IS OUTSOURCING THE BEST OPTION FOR YOUR COMPANY?
Article by Marlo Wright
Photo Credit: Mariana Garcia
Magazine: Issue #25
Outsourcing for Your Company
With so many available outsourcing options for the busy entrepreneur at so many different price levels, the challenge is finding the right person for your team.
An outsourced member of your team, is still a team member. It is YOUR responsibility to check behind, followup with and stay in constant contact with the team member, even if overseas. Just as any other employee in your office, people unfortunately have the tendency to skate around the corners and not do things quite exactly as you would. This is the challenging part. Too many cut corners can equal low quality in your produced outcome. This could mean bad business and your customers level of expectations are not being met.
The saying is, trust, but verify. Trust what employees tell you they’re doing— Verify every step of the way. In the early stages, especially, this is critical to your public image and company foundation. Misleading, poor quality, or deficient customer service can hurt your business before it takes off, and damages could potentially be irreversible.
There are several outsourcing sites/companies from music, to commercials, to personal assistants, varying in prices and features from which to choose. Remember, you get what you pay for, and though choosing the least expensive option seems to make sense as you count every penny, it may not yield the best return on your investment. Every dollar, even if it's five dollars is important and should be spent wisely!
Do you need the help? Often times, we are told that we should get rid of the tasks that are “not worth your time”, but, if you’re having to redo those tasks, you've now wasted time, money and energy. Ultimately the frustration from the situation can spiral you into a negative space that in turn wastes more time.
Patience. The right outsourcing opportunity will come at the right time.
Here are 5 ways to make sure you’re making the best outsourcing decisions for your emerging company:
1| Is it necessary? Doing what we have to do vs what we want to do can impair our better judgement. As the owner of the company, it’s your job to know a little about each position before delegating. Therefore, spend some time actually doing the assignment before giving it to someone else. That way, you’ll have a working knowledge of how it should work.
2| What are my sourcing options? Do the research. Ask for referrals. Check references.
3| How much help can I afford? Never give cart blanche assignments. Rather give in small hourly increments. Write it in your budget.
4| How long will I need help? Is this an unlimited time frame or a specific project you'll need help with?
5| What specific duties will they accomplish? Create a specific job description, though it can be tailored as your needs change.
Ultimately outsourcing means your business is growing, or showing signs of growth. As stressful as it can be, you have to exercise patience and positive thinking to get you through. You won’t know it all, and you’ll learn a lot that will make your business grow all the more.
