Learn a new skill or Outsource?

[EssexCase]

When starting a new venture, is it best to outsource the things you can't do, or learn the skill yourself?

I've spent the majority of my life in construction and have little computer skills, beyond the usual that anyone with a laptop and half a brain can muster.

I have an idea for a website, that is more than just a usual storefront. This could include forums and also other things what I would assume to be quite technically hard for me to achieve.

Does it make sense to spend a year or so learning how to code/ setup a website, whilst also carrying on my day job (this is unavoidable). Or pay someone to help me set the website up? at what I would assume to be quite a high cost - with maybe no potential for a return on the investment!

What are peoples thoughts on outsourcing as apposed to learning new skills themselves?

 

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[JaaYu]

It really depends on how important the skill is for your business and if you can afford outsourcing.

If the skill is something thats essential to your business, like marketing or sales a lot of times, you definitely shouldn't outsource it.

Cause theres only a few skills you can really master, so you should choose wisely to the skills that are important to your business, which is usually marketing or sales.

But if your just trying to build a good enough website for your business, then you can probably just learn it quickly at the base level and outsource it later.

Kinda like graphic design as well, I think you can learn these skills in a week or few to have something thats good enough. At least thats what I did, I don't think it should take a year to make a good website.

At the start, you'll learn the basics of it to at least have something thats good enough, then you can outsource it later on to experts who have spend years mastering that skill.

 

[EssexCase]

It really depends on how important the skill is for your business and if you can afford outsourcing.

If the skill is something thats essential to your business, like marketing or sales a lot of times, you definitely shouldn't outsource it.

Cause theres only a few skills you can really master, so you should choose wisely to the skills that are important to your business, which is usually marketing or sales.

But if your just trying to build a good enough website for your business, then you can probably just learn it quickly at the base level and outsource it later.

Kinda like graphic design as well, I think you can learn these skills in a week or few to have something thats good enough. At least thats what I did, I don't think it should take a year to make a good website.

At the start, you'll learn the basics of it to at least have something thats good enough, then you can outsource it later on to experts who have spend years mastering that skill.

This makes sense. I never considered the marketing side either. Getting a rough draft so to speak and then getting professionals to polish it, once there is a clearer goal.

 

[ScottSmartPA]

When starting a new venture, is it best to outsource the things you can't do, or learn the skill yourself?

I've spent the majority of my life in construction and have little computer skills, beyond the usual that anyone with a laptop and half a brain can muster.

I have an idea for a website, that is more than just a usual storefront. This could include forums and also other things what I would assume to be quite technically hard for me to achieve.

Does it make sense to spend a year or so learning how to code/ setup a website, whilst also carrying on my day job (this is unavoidable). Or pay someone to help me set the website up? at what I would assume to be quite a high cost - with maybe no potential for a return on the investment!

What are peoples thoughts on outsourcing as apposed to learning new skills themselves?

I work with a company that takes on work like this. If you are considering outsourcing maybe we can chat and see if we can work together or even provide advice?

 

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[fridge]

I wouldn't understand why it would take a year to get a website up. Is it possible to start with something like WordPress first and then upgrade the site once you've got a proof of concept?

With ChatGPT becoming tech literate is pretty streamlined and quick so that shouldn't be an issue for you going forward. I generally like to have an idea of what something entails before trying to delegate it/hire it out. The more niche the skill the more unlikely it is for me to try and learn it in-depth for one application of it in a business.

 

[EssexCase]

I wouldn't understand why it would take a year to get a website up. Is it possible to start with something like WordPress first and then upgrade the site once you've got a proof of concept?

With ChatGPT becoming tech literate is pretty streamlined and quick so that shouldn't be an issue for you going forward. I generally like to have an idea of what something entails before trying to delegate it/hire it out. The more niche the skill the more unlikely it is for me to try and learn it in-depth for one application of it in a business.

Yes, hopefully a year is an overestimate. I do think having an idea of the task before delegating is also a sensible. Some form of basic web development does seem like something i could use regularly.

Its hard to decide what direction to go in at first. Mainly as this is a complete gear shift to me, going from labour intensive work, to building something from scratch.

I think i need to work out an end goal, then reverse engineer from there.