10 Cool Little Known Outsourcing Services (Some Of Which Are Free).
10 Cool Little Known Outsourcing Services (Some Of Which Are Free).
1. Branding – PickyDomains.com
As simple as it may sound, coming up with a name can be one of the most daunting tasks especially if you intend to use the name as a domain online. Coming up with the kind of domain name that will be on everybody's lips is not an easy job and luckily you don't have to do it by yourself. PickDomains.com is a naming service that is completely risk free and all you need to do is put down a deposit of $50. You will get suggestions from other people and if you find a suggestion that you like, the person who came up with the name will get paid part of the money. If no suggestion appeals to you then you will get back your money and its that simple. As of now, over 1500 domains have been provided by PickDomains.com.
2. Software Translation – Transifex.com
In order to take advantage of various opportunities software developers need to translate their programs into several languages. This is especially the case whenever they are trying to sell these products in Europe. Instead of hiring individual translators for every language a simple solution would be to make use of Transifex. Transifex crowdsources translation services for any application that you have made and it has been used on many open source projects such as Firefox, GNOME and others. Commercial developers are now also able to take advantage of this opportunity and it would only cost them 30 euros for each month. Quality is always high and so is the speed compared to many other services.
3. Legal – BatesExpress.com
It is always the tiny aspects of paperwork that make it so tedious. In law, the bates numbering system is one of these things. All legal paperwork must have manually stamped Bates numbers to make the documents acceptable in courts. The good news is that you don't have to struggle with this anymore. Bates Express has a system that applies the Bates Stamps automatically to the documents that you choose including e-mails, HTML pages, PDF documents and many more. There is a paid version of the service as well as a free version.
4. Invoicing/Business Processes – SideJobTrack.com
Keeping track of invoices and other business processes is always easy when the job is being done regularly but for part time jobs it's a whole other issue. SideJobTrack.com is an online invoicing service that is meant for people doing part time jobs and those working on a not so regular basis. The service is free yet it will allow you to do almost anything that you would be able to do on the paid services. This fast and simple service will allow you to create templates for your invoices and custom estimates without breaking a sweat or spending a dime.
5. Web Design – 99Designs.com
You wish to create a logo, an icon or a template but there is just one problem; you have no skills to speak of that would allow you to do this kind of thing by yourself. No problem, 99Designs.com is here to rescue you. 99Designs.com crowdsources all sorts of graphics from many web designers all around the world. This Webby award winning service is not just convenient but low cost as well. You could get a logo for as little as $99 when it could cost you as much as $250 elsewhere.
6. SEO/PPC – iSpionage.com
iSpionage is the kind of tool that will enable you to have your eye on your competitors online at all times. ISpionage allows you to enter URLs that belong to your competitors so you can easy check to see whether or not they are making use of pay per click ads or not. This is quite important if you wish to do the same thing on Google. You can use this service to check everything about the competition including the keywords that they bid on, the text that they use on Adwords adverts, the amount that they spend on PPC and even the traffic that they get from the organic search engine optimization. You can search a maximum of 10 domains or keywords everyday if you are using the service for free. If you want full access then it may cost you between $59 and $129.
7. Intranets – BitrixSoft.com
Setting up a corporate intranet requires that you take a few things into consideration. For starters, the intranet must have certain features such employee pages, messaging, video conferencing, e-mails and the like. Next, the intranet must also be able to be up and running in as little time as possible because after all time is money. Last but not least you need a service that is dependable. In this regard, the Intranet 10 from Bitrix is exactly what you are looking for. Bitrix is a CMS maker from Russia that is the most widely used CMS maker in that country. Although it's not well known outside the Russian borders this Intranet service demands will get you all that you want in no more than two days. The pricing will depend on the size of the intranet you wish to have.
8. Marketing – oDesk.com
Outsourcing is not just the cheapest way to do things anymore but probably the simplest especially if you are working with a service such as oDesk. Using oDesk.com you can make use of many competent writers from all over the world who will be able to get the job done without demanding any more than you are willing to pay for. There is almost no limit to the kind of job that you can outsource through oDesk and you can get anyone from a technical writer to a web developer or a designer.
9. Social Networks – Microworkers
Adding fans to a corporate page in a social networking site is a big job since few people attach any sentimental value to corporate companies. However, instead of spending months trying to get a few hundred people to like your Facebook page or to follow you on twitter, it would be much simpler to just pay and get several thousand fans in a matter of days. Microworkers.com allows you to do that. For around 10 to 15 cents per follower, you can buy as many likes and followers as you wish. If that's not enough then you can also count on the avalanche effect to add the numbers after you have made your initial purchase.
