There is a limit to what an individual can achieve alone. That limit is even more significant in business.
Entrepreneurship is about pursuing your passion, unleashing your creativity to create and add value, and doing something of high importance to you and those you seek to serve. The entrepreneur(s) that will not be able to live out their days doing what they are most passionate about are the ones who don’t invest in themselves and their business because of a fear of failure, losing money, etc. So what is this investment I allude to? It’s called outsourcing!
What is Outsourcing?
Outsourcing is delegating a company’s business tasks and processes to third parties or outside agencies, leveraging several benefits such as low costs, high quality, and creativity. Companies undertake to outsource for various reasons (that we’ll discuss later) but what remains the same is the impact outsourcing has on their growth, productivity, and bottom lines.
Another way to answer the question, “What is outsourcing” is this…
Outsourcing is the decision you make when trying to run a successful business. You ask yourself, “Do I need to be responsible for my business’s marketing, sales, HR, technology, and everything else I need to be competitive and professional?” Or the question may be, “Can I handle all of my day-to-day tasks and still be able to commit to the activities that allow me to do the things I am most passionate about in my business?” These everyday tasks may include business development, scheduling, administrative functions, data presentations, managing email, and so on. If you are trying to handle all those things alone or with an inadequate team, I have to tell you that you are probably spending your days just wasting time.
Allow your Business to Grow
Many entrepreneurs and (medium/small) business owners must learn to get out of their way. It’s straightforward; you either embrace outsourcing and allow your business to grow or let your competitors beat you. The entrepreneur or business owner that is on the path to success is the one that is not afraid to ask for or seek the help of others. Successful business owners maximize their strengths and talents and hire people who are better at fulfilling their weakest objectives. By not seeking these professionals or providing them with an opportunity to contribute to your business, you will always be missing out on competitive advantage opportunities, precious business development time, and several significant other product or service opportunities.
So now that you have read about some of the attractive benefits of outsourcing, you may be saying, “Well, what about the costs?” Nice try. Outsourcing is now a reality for almost any sized budget. Thousands of qualified workers are available and ready to serve you and your business needs. Think about it. Intelligent business owners save themselves the burden of paying overhead costs associated with payroll taxes and expenses, paid time off, and worker’s compensation. Hiring staff and providing them with office space, equipment, training, and health insurance is much harder to get from under, guarantee the relationship, and confidently invest in. This is why the outsourcing decision is such a no-brainer.
Why is Outsourcing a Good Choice for Your Business?
The most obvious answer to this question is that outsourcing your businesses day to day back-office tasks will give you more time to focus on generating income. Just think about how much money you are losing by doing everything yourself. Add up all the hours you spend each day performing tasks that can easily be delegated and aren’t making you money and serving your clients. Now ask yourself, “Why”? I’ll wait… There’s no good answer to this question. It’s simply unacceptable not to make money and offer value in business.
6 Additional Benefits of Outsourcing That Can’t Be Ignored:
- Outsourcing companies deliver services faster.
- Outsourcing increases the knowledge base of your company.
- Outsourced work usually ends up in the hands of a highly educated and specialized professional or agency consultant.
- Outsourcing provides access to resources not available internally.
- Outsourcing lowers overall operating expenses.
- Outsourcing company hours. Some outsourcing companies work during your office hours, much work while your office is closed, and some can do both. So, if you can find a “hybrid” outsourcing company that provides 24-hour service at a low rate (like this one: Opportunities2Serve.com), you will experience immediate results and benefits you’ve always dreamed of.
3 Signs That You May Need to Outsource:
- You can’t recall the last time you made an update to your website.
- You’d rather not spend time updating and keeping up with your social media channels.
- You aren’t getting results from your advertising.
Finding the Right Contractors
Find capable and reliable outsource providers! Start with your network. Ask questions like, “Who’s responsible for taking care of your business lead generation, database entries, payroll, web development, or web research?” Usually, people are more than happy to offer up their source. In the absence of a good recommendation like Germinate Outsourcing, online services such as Upwork, Thumbtack, and Fiverr serve as virtual marketplaces for you to consider. The key to identifying the right contractor is to know precisely what you’re looking for and find out exactly how your outsourcing professional can help you.
When you hire an outsourcing professional, don’t be afraid to offer, communicate and outline task-based agreements or expectations. Never assume that your outsourcing professional is thinking what you’re thinking, knows or completely understands your process (until they show you they do), or knows what your definition of done is.
Even when expectations are clearly stated, there’s a chance that there will still be a learning curve to ensure that all tasks are done just the way you expect them to be. After you grow comfortable with your outsourcing professional, you may consider transitioning into a more permanent relationship or agreement once you’re confident in their ability to deliver consistently.
