Tips for the startup: Outsourcing to freelancers

Being a startup, one has to face many challenges in the initial period. Normally, startups face common concerns like lack of finance, inadequate resources, high employee turnover, inefficient time management, and lesser projects in hand. However, the journey from a startup to an established brand isn’t much hard-hitting or unattainable, but it needs a good amount of patience, analytical skills, and timely execution of planning.

The biggest challenge for any startup is to strike a balance between providing value and utilizing limited resources in an effective manner.

benefit from outsourcing and freelancing Startup

Startups aim to provide value in terms of innovation, quality, and convenience, albeit having limited resources and may be facing intense competition to be a pioneer in the market. In the initial period, startups can’t afford to recruit a lot of many employees. They employ people based on project requirements. And hence, they prefer an alternative approach that many other companies have actually utilized during their startup phase, i.e. outsourcing. Outsourcing some of the secondary tasks to other companies or freelancers can help startups to meet deadlines with minimal cash outflow.

How outsourcing and freelancing can help startups?

Most of the startup entrepreneurs prefer to outsource some of their tasks to the freelancers or hire dedicated resources for other than core tasks during the project tenure.

Outsourcing of some of the tasks provides several benefits to startups, as listed below:

1. Focus on organizational growth

Entrepreneurs can pay special attention to core tasks if their secondary tasks are outsourced to experts / dedicated resources. As an entrepreneur, you must experience the constant pressure to stay on top of industry trends, keep updated with and ahead of your competitors, and look forward. At times, freelancing, freelancer are blessings in disguise.

Most popular business tasks preferred for outsourcing are

  • Social media marketing
  • Customer services
  • Search engine optimization
  • Content marketing/copywriting
  • Web development and coding
  • Web designing
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Payroll processing
  • Tax preparation and filing
  • Event management

Depending upon organizational core function, management decides what tasks are better to outsource. For example, if you are a digital marketing agency, you can opt for outsourcing payroll processing, accounting and tax filing tasks. On the other hand, if you are into the accounts and finance sector, you can outsource website development, website designing, and online marketing.

2. Increase inefficiency

When non-core tasks are outsourced, your productive time can be focused on organizational core tasks. Moreover, you can get done your secondary tasks from experts and skilled professionals. Furthermore, there are some of the special benefits of outsourcing. Freelancers are stoutly dependent on five-star client feedback and mouth-to-mouth advertising. In such cases, delivering high-quality projects on time is their key concern.

Most of the freelancers handle one client at a time in order to provide quality output and maintain their dependability, so you’re at the centre of their attention. So as a whole, outsourcing tasks to skilled freelancers increase the organization’s efficiency.

3. Reduction in risks

An underperforming employee is a significant cost to the company. Because they either fail to deliver timely or provide the output that is below par.

According to HR, it can take a while to get rid of an underperforming employee. In case, an organization has an obligatory long-term contract with a service provider, it can be complex and costly to avoid it if you need to.

When you prefer outsourcing, it reduces that risk, particularly for short-term arrangements while you see how a freelancer works. If a company is not satisfied with the output or behaviour of a freelancer, it has no obligation to continue with that resource or hire them again beyond the original contract.

4. Savings on cash outflows

The decision of outsourcing is a major strategic one for most companies since it involves evaluating the potential cost savings against the consequences of a loss in control over the product or service. You can employ the best and most talented workforce as freelancers within your restricted budget to get done technical tasks. Outsourcing costs form a part of your variable costs and hence your fixed costs remain static regardless of total output.

Steps to successful outsourcing and freelancing for startups

According to Richard Branson, everything in your business can be outsourced, if you are not emotionally attached to doing it all.

Are you ready to outsource your non-core or technical tasks to freelancers? Here are the handy tips on how to find a perfect freelancer to whom you can outsource.

  • Determine the task which you want to outsource
  • Search for freelancers on sites like Elance, Fiverr
  • Check the credentials and past work of freelancers
  • Establish procedures and benchmarks to get them on board
  • Set expectation levels with respect to work, timeliness, quality, and payment
  • Stay in touch with them during the project tenure and provide them required assistance
  • Take follow-up on time to time basis
  • Provide feedback
Steps-For-outsouring-and-freelancing-Startup-

Closing thoughts on outsourcing and freelancing

Most of the millennial today prefer to take up freelance projects as compared to fix the 9to5 job. This trend is growing and is projected to show an upward shift in the coming future. A number of online services such as Elance-oDesk, upwork, BidModo and others serve as virtual marketplaces for contractors and business owners to connect and begin working relationships. Future of freelancers is indeed bright and the time is not far that they will establish themselves as an entrepreneur based on the outsourced projects in hand.

