bucks, and allows me to focus more time of my core “revenue-generating” tasks – so it is anything but a waste of time!
9. Come on Jon, that is a “Glass is half empty” perspective. My strategy has always been to outsource to people that are smarter then me in certain areas! I can choose to be the “Jack of All Trades” for my biz or choose to specialize in my core strengths and outsource other tasks that just are time drag!
8. Hmm.I don’t really think it is that big of a job. I might sit down for 30 minutes to an hour and map of my expectations, job specificiations, time parameters and follow-up system. Once that initial legwork is in place, then it can run quite smoothly! The key area where many companies falter is they set-up their system, but then forgot to follow-up and actually manage the outsourced project (out of site, out of mind) and that can certainly lead to some less than desirable results.
7. Again, not a big issue. I typically use MSN or skype chat with my Indian vendors since most have very decent written skills. Most Outsourcing projects can be managed effectively through email and chat no problem.
6. Come on Jon, that is like my neighbor who still does not want to make a credit card transaction online for fear of losing their entire life savings and identity. Yes, there are couple duds out there that you might not want to outsource to, but most companies want to make you happy and build their company reputation. Through Outsourcing Portals likes ours (ESalesGuru.com) and others(Rentacoder, ifreelance), there are good measures in place to enable you to closely evaluate profiles, feedback of others and liase with the business prior to starting work together. With the Outsourcing Portal we are launching here shortly, we have actually implemented a pre-screening component to do our best to weed out the duds!
5. Well, I don’t know what to say about this one…this might be a legitimate reason for you not to outsource!
4. Ah – don’t sweat the small stuff. People get hired, fired, quit, re-locate, embezzle company money – life happens:) But seriously, I don’t have to be concerned about this one as my outsourcing is typically done on a project by project basis. But, if I do take longer contracts, I certainly know that nothing is guaranteed!
3. You could take a “chill pill” and just work through their initial questions and hopefully they will get on track sooner than later!
2. Won’t no this one until you try! From my experience, if a person tries to be a “jack of all trades” with their ebusiness, a ceiling effect may occur, where their business growth and potenial plateus until they can access more staffing resources to take it to the next level. Again, there are certainly exceptions to the rule, but that tends to be the norm – (IMHO)
1. Then Don’t be a boss – be a partner! I treat all my contractors and outsourcing pros as partners and have never treated them as a Boss-Employee. I respect that they have certain skill to offer my company and that as long as they are achieving my expectations and performance measures, everything is hunky dory!
I look forward to hearing from the other part of your psyche tommorrow:)
All the best Jon!
Craig
Jon added these pithy words on May 23 07 at 12:39 pmGeez Craig, you sound a lot like a business-minded adult
I’ve been looking into GetFriday.com, are there other services/companies you would recommend?
Jon added these pithy words on May 23 07 at 12:40 pmOops, guess I should have looked at your link first…glad to know those Google alerts are picking up my site.
Craig added these pithy words on May 23 07 at 3:22 pmJon,
I haven’t used GetFriday.com before so I can’t comment. I actually have not accessed virtual assistant services really, as my outsourced tasks were more specialized (i.e Marketing copywriting, design, blog marketing etc…..). If you do end up going with getfriday.com, I would definitely be interested in hearing your candid feedback.
Thanks,
Craig
JonnyQ888 added these pithy words on May 26 07 at 11:52 pmHey Jon,
Long time no speak. I just wanted to let you know that 4 Hour Work Week is INCREDIBLE! I heard the Yanik Silver/Tim Ferriss interview, got up from what was supposed to be my nap and immediately went to Borders and bought it.
You’re going to love it.
Jon
GetFriday added these pithy words on May 30 07 at 8:21 amWe just found this post and thought we should address your apprehensions. This is an official post from the service http://www.getfriday.com (GetFriday). We obviously don’t guarantee magic but we sure have made a difference to the lives of most of our customers. Here is our response to the 10 reasons why you should think again about outsourcing.
10) Outsourcing is trouble for the initial one month but once you have set it up, it works like an employee (as assistant) in your company. Preparation gives you best results and ensures that you don’t waste time once it gets rolling and leaves you with a lot more time to do what you really want to do.
