Why Outsource?
Every business owner knows that running a business isn’t easy; it’s not like you can only focus on the selling or production aspect, but there are other tasks such as marketing, finances, customer service, to name a few, that you’ll also need to worry about. For big corporations that have more resources, it may be easier to put up their own departments/divisions for each of these tasks, complete with skilled staff, tools, and even infrastructure.
However, small businesses don’t have the luxury to, say, purchase equipment then hire and train staff just to do the digital marketing aspect of the business. Luckily, outsourcing these tasks can be the most optimal solution. Contrary to popular belief, outsourcing isn’t only for large corporations; there are companies and freelancers that offer their services to small and medium-sized businesses at affordable rates. The major advantages of outsourcing are that it’s cost-efficient, low risk, and more effective since you’re delegating the task to a company/individual that’s well-trained and equipped for the task.
As such, we’ll be taking a look at the different tasks and aspects in business that your small business can safely outsource:
#1 Customer Services, Orders, and Scheduling
Answering calls from customers to respond to queries, complaints, requests, orders, and scheduling can be manageable if you’re just starting. But when the business starts picking up and your brand grows, so does the number of current and potential customers, and it can be overwhelming to do so. Outsourcing these tasks to professional answering services can help you focus more on your other tasks while ensuring that your customer service queries are handled professionally. However, you also need to ensure to provide a separate number (and other contact details) that potential investors, suppliers, and other similar parties can contact.
#2 Web Design and Digital Marketing
Creating, managing, and making content for your small business’ website and social media accounts can be a highly technical and tedious task. A simple website with basic business information can suffice when you’re just starting, but a thriving and competitive business needs to have an optimized and well-designed website to promote business online effectively. You’ll also need to know how digital marketing works and which tools and techniques to use to make yourself more ‘visible’ to your target audience. Doing so requires skill and technical know-how, not to mention months (or even years) of training, experience, and the right tools. Instead of having to worry about this, it’s best to have this outsourced with a trusted digital marketing and web design company.
#3 Accounting and Bookkeeping
While it’s possible to learn basic bookkeeping and utilize accounting tools and software to do your small business’ accounting on your own and save money, there’s still the risk of making errors and missing out on items that can help lower the tax you’ll need to pay for. On the other hand, outsourcing the accounting and bookkeeping aspect of your small business to seasoned accounting professionals can help minimize errors, ensure accuracy, and ensures that you don’t overpay your taxes.
The Takeaway
These are only some of the few tasks that you can outsource. However, regardless of which task you’ll be outsourcing, the most important thing to remember is properly vetting the company or individual you’ll be outsourcing the task to.