Average Joes, Janes Outsourcing Tasks

Growing Trend: Using Web, Even Phone To Hire Help For Projects Big And Small

(CBS)  If you think hiring personal assistants is just for the rich and famous, think again. Millions of Americans are now getting help on the cheap for all sorts of tasks.

How?

Online, of course! And even by phone.

Early Show consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen says anyone can outsource to get a hand with everything from organizing parties to planning trips, buying groceries, paying bills -- even putting together weddings!

Brian and Gisele Piepgrass needed help with their celebration.

Brian was living in San Diego, Gisele was in Phoenix, the wedding was in Milwaukee -- and they used the Internet to hire an assistant -- in India -- who helped them find a photographer, book the transportation, and negotiate a deal at the hotel for the wedding guests.

Brian and Gisele estimate they spent $300 on their assistant -- a fraction of what it would have cost if they'd hired a wedding planner in the United States.

And they're still outsourcing. Giselle actually quit her job and started her own company, ROX Fitness (www.roxfitness.com), because she was so happy with her outsourcing.

AJ Jacobs, editor at large of Esquire magazine (www.esquire.com), has been outsourcing for three years. He hired a team of assistants in India to do everything for him -- from the reasonable -- planning a party for his wife, reading his e-mails, answering his phone -- to what Koeppen calls the ridiculous -- outsourcing what he calls "my worry."

"I had these people worrying for me. It was a huge relief," he told Koeppen.

Jacobs even had one of his assistants read bedtime stories over the phone to his son.

Business guru Tim Ferriss pointed out to Koeppen that, "Traditionally, you associate outsourcing with Fortune 500 companies, but the reality is, now, with technology, you can do personal outsourcing."

Ferriss writes about outsourcing in his new book, "The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich" (www.fourhourworkweek.com).

He says everyone can outsource -- from stay-at-home moms to busy executives. All you need is a phone or computer to communicate the jobs you'd like done by your assistant, who could be located anywhere in the world.

"If you wanted someone to do travel planning, you say, 'This is my budget. This is what I'm looking for.' Rather than spending 30 hours of your own time, you can assign it to a group of people in Astonia or Croatia, and assign it at 9 p.m. before you go to bed and have it in your inbox when you wake up."

Prices can range from $5 to $20 an hour, Koeppen says. It all depends on the type of job and where you hire your assistant.

At Web sites such as elance.com, Koeppen notes, you can post your task -- such as writing a resume or creating a Web site -- and people bid on the job. Sites such as getfriday.com enable you hire a personal assistant on an hourly or monthly basis. A similar site is yourmaninindia.com.

But, Koeppen cautions, hiring someone in a different country to do your work for you can have its pitfalls.

"I made a drugstore order through my outsourcers," Jacobs recalled, "and I asked for waxed paper, and they got waxed paper moustache remover for women, so my wife was a little insulted!"

[eggy1620]

These spoiled wealthy yuppies are anything but %u201Caverage joe%u2019s and jane%u2019s%u201D

[cathomas71]

Continued.. Over 14.1 million American jobs will be lost due to outsourcing. There are 7.2 million unemployed people in the US. Or should quote Outsourcer and say lazy instead of unemployed. I guess nobody told them "why don''t you just learn a new skill, create value for other people and reap the rewards!" If it was only that easy.... What kind of dreamworld do you live in?

[cathomas71]

Lets Pretend... I am a Married American College Educated Woman with a Bachelors Degree and 2 kids making $12 an hour. I have worked at my job for 15 years. I pay $600 a month for my children to go to daycare. That leaves me $1300 a month for gasoline. My families healthcare benefits are offered by my employer. If I work for 5 more years, I will be vested and will receive a full pention when I retire at 67, that is if I live that long. If all the lead from China doesnt kill me first. Oh no, what am I going to do, I was just laid off because my employer watched the CBS Morning Show and decided to outsource and hire an woman in India for $12 because they do have to pay her taxes and her healthcare benefits, oh and her pension. I have no job. I lost my health insurance. I now have to have Cobra Insurance which costs $1200 a month for my family. And now my son has lead poisoning from his Diego toys. Oh ***, I have no money or insurance.. This is why outsourcing is bad for American Business!!!

[murn2]

I would like to thank The Early Show for Outsourcing story!! I have a small correspondence business and I have been pulling my hair out trying to find and secure business and for me this is a perfect solution.to help clients. If anyone knows of any websites out there where I can post the services that my company provides please respond. Outsourcing is a great way to get business.

[outsourcerer]

To all of the those out there who are whining about the loss of "American jobs," it''s time to wake up! Haven''t you ever bought anything manufactured in another country? The world is a smaller place, due to technology (I don''t just mean computers - I also include cars and planes).

Instead of thinking of yourselves as "victims of foreign influences", why don''t you just learn a new skill, create value for other people and reap the rewards!

THAT is the great thing about America - it still is a land of opportunity - you just have to get off your lazy butts and seize it!

