Outsourcing is by no means a new business phenomenon. In fact, a recent study found that at least one-third of small businesses outsource talent, and more than half have plans to begin outsourcing in the near future. As a small business owner, you have many reasons to consider outsourcing and can experience instant benefits from doing so.
Both will be discussed below, as well as how you can access the talent pool to see bigger and better results from your sales and marketing efforts. Read on to learn more!
Should I Outsource as a Solopreneur?
It’s a question weighing on your mind, and perhaps you’re going back and forth on it. Forbes suggests putting some serious thought into these three questions when tinkering with the idea of outsourcing:
- Are there business tasks that require investment and expertise outside of your company walls?
- Will outsourcing enable you to increase efficiency and productivity for areas you weren’t previously able to focus on?
- How will outsourcing impact your staff both now and in the future?
You’ll notice that none of these questions take into account cost savings, which is often one of the driving reasons behind a company’s decision to outsource. Hiring outside talent isn’t free, but chances are the task can be done much more efficiently and effectively with minimal time and resources, leaving you with more time to focus on higher revenue activities like customer service or leads.
As your business grows and you’re doing more via the web, a couple things to keep in mind are protecting your data with proper strategies, and protecting your personal assets with an LLC. Be sure to take steps on both accounts, as a single lawsuit or costly data breach could undermine all your efforts.
How Can my Sales and Marketing Benefit from Outsourcing?
Both sales and marketing are two very important areas in your business, so outsourcing might have you feeling a little wary. However, it enables you to speed up tasks and processes, switch gears instantly, and ramp up or down based on your business goals. Plus, the cost of recruiting and hiring internally, not to mention building the infrastructure necessary to support your team, is higher compared to hiring an individual or team already equipped with the necessary tools.
Progress is critical to your success, and outsourcing these key points can be to your advantage. So, what are some sales and marketing areas you should consider outsourcing?
- Web/Mobile Design – Programming uses its own diverse language, and if you’ve ever seen the pages and pages of HTML code needed just to produce a basic webpage, you know how complex it can be. Guru explains an HTML developer can create a user-friendly website with the basic building blocks you and your customers want to see.
- Digital Marketing Consultant – You might not have heard of it, but once you factor in everything they do (SEO, content marketing, social media marketing, and pay-per-click advertising), it’s obvious that digital marketing consultants are a game-changer.
- CRM Management – Your customers and their continued business are what keep you in business, as is the support of new customers. A CRM management company is knowledgeable in what customers want, and can automate your business’s processes for easier workflow.
How Can I Work with Freelancers?
Outsourcing tasks to a team is one thing, but how do you manage freelancers?
- Find talent that meets your needs via reputable freelancing websites. You can browse job categories and search for freelancers best suited for the kind of work you need help with, whether it’s longer-term or project-based.
- Conduct interviews in the same way you would a regular employee, with the exception that it may have to be conducted via video chat and/or phone.
- Keep your onsite team as well as your team of freelancers informed with consistent communication via weekly (or even daily) video chats. Depending on the size of your team, some video conferencing apps are more ideal than others.
- Use apps such as MeisterTask, Trello, or TimeDoctor to manage freelancers and help meet deadlines.
- If your computer isn’t powerful enough for smooth streaming and newer apps, look to seasonal specials that stretch your business budget.
Outsourcing is a smart business move as a solopreneur, especially when it comes to your sales and marketing. It’s not something that happens overnight, so take your time finding the right talent. Once you do, you’ll see your business soar. For more information and ideas that will help your business prosper, make sure to join our community of solopreneurs here or read more of our helpful blog articles!
This was a guest post kindly written by Julie Morris, life and career coach, from http://juliemorris.org/