Starting a new business requires lots of effort. If you want to succeed, you’ll need to put in long hours every day. This means you won’t always have enough time to focus on your company. Even if you manage to squeeze in some free time, you might not get anything done because you don’t have the skills needed to run your business effectively.
There are plenty of things you can outsource, from customer service to accounting to marketing. In fact, outsourcing has become a common practice for startups. By hiring freelancers and other companies who specialize in certain areas, entrepreneurs can save time and resources.
1. Accounting
Small businesses are increasingly outsourcing accounting functions because it allows them to focus on what they do best – running their business. Your business can use outside help for bookkeeping, payroll, tax preparation and filing.
If you don’t have experience in accounting or managing finances, hiring someone else can save you valuable time. You’ll still need to train them, though. And you’ll want to make sure that person understands the laws and regulations governing your industry. But having an experienced professional handle the work frees up your time to spend on growing your business.
2. Human Resources
The human resources department is responsible for everything related to employees. This includes hiring, onboarding, training, benefits administration, employee compensation, payroll, and timekeeping. HR professionals must know how to manage and communicate with different types of people such as managers, supervisors, coworkers, customers, vendors, and even clients.
3. Marketing
An outside marketing firm can help take care of a lot of the heavy lifting behind the scenes. These companies specialize in helping small businesses grow, and often times they can even help you find clients, make deals, and close sales. They can take the ad creation, content creation or social management off your plate so you don’t have to worry about it. And because they’re usually full of experts in their field, they can give you advice on how to best utilize your existing resources.
4. IT
If you’re running a business and haven’t hired someone to handle your technology needs, it might be time to start thinking about it. You can save money by hiring an outside firm to take care of things like setting up computers, installing security measures, updating operating systems, maintaining servers, and much more.
When you hire an outsourced IT provider, you’ll benefit from having someone who knows what they are doing. This way, you won’t have to worry about making mistakes that could cost you thousands of dollars.
5. Web Development
Web development has changed drastically over the last decade. In fact, many people don’t even know what a CMS is anymore. With the rise of social media and mobile devices, web developers are now expected to do much more than just build a website. They’re expected to make sure the site works well across multiple platforms. While there are plenty of free tools out there to help you manage a website, most of them aren’t designed for the average person. A good web developer knows how to use the latest technology to provide an outstanding experience for his customers.
6. Sales
You might think selling is something you do alone. After all, it takes a lot of work to close a deal. But there are actually many ways to sell products and services without having to go out into the field yourself. Outsourcing sales is one way to cut costs while still getting the job done.
7. Customer Service
For those companies that offer customer support via email, text messaging, live chat, and/or telephone, outsourcing allows you to offload some of the workload without having to hire additional employees. You can use an outsourced provider to handle routine inquiries while you focus on what you are best at—creating great products and providing excellent customer service.
Outsourcing is a good option if you don’t want to invest in expensive technology. Outsourcing also provides flexibility because it gives you access to different vendors based on your needs. If you decide to go with an outsourced provider, you’ll still need to train the individual handling your calls or chats.
8. Administrative Tasks
Virtual assistants are becoming more popular among solopreneurs and small businesses. They’re used to handling things like email, scheduling, and social media posting. There are VAs who specialize in just about anything, including marketing, customer support, research, and writing. And it doesn’t take much experience to become proficient.
There are VAs who can manage everything from inbox management and scheduling to social media posting. You can find a VA for around $10 an hour, although some charge up to $50 an hour. Depending on the skill level of the assistant, you might pay anywhere from $30 to $75 an hour.
9. Social Media
Social media marketing is one of those things that most people know about, but few actually understand. It is a powerful tool that many companies are now using to market themselves. If you want to start up a successful social media campaign, it’s important to make sure that you’re doing everything correctly. Many small businesses don’t even have an employee to handle this task full-time.
10. Photography
If you’re looking to take your business or organization to the next level, then you should consider outsourcing your photography needs. It can be difficult to find someone who has both the skills and experience necessary to produce high-quality images for your website, social media pages, brochures, flyers, etc. But if you don’t have time to learn how to shoot photos yourself, there are plenty of photographers online who specialize in this type of work.
11. Graphic Design
Graphic design is another area where you may not have the time or resources to create your own designs. Many freelancers will provide graphic design services for a reasonable price. Some designers will even offer free initial consultations so you can see if they’re right for you.
12. Writing
You probably already write content for your blog or other websites. But did you know that you could outsource your company’s writing needs? You can find freelance writers who specialize in creating articles, press releases, white papers, ebooks, and more.
13. Payroll Processing
Payroll outsourcing isn’t just about saving money; it’s also about streamlining processes and making sure that everything runs smoothly. When you outsource your payroll processing, you’ll no longer have to worry about collecting data from every single employee, calculating their salaries, submitting their paychecks, and ensuring that they’re paid correctly. Instead, you’ll delegate those tasks to experts who are familiar with the process. They’ll take care of everything, and you’ll save tons of time and energy.
14. Event Management
Event planning can be a complex task. From deciding what to do to choosing the best venues, it involves lots of different things. But there are ways to make things easier for yourself. One way is to hire someone else to handle the whole thing. This saves you from having to organize everything yourself.
15. Legal Services
In recent years, there has been a growing trend toward outsourcing legal services. This is because many small and medium sized businesses do not have the funds to hire full-time lawyers. However, even larger corporations often choose to use offshore legal departments due to the cost savings involved.
The most common type of legal outsourcing involves the provision of litigation support. This includes things like document review, analysis, drafting, and legal documentation. Other examples include providing advice regarding intellectual property, employment law, corporate governance, and commercial disputes.
16. Training
Do you think you can handle all your training needs internally? If you answered yes, you might want to reconsider. Many successful firms surveyed outsource some of their training programs. This trend continues to grow as companies realize that it provides many benefits, including cost savings, improved quality control, and increased employee satisfaction.
17. Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity threats are becoming more common every year. Hackers can steal sensitive data or even shut down businesses completely by targeting their networks. This means that companies must invest heavily in cybersecurity solutions to protect themselves against cyberattacks. However, this investment can be very expensive. It may also require constant attention and maintenance, making it difficult to scale quickly if business growth requires additional resources. Outsourcing can reduce this cost.
Outsource Every Task You Do Not Enjoy
There are many things that we simply don’t like to do. Maybe it’s filling up forms for taxes, or maybe it’s writing blogs and articles. If you want to save yourself from wasting precious hours every month, then it’s best to start outsourcing everything you do not enjoy. This will help you reduce your workload, increase your efficiency, and boost your productivity overall.
Consider Adding More Services to Your Outsourcing Strategy
Outsourcing is an effective strategy for any company looking to improve its bottom line. By delegating certain tasks to professionals, you can free up your time to focus on other important aspects of running your business.
If you’re ready to get started with a professional answering service, we’re here to help. Contact Answer Aide by calling (866) 427-3500 or by filling out our online form. We’re happy to partner with you to support your business while it grows.