The Outsourcing Guide

The view on outsourcing has changed drastically in the past 10 years. And you're a small business owner, it's something you should seriously consider. Gone are the days of sweatshops in Guam, you can now hire PhDs in China and India who probably speak better English than your nephew to handle your day-to-day business for a fraction of the cost of hiring someone in person. If you still want to hire within the US, you can hire someone to work 'remotely' (via computer) to complete various web-based tasks.

Below are just some of the ways you can outsource your daily business needs:

Web and Graphic Design:

Looking to build your own website, but don't have a clue where to start. As someone who's been doing CSS/HTML for the past 10 years. It can be an incredibly complex task to start from the ground up with any site if you know what you're doing, but it can be an insurmountable task if you don't have a clue about web design.

-Elance
Elance is a website that features a huge collection of freelance professionals from all over the world--ranging from marketing specialists to web designers. It's incredibly easy to post a classifieds on their site and let people bid it out.

-Basekit
Do you know photoshop, but you're clueless when it comes to web design? Basekit has you covered you can actually upload an image from photoshop and turn it into a website through their innovative software. Best part? They're currently free!

"Virtual" (Personal) Assistants:

This is the latest crazy as everyone wishes they could have a personal assistant, but very few of us can actually afford to pay someone $10/hr+. I currently have a VA based in the Philippines (Did you know English is a nation language there?)

-ODesk
Need a ton of SEO content created? Looking for a personal assistant to handle those day-to-day tasks. Odesk had a variety of specialized and general assistants, so you can build a team to fit your business' needs.

-Crowdflower
Ever wanted to hire 1,000 people all at once? Well, that's just one of the way you can utilize Crowdflower! Their database of talent is at your disposal and there isn't a job too small or large that they can't handle.

Online Market:

-Shopify
The application is literally endless. You can create a retail business featuring your products in literally an afternoon.

Video Game Tester

I'm tired of all the misinformation that I'm seeing on the web about the interactive media industry (video game industry), particularly how to get a job as a video game tester. As someone who's done motion capture for a game developer, and regularly interacts with programmers, community managers, and pr within the industry, I'm appalled at the level of outright scamming that's going on, so I'm here to offer some REAL information about getting a job in this field. How to get a job as a Video Game Tester: -It's a job. Yes, it does pay, but the average pay is between $10-$15/hr which is great for someone looking to break into the industry, but not after you've graduated from college. (I have no idea where people are getting $60k/year figures from, but that's game DESIGNER rates.) -You need to live IN a city that the developer has a studio at. Cities like Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York City have numerous developers. (Google, "Dallas Gaming Mafia," to get an idea.) Don't believe me, check out Nintendo's official game tester recruiting page. -You'll need to be a minimum of 16 years old, preferably 18 years old, with good writing skills, and ofcourse, a background in gaming is also helpful. (It'll also help if you're active on the forums of whatever company you're looking to join or are a member of their advisory panel.) -Don't post your email address or phone number under articles/posts about 'video game jobs.' Recruiters don't scour the internet looking for potential testers, they read well-written resumes that are submitted to their website. The only thing you will get from this, is an unbelievably amount of spam. -Don't pay money for a website that will tell you how to get a 'video game tester' job. They'll take your money and give you all the information I just gave you for free. (Or lead you to believe a bunch of b.s.) -To find jobs, go to a game developer's website, look for "jobs/careers," click the link/tab, and then search for "tester."

Get Paid for Saving!

I love sites that reward me for doing the things I should be doing anyways. (Like paying down debt or saving up for emergencies!) With Saveup.com can securely connect with nearly every financial institution in the US that provides online banking services. Using this connection, SaveUp monitors account balances in order to issue 'credits.' Think of credits as reward points — every time you save money or reduce debt, we automatically award you SaveUp credits. Use these credits for the chance at cash and prizes. Use the credits you earn from saving money and paying down debt for a daily chance at cash, cars, vacations, and rewards up to a $2,000,000 jackpot. The more you save and reduce your debt, the more chances you have to win big!

Get a $5 Amazon G/C with Clover!

Much like Paypal, Intuit, and Square, a new kid on the block, Clover, is getting in on the smartphone payment action. Available in the US for Android 2.2+ and iPhone 3G and newer with iOS 4.2+, you too can get a $5 Amazon.com giftcard, plus, you invite up to 5 of your friends who can get $5 themselves! Just follow the steps: 1) Join clover.com. 2) Install an app and add just one credit card to your account. 3) You must be at least 13 yrs old with parental permission. (Seems to be okay for international users.)

Avoid the Drive Time & Long Waits!

I consistently notice that people waste a lot of gas and time going to places they don't need to go to, and waiting in lines they could simply avoid. There's so many services that will either deliver to your door, or pick up from your home that are either free of charge, or well-worth the convenience that they're impossible to pass up!

Post Office:
If you have a computer, debit/credit card, and access to a printer, you can pay for and print all your postage at home and have your mail man pick up your package free of charge!

You can also get FREE flat rate priority envelopes and boxes from the post office delivered DIRECTLY to your door! With the flat rate priority envelopes and boxes, if it's under 50 lbs, it ships for a flat rate. I almost NEVER pay for mailers anymore, and getting new mailers is as simple as putting in an online order on their site. They'll gladly ship the materials to you for FREE!

Amazon.com:
After having free Amazon Prime for a year, I'm looking to purchase it for myself. Being able to have anything I ordered delivered in 2 days or less for FREE was unbelievably convenient. Especially since Amazon sells WAY more than just books and movies. I recently bought a QUEEN SIZED memory foam mattress off the site for $250!!! Along with my platform bed for $150!!! I would've had to go to every sale's floor around to find deals like this, and THEN hoped they'd ship it for FREE to make it even worth my time.

Movies:
If you like indulging in the movie theater, then purchasing your tickets online is a MUST. No longer do you have to wait in long lines trying to get your ticket in time before the show starts. Check out sites like fandango.com and amctheaters.com. When you're ready to pick up, there'll be a separate kiosk for you to pick-up your tickets.

Or you can always sign up for netflix's and have movies delivered straight to your door, or watch them online through a PS3, Wii, or on your computer.