How outsourcing can help you build a successful business
In the digital age, even the smallest business can benefit from outsourcing. Through sites like Freelancer and Upwork, you can hire experts for both one-off and long-term projects for a fraction of the cost of hiring a full-time employee.
In this article, we look at how outsourcing can help you build a successful business, as we share our tips on how to find the right contractor or agency for your company and get the very most from your relationship together.
It frees you up to focus on the big picture
When your business is just starting out, you may find yourself covering a lot of bases yourself. However, if you want your company to grow as quickly as possible, you should find other people to handle the day-to-day operation of your business as soon as you have the money to do so. Fail to do this and you can easily get bogged down in minutia rather than making real progress on the big picture tasks that are going to really take your business to the next level.
While it can be hard to prise yourself away from the day-to-day functions of your business after you’ve been so integral to everything at the beginning, outsourcing the majority of the tasks your company requires to run is essential if you want grow. This will free up your time to focus on the tasks that have the largest return on investment.
It gives you instant access to experts (at a fraction of the cost)
When you first start your business journey, one of the biggest barriers to success is finding access to people with the kind of expertise that will take your business to the next level. While you probably don’t have the capital to hire people with a wealth of industry expertise full-time, you may very well be able to afford hiring them as a contractor to work freelance for your business.
So, whether you’re looking for an agency to handle your marketing and SEO, a developer to create a website for you, or an accountant to handle your payroll, you can fill all kinds of gaps in your business by outsourcing these essential roles to contractors for a fraction of the price of hiring a full-time employee.
Finding the right agencies and contractors
If your business is just starting out or you’re looking to grow an already established company even further, outsourcing can help you reach the next level with your business. However, you need to make sure the agency or contractor you’re outsourcing work to is the right fit.
Firstly, consider your budget, as each agency and contractor will come at a different price. Then try and find a contractor you can afford who has proven experience in your sector. Just as you would an employee, make sure to interview them (using a free video conferencing service, such as Skype, if they’re located in a different part of the world) in order to find out whether or not they’d be a good fit for what you’re trying to achieve.
Once you’ve decided on an agency or contractor, you should make sure to lay out some ground rules in order to make sure you’re both on the same page going forward. Darren Park is the commercial manager at LetUsFixIT, a company that has utilised agencies and contractors to help grow their own brand. He says: “It’s important that the first thing you do with any freelancer or agency you’ve chosen is sit down and come to a written agreement about what’s expected from both parties. It’s absolutely essential that you’re both on the same page from the very start — otherwise, what could be a fruitful relationship could end up being ruined by basic communication problems.”
Follow these tips and you’re sure to find the right freelancer or agency to help grow your company, whether you’re just starting out on your business journey or you’re already well established.