9) Employees and virtual assistants have their own limitations – they are simply not you, but sometimes they could even be better in some aspects. If you understand that they are not replacing you but rather letting you focus on the more important things then things will work very well.
It is like saying I will fight each day and continue to fire fight, than fix the problem permanently. If you put in a process then you are already on the way to becoming more organized and hence more efficient.
7) 70% of fortune 500s outsource or get work done in one part of the world or other. Communication glitches are expected but if you are a little patient you would have discovered a completely new way of doing business globally.
6) Very valid concern, hence go for a service provider with a reputation than opting for free lance people who can disappear into thin air.
5) Teach the assistant to fish just like you and you could have a scalable model. There obviously is a method to your madness which you are probably refusing to see or willing to share.
4) With some companies like GetFriday, the strength lies in its pool of expertise and team work rather than individual competencies. Hence once learnt, the learning always resides in the organization. So doesn’t matter if someone quits or is on a long vacation. There are customers who have been shifted from one assistant to another without as much noticing any difference except for a new name.
3) Encourage questions and provide the answers during the initial stage. No one, not even your best friend or spouse is capable of reading your mind. Unless you share your information, you will not be guiding the assistant in the right direction. But once you have sweated out in the beginning, people are intelligent enough to slowly grasp what you want, how you expect them to work and how you want it delivered. And sure enough they will deliver.
2) If you don’t make any more money judge if you are gaining more time for yourself and evaluate if that time is being put to better use. Time is money. If it doesn’t work for you, you always have the choice to downgrade your plan or cancel the membership without having to feel bad about it.
1) If being a boss is tough, don’t be one. Just treat your assistants as business partners and you would sure get better productivity from them.
We trust the information provided is useful is some way.
If you can trust an employee you should be able to trust a virtual assistant. If you can’t trust anyone other than yourself then you are already limiting yourself and your growth.
Lawrence Perry added these pithy words on Sep 25 07 at 3:51 am10 Reasons Why You Should Outsource
Posted by Catch Friday at 9/25/2007 3:46 AM and is filed under PR,Time Management,Outsourcing,news
http://quick.catchfriday.com/2007/09/25/10-reasons-why-you-should-outsource.aspxI read blogs and I came across this one from Jon Symons, Art of Money, who wrote about the 10 Reason’s Why He Wouldn’t Outsource. Jon wrote this as a bit of fun, but also he tried to be objective.
I support CatchFriday.com my nephew’s outsourcing service. So I can’t be really ethical on the way that I reply, because I may not be able to be objective, can I?
You have a choice when you outsource, you can outsource to an individual or a firm, and either you let the firm take care of the boss side, or you can do it yourself, can’t you? I am afraid that I am biased I’ll take the firm, because I want to reduce my stress, don’t you?
Timothy Ferris in his book, the 4 hour week, talked verymuch of a stress-free life and I agree with him. I’d much rather Catch Friday literally than work the week, and that day will come.
So get rid of the boss take the service, be friendly to the employee of the firm, but negotiate with the company the key items, and by all means be nice to your assigned virtual assistant VA.
How will you make money – well businesses are risks aren’t they? So if you need product help, why not ask?
A Virtual Assistant can be competitive, but the best steps in any business are to start off slowly, and make sure that you have a Get Out of Jail Card ie get out of contract if the going get’s tough. There is a certain ease about getting out of an outsource, than firing an employee at home, isn’t there?
Jon Symons asks, “What if the Employee Drives Me Nuts Asking Questions?”
You know Jon we should go on TV: Breaking News!!!!
I run a club on Facebook called, ‘ Catch Friday and Take the Weekend, can i interview you there? I certainly would like to put Jon in the spotlight!
You know Filipinos generally don’t ask questions, are hardworking and objective, but the start of any new relationship takes give and take. An employee isn’t a dog! It generally takes a couple of weeks of busting your arse, not literally, to have the ideal virtual personal assistant working well with you. If you cannot do that then you shouldn’t even think of outsourcing.
The cost in the US of having a Virtual Personal Assistant is between US$20 – US$55, and the cost in CatchFriday in the Philippines is between US$7 and US$10 per hour. Big difference isn’t there.
