I've been in the web development business since for over 9 years now. I took a different route than I believe most of the members here took. I started as the developer and designer. I was the worker not the marketer.

I remember when I made $150 for 4 hours work of HTML coding. I was 15, that was a lot of money to me back then. I was hooked. I furiously learned every corner of the web development world. I was amazed at how I could have started a semi-decent business with no upfront costs. Since then I've worked for many different clients, some big, some small and I've learned a whole lot.

One of the things I learned was that I CAN do it all but I SHOULDN'T do it all. Every real money maker out there will tell you, you can't do everything yourself. 10 people working will get a lot more done than just you. It was hard for me because I was always the guy who took a project from concept to deployment and everything in between. If you needed a custom programmed CMS, I did it. If you needed a promotional video with cool effects, I did it.

A few months ago, as I was re-evaluating my plan moving forward I realized I had to outsource work. I had to go ahead and use pre-made software such as Wordpress and even pre-made themes. It killed me but I realized I have to prioritize my work and evaluate who I want to be. Do I want to be the best designer in the world? If so, yes I have to design everything from scratch by myself. Do I want to be the best coder in the world? If so, I'd have to code day in and day out. But I realized something. I want to be the business man. I want to call the shots and manage projects, not do all the work. I want to have my eggs in a hundred different baskets all making me a small fortune. If I wanted to reach that goal for myself I realized, I can't do it all. There just isn't enough time in the day.

I know a lot of people don't like spending the money, but think of it as an investment. It really is. As long as you make a wise choice in your investment you shouldn't feel bad about it at all. I suggest asking others who they've had good experience with. Look extensively at portfolios as well. Of course you look at the price but don't always go for the cheapest person, at the same time don't get ripped off either.

I also suggest you learn your business. Learn to code a bit and design a bit. You don't have to know everything but understand how things work. As one of those guys who gets hired to do work I know what's fair and what's not. I know what to look for and I know when the person knows what they're talking about or is just all talk. If you know what you're talking about you can be sure that the person you hire will know what they're doing as well.

Well, that's just a little of what was going on in my head tonight. If you need recommendations for people to outsource to feel free to ask.