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A few weeks ago I read The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich and was amazed at how people were using outsourcing services in their everyday lives. It was really interesting to read how journalists were using outsourcing to help them research articles and even people who got help with their personal banking. People were freeing themselves to get what they saw as really important things done, focusing their efforts on critical tasks.

I think there is real confusion over what outsourcing is. The word alone seems to make many peoples’ blood boil. “It think it’s horrible, people losing their jobs overseas to foreigners!” Well, wherever you stand, here are some outsourcing resources to help you with everything from making restaurant reservations, to building an “Enterprise” level web based application.

This list is primarily concerned with business and day to day chores. None here offer manufacturing services.

DoMyStuff - Their tagline is “Outsource my Life” and they sure stick to it. Primarily geared towards completing everyday chores such as picking up clothes from the dy cleaners and even wrapping gifts.

Brickwork India - The place to go if you need an executive assistant to help with things like market research, financial service, accounting etc. (all of Brickwork India’s Services)

Elance.com - If you need any technical project completed, this is where to go. From software development to technical writing. Anyone can hire work and anyone can make offers on work.

Guru.com - Another outsourcing service where anyone can get or offer services. Their offering services are quite broad.

Odesk - The On Demand Workforce. Another geared more towards software development.

QArea - Need PDA/Mobile application development?

A-1 Technology, Inc. - What a horrible name, but they offer quite a range of IT services.

Google outsourcing companies and you will find an endless list.