Work Yourself Up!

4 Quick Tips for Hiring a Ghostwriter

Writing content for your online business can be a time consuming and daunting task. If it is something that is not your passion or you truly don’t enjoy doing, hiring a ghostwriter is a great solution. These content professionals will write content for you based on your specifications, and you will own 100% exclusive rights to use it as you wish.

Many of us in the internet marketing profession are familiar with the phrase “Content is king”. What that translates to is, if you have fantastic content, your chance of success in your online business is good. However, if you don't have good content, your success on the internet is pretty much doomed.

Making the informed decision to hire a good ghostwriter may be the kick start your business needs to begin to flourish.

Quick Tip #1: Ask for References

As we know in any profession in life, there are good representatives, mediocre representatives and some pretty terrible representatives. This holds the same with the ghostwriting profession. Since you want the best for your business it's always best to ask for references. This will help you discover those who are truly great content producers, and weed out those who just don't have great talent for researching or writing.

Your online friends or business associates who have outsourced their writing successfully are excellent people to ask for a recommendation. If you're at a loss you can go to online marketing forums to see if anyone can steer you in the right direction. You'll likely get several different names, but you can visit the writers' websites to make your own informed decision.

You can also visit sites like eLance.com or Shelancers.com, and search Google.com for ghostwriters, too.

Quick Tip #2: Ask to see Samples

Though references are a good starting point, it is also smart to obtain writing samples before spending money on a ghostwriter. Even if you get a recommendation for a ghostwriter from a friend, you may later find out that you are not happy with her style of writing. The reference you received may have been from a trusted colleague or friend, but remember that everyone has different tastes and preferences in writing styles.

Start by requesting three samples from any potential ghostwriters, and, if you can, get samples written about your chosen niche. Once received, compare the articles and see “voice” or “style” you feel most drawn to. Of course grammar and spelling and quality of information should be taken into consideration as well.

Quick Tip #3: Be Clear About What You Want

A ghostwriter’s purpose is to write the work as if you had written it, if you had the time or inclination to do it yourself. If you assign a ghostwriter a task and say "do what you want with it", you may be disappointed with the results. By simply giving the writer some keywords or a brief outline, you can help them succeed which will ensure that you receive the content that you want.

Another good point is to be clear about any style or tone preferences that you may have. It will make the process go easier and it will make the relationship with your ghostwriter that much stronger. Providing samples of content that you do like will also help. Remember, we all make mistakes but conveying a clear purpose and expectations will make those mistakes less.

Quick Tip #4: Be Realistic With Prices

If you are developing a business while working on a tight budget, you may decide to hire an inexpensive ghostwriter. This may not be the best option in the long run, as the quality may be lacking and represent your business poorly. Of course, some excellent writers get their start by offering incredibly low prices, so you can find exceptions. However, for the most part, you oftentimes get what you pay for.

Thankfully, you don't have to be extremely wealthy to afford a ghostwriter, either. There are many reasonably-priced writers that do excellent work for a modest price. It is in your best interest to always do your research, collect references and ask for samples before considering employing any ghostwriter, no matter what their fee may be.

Hiring a ghostwriter is a great way to accomplish more in your business by doing less hands-on work. If you take the time to find a good ghostwriter who has quality samples, delivers work in the style you prefer, and has prices within your allocated budget, you will be on the road to working less and profiting more.

4 Quick Tips for Outsourcing on a Budget

Running an online business is extremely time-consuming. Whether the business is flourishing or just getting off the ground, there are countless tasks you must do to ensure its success. Many times one person cannot and should not attempt to do everything alone.

You can get help in your online business and increase your bottom line by outsourcing tasks that you don't want to do, don't know how to do, or don't have the time to do.

By taking the time to find good people to outsource tasks to, you can almost be certain that you'll save both time and money in the long run and increase your revenue greatly over the life of your business.

Use these quick tips to help you get started, even if you're on a tight budget.

Quick Tip #1: Examine Your Budget and the Going Rate

When running an online business, it is always important to define a budget. A common error is to set aside more money than you can afford when you're first beginning to outsource projects. A smart idea is to allocate a percentage of the money you are bringing in only for outsourcing. This way you'll be able to steadily grow your profits by leveraging the work of others.

For instance, if you decide to reinvest 10% of your profits into outsourcing, then, as your income grows, the amount you spend on outsourcing will grow, as well.

The size of your budget is not what is important; you need to figure out how to use this money to benefit your business in the best way possible.  This will change depending on the tasks you are outsourcing.

Visit freelancing sites like Elance.com, Shelancers.com, Workaholics4Hire.com or RentACoder.com. Notice which types of projects people are bidding on and how much they are offering to complete them. See then how this fits with your allocated budget.

