Outsourcing is a concept that can strike fear into any small business owner. How will I stay in control? Can I really trust someone else to take over key parts of my business?
Put your inner control freak aside for a moment and ask yourself this - can I really afford not to outsource?
OK, so outsourcing sometimes has a bit of a murky reputation. It often conjures up images of call centres based in far-flung destinations, but in reality it can be a lot more functional.
This is as much the case for small businesses as it is for large corporations. Ask yourself how many times you've finished the working week with a to-do list longer than it was on Monday morning. The chances are you've lost count over the years, which is where outsourcing can really come in to play.
Cost is often a deal-breaker when it comes to deciding whether or not it's worth outsourcing certain tasks and processes. After all, you will understandably want to protect your bottom line and cut costs wherever possible.
Outsourcing could prove a pleasant surprise in terms of its dollar value. Add up how many man hours you currently pay out for certain tasks to be done in-house and I reckon you'll be shocked.
Letting someone else do the work for you could prove more cost-effective than you might think, not to mention the benefits of freeing up your time to spend elsewhere in the business.
Obviously this shouldn't be at the expense of your business - there are certain tasks you'll need to do yourself to keep things ticking over, but why not let someone else do some of the legwork?
Here at CashFlow Advantage, we've been doing just that for the past six months. Not only has our customer service improved, but there have been widespread benefits to other areas of our business, too.
I strongly recommend that you take a better look at the benefits of outsourcing - what do you have to lose?
Wishing you all the best for your week in business.