When you’re a small business owner, it can be easy to think that you have to do everything yourself. It may be a money saving mind-set, or it may just be that there aren’t many other people in your business that can do the things that you want to do – and you can’t afford to hire full time staff to do it. However, this can often be counterproductive when it comes to time, money and the future of your business. We explore how your small business can benefit from outsourcing.
What is Outsourcing?
Outsourcing is when you use a firm or an individual to take on certain jobs that need doing within your business. Small companies regularly do this in a range of areas, such as payroll, accounting, distribution, document and archive management, etc. There are a number of well established businesses that offer these kinds of services, too, so you don’t have to worry about the quality of work. For document and archive management, for instance, TNT Business Solutions is a well-known company that offer this as a way to streamline your business.
Increase Efficiency
Companies that have in-house teams have a higher spend on areas such as research, development, recruitment and marketing to make sure that they are offering the best, which is an expense that must be passed onto customers. Outsourcing allows your staff to focus on your core activities, saving you time and money. For instance, if you have a manufacturing business, outsourcing your human resource management to ERP firms like SYTE (sytecg.com) can save your present employees from spending extra time on the responsibility. Also, when you outsource such a task, you are involving professionals who are trained recruit the right person suited for the job. Outsourcing could also give you an advantage in comparison to your competitors.
Cut Costs
One of the main reasons to outsource is to cut costs. It converts fixed costs, i.e. staff, in to variable ones, and releases capital for investment elsewhere, which is beneficial for start-ups and established businesses alike. You can therefore put more money into revenue-making activities.
Start New Projects Quickly
If you’re outsourcing your labour, you can start new projects almost immediately. If you choose to keep it in house, then you may be faced with weeks of recruitment, training to provide the support that they need before you can begin your new project.
Match the Big Firms
As a small business, you may not be able to offer potential employees what they want in order to attract the best talent to your company. However, by outsourcing, you can level the playing field by having the same quality of work and efficiency that larger companies have.