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Vox Pop: Have you tried outsourcing your life?

A lot of my friends have been reading The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss, and, to varying degrees, several of them have started trying on some of his more audacious ideas, such as checking email once a week, finding an "income muse," going on an extreme information diet -- a few people I know are considering outsourcing pieces of their personal and professional lives.

For reasons I can't fully explain -- and will, for now, just write down to Tim's engaging style -- I also found this outsourcing idea weirdly fascinating. You identify the tedious tasks in your life that don't represent the best use of your time, and assign them to an overseas worker who can complete them for a few bucks an hour. This apparently can be virtually any kind of mundane task, from booking a dinner reservation to doing research on a company to -- heck, why not? -- answering your email.

So, while I know lots of people share my theoretical interest in this, I wonder how many of you have tried it, and how many of you are using outsourced help on a regular basis. What's your experience been? Does this work? What sorts of task are most amenable to long-distance assignment?

By the way, if you haven't read the book yet, here's an excerpt from Tim's chapter on outsourcing.

Comments are open for your stories. I'd be grateful if you can try to limit your comments to firsthand experiences hiring and utilizing outsourced employees or in regard to evaluating the quality of their work. Thanks.

Christie Gaderson, Priorities Concierge's picture

I love, love, love hearing...

I love, love, love hearing people talking about "outsourcing" their lives! I own a business that does personal assisting from basic errands (like grocery shopping) to large scale projects (like a move). So, it allows people the benefit of a PA, without having to have someone on the payroll full-time.

I have said many times that we outsource all sorts of things in life (how many of us have picks and drills for at home dentistry?). I love that we live in a place where there are companies you can pay to come to your home and "scoop poop". As a US business owner, I would of course, rather people hire someone insured and local (I'm still big on looking a new client in the eye).

In order for a PA relationship to work well, I think there are some very key components 1) The PA much be quick-thinking and have the ability to employ independent judgement. Confidentiality, enthusiam, integrity and attention details are also "must-haves". 2) The client must be willing to give a trust and let go so the qualified PA can do their job.

Here's to hoping you can all find more hours in your day!

 
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