Startups should take the best possible advantage of this trend and establish themselves as a strong brand in an optimal manner. Here are a few examples of large startups that have thrived using this strategy to launch their highly-valued businesses:

  • Skype
  • Klout
  • Appsumo
  • Slack
  • Staff.com
  • GitHub
  • MySQL
  • Net2Text
  • MindSpark
  • Mailburn
  • Opera
Closing thoughts on outsourcing and freelancing Startup

Feel free to share your insight in the comments box with regards to the trends of outsourcing, freelancing, entrepreneurship and startups. We’d love to hear from you.

AngularJS Vs ReactJS: Make Your Choice

Angular JS and React JS form some of the most used linguistic frameworks as far as JavaScript is concerned. However, both of them have intricate differences as well as similarities, which in turn give rise to some important considerations that need to be addressed while facing a choice between the two.

Difference-between-React-and-Angular-JS-.

What is Angular JS & React JS

Angular JavaScript is popularly known as AngularJS, Angular.js or simply Angular. Angular JS is an Open Source structural framework for creating Rich Internet Applications (RIA). Angular was created by Google and is also used by YouTube for PS3, Weather.com, freelance.com & Netflix.com, which are among some of the most popular websites or applications that have been developed by using this language.

defination-of-Angular-Js-and-React

React JavaScript is popular as ReactJS, React.js or simply React. React JS is an Open Source JavaScript Library which helps in the creation of dynamic – Single page applications. However, it differs from Angular JS from the perspective that it allows the manipulation and utilization of reusable UI components. Hence, it essentially acts as a refresh button from a conceptual point of view, which is activated every time a change is made in the underlying code. React JS is mainly maintained by websites like Facebook & Instagram. Other websites like Vimeo and Dropbox also have been crafted with the use of this particular programming language.

Angular JS V/S React JS

Once we skim through the surface of both these languages, it becomes clearer that there is a lot more than meets the eye.

1. Extensibility:

With Angular JS, web developers can extend the current functionality of the underlying HTML framework with the help of custom directives. Angular JS offers many resourceful directives and also offers readymade frameworks, which can help in the creation of new and diverse custom directives.

Better Extensibility in React language

Custom Directives are analogous to the clothes that you wear. They can be used again and again for different occasions, but always add a particular element to your overall personality.

Custom directives are large or small sections of code, which preserve the functionalities as well as behavioural properties of the code from the perspective of semantics so that these can be used again and again.

React JS also provides the same level of functionality as far as scope for extensibility is concerned. However, being a Javascript library, it is mainly used for creating components out of the underlying code, rather than make direct changes for faster creation of applications, which is what Angular JS is for.

Word Code: The word extensibility, in development or programming realms, indicates the capability of software wherein it can be moulded regarding functionality and overall scope of the same. However, another important aspect of extensibility also includes the fact that the data flow and the internal structure does not need to be changed 

 2. Data Binding

Data binding is a very crucial part of the web development process. It is the process through which changes in the underlying HTML code can be initiated by making changes in the Graphic User Interface or GUI, and vice-versa. However, depending on the type of data-binding allowed by a framework, it can be mainly of two types:

  • One Way Data Binding: This type of data-binding allows the user to make changes the outer view or the front end by performing changes or alterations in the underlying model or code. For instance, a change in the HTML code will be reflected in the view portion of the browser.
Data binding comparison in Angular JA
  • Two-Way Data Binding: Two-Way Data Binding is more useful for the automated creation of a new model or application. This type of Data-Binding allows a user to make a change in view, which will directly be reflected in the codes, thus enabling the software framework in creating automatic templates. However, it also provides the user with the functionalities of One-Way Data-Binding, from the model or code end.

Angular JS is equipped with Two-Way Data Binding capabilities, while React JS works in a slightly different manner. In the React world of programming and computing, data flows in only one way, from the code to the program or application, which effectively makes it a one-way binding script. However, React JS can be effectively used to create data loops in case of certain types of user inputs, such as form submissions, to initiate two-way data-binding. Hence, while Angular JS is inherently equipped with two-way data-binding, React JS can be adapted to the same.