[outsourcerer]

To all of the those out there who are whining about the loss of "American jobs," it''s time to wake up! Haven''t you ever bought anything manufactured in another country? The world is a smaller place, due to technology (I don''t just mean computers - I also include cars and planes).

Instead of thinking of yourselves as "victims of foreign influences", why don''t you just learn a new skill, create value for other people and reap the rewards!

THAT is the great thing about America - it still is a land of opportunity - you just have to get off your lazy butts and seize it!

[outsourcerer]

To all of the those out there who are whining about the loss of "American jobs," it''s time to wake up! Haven''t you ever bought anything manufactured in another country? The world is a smaller place, due to technology (I don''t just mean computers - I also include cars and planes).

Instead of thinking of yourselves as "victims of foreign influences", why don''t you just learn a new skill, create value for other people and reap the rewards!

THAT is the great thing about America - it still is a land of opportunity - you just have to get off your lazy butts and seize it!

[angelcolbert]

Outsourcing can be very beneficial to many people and many types of businesses. I work with a Virtual Staffing Company called Team Double-Click here in the USA and we assist people all over the country with tasks from assisting with planning an event or general administrative work to running their training programs or web design. I can understand the concerns about where our jobs are going, but in some instances, like my company, we create jobs for people where there might not have been any before. In addition, working from home allows many people, like stay at home mothers or fathers, frequent travelers or some disabled individuals, to contribute to society and their families where they might not be able to have that opportunity otherwise.

[pioutsource-2009]

Free Outsourcing Consultation with an American in the Philippines

If you are looking for the low down on outsourcing any task based work to the Philippines, you want to talk with me first.

Here is a bit about my background. http://www.linkedin.com/in/philippines

some of my agents: http://picasaweb.google.com/PIOutsource/CallCenterAgents

a "tour" of my center http://picasaweb.google.com/PIOutsource/PIOutsourceCallCenter


We currently provide call center agents at the rate of $8 an hour. This includes all phone charges. I prefer not to do commission based work.

How can we earn your business? Let''s schedule a phone call?

With Best Regards,
Doug Watson
812-669-4205
Skype and Yahoo (PIoutsource)

[angelcolbert]

Outsourcing can be very beneficial to many people and many types of businesses. I work with a Virtual Staffing Company called Team Double-Click here in the USA and we assist people all over the country with tasks from assisting with planning an event or general administrative work to running their training programs or web design. I can understand the concerns about where our jobs are going, but in some instances, like my company, we create jobs for people where there might not have been any before. In addition, working from home allows many people, like stay at home mothers or fathers, frequent travelers or some disabled individuals, to contribute to society and their families where they might not be able to have that opportunity otherwise.

[ianlou]

All Outsourcers are Hypocrites:
While outsourcing they''re are hoping that everyone isn''t doing it. They knowing that, without working Americans, they won''t have spending Americans.

They have the attitude: "As long as only some of us **** up river, hopefully the water won''t taste too bad.

[summer11904]

acheive45 get in touch I would love to help [e-mail] I am from the US I think we need to do this here and keep our jobs here for people like me that really needs to work.

[cathomas71]

I honestly got sick to the stomach after watching this broadcast. I agree so much with imn2puters post. This story is a prime example as to what is happening to America. My father was an American who worked his whole life as a garbage man making less than $12 to support 5 children. I am sorry but CBS should be ashamed that they aired this.

[acheive45]

I think this is a great idea. I would like to know how I can secure an assistant for my personal and business needs. Please advise ASAP

[cpaide]

Why didn''t they just go to Bangalore, India for the wedding?

This is all lousy entertainment and bad business advice. You''re quoting a part-time editor for Esquire and "Business guru" [now that''s funny!] Tim Ferriss as examples of how to run a business with outsourcing???

We know the drill: hire the Chinese to manufacture crappy, lead-painted _______ [insert product here]. Then hire a mob of Indians who speak an especially irritating brand of "english" to handle "customer service" and bookkeeping. Then hire a bull-spitter like Ferriss to market the mess.

Let''s all become little Wal-Marts or mini-me''s of Tony Robbins [Ferriss would take that as a compliment].

FYI, ROX Fitness is not a company. It looks like a scam or scheme for obtaining personal information for future marketing of some product that doesn''t exist.

All of this is shameless marketing and not news or really even good entertainment.

[imn2puters]

This is so sad...so many Americans out of work, and you do a story like this...even the host says she outsourced to someone in India for $12 an hour! She should be ashamed as well as all the people they interviewed.
Many Americans earn less than $12 an hour. Minimum wage is only $7.50 and a huge amount of Americans live on this. This is really what''s wrong with the world, the rich, (like this host) have no clue how the real Americans live, nor do they care.
This is news? People think this is interesting?
I saw a homeless guy walking out of the woods Sunday morning as I as was walking, and my town is very small. It is sad to think where the world is going, and even sadder that this is the news, and that people think it''s cool.

[pjperrone]

My oppinion on Outsourcing is simple; the idea is great, but keep it inside the USA.