I recently hired my first full-time person and decided to go direct using Craigslist Philippines (story here).  While the person I hired was very smart, educated, had great experience, and was an amazing writer, he unfortunately was terribly unreliable. He never worked when he said he would and was horrible at tracking what he was doing and the time he was billing me for.

I re-posted my job again and Continue reading “Virtual-lified : The Story Of A Virtual Assistant”

According to Google Maps, the distance between California and the Philippine capital Metro Manila is 7,138 miles. And this is exactly how far the newest member of my team is from me — a 27-year old guy name Joseph. Outsourcing isn’t something every entrepreneur in the Western Hemisphere is comfortable doing, but this is an era when I can confidently say that we are living in a truly interconnected flat world. When you call the customer service or technical support department of your various big service providers, there’s a good chance that you’ll be attended to by Bharat in Mumbai rather than John in New York. Oceans away, but technology made it possible.

Anyway, back to Joseph… Continue reading “Hiring A Virtual Assistant Via Philippines Craigslist”

(Guest post by Mrs. Outsourced)

My husband and I recently returned from a trip to Costa Rica.  I LOVE that outsourcing allows us so much freedom to travel and explore!  We flew into San Jose and then stayed in Jaco and Playa Langosta before flying back home after two weeks.  We had an incredible time seeing wildlife – gorgeous, brilliant flying Macaws, howler monkeys, sloths, crabs (everywhere!) – and experiencing another mode of life.  We were amazed at how many people they fit on bikes there – and how they ride and walk in the streets with cars passing whenever/wherever they please.  Traffic laws there are more like suggestions than rules.  We loved the Continue reading “Living Abroad – Outsourcing In Latin America”

As many of the readers of this blog know, I’ve pretty much moved all of my outsourcing to ::oDesk(“a”):: .   I’ve been very happy with their platform and the workers / providers found through their system.   I’ve also met and been very impressed by their CEO Gary Swart & also their VP of Product StrategyMichael Levinson.

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to a “Mix & mingle with ::oDesk(“a”):: entrepreneurs”.    In the invite was the following: Continue reading “oDesk Mix, Mingle, & Sweatshops?”

I thought I’d take a moment to update this blog with my current status in outsourcing my life.

I’m still using ::oDesk(“a”):: as my primary source for talented (and inexpensive) worker bees.  At this point I feel like I’ve got a pretty solid group of individuals and am pleased with the services they provide and the quality of their work.

With that said, keep in mind that I adjust my expectations based on the amount I’m paying.   I often joke with friends that I don’t expect a $30 pizza from Little Caesars $5 Hot-N-Ready deal.   At the same time, when I do go to a fancy-smancy pizza joint with my friends and put down $30 for a pie, I expect a pretty freakin’ amazing pizza experience.   The same applies with my virtual assistants and other workers.   Where much is given, much is required!

I’ve still been focusing on many of the same tasks that I’ve been outsourcing for years, but over the past few months I’ve been moving into Continue reading “Outsourcing Updates 2011”