Outsource with Ease on Upwork

After experimenting with many outsourcing platforms, I encourage you to use Upwork to simplify your hiring, project management, tracking, and finances. This section explains how Upwork differs so you can make an informed decision.

In this section:

00:00 - The benefits of hiring through Upwork

00:53 - My own story

01:32 - Incredible searchability

02:08 - Searchable message system

02:39 - Interview/meeting options

02:59 - Time clock/screen capture

03:52 - Sortable invoices

04:54 - There are two ways to hire freelancers on Upwork

05:25 - Fieldwork

Some people believe that hiring for wages less than the going US rates makes them cheap or abusive. Many feel uncertain, or even unsafe, hiring internationally.

Especially in the past, I couldn't afford to pay US rates. Either I would have to do the work myself, or it just wouldn't get done.

When I did it myself, the quality often suffered, because I didn't have the time or skill to do it well.

I have found tremendous freedom, delight, and new friends by outsourcing internationally, especially to the Philippines and India. I pay a fraction of the cost, while blessing the lives of my outsourcers who work hard, produce at a high quality, and are simply wonderful people. 

FIELDWORK

Pull up your saved document from Lecture I and use it to complete the fieldwork for this section.

In this training:

00:00 - Outsourcing to other countries

00:47 - A story about outsourcing on Upwork

03:45 - Why you should consider international

03:38 - Because you can!

04:00 - People are people and you need help

04:30 - Everyone needs to earn a living

06:28 - Price does not always equal quality

07:18 - You will be able to scale an entire team faster

09:38 - Using international outsourcing will allow you to do things you would not have done otherwise.

12:03 - Flatten the steep learning curve

12:32 - Fieldwork

This section is the SECRET SAUCE of outsourcing success.

The reasons people don't try it, or quit after a bit, include:

• It's confusing

• Hard to find good help

• Takes too long

• Swamped by too many applications (mostly unqualified)

• Outsourcers did not show up, measure up, or produce quality work

• Paid too much for too little

All of that changes now!

Using the strategies and cheat sheets here, you'll be ready to outsource with ease.

FIELDWORK:

Go hire somebody! Congrats!

In this session:

00:00 - Recruiting helps improve productivity

01:28 - How to find quality providers quickly

02:35 - Why create short-term projects first

04:08 - Use reviews to vet candidates

04:28 - How to make a job posting on Upwork

05:57 - Select small or medium because it allows you to test your skills and performance before committing

06:12 - Estimate the scope

07:25 - Select the preferred talent location

07:57 - Lessons learned

10:00 - Why to never open job postings to the public

10:27 - Budgeting for your project

10:30 - Hire by the hour or by the job

11:33 - Hourly rates vary with project type

11:40 - The rates on Upwork are lower than the rates on LinkedIn

12:07 - Based on cost-of-living, use ⅓ or ½ of the hourly rate to hire from the Philippines or India

12:14 - Start the conversation with a summary of what you are looking for

13:00 - Use screen share options

13:29 - Use one simple screening question. Add your own vs. one provided by Upwork

14:45 - Always select Invite Only. It's the key to quickly finding people who are a perfect fit

15:52 - Introduction to using filters to search for freelancers

15:56 -  Job title to the search box

16:10 - Use the cheat sheet

17:08 - Why to always select the native or bilingual English level

17:33 - Anything that can be completed or delivered digitally is ideal for outsourcing

17:45 - Some country's outsourcers are better at certain things than others

18:43 - Expect different internet speeds and outage rates

20:05 - I usually use United States freelancers for final edits

20:34 - Fieldwork: Hire a freelancer

20:24 - Treat them well

21:30 - Add a culturally appropriate greeting

21:40 - Provide screen share tutorials as often as possible

22:04 - Remember to review the step-by-step demonstrations and hiring process videos

This 9 minute video shows every step from posting a job to job completion. It also shows how I re-hire this outsourcer after successful project completion. This freelancer is still working for me as a VA. A great find.

Use this Google spreadsheet to personalize your search filters.

Use this for times you are seeking a long-term VA or other support person, but want to test the outsourcer before offering full job details. This document contains instructions, a template, and an example.

There is a new, faster way to add team members at Upwork. This short video walks you through two examples. Instead of creating a new Job Post per opening, you can just use the message center to invite. So fast and easy! Enjoy