Filipinos don’t work in sweat shops, they work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and have 15 days holiday a year and are paid 13 months in 12 months for the year. Respect people and your get a long way in life.
Catch Friday has clients that are loyal to them, and loyal in the way of years.
I can tell you I wouldn’t swap my virtual personal assistant, Angel Litel for anything, and i mean it!
Jon it’s true there is sometimes turnover, but if you treat people right, they won’t quit, don’t you agree?
Jon say he doesn’t ‘Actually do Tasks That Can Be Clearly Communicated to Another Person’ – hey dude do you need a mother? Maybe you should choose a well-organized person to help you?
Now let’s get back to the real world – have you ever had a PA? Ever anyone who worked for you, most secretaries gel to their boss, don’t you know?
Can I trust someone hired online? Well you have a point there, and that’s put me off outsourcing, but Catch Friday can allow you to choose your staff, interview them and check references. If you want to have insurance it can be arranged.
What if I can’t communicate properly with the employee? Well you interviewed them didn’t you? How about – a replacement. Filipinos speak English.
You decide.
Why don’t you ask what CatchFriday can do for you? They don’t only provide virtual assistants – they do so much more. Is there a job that you need done, that does not require a physical presence in your office?
Why not email them or fill in an Enquiry Form?
Or phone them UK Phone: +44 (0)20 8432 6450 US Phone: +1 315 753 0089
It’s free to ask questions!
Think Global and no matter where you are, they can do the work for you.
Rob added these pithy words on Dec 14 07 at 8:54 pmJon,
You are so spot on with every one of your points! I think I’ve captured most of them myself: http://www.outsourcedmylife.com.
But, hopefully in the process of weeding through all these issues (that are, for the most part also inherent in most employer / employee relationships) we’ll all get to the point where we can free ourselves from the more monotonous daily tasks and leverage other people’s time.
Multi-Entreprenuer added these pithy words on Jan 07 08 at 11:07 amI used Catch Friday — because the YMII an Brickwork were too busy (this has been several months ago). They spent ALOT of time doing absolutely nothing, refused to give me a different VA than the one originally assigned and ended up taking so much of my time managing them that I thought I would never outsource again.
I now use individuals in the US and have outstanding results, with little to no management on my part. Wow! When I think about what happened with Catch Friday I get chills, and I wonder how many people they have conned into giving them money.
Multi-Entreprenuer added these pithy words on Jan 07 08 at 11:12 amOne more thing that I thought about after going up and reading again what the person who’s “nephew” owns Catch Friday. I pay one US assistant $11, one $12 and one $5 per hour. Each one does different things, but they all do an excellent job.
Actually, the one I pay $12 to was the one that I got after the fiasco with Catch Friday, it took her a little over three hours to do all the tasks that for weeks I went round and round with Catch Friday on that were never accomplished.
Rupert Johns added these pithy words on Jan 07 08 at 11:46 amI used Dolma Web Services Inc, who run Catch Friday for the last two years and found them very good.
I paid on a monthly plan for a web designer and a web programmer – admittedly I paid around US$1200 a month.
Unfortunately the web designer I had, left them for another job, and I found a better deal in Pakistan.
However over two years I developed a very good working relationship with them.
ANGEL added these pithy words on Jan 07 08 at 3:09 pm10 Good Reasons why you need to OUTSOURCE to Catch Friday (Philippines)
1. We have the COURAGE:
Filipinos stand for what we believe in regardless of the odds against us, and the pressure that tears at our resistance. We impose and share our bright ideas that would benefit our customers. We try to take the lead, admit if we have done mistakes in the past and we give the assurance that we improve in the end. You get your moneys worth.2. We possess great STRENGTH :
We always keep a smile on our face even when there are times inside us we feel like dying because of people with untamed tongue, for the sake of supporting others. Just to satisfy their needs even if they are unreasonable for their demands. We keep that smile on our face and can control our temper/anger. Especially to clients who keeps mocking and demanding things that needs to be done but gives WRONG INSTRUCTIONS that prolongs a task. At the end blames Catch Friday for not doing the right task. When in fact they gave wrong instructions. We just laugh on those kinds of clients & make sure we improve after we have done with the mistake. We wanted to thank that client because after that experience, we were blessed to have more customers in the end.3. We have DETERMINATION.