 3. Speed

By comparison, any open source developer can say that React JS is way faster than Angular JS. The sole reason for this is that React JS uses virtual DOM (Document Object Model). By creating virtual DOM, any changes made to either the script or the model are reflected faster and with increased accuracy.

Why React has the better speed then Angular JS

DOM is a tree-shaped structure, which means that it represents the HTML code in the form of a tree, thereby deriving from the code itself and using essential components of the code as nodes. However, the problem with this tree structure is that if a small component or element, such as an event handler within the code, needs to be changed, a web-developer might have to dig deep and risk bug infections, just to make a small change. This is also because tree structures today have become more vast and complex than before.

Word Code: DOM is essentially an interface or platform that is language-neutral, thereby allowing both programs and scripts to initiate changes and update elements such as style, structure, and content

On the other hand, Virtual DOM is not a tree-shaped structure like conventional DOM and is instead a more simplified version of the HTML DOM. Hence, the simplification enables a React JS user to perform DOM functionalities without actually doing a lot of manual work.

4. DOM

DOM is a World Wide Consortium Standard which sets the guiding rules for accessing the XML & HTML documents. In other words, it is an API (Application Programming Interface) that guidelines the way HTML & XML files are accessed & manipulated.

Angular JS uses the browser or HTML DOM while React JS works with virtual DOM. However, even though the use of Virtual DOM by React JS enables it to provide superior speed as well as convenience to developers. Angular JS provides cross-browser compatibility. This means that Angular JS can automatically handle Javascript code that might be specific to a particular browser. Without needing to be adapted or altered for the same.

5. Rendering:

Best language for Rendering AngularJS Vs React

The reason why React JS has more popularity regarding UI creation. And refinement is that it offers server-side rendering, while Angular JS only provides client-side rendering. Server-side rendering is a lot faster than client-side rendering as it decreases page load time considerably. And affects application performance directly.

6. Learning Curve

Starting to use Angular JS as a framework for app or web development might prove to be difficult for developers with little prior knowledge about essential elements within the framework. For instance, Angular JS requires conceptual knowledge, e.g., DOM directives, filters, factories and more. You may even call Angular JS the language of professionals.

While React JS is very easy for beginners as API & Syntax used in this Javascript library are not so complex in comparison to Angular JS. React has a small and contained API, which makes development easy, fun and comprehensible.

7. Structure & Components

The structure & components of a framework or library craft the way UI and applications themselves are built. Angular JS uses linguistic components from HTML, CSS & JS. On the other hand, even though React JS uses the same languages, it also utilizes a linguistic component known as JSX. JSX can be used to integrate Javascript and HTML together, thereby allowing easier and convenient development processes. It is known as the Javascript XML syntax transform, which enables to utilize HTML-like tags within the Javascript framework. However, in simpler words, JSX can be used to create React elements. Where the same elements can be created through XML-based object representations that are similar to HTML tags.

8. Coding & Re-using Codes

Coding web development

Angular JS has a solid market presence as it was developed four years before the React JS. So, there are many ready-made components and elements available for Angular JS developers. However, the main of Angular JS is to create and operate complete applications. On the other hand, React JS allows more freedom as far as testing, reusing and separating existing code is concerned. The reusability of the code lies at the very heart of the conceptual framework of React JS, as the main use of this library is to create components, rather than complete applications themselves.

9. Architecture

Angular JS uses the MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture. MVC is a   structural design or framework which enables web applications to come alive.  The MVC structures help in managing the web application by dividing it into specific parts, each with its own directives and responsibilities. However, on closer inspection, it seems that the controller aspect of Angular JS in the MVC framework is more flexible and open to adaptation. In this case, Angular developers have created a framework known as MVW. Also is known as Model-View-Whatever. Where “whatever” indicates that you can add any element which is suitable or convenient for your application.

From the perspective of the MVC model, React JS uses only the V component i.e. View. Hence, React doesn’t make use of a structure. But instead, lets you make the most of the library to tailor and customize the outer appearance or User Interface of your app or website. However, if remote data and other elements that include deep code-based functionalities are your areas of interest. You might need to use React JS along with other frameworks like Flux.

