Here are 5 definite signs that it’s time to outsource.
You’ve been thinking about outsourcing for a while, but how do you know when it’s the time to outsource? “Yesterday” may feel like the correct answer, but if you’re hesitating, here are five definite signs that it’s time to outsource.
1: Your Employees Can’t Do Their Jobs (and It’s Affecting Your Bottom Line)
If your company focuses on selling weight loss products but management says you need to grow a social media presence to keep up with Weight Watchers, you have some choices to make. If your current sales employees start doing social media, you’re going to take away precious selling time that could lose you money. You could hire a whole new social media team, but if you’re on a limited budget and strapped for the time that a multiple candidate search could take, outsourcing to a company that specializes in social media marketing and has the manpower to handle the task could be a perfect solution.
Attention-stealing tasks pop up all the time in the professional world. Outsourcing the ones that have more urgency than others is a great way to help your team focus on what matters most to your core business functions.
2: What You Want or Need to Do Is Too Expensive
This one is simple. Outsourcing is much cheaper, thus many people outsource a division or project that could cost them a lot of money to do in-house, like web design. This provides the company with another source of manpower to complete the project and at a lower price. Why are so many American goods made in China? Lower cost! Consider this: a dedicated team of customer service representatives for many mid-sized e-commerce businesses may consist of anything from 10-100 employees. Do you have the funds to tackle that with local talent?
3: Your Time Is Limited
If your company goes through cycles of busy work for a few months out of the year and doesn’t have enough time, outsourcing to another company can help take the load off of your current employees during these stressful periods. Having a company that you can turn to each year when things get busy is a great way to keep your company productive and ahead of the curve.
4: You Need a Specialized Skill or Talent
Much like the Weight Watchers example above, you may need a skill that your employees don’t currently have. Outsourcing specialized skills can allow your employees to dedicate time to the skills they do have. Social media, like many other processes that can be outsourced, requires special knowledge and a blend of timing, skill, and creativity to maximize it. Since social media is always evolving, many social media managers spend time learning new strategies and earning certifications. Hiring the right people who have that specialized skill or talent already in their repertoire can help you get ahead.
5: That “Yesterday” Response at the Beginning of This Blog Rang True
More often than not, if you’re nodding your head yes to the above four options, it’s time to outsource. Deciding when it’s time to outsource may seem daunting at first, but we promise, having an outsourcing partner take the weight off your shoulders will benefit everyone in the long run. Unity Communications’ Founder and CEO, Patrick Brown, often asks business owners why they are thinking of outsourcing. He asks them this question because he knows that if they’re even thinking about outsourcing, they’re already experiencing major pain points and problems that outsourcing could fix.
Ready to take the first step to relieve the stress from your business? Contact Unity Communications today to get started.
