When you’re running a small business, it’s impossible to keep everything in-house. You simply can’t hire a new employee every time you need something doing. And you definitely can’t handle it all yourself. That’s why it’s super important to outsource effectively. Here are the eight small business functions that can be outsourced.
Accounting
Accounting is a specialist skill that often requires a lot of time. Some small business owners choose to do this themselves, but this approach comes with a few issues. First off, it distracts you from the daily running and growing of your business. Secondly, if you get it wrong, you could have to pay costly fines. That’s why it’s much better to outsource to small business payroll services and accounting services.
Marketing
Marketing is something that many small business owners like to get involved in. From a strategic standpoint, this is a good approach. However, outsourcing marketing tasks is definitely a good idea. A strong digital marketing strategy is often the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful business nowadays.
Sales
Sales might not be the most obvious business function to outsource, but it can be done. The great thing about outsourcing sales is that you can easily measure performance metrics. However, if you want it to be successful, you will have to provide plenty of product training. A salesperson that doesn’t know their product isn’t much use at all.
IT Management
IT management outsourcing covers any IT-based business process. It can be an excellent way to save on costly IT staff if you need specific IT tasks taken care of. However, you might find that you can minimize the amount of IT work that needs doing by simplifying your business processes and using online software.
Administrative Tasks
In recent years, there has been a huge trend of outsourcing administrative tasks. This can include everything from fielding calls and answering emails to organizing calendars and events. One of the best things about outsourcing administration is that you get access to dedicated professionals who are super efficient in their work processes. Of course, they cost more (on an hourly basis) than hiring an administrator, but you get a better service overall.
Customer Service
Some business owners are very natural at customer service. Others take it personally when a customer has an issue. You need to be honest with yourself about which category you fall into. If it’s the latter, it’s much better to outsource customer service to professionals. They will handle customer complaints and can even rectify issues if they are given enough information.
Manufacturing
Keeping all of your manufacturing in-house can be extremely expensive. You will need to hire CAD designers, buy specialist equipment, and cover maintenance and repair costs. However, if you outsource, you just pay a set price (which can be negotiated). So, for any small business with manufacturing needs, outsourcing is the way to go.
Shipping and Logistics
Like manufacturing, it can often be prohibitively expensive to keep shipping and logistics in-house. However, some companies specialize in this area and can reduce costs by including your shipping and logistics with other customers. This is definitely the more cost-effective solution.
