Do what you do best and outsource the rest
02/03/2009 send to a friend
Never has this piece of advice been more relevant. You went in to business to do the things you most enjoy. When you enjoy something, you’re good at it and that, in turn, attracts loyal customers. Keep hold of those customers by sticking to your knitting and find other experts to take on the tasks you shouldn’t be performing.
What’s outsource-able?
Part of the adrenaline drive of business is getting to do many a varied thing. On Monday you could be courting new clients and on Tuesday completing the VAT return, whilst meeting a project deadline. Being the Finance Director, Marketing Director and Business Development Director in all one body and in one day is very much part of the adventure that is business.
But there will come a time when some of these tasks could be done better, faster and cheaper by someone else. Tasks such as:
- Accounting
- Admin
- Sales/appointment setting calls
- Marketing & press relations
- Events
The good news is there are a host of experts starting up their own businesses in these fields to cater for your every need.
Here’s my advice when it comes to doing what you do best and outsourcing the rest.
- Do the groundwork – spend some time working on the task yourself so you’ve built some foundations before handing work over to a third party. For example, if you outsource sales to a specialist, have a ready-made contacts list and some open doors that the specialist can build on, rather than start from scratch. This will make it more cost effective for you; it’s not a contract from a cold start, you have already done the groundwork.
- Be clear on the brief – having spent some time doing the task yourself, you will have a clear idea of the brief for the specialist. Back to the example of outsourcing sales, if you’ve spent 6 – 12 months sourcing leads and making contacts, you’ll have a much clearer idea of the type of prospecting the specialist should do. The clearer the brief, the better the results.
- Take your time – and take references. Spend time evaluating the specialists in the market and, if you can, talk to their existing clients. Do they have the industry experience you’re after, will they represent your brand in a professional manner, have they shown commitment to other clients. When an outsourced arrangement works well, the partner becomes part of your team so choose the partner as carefully as you would choose an employee.
- Let go! – outsourcing a key function means having to let go a little. Someone else becomes accountable for the results of this part of business. Embrace this rather than resist it. As the business owner you remain in ultimate control but the expert will need their own space to flourish.
Outsourcing can save you time and earn you money. And finding the right partner, on the right terms, will make you feel like a new and liberated person. - Emma Jones
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Comments
Author: Gee Ranasinha
Date: 02/03/2009
Comment: Great article, Emma. Companies of every size should consider outsourcing areas of business process: It frees up businesses to do more business! Plus, partnering with the right outsourcing company gives you access to specialised skillsets and expertise that you can rarely find or afford any other way.
In my experience the most important item on your list is the final one. Too many times in my own outsourcing company I have had clients who have found it difficult to 'let go'. They feel it necessary to micro-manage every part of the process. The result is frustration, frayed nerves and a tense business relationship on both sides - I call it "buying a dog and barking yourself."
Nowadays, I feel that a certain amount of client education is part of my business value proposition. Most business owners have no experience with working with outsourcing companies, therefore part of my job is outlining to the client how the day-to-day relationship will work, reporting structure and frequency, milestones, etc. Once we've agreed on a mutually-acceptable working pattern and expectation levels has been set, things run pretty smoothly.
Website: www.kexino.com
Author: Steve
Date: 02/03/2009
Comment: Outsourcing can help you reduce the obstacles to growth. If you're working from home, can't face having strangers in your home and the financial cost of premises + payroll, rates, etc is too daunting, outsource. Outsourcing fulfilment of our web orders gives us a dedicated solution that we pay for as we use. We don't need to worry about hiring, firing, health and safety, warehouses, seasonal staff, etc. It's also saved us money on post, packaging, etc due to the outsourcer's buying power.
Website: www.pressies4princesses.co.uk
Author: John L. Evans
Date: 02/03/2009
Comment: Hi Emma - great advice.
More geat advice - ki work™ - a great place to offer your services to others - whatever you do - and a great place to find other people to outsource work to.
They have also recently introduced ki team™ which enables people to work to gether to establish a truly virtual business and bid for larger projects.
I hope you'll tell your readers about it?
I have just created the first Professional Services Interim Management and Consulting team on ki work™ using ki team™ and am excited to invite you to join.
The Link:
http://www.ki-work.com/pg/3741/itm/2eb0d50727b043efa22ab9b02cbd3b64/default.aspx
This is a unique opportunity to gain first mover advantage – we need project and programme managers, due diligence experts, expert witnesses, consultants, professionals, and the list goes on. Take a look. The great thing about LinkedInterims™ team working is that you never know quite what skills the next big project will need, so the bigger and more diverse the team, the better - and if you're in, you're in!!
Ki Teams is great for accessing large, high-value projects and for being part of a bigger visible brand that can be easily found. And there's no limit to the number of ki teams™ you can join!!
Looking forward to effective and interesting collaboration.
http://www.ki-work.com/pg/3741/itm/2eb0d50727b043efa22ab9b02cbd3b64/default.aspx
Cheers John - LinkedInterims™
LOCRIS
Website: www.locris.com