Quick Tip #2: Be Honest with Yourself

After making the decision to outsource, make sure you are honest with your decision.

Are the tasks that you have decided to outsource truly something that you cannot do yourself?  If it is something that you may be able to accomplish, it would save you from wasting money from out of your budget. This would also allow you to allocate another task for outsourcing either now or in the future when the need arises.

Take the time to really think about what tasks need to be outsourced and what just might not be a favorite task to perform yourself. To differentiate between the two can save you money; time and can get your true priorities accomplished quicker.

However, as Nicole Dean of OutsourceWeekly.com teaches, you should always outsource your roadblocks first. If you're stuck – outsource that task first so that you can move towards profit. For instance, if you're working on an ebook, but don't know how to set up your shopping cart, then outsource the setup so that your ebook can begin selling. If you've got a product, but don't have the guts to go get JV partners or interviews, then outsource that. Whatever obstacle stands between you and profit – outsource that first.

Quick Tip #3: Search for the Best People

It is in your best interest to research before hiring a contractor.  Remember that you are working within your budget, so outsourcing haphazardly can result in a loss of precious funds, especially if you need to have the work redone.

Take your time and do not make an uninformed decision. Use all available resources, ask for references, and speak to others, visit websites, look at samples, anything you can do to get a clearer perspective on someone you are considering. If you take this task seriously, you will certainly improve your odds for positive results.

Another tip that Nicole Dean from OutsourceWeekly.com recommends is to give a small task to three people to test them and find out which is the best fit for you before investing a large amount of money with any one person. For instance, if you need 15 articles, hire 3 separate ghostwriters to write 5 articles each. Find the articles you like best, and the person who was the easiest to work with, and, of course, weigh in price. Whoever “wins” the challenge – you will certainly want to continue to work with.

Quick Tip #4: Consider Trades and be Creative

If you need to outsource tasks but have used your allocated funds for the month, there are other options. Simply use your imagination to figure out alternative ways to outsource.

One way may be to trade services with other internet marketers. It is likely that a task that you can finish in ten minutes may take someone else ninety minutes and vice versa. Offer to trade tasks. That way you are not only saving time but money as well. This is a great idea to build relationships with other individuals for future joint ventures that may arise as your success on the internet increases.

Outsourcing on a budget isn't always easy, but it is possible. All you need to do is plan ahead, do your research and use your imagination to come up with win-win scenarios. This will help the process run smoothly and simply, ensuring that you will outsource again in the future.

Online Business Owners: Avoid These 5 Outsourcing Mistakes

For those considering outsourcing in their online business, the goal is to create a more profitable company while streamlining the owner’s work. Taking the time to avoid common outsourcing mistakes will make the process go much smoother and avoid the feeling that you are spinning your wheels and getting nowhere. 

As with any part of business, outsourcing has its good and bad points, however if you are aware of the potential problems before hand, you increase your chances of an enjoyable experience.

Here are 5 potential outsourcing mistakes every online business owner should be aware of, in order to avoid making them.

1. Not Knowing Who You Are Dealing With

Most business owners who outsource will tell you the biggest benefit of doing so is the fact that their assistants work remotely. The number one problem when it comes to outsourcing, though, is not thoroughly checking out the contractor or company who will be performing the work.  Keep in mind that sometimes this independence can work in the opposite direction if not taken seriously.  Make it a point to carefully interview the people you are considering working with before assigning a task or project to them. The person or company should be someone you can trust to represent your business.

2. Non-Communication between Owner & Assistant

Whether you are outsourcing tech support, writing, web design or something else, there is a great deal of effort needed in order to keep the lines of communication open.  If you allow your workers to do work for you without communicating your goals and what it is that you need, you will find that they your work will not be done as you’d hoped. Assistants are not mind-readers and do need guidance.  Take some time to make sure that you and the people you outsource to understand your expectations.  This is an important part of making sure that you get what you need.

3. Forgetting to Budget Wisely

In order for outsourcing to work properly, you’ll need to keep a good eye on what you are spending for the work being done. While some projects will require single payments to your assistant, others may involve recurring or retainer payments and you will more than likely have some type of contract or agreement that binds you. Some of your assistants may charge by the hour while others may invoice by project or expect payment based on a commission of some sort. Take the time to figure out how much money you can afford to spend on certain tasks and budget appropriately.

4. Under Utilizing Your Contractor & Their Resources

When you choose to outsource certain tasks, make certain you are using your assistant to their fullest capabilities and not just outsourcing for the sake of outsourcing or splitting up work between two assistants when it makes more sense to have one handle both jobs. Sometimes you can find freelancers who are willing to work on a recurring basis or who will complete larger projects at a reduced rate in order to get and keep your business. Don’t be afraid to ask potential contractors if they have room for more than just one or two jobs and don’t outsource something just to say that you’re on the outsourcing wagon.