QUICK FACTS AND FINDINGS ON ANGULARJS VS REACT JS

  • Angular JS was developed in 2009 while React JS was made Open Source in 2013.
  • Historical Data of popularity comparison shows that the popularity of React JS has increased significantly. While the opposite situation was seen with Angular JS.
  • The Popularity of Angular JS & React JS can be found both in developed economies & emerging markets

So, we can say from formal observation that both Angular JS & React JS have their own unique features, which make them excellent tools for development. At the same time, both have their own unique limitations as well. It is up to you as to which one you would want to choose for your own developmental requirements and preferences.

Do let us know your comments and insights on this comparison.

Eliminate These 5 Wastes to Optimize Your Software Development Once and For All

The IT sector is a powerful medium for the creation and management of profound tools and applications. However, the great amount of power that the sector provides to the user does not come exempt from waste and unnecessary baggage. More often than not, these wastes and unnecessary elements that hinder the proper functioning of applications and technologies are caused due to human error. But, let’s face, we humans are not exactly “perfect”. So, here are some pockets of waste that need to be taken care of if the imperfect human wants to perfect waste management in IT.

Software Development

Garbage #1: Partially done work

This element in IT is the waste that lines the backend of any application or software that one is creating. Bits of unstructured code, along with those parts of the code which have not been tested form a major part of this type of waste. Other than these aspects, other elements within this type of waste also include pieces or strings of code which cannot be deployed.

Let’s make it simpler: These bits and pieces of unusable and waste code are like the long lines in a story that ultimately do not contribute in any way to the entire essence of the story as a whole. Consider them like the characters in a story that are added into it at the last moment just to add a particular flavour or feel to the story as a whole.

Red Herring is the name given to a character or element in a movie which do not serve any other purpose other than to distract or mislead the audience from the actual essence of the movie.  

Eradication Tactics: The essence of this problem arises from a lack of alignment between tasks and responsibilities, as well as between the team members themselves. Ensuring that important tasks are performed completely and not left asunder is an important part of the equation. The members on your team should be capable of handling different tasks and should have diverse roles so that a deadlock is avoided in all possible cases. There also has to be constant coordination between your team and the product owner at all times, so that the line of communication is maintained to the highest extent.

Garbage #2: Extra Features

 We all love the enthusiasm. It is one of the most valuable assets that a person can have in the IT sector. But then again, valuable assets have a large capability to cause immense fallout and unnecessary waste. Enthusiasm is good until it produces more harm than value. This becomes especially visible when it comes to your team producing more features than are required by the product owner, or the customers themselves.

Let’s make it simpler: Do you know how a nuclear reaction works? Well, you do not need to because that will just make things more difficult. However, the basis of a nuclear reaction is that it involves disintegration of a substance or the merging of two substances. Well, a simple thing really, right? But, add enough features and mechanisms to it and you have created a tool for large scale destruction! This is how adding features might turn out for you as well.

Eradication Tactics: This element requires careful planning as well as execution. For the plan to be created and subsequently implemented, you need to know the requirements of both your product owner as well as your target audience. Once you know what they need and what elements they would be comfortable with, you only need to concentrate on those instead of adding unnecessary elements.

Garbage #3: Hand-Offs

This element involves the transferring of work from one web developer to another in order to place emphasis on diversity of function. Even though this is an important element as far as working together in a team is concerned, it can become a huge burden when it comes to distributing tasks within a single project among individuals who are in different locations. There is bound to be a lack of communication and efficiency in this case owing to the fact that the entire essence of the information does not get conveyed to the individual on the other side. Another important malfunction due to this can be the lack of clarity between different employees on the same topic.

software development

Let’s make it simpler: When a group of people listen to a song, they all have different perspectives towards the same. You cannot expect two people to interpret the same song in exactly coherent ways. Which would be quite idealistic, to say the least. However, if you are a part of the group who created the song itself. You will observe that all the members of the group will have a lot of commonalities as far as the song and its meaning to them is concerned.

Eradicating Tasks: The best way to reduce hand-offs is to keep the entire project in a single location. Which can ensure a high degree of clarity as well as synchronicity between the members participating in the creation process as a whole.

Garbage #4: Delays

Well, this is one of those pockets of waste that all of us have been a victim to at some point or the other. This essentially involves the inability to adhere to timelines, as well as the missing of crucial value-addition specifics due to the lack of time management capacity.

