Want to avoid having to hire someone and free up resources? Outsourcing could be the best decision you make.

Outsourcing isn’t anything new, you’ve probably already been doing it in some form; your IT needs, bookkeeping, cleaning, maintenance and so on. These are all the mainstream jobs that have usually been outsourced. What you may not know is there’s so much more that can be outsourced these days, pretty much anything you can think of can be now. 

After hearing about outsourcing a few years back, I checked out a site and have been a fan ever since. It was making me sick every time I saw bills coming in from marketing services so I started outsourcing these jobs. I estimate I’ve saved around $30k over the past few years and now use it for a number of different areas within my businesses. 

Here’s 5 Reasons Why You Need To Outsource: 

You’re In Control 

You deal with the person directly. No more dealing with an account manager who then has to go to someone, who then has to forward it to someone else before it even gets to the person that will do the work. 

Everything is managed online through email or website. Yes you do loose that face to face contact but the type of work your going to be outsourcing can easily be done through email communication or Skype if needed. 

You don’t pay for anything that doesn’t meet your specifications. Most sites won’t release money to the supplier until you sign off on it and they all have dispute resolution procedures in the case that you can’t sort it out with the supplier. 

24×7 Access = Quick Returns 

Need something quick? Just put that in your job requirements and you’ll have people apply that can do it within your time frame, as simple as that. Most likely you’re going to be working with someone that is on the other side of the world to you so time zones become an advantage. 

There’s been many times I’ve awarded a job late of an afternoon and wake up the next morning to the job completed ready for me to use that day. You’ll find the access beneficial around holiday times when your local or other suppliers may be closed. 

Cost Effective for Multiple or Ongoing Jobs 

The real savings of outsourcing come into play when you have multiple or ongoing jobs. 

Need a new logo and stationary? Expect to outsource all of that for less than a few hundred dollars. Want regular blogs written for your website? Pay anywhere from $5-$30 through outsourcing depending on the quality you want. Have tedious data entry? Outsource it and pay a few dollars an hour to the person doing it. 

Now you do get what you pay for so don’t always go for the cheapest option. You’re still going to be better off though than having an internal administration person do the work most of the time. 

Great for Busy Periods 

When you’re experiencing a peak busy period consider outsourcing some of the workload rather than hiring staff. You can find a preferred supplier and agree to give them 20 hours of work a week at an agreed rate which allows you to rest assured that you’ve got someone to help manage the workload. 

If you’re in retail for example, I would suggest you outsource work over the Christmas period. This can ensure regular emails are going out to your clients updating them on specials, your social media is being updated every day and your website is kept up to date with what’s happening over the coming weeks. You’re clients will appreciate this and will increase your profits. 

No More HR Headaches 

This alone should make you want to outsource. No more time wasted going through the whole process of hiring someone; the resumes, the first and second interviews, the inductions and not to forget the time spent getting someone up to speed with your business. 

With outsourcing you still have to find the right person but that’s made easier through the outsourcing website where you can easily filter people based on skill. You then review people and their portfolios and hire the right person. 

You avoid the staff costs, payroll tax and legal obligations that come with hiring staff. Nice and simple. You can’t say that doesn’t sound good! 

These are just 5 reasons why you need to outsource and depending on your industry and requirements there would be many more advantages for you. Why not start with something small and give it a try? Outsource a small job that won’t cost more than a $100 to get a feel.  

As you can see, I’m a fan of outsourcing and I encourage you to do it, but I advise you to do it right. You get out of it what you put in to it. You need to spend the time outlining what you want specifically for each job the same way you would write a job advertisement. You also need to take care hiring someone, just the same way you would when hiring someone in person. 

An alternative option is to find an Outsource Manager and have them manage your outsourcing work. For example, through my consulting firm, I work with clients where I manage their outsourcing work so they don’t have to worry about it. I take a small management fee which is still within the clients budget and it’s my responsibility to deal with any issues along the way and ensure the job is completed on time with 100% satisfaction. 

Whatever way you choose, outsourcing should be on your short term list of things to do. 

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