Three business functions that you can outsource, and work smarter
The more efficiently you run your business, the more valuable it becomes. So the goal for entrepreneurs is to find ways to earn more money, while lowering costs and reducing time and effort.
There are many ways business can cut costs. And one of the simplest is to find cheaper suppliers of your raw materials. So, for example, if you’re a restaurant owner you’ll want to find a supplier of high quality produce at the lowest price.
Another way to ensure procedural efficiency is outsourcing. So no wonder it’s become increasingly popular – particularly with large companies who can afford the high upfront costs of moving some of their functions overseas.
If you are a small business owner looking to outsource, but aren’t sure what to outsource, here are three suggestions.
1) IT support
In today’s digital age, almost everything is now associated with the words ‘virtual,’ ‘online,’ and ‘automated.’ And if you want to stay competitive, you need to keep up with the latest developments.
If the business you run is not focused on IT, but IT has the power to enrich it, then it’s worth considering whether to outsource your IT support functions, for example by adding Impreza IT, a provider of IT support. This way, you can let go of complicated tasks that you are not necessarily an expert in.
There are different types of IT support. It can be as simple as having someone develop and maintain your business website, to as complex as paying a firm like EAG 1Source to take care of virtual records keeping and other significant digital solutions.
2) Technical support for customers
Technical support is perhaps among the most outsourced functions in the world now. In fact, many of the business processing outsourcing companies that operate in developing countries like the Philippines and Indonesia focus on it.
So if your business fields technical support calls from customers, it’s worth looking at your outsourcing options. After all, the majority of technical issues that customers ask assistance for don’t really need the complex expertise of your product developers.
These issues can just be handled by less technical but well trained professionals who are good at communicating and providing great customer service.
3) Some marketing functions
Marketing is a very important part of any business. It doesn’t matter how exceptional your products or services may be, without marketing they’ll go unnoticed by your target audience.
But just because marketing is highly significant, doesn’t mean that every marketing function should be done in-house. Some parts of it are best left to people who specialize in them.
Among the most commonly outsourced marketing functions is conducting marketing research. This is a highly meticulous process that may require a lot of legwork and complex statistical analyses. Another example is advertising; many ads are developed by contractors that are external to the company.
What can you outsource?
These are just three suggestions. There may well be specific parts of your business that could easily be outsourced, such as fulfilment, leaving you free to focus on the areas of your business where you can add the most value.
Photo by Christina
