Outsourcing is the movement of a workload to another source which can assist in that area for an agreed price either as a one-time service or as an ongoing complementing service. In doing so, the principal company can effectively save time, and get the staff to be more committed and speedier work results.

The essence of outsourcing is simply engaging the services of an individual or organization outside your full-time staff to handle certain aspects of your business plan. These aspects may be public relations, marketing, clerical and administrative functions, or IT management. In fact, with today's virtual environment, there is no part of the business that cannot be outsourced effectively. Of course, the big question is whether there are any benefits to outsourcing, especially for persons who are building their business on the Internet.

There are several good reasons to outsource certain functions. Often, an Internet business is set up with a shoestring budget and one person doing all the work. As the business grows, it is easy to get caught up in dealing with general office functions, such as answering emails, handling correspondence and maintaining client lists.