Chapter 37
Outsource Basic Tasks
What tasks can you outsource?
Outsourcing refers to the process of subcontracting work to a third party. In his New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and BusinessWeek best-seller, The 4-Hour Workweek, Tim Ferriss argues that you can outsource a huge portion of the clutter currently monopolizing your daily calendar. Even better, the process can remove a common bottleneck (yourself) and allow your business to thrive in your absence.
Today's online communication tools make it easier than ever to get help from the other side of the world. And guess what? The cost of living is very different in some of those places than it is here in America. What does that mean? It means that getting help won't cost you nearly as much as it would if you hired locally. A lot of people get frustrated at the process of outsourcing job functions to other parts of the world. They argue it contributes to the local unemployment rate and sabotages our domestic economy. And in many ways, they're right. It does. But the trends are clear and your competition will take advantage of the opportunities even if you don't. These realities are often difficult to swallow, but they're also impossible to ignore. There are highly skilled people in other parts of the world who are happy to help you for four or five dollars per hour. How can you use those resources to build your business?
I've done it myself. I have a virtual assistant in Chennai, India, and her name is Uma. I started working ...
