Outsourcing has become somewhat of a buzz word in Internet marketing circles lately, especially since the release of Rich Shefren's Internet Marketing Manefesto, released over the summer of 2006. One look at the now infamous graphic on the cover, and it hit many of us like a ton of bricks. Now I understood why I was feeling so overwhelmed, battling marketer's ADD and information overload!

Because the majority of online marketers are running the show by themselves or with a limited pool of extra help, there are just too many tasks to complete alone. In addition to the time factor, it's very rare for any one individual to possess all the technical skills necessary to accomplish all aspects running an internet marketing business.

Not really a new concept, but it has taken on a new dimension as tens of thousands of people turn to the Internet in search of wealth and freedom - much like the Alaskan miners in the goldrush of 1899. However, there are a number of issues you should keep in mind when considering outsourcing, as an alternative to doing it yourself.

Skill level and time are the two main factors that lead online marketers to outsource, so it's important to know which of these two needs you are fulfilling when planning which tasks to outsource.

Delegating tasks on the basis of time savings, it's a valuable to understand what an hour of your time is worth relative to the task at hand. As an example, let's say it takes to five hours to do a task that it would only take 20 minutes to teach someone else how to do. If you've documented that training using on-screen video, you only have to do it once.

What else could you be doing during that five hours? Creating content? Working on product creation? Setting up a new JV? What are those activities worth compared to some tedious task that would cost you just a fraction of what your time is worth?

Outsourcing on the basis of skill expertise is a little trickier. It helps to know a little bit about what the task entails to be sure you're not being overcharged. You still need to be in control of the project, so that costs don't run away from you. For example, it helps to know a little bit of HTML code, if only to make it easy for you to make some changes on a site, fix typos, or change prices. These minor changes take just minutes, and knowing that can save you money (and aggravation) in the short term.

In the Internet age, we can now run an international company from a spare bedroom with virtual employees scattered all over the globe!

Outsourcing online is just a new spin on an old tradition that businesses have used throughout history, and knowing how to apply this in your business will increase your chances of success, and boost your bottom line. Happy outsourcing!

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