Let’s make it simpler: Delays are like those gloomy monsoon days when you just do not feel like doing anything. And want to just sit at home doing nothing. Whenever a delay occurs, it has the ability to numb you and considerably affect the creative process as a whole. Resulting in considerable risks to the overall project itself. For instance, if a delay occurs, one resides in a space that I like to call “The Place of the Damned”. Where you are constantly bombarded with thoughts that cause you to gradually lose all hope in your own abilities as a whole. This is not too dissimilar to the caverns of Hell where the damned are tortured for their sins for ages on end.

Eradication Tactics: Delays can be eradicated by ensuring that the project or task at hand is divided into separate elements. Or individual responsibilities, so each and every task can be managed with the intense dedication that it requires. Moreover, one should determine the important tasks within the project. And differentiate them from the tasks which are not that important in comparison.

Garbage #5: Task Switching

This is where most teams fail to complete their projects and seem to be unable to achieve their targets as a whole. If your team tends to too inclined towards adopting a wavering approach towards your software or Web development process as a whole. It is more than apparent that there might be some serious problems in the processes and systems that you have adopted.

Let’s make it simpler: Have you seen machines on an assembly line? Yeah, the ones which have specific functions and perform only those for which they have been programmed to. Well, if you treat your team members in a similar fashion, then you can get your job done in a better way by “hiring” machines to do the same. However, if you want some real creation to happen. It is better if you involve your team members in a wholesome way. Especially as far as application or software development is concerned.

Eradication Tactics: In order to ensure that waste due to task switching is avoided to the maximum extent. It is important to acknowledge and appreciate the role of each and every team member to the fullest. The only way in which task switching can be managed to a large extent is by ensuring that each team member is involved in the project on a larger level than mere “workers”.

Top 10 Best AngularJS Tools for Developers

AngularJS is definitely a free web application framework which may be put together by Google. It can be a JavaScript MVW Framework which has been the choice of a number of developers. AngularJS works well for generating lively views in web apps although they are not compromising with readability.

AngularJS tools to are loved among web developers with the realization they provide training comprehension workflow. Now, we all believe that there is a good number of AngularJS tools that you can get, products searching out the apt one(s) for your own development project can be one time-consuming and daunting task. In your case all to receive all best-handpicked ones inside of the same roof, a few pounds have created an attempt to collect the best AngularJS tools for developers.

Yes, we have now formulated their email list of best AngularJS tools for your developers to be found. Look.

Angular Kickstart

Angular-kickstart is known as a tool that means it is quicker for users to create with AngularJS considering that it combines Bower AngularJS and GulpJS. Besides, it offers to maintain the code within the integrated arrangement and helps it to be re-usable.

Angular-Kickstart

Restangular

Restangular is usually an AngularJS service for simplifying common get, post, delete improve requests that are at least client code.

Restangular

Videogular

Videogular may be a video application framework for desktop and mobile powered by AngularJS. Costly HTML5 video game player that comes with bindable things along with an API for creating your certain plugins.

Videogular

AngularJS Batarang

AngularJS Batarang is often a Chrome extension that is used for debugging Angular applications. It displays your model, performance and dependency debugging outcomes in three dissimilar tabs to be able to check.

Karma

Karma can be a spectacular test runner for JavaScript. It ensures to offer the best testing environment for developers. With Karma developers don’t should build a lot of configurations, instead, write the code and become instant feedback of their tests.

Yeoman

Yeoman generator for AngularJS is often a tool that users to begin an assignment with sensible defaults and greatest practices faster.

Yeoman

Jasmine

Jasmine may be a Behavior Driven Development testing framework for JavaScript that won’t make use of browsers, DOM or any JavaScript framework. It is apt for websites, Node.js projects or anywhere that JavaScript can run.

Jasmine

AngularFire

AngularFire is an officially supported AngularJS binding for. Firebase this can be a backend service providing data storage, authentication and static shared web hosting for Angular app.

AngularFire

Angular Get Text

Angular gets the text is easy translation support for AngularJS. That all those you developers on the market will obviously adoration of the cool features it will come endowed with.

WebStorm

WebStorm is outfitted not necessarily for Javascript additionally it is HTML and CSS. It has an awesome live editor which helps you to call at your coding results at the browser without frequent refreshing needed. Automatically, their newest version carries the AngularJS plugin bundle while you have to add the Angular script with your project first. For additional information, check the WebStorm article.

WebStorm