5 Things To Consider Before You Outsource

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When it comes to tasks that are time-consuming or require specialist skills, many companies choose to outsource these tasks to another company. This allows businesses to focus on core tasks and get more done. Outsourcing is much cheaper than hiring full time staff and sometimes more effective. All the most successful businesses rely on outsourcing, however you should carefully consider the types of tasks you outsource and who you outsource from. Here are just a few questions to ask yourself before you outsource.

How much does it cost?

It’s possible to outsource everything from accountancy to handling social media, but to justify this you’ll need to be making enough money in order to pay all these people that you’re outsourcing. If you’re not making a large income, you may not be able to afford to outsource and you may have no option but to do these tasks yourself. You can outsource tasks for cheap using sites like Fiverr, but you’ll usually be hiring amateurs and budding freelancers rather than established firms to take on these tasks. By budgeting ahead, you can usually work out whether it’s financially feasible – never outsource without doing financial calculations first. Be wary that you may be able to negotiate costs in certain cases.

Is it worth the convenience?

You need to be certain that the convenience is worth the cost. For example, if you’re planning on hiring a phone answering company such as Moneypenny, you need to consider what advantage this will bring you. If your day is constantly being interrupted by phonecalls or you’re missing out on potential customers because you’re too busy doing other tasks to answer the phone, outsourcing such a service could be worthwhile. However, if you’re only getting the occasional phonecall, it my not be worth paying a monthly fee for. Convenience may also depend on how well you can perform the task yourself - if you’re not digitally savvy at all, you may prefer to outsource your web design, however if you’ve got programming know-how or are familiar with Wordpress you may be better off doing this task yourself.

How credible is this company?

If you’ve decided outsourcing is definitely the best course of action, you then need to decide who to outsource from. Ideally you want someone you can trust and this means looking for proof that a company is of a professional standard and that they’ve received results in the past. Awards are a good way to tell that a company is credible. Don’t just trust their website - if you can find proof of this award published elsewhere on the internet such as this Asiaciti Trust fiduciary award, it’s usually a sign that it’s genuine. On top of awards, check that they have necessary licenses to credentials. Reviews and testimonials can meanwhile be good proof of past successes with customers – if a company has lots of positive reviews, that usually means that they can provide good results for clients. Of course, some companies do fake reviews, however you can usually tell by looking at the date these reviews were published and the detail of the content (if they’re all vague and published at the same time, they’re usually fake).

Do I need a specialist service?

You may also want to consider whether you need a general service or a specialist service. Outsourcing a general marketing company could allow you to get involved in multiple marketing strategies, however you may prefer a company that simply specialises in SEO or social media marketing or PPC ads. Similarly, you may prefer a specialist company such as this retail marketing company Only Retail – such companies may have a better understanding of your niche, however they may cost a little bit more to hire.

How involved do I want to be?

Some company owners prefer to outsource someone who take the task completely off their hands without them having to give too much input, whilst others prefer to stay heavily involved in the work. You should decide which option is best for you when choosing a company to outsource. If you want to stay hands-on, you may find that hiring an advisor is a better option – this could involve hiring a recruitment consultant to help you find employees rather than hiring a recruitment company. Outsourcing advice can be cheaper, however you need to be comfortable still taking on the work yourself.