Finding the right balance between outsourcing tasks and saving money isn’t easy when you run or manage a small business.. Some things take a lot of time and effort that you may want to spend working to create more income to better invest in your future. Other things may cause you to lose a lot of money if you let go of control.
Outsourcing can make you more money in some instances even though you’re paying for a service. Weighing the pros and cons of each possible thing to delegate to someone else makes the best financial sense, as it could vary from one company to another.
Top Jobs Businesses Outsource In 2024
Deloitte recently released findings that global spending on outsourcing could reach $731 billion by the end of 2024. The benefits of outsourcing are outstanding, which is why so many companies turn to it each year to help them scale up to the next level.
Pros include putting more focus on the core function of your business, controlling costs, expanding your customer reach and becoming more competitive in your industry.
If you’re convinced outsourcing might benefit your company, here are the top things that make sense financially to delegate.
1. Training
When it comes time to add specialized training for your employees, you can’t know everything and may not be the most efficient person to run a classroom. Hiring outside trainers brings in fresh expertise others in your company may not have. Because most presenters have run workshops before, they’ll know how to keep your workers engaged and interested.
2. Window Cleaning
Clean office windows helps your crew feel more optimistic about facing the work day. Clients might notice little things such as grimy windows and feel you don’t pay attention to detail. However, finding time to present a professional appearance shows you care about how you look to the outside world. Your first impressions will be better.
Clean windows also reduce the changes of mold or other allergens entering the workplace and making your employees ill. Sick workers can impact morale and reduce productivity.
3. Cleaning
For the same reasons you should keep your windows clean, you should also regularly clean the interior of your office space. Rather than wasting highly trained workers and having them sweep and throw out full trash cans, pay a cleaning company to come in and complete the work for you. They’ll have the equipment and experience to complete the task quickly and your staff can focus on building your brand.
4. Accounting
Unless you run a huge company, outsourcing accounting is often more cost efficient than paying an employee a full-time wage and benefits. You may not need full-time work until you grow past a certain point, so farming out bookkeeping and other financial tasks saves you money.Â
5. Mental Health
Your employees’ mental health can impact company productivity and culture. However, most CEOs are not equipped to deal with emotional issues nor is it the best use of their time. Human brains respond best to storytelling and a skilled mental health worker will know how to inspire and motivate people to change and become healthier.
6. Customer Service
How is the health of your customer service department? If it can use improvement, consider outsourcing to a company specializing in answering customer concerns. Keep in mind that people grow frustrated if they can’t easily understand the person meant to help them with a problem, though.
Choose your customer service outsourcing carefully. You can also use third-party providers to fill a gap, such as offering 24/7 online chat or SMS chat options when your regular customer service department is closed.
Survey your customers regularly to ensure they’re satisfied with the experience. If not, you may need to bring customer service options back into your daily work or find a different provider to handle it.
7. Shipping and Logistics
Some tasks are so big it isn’t possible for a company to handle them. Even mega-corporation Amazon outsources some shipping to the USPS. They might have delivery drivers for an area but still send things via the postal service, expanding the number of deliveries they can conceivably accomplish in a given day.
Look at your logistics and see what else you might outsource. Would it be easier to send your products to a provider and let them fulfill orders? How much more time could you spend on marketing, sales or other tasks if you put shipping in the hands of a third-party provider?
The Cost of Not Outsourcing
You might worry about the expense of hiring others to do your work, but you must also consider how much your lost time is worth. The more time you can reasonably free up, the more you’ll have to create new innovations and grow your brand. Try outsourcing a few things you haven’t considered. You can always reel it back in later if the financial cost is too much to support long-term.