5. Misunderstanding Your Role as the Outsourcer

As the one doing the outsourcing, you need to understand your role. In order for the relationship between business owner and assistant to flourish, you’ll want to keep the lines of communication not only open, but clear as well. Be detailed in what you expect from your help.  Also keep in mind that you are probably not their only client and as much as you would love to have them all to yourself, that probably isn’t the case. Be respectful of their time and give feedback on their work. This will help them do a better job and respect your time in return.

Making yourself aware of possible problems that often occur in the outsourcing relationship now allows your business to grow by leaps and bounds. Don’t be afraid to start your outsourcing journey, especially that you are now better prepared to do so.

5 Easy to Outsource Tasks for Online Businesses

When you are looking to save yourself time and to make sure that your online business is running to the best of its ability, you will find that one of the things that you should look at is outsourcing.  You may consider outsourcing to be something that only huge companies do, but you’ll find that online business and outsourcing are a perfect fit. Because online business calls for a wide variety of skills and talents, no one person can or should tackle them all on their own. There are several tasks that can easily and, more importantly, beneficially be outsourced elsewhere. Here are just a few of them.

Writing

For many people, writing is not a strong point in their business. Therefore, putting well written, action provoking content on their website is a difficult task. However, this is NOT an area to be skimped upon when it comes to online business. The content on a website has a direct effect on search engine rankings. Copy that is neglected will show when it comes to a business’ bottom line. If you find it difficult to get the results you are looking for with your writing, consider outsourcing it to a qualified writer.  You will find that there are a ton of freelancers who can help you get the content you want, to help generate sales from your visitors.

Website Design

If you are running an online business, you need to put as much time and effort into your website as you would a brick and mortar store.  Getting an attractive, easy to use website is not easy and you will find that there are many professional website designers who are looking to wow you with their expertise.  This is something that is well-worth the money spent. You'll be able to rest assured that your website design is attractive and easy to navigate, which is always a plus for turning visitors into buyers.

Search Engine Optimization

If you run an online business, you already know how important search engine traffic is to your success.  In order to rank high for your keywords and phrases, hiring a search engine optimization expert or link-building service will help to put you on the map. Search engine optimization, when done correctly, will increase the traffic to your website and is an easy way to get your business name out there for the entire world to see.

Customer Support

For those who sell a product, whether it’s candles or ebooks, more than likely you will need customer support. Outsourcing is a great deal easier than putting together a full support staff, training them, and then getting them set up with equipment. When outsourcing customer support, you will be making the most out of your time and ensuring that your customers get the most out of their products.

Blogging

If you’ve been online for any amount of time, you already know that Web 2.0 and all that goes with it are important parts of your business. One way to add value to your business is to create a blog. You can easily find a qualified contractor to help you update the blog and provide ghostwritten blog posts for you. A great way to keep in touch with customers, clients and others interested in your business, outsourcing your blog tasks will keep you from overextending yourself. 

Outsourcing is something that every business owner, whether large or small, can do to help make their business more successful. Put the work in the hands of the experts and you can focus on the things that you enjoy and come easier to you.

5 Benefits of Outsourcing for Online Business Owners

When you are in business for yourself, especially one that is conducted online, you'll find there are a number of different things for you to learn about that can save you time and make you money. Outsourcing is by far one of the more exciting things to discover and put to use. 

All too common is the business owner who feels they have to do everything themselves in order for things to go smoothly in their online venture. This couldn’t be farther from the truth! In case you’re curious about why so many online business owners are singing the praises of outsourcing, keep reading to see just five of the many benefits it can obtain.

More Value for Your Time

When you own an online business, one of the most important things to remember is how much your time is really worth.  When you think about the dull or repetitive tasks that you are doing, you'll find this work is not worth your high per hour price tag!  When you outsource, you'll pay someone else to take care of those responsibilities while you give attention to the more important, money-making projects.

Saving Resources

Think about everything that goes into the tasks that you would outsource.  This will range from things like your time and space to costs such as Internet and software. After awhile all of these costs add up. For instance, graphics software can get quite expensive.  If you are outsourcing an activity, you get more than just the task itself out of the way.  You will also get someone who specializes in areas of your business that you may not know quite as well as or have no desire to learn. More than likely these people will already have the tools needed to complete their assignment. Depending on the project, this might save you money and learning time.  This brings me to the next benefit of outsourcing.

Going to the Experts

The tasks you are outsourcing might not be ones that you have no desire to learn about, whether they are troubleshooting, manufacturing, taking orders, website design and maintenance, or something else.  By handing the work over to an expert who enjoys and makes it their business to know these things, you'll be able to take advantage of their knowledge in the area without having to learn it yourself. This in turn will give your customers or clients more than you could possibly give them yourself. 

