Outsourcing Tips for Business Growth

12 Outsourcing Tips for Growing Your Business, Get the Right People on Your Team

As a business owner or leader, most of us will have had experiences which prompted us to consider outsourcing tasks for our business.

As a solo or freelancer, this often occurs when we find ourselves too busy to manage all the tasks on our list. Then, as our business grows, we will encounter circumstances we don’t have the skills to handle – do we train, employ, or outsource? And, if we do outsource, how do we outsource effectively?

Outsourcing for Business Growth – Finding Your Next Steps

Growth looks different in every business and it’s not something which happens once and then stops. Your business will change over time requiring you to consider different needs; as this change happens, outsourcing is often a first step to understanding what these needs are and how we can fulfil them. But how do you make sure you get outsourcing right?

We’re going to look at the four main elements you need to consider when you’re outsourcing and give you tips on determining your next steps within those areas. When looking at this subject, I was fortunate to talk to one of our members, the amazing Heidi Setchfield of Setchfield Services. Heidi is a Virtual Assistant and Virtual Operations Manager, supporting freelancers and small businesses for over five years she very kindly shared her thoughts on outsourcing.

Understand When to Outsource

When is the right time to consider outsourcing? In our experience there are often two major drives which lead people to consider outsourcing these are:

 1. Needing skills or knowledge you don’t have

Perhaps the most common task outsourced by small businesses is accountancy. Whatever your own understanding of financial figures, most of us can easily see the value of passing off the job of accounts to someone who has the skills, knowledge, and tools to do the job more accurately, easily, and quickly than we can.

When it comes to the tasks for which we don’t feel appropriately qualified, the decision to outsource can feel quite simple – this is something which needs doing and we recognise that we should get someone else to do it.

 2. Needing time or energy you don’t have

As we’ve already mentioned, the question of outsourcing often arises when we are feeling under time pressure and finding some jobs aren’t getting done.

Heidi told us that many of her clients originally get in touch when they are feeling overwhelmed, when things in their business aren’t being dealt with because of competing pressures.

Heidi suggests we need to consider our options before we reach this point, recognising when we are working at around 80% of our capacity not 100%, so that we can work with a partner to establish the best solution. Outsourcing works best when preparation can be done, and this requires time and thought.

Looking at those tasks which get neglected in your business, is it because you don’t have the time or skills available in-house? It may be time to outsource.

Understand What to Outsource

3. Work with your strengths

Heidi talks a lot about your “Zone of Genius”, the things you do better than anyone else.

Whether you’re an accountant, business connector or develop software for your clients, this is where your real strength is. We all know though, as we build our business we fill our time with everything else needed to keep things running.

As we mentioned in the previous section, some of these tasks will be better done by someone with specialist skills or knowledge – but what about everything else? Well, your strengths might cover some of those things too.

Even when considering the day-to-day tasks, there are areas which you will have a natural gift for or maybe just love doing. While these may not be tasks which make you money directly, your business is benefitting from your take on them.

4. Refer to the Eisenhower Matrix

Heidi suggests considering the Eisenhower Matrix, a simple approach to considering the tasks on your list to prioritise them effectively. Developed by Stephen Covey, based on a quote by President Dwight Eisenhower, the matrix enables you to simply consider the urgency and importance of your tasks. There are many places online to review the Eisenhower matrix but – at its heart – it’s a tool to allocate work on the basis that:

• • Urgent (time sensitive) and Important tasks should take priority
  • Non-urgent, Important tasks need to happen but can be scheduled
  • Urgent, Unimportant tasks may be best delegated
  • Non-urgent, Unimportant tasks can wait, be delegated or ditched.

Considering tasks with this focus allows you to identify tasks which can’t wait but which don’t need to be done by you – these may be the appropriate tasks for outsourcing.

Understand Who to Outsource To

 5. Consider qualifications

When the role you are filling requires certain skills, ensure you consider the qualifications of those you might work with. This isn’t just about formal qualification, but your needs for a piece of work, e.g., if you want your new website to achieve high search engine rankings, make sure you ask your developer what their experience in that area is.

 6. Consider price and value

Price is bound to be a consideration; can you afford to outsource?

You are also, however, considering the value of a job done better than anyone in your team could do it and the other work you can do in this time. Ensure you understand the value you’ll gain before you determine whether you can afford to outsource.

 7. Consider more than one option

Before committing to working with someone, do your research.

You may like the VA you met at networking but are they the right person for the job you want doing? We would suggest you talk to a few people before you commit, to get the best person for you and the task.

 8. Consider the experience of others

When looking for experts to work with, get feedback from people you trust. While the needs and experience of everyone is different, the perspective of someone you respect is incredibly valuable with testimonials providing real confidence.

It is also important, however, to understand the feedback you’re being given. If a project didn’t go to plan, consider why, and whether the outsourced partner you’re considering was part of the problem or not.

9. Consider your gut instinct

Sometimes it’s difficult to understand why you feel that someone isn’t right for the job but trust your gut. Heidi says there have been times when she felt instinctively a relationship wouldn’t work and she’s never regretted a decision based on her instinct.

It may be that you recognise your values aren’t aligned, communication styles are in conflict or priorities don’t match. If you’re starting a working relationship with someone, a level of trust will be needed so don’t discount things which will make that relationship uneasy.

Understand How to Outsource

10. Have clear goals

When you’re looking to pass on responsibility for work, it’s essential you know what success looks like or neither of you will be satisfied with the results.

It may be that – for you – success also depends on how the goal is achieved. If the process is important, this must also be communicated to those doing the work.

A good, clear brief is essential to a successful partnership.

11. Communicate effectively

Do you have a preference how you manage your communication – phone, email, or messaging? Ensure you tell the outsource partner your preference, and anything else you need them to know.

Would you prefer a regular call? Weekly email update? Do you have an expectation of how quickly your communications will be answered? These are things best agreed at the beginning of your relationship to ensure you work effectively together.

12. Keep control  

When starting a project, ensure you have a clear understanding of the controls you need.

Is a non-disclosure or confidentially agreement needed? Do you have a contract for the work? Consider how the work is likely to progress, if it isn’t a discrete project, should you have a trial period at which to review?

While it’s important to set clear goals and plans for communication, there is so much more to consider than that. It is also not enough to set these standards and then leave them unmanaged. As a client, you will plan for the results you want, however you also need to know how to handle things if you aren’t getting these results.

Establishing partnerships that work

As we’ve established, there are many reasons you might choose to outsource as your business grows.

By allowing an expert to handle areas of work outside your own expertise, you can focus on those things which provide the most benefit to your business.

We hope this has given you some help knowing when and how to outsource, thanks so much to Heidi for your help with this blog.

As your business grows, you’ll find many experts within the Your Business Matters groups who are able to support that growth. Check out our networking groups to find your nearest, and see how we can help you grow.