Outsourcing: Three Keys to
Outsourcing Success
by Janet Attard
Outsourcing isn't always about shipping jobs overseas. In fact, work can be outsourced to other businesses within your own community and can be a big help to small businesses trying to grow. Here are some benefits your business can see from outsourcing and three tips for making it successful.
Outsourcing is a term that a lot of people in the US don't like because big businesses have outsourced so many jobs overseas.
But outsourcing is actually a means of getting work done that provides income to small companies (as the recipients of outsourced jobs), and also helps those small companies grow (by outsourcing some of their own work to other small companies.)
Here's how outsourcing can help your business grow
When you are a one-person or micro-sized business you not only have to create the product or do the income-producing service, you also need to answer calls from customers, make sales calls, get a website set up, get active in social media, send out invoices, do the bookkeeping, keep marketing your business, and do a whole lot of other things, too. To keep up with it all you could easily work 12 to 14 hours a day , 6 or 7 days a week.
In the beginning, hiring employees to do some of the work may not be possible. Your funds may be limited and you may be concerned about adding a permanent expense before you are sure you'll have enough steady business to pay an employee. Or, there may be too many varied tasks that need to be done, making it difficult to find one person who can do them all well. Or, maybe you work from home and don't want to want employees coming to your house.
You can solve many of these problems by outsourcing work to freelancers or other small companies.
Outsourcing lets you
- Add resources and get work done on an as-needed basis. Do you occasionally need to edit and format very long Word documents or create engaging graphics for a PowerPoint presentation? Outsource the jobs to appropriate specialists so you can use your time to bring in new business or consult with clients.
- Get work done when you or your existing employees don't have the skills yourself. Need a new brochure or flier for your business? Have a freelancer or agency who specializes in copywriting and design create it for you.
- Handle jobs that would otherwise be too big or complex to do on your own. Outsourcing work to competent professionals in your industry can let you bid for and successfully complete work for big corporations that you wouldn't win on your own
- Focus on your core business.
- Get time consuming and annoying tasks (like bookkeeping and payroll) out of your hair.
How To Get Started
Like anything else you do in business, outsourcing takes some planning and research. Here are the three most important things you can do to make outsourcing work for your business:
1. Identify the tasks you can outsource
Keep an activity log showing the things you do. Look for things you do on a repetitive basis that could be done just as well by other people. Look for things you do that you don’t really have the expertise to do and that would therefore be done better or faster by someone else.
2. Systematize tasks
To outsource tasks to a freelancer or company, you'll need to let them know what needs to be done, and any information they need to do the job the way you want it done.. Put the information in writing being as detailed as you can be about the tasks to be done and your expectations.. Then provide that document to the company you hire to do the work.
3. Locate and get to know companies and people you might want to use - ahead of time.
When you attend local business meetings and industry events, keep your eye out for individuals or companies who might be able to do some of your work. Get their business cards and any company literature and check out their websites. When you've found people you think you could work with, check their references, and then start them out with a small project to see how well they perform.
These simple steps can help you find and work with other small businesses who will help you grow your business, make more money and have more time for yourself.
©2011 Attard Communications, Inc.
Find help and Be Found
The Business Know-How Directory helps small businesses find suppliers and products they need and also be found. List your business in the directory today, and use the directory to look for resources you need for your business.
About the author
Janet Attard is the founder of the award-winning Business Know-How small business web site and information resource. Janet is also the author of The Home Office And Small Business Answer Book and of Business Know-How: An Operational Guide For Home-Based and Micro-Sized Businesses with Limited Budgets. Follow Janet on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/JanetAttard.