Expand

When you outsource, you will soon realize that you are in a great place when it comes to getting more involved with your business.  You will be able to expand and provide everything your customers need.  Outsourcing frees you up to try new things with your business, learn more and experience new aspects of your industry. 

Accountability

When you outsource, you will have a contract with the person or company you are working with. By having someone else who is depending on work from you, you are more apt to stay ahead of the game by planning better and making sure that you’re tasks are getting completed as well.

When you first begin learning about and implementing outsourcing techniques within your business, you’ll find out those boring or repetitive tasks can easily be handed off to someone who enjoys doing them. This will allow you, as the business’ owner, to free up more time to concentrate on more important aspects of your business such as product creation, advertising, networking and other marketing practices.

These are the things that will help your business to grow even more profitable.

The Logo for This Site...and How it Came to Be

In October, I decided to create a logo for this site and the other stuff I'm releasing under the "Work Yourself Up!" name.  Decided to do it via a "contest" on SitePoint.com.

Here's a thread I posted about the process as well as the entries which were submitted.

What happened...

I picked a logo I wanted, only to find the designer was from Israel and was unable to accept Paypal or a standard check.  Wanted me to get some kind of special money order and send it to him via registered mail.

A huge pain in the ass for me, but I liked his work and wanted to deal with him.  And because I hadn't been specific about how he would be paid, just assuming that everybody has Paypal or can accept a wire, it was only fair. 

But when I asked if there were other options to send him money, such as Xoom.com, I never heard back.  A couple more emails... Never heard back.

So I ended up getting the logo I've been using here for the last 5-6 months from a guy on Scriptlance.  Gave him the elements I had used an an example and he did the rest...and for a lot less money, too.

Mistakes I made with SitePoint...

1. I didn't get in and leave feedback for the logos which were being submitted, as they were coming in, just assuming that no feedback meant I didn't like it and that I'd make my final selection after the contest was over. 

But these guys, from what I can tell, are willing to work with you to get the project and expect to get feedback as the contest process is happening.  That's a good system, so if you're willing to give good instruction to people and comment on logos which are submitted, SitePoint's "contest" system might work for you.

Giving feedback and being more on top of the process would have probably gotten me more submissions and better quality submissions, which probably would have gotten me better results.

2. As I mentioned above, I didn't get specific with how I was willing to pay people.  I've gotten so used to sites like on Scriptlance, which has a built-in escrow system, I didn't think anything about it.

I still think SitePoint is a good system and would recommend it.  It's very cool to see the amazing things that people from all over the world come up with.

If you guys use SitePoint, or have used it in the past, please let me know. I'd love to see the results you've had! 

The People You Hire Online...

By hiring people for outsourcing, you're not only doing your business good; you're also changing lives and giving people opportunity that they might not otherwise have.  You're helping these folks live their dreams, feed themselves and their families, and create better lives.

But when the only way you communicate is via email, or through a project manager, it's sometimes hard to remember that you're working with real people, with real lives.  And that's why I'm posting this video...

Thoughts?  Post them in the comment section...

How the Gurus Make Money...

Continuing the topic of my typical day and how I do it...

I like my work, but I also like doing other things.  Yesterday, I started off in the yoga studio and was there for a couple of hours. Then I dropped by the radio station to cut a show, took a nap afterward, and finished the day by going dancing.

And all my "dirty work" was being done though...for pennies on the dollar by highly skilled people overseas.

Click this link and learn how to do the same thing.

Here's the bottom line...

YOU CAN'T DO THIS ON YOUR OWN!   YOU NEED HELP!

If you want to make big money online, you're going to have to outsource some of your work.

If you want to live a really great lifestyle, you're going to have to outsource some of your work.

Get the info on how to make it happen. Take a look and let me know what you think!!

$25 to Start a Business

As you probably already know, it's possible to outsource work to very skilled people for not a lot of money.  A fulltime (40 hours per week) worker from a service like Your Outsourcing Solution will only run you about $500 per month and that includes a Canadian-based concierge to handle everything for you.

Why so little?  Your money goes a long way overseas.

With that said, here is something you may be interested in...

Kiva.org is a non-profit that allows you to make a small 0% loan to low income entrepreneurs in the developing world.  Individuals like you can help provide affordable working capital for the poor -- money to buy a sewing machine, livestock, etc. -- and empower them to earn their way out of poverty.

By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can "sponsor a business." Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from  the business you've sponsored.  As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back.

A good return on $25, if you ask me...

Visit Kiva.org to sign up.  And if you want to get an idea of the types of businesses you can help, take a look at my profile page.

PLEASE DIGG OR BOOKMARK THIS VIA DELICIOUS TO HELP SPREAD THE WORD!