The greatest mistake entrepreneurs can make is to want to have full control of their business. It is understandable that you want to do it because you built the company from scratch, and you want to make sure that it will be successful, but in order for the business to grow, you have to delegate tasks. The micromanaging system is the most destructive and inefficient one, especially if you want to maintain your business successful in the long run. If you will not delegate some of the tasks, you will end up getting blacked out by the mundane tasks required by your company.
The best solution in this case, is to outsource some tasks or an entire department. Why should you consider the option of outsourcing? Well, you have to ask yourself “What option would allow me to save money? Hiring an entire team or outsourcing it?”
You are not the only entrepreneur who decided to build their business through outsourcing, more and more companies are tapping into the benefits of this strategy because it is a cost effective solution that increases their efficiency and productivity. A study shows that around 40% of the US companies have decided to switch to outsourced positions to better control their operations and to reduce the costs. Around 30% of these companies have chosen this solution because it offers them better access to IT resources they would not be able to get another way.
Why should you consider outsourcing?
Some tasks do not require a full time employee to be accomplished
If you need to develop a website for your business, it is not cost-efficient to hire a full-time web developer because this task will not take them more than a few days. If you will outsource the job, you will pay only for the services they offer. First, you will need a web developer to design the website, later when it will require updates, you can outsource web services to get the job done.
All types of business can outsource their tasks
It is a common misconception that only large businesses can outsource their projects. The fact is that small to medium businesses have the greatest benefits if they opt for outsourcing. When trying to build a business you do not need a large team to work in-house. You can outsource the secondary tasks, like IT, human resources, and payroll.
Mundane and repetitive tasks can easily be outsourced
It is advisable to have an in-house team that focuses on the core operations of the company that require attention and creativity. If you run an architecture company you will want your team to focus on designing houses and not on data entry, inventory and web updates. An outsourced team can accomplish the mundane and repetitive tasks, and they can do it as an affordable cost.
You can increase your productivity
You can have a small in-house team but this does not mean that you are not able to deliver extended services to your clients; you can have a team of outsourced professionals who back your business. Some entrepreneurs are worried that they will not be able to collaborate effectively with a team that works in a different time zone. However, this situation can be used in your advantage because you delegate them tasks when you leave the office and have them completed the next day.
Experts prefer to work as freelancers
Some people are concerned that if they will outsource their tasks it is possible to receive subpar work. Well, nowadays there are low chances this situation to happen, it only depends on the way you choose the people you want to work with.
More and more professionals choose to become freelancers because it allows them to choose their working hours and to select the projects they prefer. You can take advantage of this solution when you need expertise for completing certain tasks.
What can you outsource?
This is one of the main questions entrepreneurs have when they consider the option of working with a freelancer. The market offers you a large pool of talents from which to choose. Whether you need a translator, a web developer, a tester, a virtual assistant or a graphic designer, you will definitely find an expert willing to offer their services. Here are the most common tasks companies choose to outsource nowadays.
Creative services
All companies need a logo for building their brand. If you manufacture different products, you will also need a logo for every product you launch on the market. Creative services can help you save money and deliver an image that will catch the public’s attention. If you want to make sure that the freelancer is a reliable person, you can check them by conducting a reverse phone lookup. You already have their phone number because you have discussed the possibility of working together and you have established the conditions. An extra security measure is to search for information about the person with the help of an online website.
Social media marketing
You and your in-house team are focused on running the business; therefore, you have no time to market the company. But marketing is an essential part of a successful company. You will need to look up for a solution that helps you reach your audience. Instead of spending your valuable time in monitoring your social media accounts, you can ask an expert to do it for you. They know what aspects require attention and they can build you an active online presence.
IT support
As stated before most of the companies that choose to outsource some of their tasks prefer to collaborate with IT experts. They find cost-efficient to hire a freelancer to handle for them the tech-related tasks like software implementation, data protection, troubleshooting, and network system setups.
If you outsource the IT department, you will be able to access resources that you would not be able to have in-house. Let’s face it, there are times when it is a lack of professionals in a certain domain, in some geographical areas, and the solution is to work with freelancers.
