The Importance of Outsourcing – When is the Right Time?
Outsourcing can be such a tricky (and touchy) subject for a lot of people. As a small business owner, it can be so hard to loosen the reins, even a little, and put your trust in someone else that they are going to care for your business the same way that you do. But the risk of trying to do all of the behind-the-scenes work for your business yourself – and keep up with the demands of growing your business – far outweighs the risk of outsourcing tasks. Depending on what tasks you will be outsourcing, the ‘when’ will vary.
Will you need help from a Brand Strategist to develop and design the perfect brand for your business? If graphic design is not I your wheelhouse of tools then it is a definite ‘yes’ to that question. Your brand speaks volumes about your business and if it’s not portraying you properly then you are already starting off on the wrong foot.
Often going hand-in-hand with a Brand Strategist is a Digital Marketer – are you planning to manage your business’s Social Media yourself? Think hard about content creation, engaging with your followers – both current and prospective customers and clients – lead magnets, and specialized ads that, properly placed, will help to grow your business almost effortlessly! There is absolutely something to be said for hiring a firm that specializes in these sorts of things!
Will you need a Bookkeeper or Accountant? If you don’t have a strong understanding of your local and federal tax laws then this is another ‘yes’. The last thing you want is to get to your first tax season and realize that you didn’t have your business set up properly and now you owe significantly more than you anticipated in taxes. Hiring a certified Bookkeeper or Accountant will ensure your ‘is are dotted and your ‘t’s are crossed in every aspect. They’ll also make a great sounding board as you discuss your plans and growth projections for your business!
Will you need tailored support from a Virtual Assistant? Do you need help staying organized and on-track? Do you have enough time in your day to follow up with your clients and customers, book appointments, answer questions, create documents and spreadsheets, respond to inquiries and all of those other seemingly mundane tasks can take up an awful lot of time in your day – time that could be spent focusing on your business’s growth and development as well as maintaining your presence as the face of your business. A VA is great if you don’t need fulltime (or even parttime) help – maybe you need 3-4 hours each week just to help keep you sane. The benefit of outsourcing is that you can get exactly what you need without feeling like you’re wasting money or trying to come up with make-work projects to keep an employee busy.
The list of other businesses that can help you is probably endless but these four are a great place to start. If you’re just thinking about starting a business, create an outline that encompasses every aspect of getting your business off the ground. From there you can narrow down and prioritize what you will need help with right away – these are those items mentioned earlier that are totally necessary but just not quite in your repertoire – and what you can keep in the back of your mind for later. For example, if you’re a Bookkeeper yourself, than you may not need to hire an Accountant to set your business up and get everything ready for tax season, but you may need to hire a Brand Strategist and Digital Marketer to create your Brand and help you stand out from your competition on Social Media.
If you’re already going strong with your business but feel like there are just not enough hours in the day to do it all yourself (spoiler alert: there absolutely is not!) then start by making a list of all of the tasks that you hate doing. Research shows that if you don’t like doing a task it can take you so much longer to complete! Procrastination can be your own worst enemy here! Once you have the list of tasks you hate, add to it that tasks that take up too much of your time. Maybe you love doing online inventory for your business but it takes 10hours each week to complete it and that takes away from time creating or connecting with your customers. This is something that could absolutely be handled by a Virtual Assistant! Maybe content creation on your social media platforms is your least favourite thing to do – no problem, that’s what a Social Media Manager is for!
The real trick is to make sure you are outsourcing before you’re drowning and it can be an interesting tight rope to walk between turning a profit and re-investing in your business growth – because when you’re outsourcing that’s exactly what you’re doing; re-investing! You’re freeing up your time as a business owner to continue the important work you do and the benefit of that is endless!
Once you’ve made the decision on what tasks to outsource, it’s time to do your homework! Talk to other business owners in your online and physical community and see if they have any referrals for you. Having a recommendation from a trusted colleague or business network can ease a lot of stress and fear from working with someone new. If you aren’t getting the specific referral you’re looking for, join business-oriented social media groups that allow occasional calls to action; when you come across the industry you want to work with, review their website, read their testimonials, ask to see their portfolio, and request a discovery call to see if it’s the right fit for you!
Outsourcing is a crucial part of growing your business and the beautiful thing about today’s world is that you can work with anyone from anywhere! You are so much less restricted than in previous years by not having to hire full time staff if you don’t need to. You can purchase templates, negotiate a task-based or hourly-based contract, and have projects completed on an as-needed basis! So build your network and get ready to conquer the world!
