If you have been running an online business for any length of time, you probably are aware of the benefits of outsourcing some of your work at some point in time. But, if you are just starting out with your business, you will learn later just how much you’ll rely on outsourcing when your business grows to a level when managing all your day-to-day activities yourself becomes virtually impossible.

But here’s the problem…

How do you monitor outsourced work that is done for you remotely by people you don’t know, possibly at different geographic locations (half-way around the world)?

The solution…

HiveDesk Provides Automated Tool Tracking Services

What they can do for you

HiveDesk provides a service that uses an automated tool to help you keep track of any person or company you have assigned to do the work.  Essentially, HiveDesk provides you with a web solution to manage quite effortlessly all outsourcing tasks using state of the art software.

All you have to do is sign up for a free account with HiveDesk and then create your project, which is the work you want to get outsourced. After you log-in to the application and the dashboard, you add your members’ email IDs, which are the the email addresses of the person/s who will be doing your outsourcing work for the project.

How they track your workers

Let’s call the person doing your work your “worker” for the sake of this post, and your worker installs and logs into to the desktop application software called ‘HiveDesk Tracker.’ When your worker is ready to start work on your project, he/she will select your project that you have created. Once the ‘check-in’ takes place, the time tracking on the work starts, and screenshots will be sent and updated every 10 minutes into his/her work assignment. When all the work has been completed, your worker simply clicks “check out.” It really is that simple.

My Thoughts on HiveDesk

Let me just say that I was under no obligation to write this post about HiveDesk. I was not compensated in any way, and any link contained in this post is not an affiliate link, and I will not earn a commission if you sign up and pay for HiveDesk’s services.

Cory, the creator of HiveDesk, asked me if I would be willing to do a write-up for his new application as they just recently launched. So, I wrote this post as a goodwill gesture without expecting anything in return from him. This is my way of giving back and doing something nice for my fellow businessman. Just wanted to make that clear. Thanks!

Okay, so here’s my take on HiveDesk.

1. The whole process is pretty simple, and it should appeal to people who have been putting off outsourcing work because they were unable to monitor the work in progress of the people designated for the job. Let’s face it, getting a good price and seeing the end result isn’t always enough. Knowing what goes on in between is where the heart of the matter lies.
2. You know exactly how much time your workers take to complete the job, so you can be rest assured that you won’t end up overpaying anyone for the outsourced work, provided of course the hourly rate agreed upon is also reasonable.  HiveDesk is able to identify and record any idle time which will be deducted from the chargeable time spent on the project. It’s good to note that this system has a feature to let you set the allowable ‘idle time’ that you consider reasonable. Very cool.
3. You’ll get screenshots to keep updated with the work every 10 minutes, or whatever time frequency you prefer to set.This puts you in complete control of your projects. I don’t think I need to tell you what can go wrong if you lose control of the outsourced work, and I don’t mean just the cost of the project, either. The adverse implications could be a lot worse if, for example, your work involves a big project like joint ventures, as any delay in the project may have serious consequences.
4. The system helps increase the trust between you and the person working on your project, and this is important given that some of the work may require you to release some confidential information before work can be completed.
5. HiveDesk seems to be a great automation tool to consider using for your outsourcing needs. However, only you can determine if the new monitoring tool will really help you. It depends on the type of outsourcing work that you currently engage others to do. If it’s something simple as writing articles or other simple work, you may not see any real benefits or justification.  I’m guessing this is why HiveDesk provides a free account for those that only need one project with one worker with a total of 15 hours.
6. In my opinion, this automation tool will work better for completely new workers who have never done any of your past outsourcing work. Otherwise, the trust that you may have already built with familiar workers may suffer if you have them do your work through HiveDesk’s  monitoring system.

Overall, I think HiveDesk has many, many benefits for those looking to outsource some of their online business work and want to make sure they’re getting what they pay for.

Also, HiveDesk can also be used to find outsourcing work for those that want to offer their freelance services.

You might think that HiveDesk is very similar in nature to the oDesk Team software, and you’d be right. However, with HiveDesk, there’s no 10% fee to worry about which can really add up. You pay a flat monthly fee to manage your workers.

If you do decide to give HiveDesk a try, tell Cory I sent you.

The following is a guest post by Kyle Simpson. If you would like to Guest Post on this blog, please contact me.

Some people just seem to have a better grasp of the English language than others.  Whether they know grammar, spelling, and punctuation like the back of their hands or they have a proven ability to turn a phrase, they can inform, influence, and inspire with their work.  And yet, a strong background in poetry, prose, or even technical writing does not necessarily ensure the ability to make a living with your craft.

So, here are 5 simple tips to help you get it together and adapt your writing style in such a way as to provide for a viable occupation.

