Running a small business can be quite challenging and especially because you will have a limited budget and lots of expenses. Most of the time, you will want to do everything by yourself to limit your expenses as much as possible, but some activities you just can’t handle.
Top Things to Outsource
These are some of the activities you will mostly find yourself outsourcing.
Taxes and Accounting
Unless you are an expert at the field, you could be better off hiring someone for these. Even better if they are experts at the software that you use in your organization – QuickBooks, Wave Sage, or ERP. The main reason for outsourcing these two is their complexity of they are done poorly and so instead of rectifying things later in the game, better have someone from the get-go.
Technology Setup
Okay, show of hand, how many of us are savvy enough to set up most of the things required in an office setting? Not so many of us, no? Well, if you ask me the difference between Agile Web Development process and Scrum web development, I won’t know unless I do a quick read-up. For that reason, I would rather have a professional set things up for me at a fee.
Content Creation and Conversion
Customers don’t just buy off your site. They have several other options and they probably landed on your page by mistake and if they have no motivation to buy they will head on out. Content is the greatest seller as it urges them to check in and see what you have and also to go on and buy. If you can’t create enticing product reviews or write articles that bring buyers to your site, you are better off having someone do it for you. If you are only getting on your feet and not able to pay them well enough, you could offer them products from your shop.
My beautician friend pays her content provider in a monthly hydra facial, weekly massages, Mani and Pedi, and they have been on this symbiotic relationship for almost a year now. Even though the business owner can now comfortably pay, the content provider is okay with her payment plans.
Running Errands
Believe me when I say you don’t want to be running up and down depositing checks, picking laundry, making deliveries, and sometimes, shopping for grocery while you could be doing something even more productive with your time.
While these errands seem small and easy to do, they are time-consuming and will limit you from getting work done. Before I outsourced all the said services to a high-school kid who came knocking on my car window five months ago, I was perennially tired with little to show for it. These days, I only handle the most important chores and delegate everything else. Unsurprisingly, my teen hire does all my chores in half the time I did! Best hire I’ve ever made.
If I had the budget, I would outsource anything that I don’t enjoy doing. Why, because those things take too long to finish as you are not motivated. Also, you will not give them your best.
