Do you have a small business superhero complex? It\u2019s what happens when you think you can do it all yourself. On top of doing the work that you do best, you\u2019re tackling accounting, marketing, design \u2013 the whole works!<\/p>\n
If your goal is to work yourself into an early grave, keep on going! If you\u2019d rather have a thriving business with some time to rest and relax, then it\u2019s time to outsource. Avoiding outsourcing when your business is growing can hold you back. By outsourcing in several key areas, you can save time, boost your personal productivity and help your business bloom<\/p>\n
Outsourcing can cover everything from web design to answering client emails and everything in between. Outsourcing for your small business will typically fall into one of three categories:<\/p>\n Yes \u2013 virtually anything can be outsourced. But before you start, you need to make some critical decisions about how much you can afford to outsource.<\/p>\n Figuring Out Your Outsourcing Budget Caps<\/strong><\/p>\n When you\u2019re bootstrapping your small business, the last thing you want to do is spend money that you don\u2019t have to. That\u2019s why the first important step in outsourcing is figuring out your costs \u2013 no matter what category of outsourcing you\u2019ll be using.<\/p>\n There are two types of outsourcing needs most small business have \u2013 ongoing monthly needs and special project needs. For special projects<\/strong>, like the launch of a new website, you\u2019re going to have to budget for the entire project at once. If you have no idea what the project might cost, get quotes from several providers or run a test project on a freelance job board to see what the standard is (more about those job boards later).<\/p>\n For monthly time saving tasks<\/strong>, you\u2019ll need to figure out how much time you\u2019ll save by outsourcing and compare that to your typical hourly rate. If you\u2019re a business coach charging $100 per hour, and you\u2019re spending five hours per month handling your accounts receivable and payable, then that\u2019s $500 you\u2019re spending on that task. If you can find a bookkeeper to do that all for $65, that\u2019s savings of $175 each and every month \u2013 which equals an extra $2100 per year in possible billable time.<\/p>\n Look through your typical business week and figure out where you can save some time. Are you spending a lot of time on customer follow-up? Are you pre-filling social media updates a few hours each week? Are you blogging when you should be coding? All of these tasks can be outsourced to save you more money.<\/p>\n How to Find Good Talent<\/strong><\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve decided what you need to outsource, and how much budget you have to work with, it\u2019s time to start your search. Finding the right contracts is critical to making outsourcing work for you. There are few different ways you can find the right help:<\/p>\n Making the Right Hire<\/strong><\/p>\n Any of these resources can be a good place to find a service provider, but your intake process is what really makes the difference between an outsourcing nightmare and a great working relationship. Here are some keys to making the right hire for your needs:<\/p>\n Get to the Point<\/em><\/p>\n Making a great hire starts with your job description. In order to get the best price and the best talent, you need to be clear about what you need. Be as descriptive as possible in your request whether you\u2019re emailing a referral or posting a job board. This gives your potential hire a good idea what you\u2019ll need so they can price accordingly.<\/p>\n For example instead of asking for \u201ca 500 word article on taxes for small business owners\u201d try to get specific.<\/p>\n \u201cI am a small business accountant who needs regular blog posts on small business topics, including finances. For this article, I\u2019d like an article on the newest exemptions that small business owners are eligible for. Please include subheadings throughout the article, and make it actionable. The word length should be between \u201d<\/p>\n Review as Much As Possible<\/em><\/p>\n Once you have a few people to get in touch with, or several bids that look promising on a job board, you need to carefully review their past work. If you\u2019re outsourcing designers or copywriters, this is pretty straight forward. But how about an administrative assistant, bookkeeper or marketing coach? They don\u2019t have a portfolio \u2013 but they do have referrals. Check out their LinkedIN profile and ask if you can speak to past clients.<\/p>\n Ask the Right Questions<\/em><\/p>\n In addition to reviewing samples and speaking with past and current clients, you need to talk with your potential hire directly. Getting an in person interview with your potential service provider is ideal, but if that doesn\u2019t pan out be sure to get them some questions via email. Here\u2019s a short list of what to include so you can get a feel for their experience, their process and your expected results.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a01.\u00a0<\/em>How long have you been doing _____________(bookkeeping, graphics, content writing, etc)?<\/em><\/p>\n This gives you some insight into how experienced they are in their chosen field.<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0Why did you decide to become a ____________?<\/em><\/p>\n This is a good question to learn about their background and judge their enthusiasm for their field.<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0What are your primary skills that you\u2019d say you\u2019re best at?<\/em><\/p>\n Avoid anyone who says \u201ceverything.\u201d All professional service providers have something their best at doing \u2013 and are proud to share it.<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0<\/em>What other skills do you have that can do but aren\u2019t doing much of right now?<\/em><\/p>\n As your small business needs expand, you\u2019ll probably need them to do more tasks for you. This gives you a good idea of how you can proceed.<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0<\/em>How many clients do you currently have on your active roster?<\/em><\/p>\n This gives you an idea of their workload and whether or not they\u2019ll have the time to devote to your work.<\/p>\n 6.\u00a0What is your process like?<\/em><\/p>\n A great service provider has a specific way that they work in order to be efficient and effective.<\/p>\n 7. What are your typical working hours?<\/em><\/p>\n This is very important if you\u2019re hiring a virtual assistant or someone you\u2019ll need to be in live contact with frequently.<\/p>\n 8.\u00a0Do you work on a retainer or a project basis?<\/em><\/p>\n This is essential to know ahead of time. Many VAs charge upfront retainers each month. Be sure you know how much work you\u2019ll need before you hire.<\/p>\n Depending on the nature of your project, and the type of service provider you\u2019re looking for, these questions may need to be adapted. Use them as springboard for your own list of questions.<\/p>\n Get Started with Your New Provider<\/strong><\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you\u2019ve found just the person you need \u2013 they have the skill set and the referrals, and they passed your interview process with flying colors. Now it\u2019s time to dump a bunch of work on them, right? Wrong. No matter how great a provider looks on paper, you need to start small. Test them out with a smaller project to see how you work together. This will give you a better idea of their style. If you\u2019re working with a virtual assistant, hire them for a specific set of tasks and see how they work. If it\u2019s a graphic or web designer you\u2019re testing out, have them work on a small ad or social media background before handing over a larger project. The same goes for writers \u2013 test out an article or two before you have them create a content marketing campaign.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to start small with just one provider though. Why not test two or three at once to narrow down your choices even faster? If you need three articles written, select three different content creators and see how the process works. It will let you test out their responsiveness, attention to detail and directly compare their work.<\/p>\n Before you start working with your new hires, you\u2019ll also need a contract to cover everything that you and your client will do together. There are dozens of freelance contractor agreements that will work with a few adaptations. No matter what you select, be sure a lawyer looks over the final version so you can be sure you\u2019re covered. The contract should cover the type of work to be completed, the amount you\u2019ll pay and important milestones.<\/p>\n With signed contract in hand, and a small project in mind, you can hire your new service provider and let them make your life easier. If they knock the ball out of the park, start giving them more work to boost your profitability and save some time.<\/p>\n Good luck!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Do you have a small business superhero complex? It\u2019s what happens when you think you can do it all yourself. On top of doing the work that you do best, you\u2019re tackling accounting, marketing, design \u2013 the whole works! If your goal is to work yourself into an early grave, keep on going! If you\u2019d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[123],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nWhat Can I Outsource?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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