1. Try everything.  You won’t really know what you’re capable of until you try, so get your hands on all kinds of work.  Write for publications and blogs with all different subjects, try your hand at marketing or advertising, create an e-zine, or pen some technical service manuals.  The ability to diversify will only make you more marketable (and it will help you figure out what you excel at and what you might want to avoid).
2. Join a service.  As a freelance writer, you will spend a lot of time hustling for jobs and fielding rejections.  This can be extremely disheartening.  To avoid some of the hassle, join a free website like Elance or ODesk that allows you to create a profile (that companies seeking service can peruse) and apply for jobs posted by their patrons.  If you get good reviews and offer a variety of samples, you may soon notice that you receive enough offers to keep you busy indefinitely.
3. Keep learning.  The best writers hone their style through both research and practice, so don’t be too hasty to rest on your laurels.  Just because blogging is big right now doesn’t mean it will keep you employed for the next ten years, so make sure you learn the ins and outs of different types of writing so that you have something to fall back on if the bottom of your bread-and-butter workload suddenly drops out.
4. Be professional.  This means you deliver what the client wants and exercise due diligence to ensure that your submissions meet their standards.  For example, an informative article written for a celebrity blog (think TMZ) is probably not suitable as a press release (even if they contain the same basic information).  And if you can’t tell the difference in style, you are going to be hard pressed to expand your business.  So put in the time to learn various formats so the client isn’t forced to explain your job to you (or give you the send-off).
5. Own it.  Your skill with language and proactive attitude will help you land jobs.  But it’s the personal flair you add to your work that will interest people in hiring you again and again.  Putting your personal stamp on your writing is what makes it desirable, so don’t be afraid to own it.  All famous writers are recognizable in their way.  For example, you wouldn’t confuse Stephen King with Edgar Allan Poe, or Jane Austen with J.K. Rowling.  In the long run, a signature style will get you a lot further than dotting the “i”s and crossing the “t”s.

About the Author: Kyle Simpson writes for Medical Coding Certification where you can find more information about a career and training in the medical field.

Freelance work from home isn’t a new concept by any means. There are many freelancers that enjoy spending the day at home doing various work for different clients. The internet has made this possibility even more of a reality for many people.

Basically, if you have  a specific skill or skill set, there’s no reason why you can’t find freelance work from home. If you have a particular interest or are very knowledgeable in a specific area, chances are that you can get paid to render your services in that area.

You might be saying you don’t have any skills or aren’t qualified in any specific area, so finding freelance work from home is out of the question. Well, the fact that you’re reading this proves that theory wrong. Even if you have basic computer skills, which I’m assuming you do, you may just find someone that is need of your knowledge.

Even so, there’s quick ways to learn and get the knowledge necessary to render services for others in a specific area. You could take an online course for an area of interest and get certified. This is what I did after I lost my job over a year ago. It has paid off very well and is well worth it.

One website where you can get such training and take an online course is UniversalClass.com. Here they offer classes for just about any subject, and after completion, you’ll be certified and have the knowledge necessary. The next step after that will be to get some experience.

To get your feet wet and eventually do freelance work from home full-time, you’ll need to find a constant stream of work. This can be a bit challenging to say the least. Fortunately, there are websites that connect freelance service providers with people looking for freelancers.

List of freelance sites to check out:

• GetAFeelancer.com
• IFreelance.com
• ODesk.com
• Elance.com
• RentaCoder.com

This isn’t an all-inclusive list of feelance sites, but this will give you a good start to find freelance work. I’m a member of a few, but I’ll be honest, I have yet to get any work through these sites. I get most of my work through forums.

Forums can be a great place to find freelance work from home. It might be a little unorthodox or different than what you’re used to, but this is how I get all of my freelance work. There are many benefits to this avenue.

With forums, you don’t have to spend time bidding on projects that appeal to you. This can be time-consuming, and with a hundred other competitors all bidding on the same project, the chances of winning the project aren’t very good.

If you already have the experience then being seen as an expert in your field won’t be difficult. Just back up your claims with real testimonials from satisfied customers/clients. Notice I said “real” testimonials… that’s very important. You never want to fake testimonials for any reason.

Forums usually have an area to advertise for a product or service. Use this to your advantage to get your name out there. If you have to, do some work for free in exchange for some testimonials. You may just gain a regular client from it in the process.

Adding a link in your forum signature to a web page that describes what you do and the services you offer is another benefit to take advantage of. This can get you good exposure, and anyone interested will click on the link and may just become a new client.

For me, the services I offer are appealing to the members of the various forums I’m a member of. So for me, this strategy is very advantageous.

Regardless of how you find freelance work from home, online or offline, just know that it’s a great way to earn money and work from home.

What are some ways you go about finding freelance work, whether it’s online or offline?