Outsourcing some of the tasks within your business can have many advantages if you choose wisely when awarding the work to someone. It can be much cheaper than employing people to do the same work and gives you access to expertise that you might not need full-time, or be able to afford. It gives you the chance to find the best partner from anywhere in the world as most outsourcing is done remotely.

The first step is identifying which tasks you want to outsource and the second step is to start looking for the right outsourcing partner. There are many online resources to help you achieve this, but you still need to find out more before you agree to let someone help with the work.

Consider the Skills You Need

There are so many different tasks you can outsource that first of all you need to decide which ones you are going to find a partner for and what skills you want them to have. For instance, if you want someone to take care of your social media, they need to have experience and to be a person that can be positive at all times.

If you want someone with Python development skills, they will need to be adept at problem-solving, critical thinking and adaptable. Ideally, they will be able to use other program languages and be able to use web frameworks. These skills, as with many others, are often found overseas, the Philippines being just one example that has many experts in this field. Take a look at FullScale.io and you will find the reasons for this explained in detail, as well as how they can help you find the right Python developer.

Look at Testimonials

When you find someone you think might be suitable you have to go through several stages to ensure you have made the right choice. The first of these is looking at their track record and the easiest way to do that is by reading the testimonials from previous partners.

These will not only tell you if they met deadlines and if the quality of the work was up to standard, but can also give you more of an insight into their past projects. Most people on the outsourcing platforms have good and bad reviews and this can help you to see where their strengths and weakness lie.

Ask for References

Although most times a partner will only give you the names of people to contact that they know will give them a good reference, chatting with previous customers can be very enlightening. It will let you find out if they have a responsible attitude towards their work, what their turnaround times are like and the quality of their work.

Chat with Them

You can find out a lot about a person by having just a 15-minute chat with them. Ask about their business aims and let them know yours. Knowing what the goals are for both of you can help towards a better understanding of the work you want them to undertake.

Having a chat will also let you find out if cultures are going to clash. This can sometimes be a problem and it is better to find out now.  The same can be said of personalities. Sometimes, for no apparent reason, people just do not get on together. You will want to outsource to people that you can forge long-term relationships with and if you do not hit it off with this person straightaway, that is unlikely to happen.

See Samples of Previous Projects

If everything is looking good between you, ask to see samples of the freelancer’s previous work. This will let you see if what they produce meets your expectations, and will give you more idea if they will be able to fulfill the role you have in mind for them. Sometimes, they can be restricted in the samples they send you because of none disclosure agreements. If this is the case, request that they complete a small task for you, for which you will pay them of course, and that will help to achieve the same aim.

When you have been through all these processes you will have hopefully found the right outsourcing partner for your business. Unfortunately, only actually working with them will show if this is the case, and to start with there may have to be a bit of a learning curve between you as you both get to know each other better. Even huge multinationals outsource some tasks though, as it can be more flexible than employing people.