It comes with no surprise that owning a startup or a small business is demanding not only in terms of time, but it also involves investing large sums of money. Website design, product or service distribution, paying salaries to the employees - the costs and work seem endless. Does this mean that you should completely refrain from developing your own business and give up this idea forever? Of course not. There are numerous ways to save a little, no matter if you’re just starting with your business or you’ve been running it for some time. One of them is outsourcing. It's important to ask what tasks can you outsource to save money. When you delegate a part of your work to an external specialist or company, it becomes easier for you to manage other responsibilities.
In this article, you’ll find out what tasks you can outsource to save money for your small business and make it even more profitable at a relatively low cost.
Call centers and phone answering teams are a huge part of business. However, this model of work requires a lot of workforce and high maintenance costs. What’s more, call centers normally operate round the clock, so it’s essential to hire even more employers, which may not be profitable for the company’s budget.
A solution to this issue may be choosing a phone answering service. It involves an external company managing your incoming phone calls. This service has two variations - it can either be managed by a live receptionist or an auto-attendant - the choice depends on your preferences.
Choosing a live phone answering service over managing a whole call center or a phone answering team is a good idea as it reduces the workforce needed for this purpose. The calls can be managed even 24/7, which is particularly convenient for companies that provide around-the-clock phone services.
A few years back, almost every company needed to hire their own IT specialists in order to make their systems work smoothly. Nowadays, more and more businesses decide to switch to a managed IT services model. What is it?
Managed IT services are where an external specialist or company handles all the issues connected with systems, software, and IT tools on a daily basis. It means that the employees can focus on other, more important chores while their IT systems are taken care of.
Using managed IT services often requires paying a monthly or annual fee for this complex service. However, it is an excellent way to cut costs, as the fees are usually significantly lower than hiring an in-house IT team for your business.
Accounting services are another branch that gets often outsourced nowadays. Many freelance accountants are willing to work for several companies at once, and reasonable rates mean that it is a good deal for the company as well.
Usually, a small company needs an accountant’s help towards the end of the month - when all the costs need to be regulated. It is not a lot, and usually, if you don’t own a big business, it is simply more profitable to outsource this service to an external specialist.
Similarly to other outsourcing models, accounting services involve paying a regular fee. However, its costs are lower than investing in a whole accounting team within a company. Accountants who work as freelancers can also earn more in this model of work.
If you run a business that’s concerned with graphic design - or at least needs some graphic work from time to time - it may be profitable to delegate the chores connected with it externally.
There are plenty of excellent freelance graphic designers on the market, and they don’t require you to sign a job contract with them. That’s why it’s better to cooperate with the best, not choose to hire a poorly-skilled designer just because they want to sign a job contract with you.
Keep in mind that you may not need such a service that often. Choosing to outsource it when needed is more reasonable than having a whole team of graphic designers who have nothing to do!
Owning a small company usually means facing a lot of challenges. Before it develops, it is often needed to cut costs and save up where possible. Luckily, task outsourcing can be an excellent way to help your business grow without spending a fortune.
Currently, more and more services are being outsourced, and there is a wide choice of freelancers in the job market. The good news is that this kind of service is usually available at a reasonable price. It is also safe and continuous.
Therefore, think of what areas of your business can be outsourced by asking, "What tasks can you outsource to save money?" and then simply go for it - you’ll have fewer responsibilities and more time to develop your startup or grow your existing business.
