Child labor

I was recently dreading a tedious task I needed to do before I could release a beta of my program. I was even considering coming up with a more elaborate solution for the problem so I could avoid the tediousness, but unfortunately, the simple solution was really the better solution for the end user.

But I had a stroke of genius in the shower the other day. I could hire my teenage nephew to do the task! He is 18 and off at college and I correctly guessed that $10/hour for a job he could perform on his computer in his dorm room in his spare time was too good to pass up. The job requires no programming skills or even typing - he could cut and paste everything he needed to do.

I did have to take a couple of hours to start the project for him and write instructions, but it is easily saving me several more hours of my time. Although I didn't think he'd have time until the weekend, I sent him the files and instructions last night and told him to let me know if he had any questions, preferably before the weekend, so I wouldn't hold him up if I wasn't available then.

I had an e-mail from him this morning saying he'd spent an hour on it last night and he sent me the work he had done so far to confirm it was what I expected. It was! I have a few more similar tasks I hope to send his way. Best of all, as long as the work is under $600 (for the year), my accountant tells me I don't even need to do a 1099.