10. Scheduling/To-Do – RememberTheMilk.com
Sticking to the schedule is the hardest bit of scheduling and that's why anyone will appreciate the services of RememberTheMilk.com. This is an online task management service that allows you to plan the things that you are going to do and makes it not just possible but easy to stick to the schedule and remember everything that you are supposed to. This website is not just integrated with computers but with most handheld devices including iPhones, PDAs, Android phones, Gmail and many other things. The best thing about this service is that it is absolutely free unless you need one or two advanced features such as being able to sync the service with devices using Windows Mobile
Dmitry Davydov is a blogger at MadConomist.com. He is currently involved with two startups, Bloove.com and MyClasses.org
1. Branding – PickyDomains.com
As simple as it may sound, coming up with a name can be one of the most daunting tasks especially if you intend to use the name as a domain online. Coming up with the kind of domain name that will be on everybody's lips is not an easy job and luckily you don't have to do it by yourself. PickDomains.com is a naming service that is completely risk free and all you need to do is put down a deposit of $50. You will get suggestions from other people and if you find a suggestion that you like, the person who came up with the name will get paid part of the money. If no suggestion appeals to you then you will get back your money and its that simple. As of now, over 1500 domains have been provided by PickDomains.com.
2. Software Translation – Transifex.com
In order to take advantage of various opportunities software developers need to translate their programs into several languages. This is especially the case whenever they are trying to sell these products in Europe. Instead of hiring individual translators for every language a simple solution would be to make use of Transifex. Transifex crowdsources translation services for any application that you have made and it has been used on many open source projects such as Firefox, GNOME and others. Commercial developers are now also able to take advantage of this opportunity and it would only cost them 30 euros for each month. Quality is always high and so is the speed compared to many other services.
3. Legal – BatesExpress.com
It is always the tiny aspects of paperwork that make it so tedious. In law, the bates numbering system is one of these things. All legal paperwork must have manually stamped Bates numbers to make the documents acceptable in courts. The good news is that you don't have to struggle with this anymore. Bates Express has a system that applies the Bates Stamps automatically to the documents that you choose including e-mails, HTML pages, PDF documents and many more. There is a paid version of the service as well as a free version.
4. Invoicing/Business Processes – SideJobTrack.com
Keeping track of invoices and other business processes is always easy when the job is being done regularly but for part time jobs it's a whole other issue. SideJobTrack.com is an online invoicing service that is meant for people doing part time jobs and those working on a not so regular basis. The service is free yet it will allow you to do almost anything that you would be able to do on the paid services. This fast and simple service will allow you to create templates for your invoices and custom estimates without breaking a sweat or spending a dime.
5. Web Design – 99Designs.com
You wish to create a logo, an icon or a template but there is just one problem; you have no skills to speak of that would allow you to do this kind of thing by yourself. No problem, 99Designs.com is here to rescue you. 99Designs.com crowdsources all sorts of graphics from many web designers all around the world. This Webby award winning service is not just convenient but low cost as well. You could get a logo for as little as $99 when it could cost you as much as $250 elsewhere.
6. SEO/PPC – iSpionage.com
iSpionage is the kind of tool that will enable you to have your eye on your competitors online at all times. ISpionage allows you to enter URLs that belong to your competitors so you can easy check to see whether or not they are making use of pay per click ads or not. This is quite important if you wish to do the same thing on Google. You can use this service to check everything about the competition including the keywords that they bid on, the text that they use on Adwords adverts, the amount that they spend on PPC and even the traffic that they get from the organic search engine optimization. You can search a maximum of 10 domains or keywords everyday if you are using the service for free. If you want full access then it may cost you between $59 and $129.
7. Intranets – BitrixSoft.com
Setting up a corporate intranet requires that you take a few things into consideration. For starters, the intranet must have certain features such employee pages, messaging, video conferencing, e-mails and the like. Next, the intranet must also be able to be up and running in as little time as possible because after all time is money. Last but not least you need a service that is dependable. In this regard, the Intranet 10 from Bitrix is exactly what you are looking for. Bitrix is a CMS maker from Russia that is the most widely used CMS maker in that country. Although it's not well known outside the Russian borders this Intranet service demands will get you all that you want in no more than two days. The pricing will depend on the size of the intranet you wish to have.
8. Marketing – oDesk.com
Outsourcing is not just the cheapest way to do things anymore but probably the simplest especially if you are working with a service such as oDesk. Using oDesk.com you can make use of many competent writers from all over the world who will be able to get the job done without demanding any more than you are willing to pay for. There is almost no limit to the kind of job that you can outsource through oDesk and you can get anyone from a technical writer to a web developer or a designer.
9. Social Networks – Microworkers
Adding fans to a corporate page in a social networking site is a big job since few people attach any sentimental value to corporate companies. However, instead of spending months trying to get a few hundred people to like your Facebook page or to follow you on twitter, it would be much simpler to just pay and get several thousand fans in a matter of days. Microworkers.com allows you to do that. For around 10 to 15 cents per follower, you can buy as many likes and followers as you wish. If that's not enough then you can also count on the avalanche effect to add the numbers after you have made your initial purchase.
10. Scheduling/To-Do – RememberTheMilk.com
Sticking to the schedule is the hardest bit of scheduling and that's why anyone will appreciate the services of RememberTheMilk.com. This is an online task management service that allows you to plan the things that you are going to do and makes it not just possible but easy to stick to the schedule and remember everything that you are supposed to. This website is not just integrated with computers but with most handheld devices including iPhones, PDAs, Android phones, Gmail and many other things. The best thing about this service is that it is absolutely free unless you need one or two advanced features such as being able to sync the service with devices using Windows Mobile
Dmitry Davydov is a blogger at MadConomist.com. He is currently involved with two startups, Bloove.com and MyClasses.org
posted by UncommonBusiness at 12:13 AM
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