Stop everything! We have the answer to all your problems. The answer is outsourcing! Outsourcing for your business is the new way forward.
How many times have you looked at your to do list and wondered how you are going to get it all done? You have created your business with an image of being able to help people, whether it is by providing a service or a product – but you have just gotten to that point where you aren’t sure if you can manage it all on your own anymore. Don’t think of this as a bad thing, don’t think that you are failing because you can’t do it all yourself. Think of it as a positive. You have created a business that is now in demand and you are needing help with it because it is growing. It is a great achievement.
Outsourcing tasks in your business is one way to relieve that pressure. A way to get you back to the core of your business, back to the helping people, providing your products and services and leaving the smaller tasks to someone else to complete. Outsourcing can seem scary at first, letting someone else take control of an aspect of your business. As scary as it may seem, once you take the step to outsource, you will wonder why you didn’t do it earlier! There are many great benefits to outsourcing, and they don’t just revolve around you being able to work less within the business.
Cost Effective
Outsourcing tasks is a more affordable way of hiring help within your business. If you were to hire an employee to work with you at your office than you need to not only pay wages but you need to cover the costs of overheads for them. Computers, internet and phone costs, the cost of electricity – the list goes on. When you outsource to someone who is not working within your office space, these costs are covered by them. They are in charge of their own equipment and overheads. This makes outsourcing a much more cost effective way to hire help. Another thing to consider, especially for serviced-based businesses, is you current hourly rate. If you can earn $100 an hour servicing clients, then having a $25-30 an hour Virtual Assistant complete some simple tasks for you makes complete business sense.
Upsizing Business
If you are in a position to outsource different tasks and roles within the business to someone else, it means that it frees up time for you to get back to the core aspects of the business. This leaves you in a position where you can start promoting the business and building it up. Chances are if you were doing everything on your own, you were at a bit of a stand still, at a point where you were too busy to try and bring in more business because you knew you wouldn’t be able to handle any more on your own. This is why outsourcing is a great step. It gives you back that time, it gives you a chance to be able to build the business and take it to the next level.
Focus
How many hats do you wear in your business? How much focus are you able to give to each and every one of them? Chances are that because you are trying to do too much at once, things are failing. You are not able to give your full focus. Each task in your business is important and it plays a part in the running of the business. Each task needs to have the focus dedicated to it. If you outsource different tasks, it means that the person who is in charge of it has now taken the focus for it. It leaves you with time to focus on the hats that you are still wearing.
Experience
There may be areas of your business that you are not trained in. Having the help of someone who is trained in the areas of your business that you are not, can be very helpful. Hiring a design person to take on design work, a social media manager to take care of your social media posting, a book keeper to handle the books. These people are trained in these areas and this is what they do for a living. Why push your way through tasks you don’t like or don’t fully understand if someone else can do them? With their experience they will be able to ensure the tasks are done correctly.
Time Management
This one ties in with the focus side of things. Outsourcing can assist with the time management of both you and the business. Many start up businesses are pulling ridiculously long hours in order to make sure everything is done. This can mean some very late nights and some very early mornings. This is not good for you or your business. If you burn out – how is the business going to keep going? Having someone to help you can help to manage the time and structure of the business. It frees up time for you to get some of your life back. Gives you a chance to spend time with your family. It gives you time to start rolling the business ideas again.
Builds Relationships
Owning a business can be lonely at times. If you have been the sole person working in the business, without people around you, then you could be feeling the effects of this. Being on your own and constantly working throughout the day can become lonely and at times depressing. Having someone that you can bounce ideas off, chat with and relate to, can be healthy for you. It not only relieves stress but also helps you to build a relationship with the person. You still need to maintain a professional level with them, but you can grow and build a relationship with them as well.
Healthy for you
Yep, it is as simple as that. It will be healthy for you. If you are running yourself into the ground doing everything yourself – the effects will start to show. Lack of sleep, poor diet due to snacking and grabbing take out because its easier, lack of exercise because you are stuck as a computer all day. These are all things that can be bad for your overall health. Once you start to relieve the pressure of the business, by outsourcing different tasks you will begin to get your life back. You can start going to bed earlier, you will have time to make proper meals and you may even have time for a quick nap.
The idea of outsourcing may be a bit scary and overwhelming at first. Once you have worked out what tasks you want to outsource, find an experienced person to assist you with them. Take the time to complete proper training. Work with them and decide if they are the right fit for your business.