Tag Archives: #outsource

How to choose the right software development company

Once you decide that outsourcing is right for your business how do you make sure you find the right partner?

We’ve prepared a step-by-step guide covering the most important milestones in the process of  choosing the best partner. As the old saying goes, ‘the devil’s in the details’, so consider this a checklist to help you cover all the details, along with practical tips for each step.

Using it will seriously increase the odds of finding exactly the right partner. There are thousands of outsource software vendors, but your goal is to find the one that can build your software. Continue reading How to choose the right software development company

All you wanted to know about outsource

Even if you have the talent to do it all, it’s unlikely that you have the time or the energy.

That is why there are dozens of startups that will do it for you — driving, shopping, cleaning, etc.

When you use those services you are outsourcing; actually, you’ve been outsourcing some things forever — think dry cleaning.

Business outsourcing is done for the same reasons and works the same way.

Outsourcing simply means having others do the work.

Hand delete Hire word on blackboard with chalk for business outsourcing concept

image source: here

All kind of  jobs can be outsourced by companies seeking ways to supplement staff, reduce costs or save time or energy. There are  many other reasons to use someone’s help for your business.

And those ‘others’ can be local, domestic or overseas.

Putting solid effort into your project at the beginning will help make your project successful and that starts with finding the right vendor (individual or company), which includes performing in-depth due diligence no matter who refers them.

Whether you hire an individual or a company, it will be the quality and clarity of your communications that make or break the project.

All human interaction results in some kind of relationship and the success of each relationship is grounded in good communications. This is especially true when you reach outside your employee framework to get something done.

We queried Silo members, mostly entrepreneurs, and the response was unequivocal:  effective communications is an absolute requirement and it is the responsibility of the person doing the hiring to see that it happens. If parameters, expectations, delivery dates, budget, etc., are not clearly stated, understood and monitored, the likelihood of a less-than-stellar outcome is also the responsibility of the hiring person.

Beyond saving time and money, outsourcing, whether local or global, is a way to stretch all your resources.

It allows you to do more with less, which has been and always will be the smartest move for startups and SMB.

I sincerely hope this series will help you see outsourcing as another business tool that you can use with confidence.

Outsourcing: Finding the Right Vendor

As we said at the start of this series, outsourcing simply means hiring outsiders to perform tasks that would be done internally if the time and/or talent were available.  

Outsourcing often goes against the grain, since most founders believe that no one can do it as well/better than they can, so your first act is to put your ego in the closet until further notice.

Your outsourcing success will be based on the effort you expend finding the right partner, not the cheapest, and the strength of your communications.

The cost, complexity, scope and deadlines are your most important criteria when deciding whether you want the work done locally, domestically or off-shore.

аутсорс 1

image credit: here

Finding vendors, whether individuals or companies, to do whatever work you want done is easy; identifying the right one to hire is the difficult part. This is even more critical when outsourcing technical product development (software or hardware).

Start by asking trusted advisors (as opposed to your drinking buddies), preferably those who have outsourced themselves. It’s good to ask your network, just remember to consider the source of the recommendation along with the rec itself.

There are dozens of sites, such as Upwork (was Elance), CraigsList and Outsource.com, where you can browse the talent, but be sure to read the comments, too.

Obviously, you need to develop a detailed description of the skills and experience you need, just as you would if hiring in-house.

And, just as obviously, you need to do more than check their Yelp rating.

Time spent reference checking and actually speaking to previous clients can be the difference between a brilliant match and a mediocre one, because along with the technical skills for whatever the project, the human interaction needs to be positive, too. The last thing you need is arrogance that doesn’t listen or a contact who won’t ask questions to clarify something.

Once you identify a vendor you like, query your network to see if anyone has used them and talk to them (the same for other references) — it’s amazing what you can find out in a conversation as opposed to a text or bunch of yes/no questions.

The effort to successfully outsource is much like a marriage — finding the right partner and completing the courtship are the easy parts; the real work starts when the contract is signed.

Here are more resources to help you do it right.