Glossary Series Day 13: Outsource

This post is part of the Glossary Series, a conversation designed to develop and clarify the language we use to describe online communication. As Year 2008 comes to a close, the emerging Glossary of Online Communication will be published along with a selection of the comments from my readership. I hope to see your comments among them.

When I first read Tim Ferriss’ book, The 4-Hour Workweek, I was intrigued by the concept of outsourcing “for the little people.” Outsourcing has a bad name in average consumer circles, as it is linked to the loss of jobs in the U.S.

But what happens when sole proprietors and small business people make use of the global economy, and outsource some tasks that they would otherwise accomplish by using their own precious hours? Yes, perhaps some people have taken the idea to a ridiculous fringe, outsourcing their Dear John letters and their grocery lists. I’ve started to realize that this is not so crazy.

Day 13: Outsource

Outsource: To give a task or a group of tasks to another entity, as a way of increasing business efficiency.

Let me know how you’ve been outsourcing – and what you would send out if you understood how it worked. I’d also like to know any outsourcing experiences people have had. Good, bad?

Suzanna

See eLance to learn more about how to outsource

See more about extreme outsourcing

Read more of the Glossary Series