Stopping at nothing and doing what’s in our hearts that we know is right. We have the determination to succeed. For the love for our family. We can bear not to sleep late at night just to work on the task that was assigned to us. We give our best not because of money but the strong determination to support the people we love & we care for.4. We have strong COMPASSION to our clients.
Doing more than what is expected, to make
another’s life a little more bearable, without uttering a single complaint.. Even if we have worked hard on the task, even if we have shared our skills & creativity. After all the things we have done for our client. We have the COMPASSION to forgive them. They can continue talking against Catch Friday… as long as there are people we have helped and have been satisfied. They become our strength. We love what we do. Whoever you are… you know what happened.. DON’T RUIN CATCH FRIDAY.. because you’re ruining yourself. Don’t think too highly of yourself. Be HUMBLE…5. We are HUMBLE:
We may have publicity online just to be known. Publicity of comparison between Catch Friday to other outsourcing companies. Those are publicities. WE have heartwhelming Virtual Personal Asistants. What is more important in publicity is the interaction of ideas and popularity. We are humble to admit our mistake but rebottle with respect for what we believe is right.6. Loyalty
We consider a client as our friend. We help our friends who are in need, no matter the time or effort, to the best of your ability. We give our time to them. We are customers’ Best Friend that they can count on. Even if we cannot do the task. We patiently work beyond our required time to learn the things we don’t know much or look for the right person who can help our friends who are in need with their task.7. We have LOVE.. we keep loving
We love what we do, we love each other and treat as a family. We all work together as a TEAM. We avoid PROUD people to belong our crowd. We remove bad apples in our basket and retain good fruits.8. INTELLIGENCE
We try to excel in everything we do. We believe in the principle that Ignorance is no excuse. If one of us commit mistake…instead of leaving them. We support & mold them to where they will excel. We give our full trust. If they give up. We give them the option to retain or to resign.9. Confidence
We are holding our head high and being the
best we know we can be when life seems
to fall apart at our feet, facing each
difficulty with the confidence that time
will bring us better tomorrows, And
never giving up. We know that in every storm the sun will always shines & at the end of a devastating storm rises a beautiful RAINBOW to give us hope.10. We belive in HOPE
We believe that after you have read this reaction article for the article that was posted about “ NOT TO OUTSOURCE.†We HOPE that you will try us even after you have tried GET FRIDAY, ASK SUNDAY or other outsourcing companies. We hope to give you our best service. We HOPE to provide you good service. LASTLY, WE HOPE GOD WILL GUIDE US!!! KEEP US AWAY FROM DETRACTORS !!
Lawrence Perry added these pithy words on Jan 08 08 at 2:33 pmSuch passion Multi-Entreprenuer from Angel at Catchfriday.com – never scorn a lady!
Incidentally you have spelt your name wrongly – it should be Entrepreneur – you may not be native English……
Passion is our secret
There are a thousand different online outsourcing companies on the internet now and in browsing each and every one of them, one would think to himself, “They’re all the same.â€
Of course there’s the usual bunch that seems to be on a frenzy of accepting jobs and delivering none. There are even those who price their services so high that you can’t even tell if you’re really cost saving or not. In short, the best and the worst are in there so it really becomes a burden to any searching client to find out who are true and who are not.
So what makes Catch Friday different?
We take pride of our passion for every product we produce. Needless to say, we treat each project as a trophy of our accomplishments bearing “our†trademark. With this concept, don’t we have the right to take pride of our craft?
At Catch Friday, you are not only acquiring professional service to solve your current needs. By acquiring our services, it means you are acquiring every privilege there is to be a boss and having things done the way you want it. It’s like receiving royal treatment at an affordable cost.
On having Catch Friday as a sourcing partner, you are assured that you are not just talking to a machine. We treat each and every customer as family and put the same amount of passion as if it were our own. We value the confidence that our clients give us and in turn repay them with quality outcome.
To us, each and every one of our clients comes first. Each client is assigned a Virtual Personal Assistant that meets his or her requirement or need.
Simply put, it’s getting your money’s worth. With Catch Friday you can sit back and relax and think of good thoughts because you’re assured that you’ll never miss a deadline again.