Just as one person cannot do it all, neither can businesses. Even big businesses don’t handle their every need in-house. Sometimes it is just more cost-effective to hire an agency or specialist to do the job. In other instances having someone on the outside come in with fresh eyes to solve a specific problem is what you need.
When even big businesses outsource, know that it isn’t something you just do because you cannot afford otherwise, know it is a smart business decision. The fact that it often works out to be more affordable is just a bonus.
What Can Be Outsourced?
You can outsource almost every aspect of your business. You can outsource marketing, HR, accounting, and more. The key is to understand your needs and whether it is more expensive to outsource your needs or if it should stay in-house. It could be more beneficial, for example, to have an in-house marketing specialist that knows your brand and can cultivate a unique voice. On the other hand, you may want to outsource your marketing needs to take advantage of a whole team of experts working for your brand without the cost of keeping a full marketing department in-house.
Always consider the cost-benefits of outsourcing so that you can understand what your business needs most. If you are unsure of what services are available or what you should start with, here are a few of the most popular options.
IT and Security
Most businesses will be hacked or attacked by cybercriminals at least once in their lives. The sad fact is that no one is safe. Small businesses and new businesses are targets because they typically have no security or, if they do, very weak security that can be exploited and targeted. Big businesses will always mean big opportunities for hackers.
That is why you need to have IT and security for your business from day one. Is it expensive? Yes! That is why you outsource. Rather than have one overworked security specialist that cannot do everything you need them to do for the budget you have offered, hire externally. This way, you can get more services for less, and the best part is you will usually have a full team working on your behalf.
Human Resources
Many companies outsource their HR needs. Why? To start, there are a lot of rules and regulations that come with hiring workers. You need to be kept up-to-date with all the rules and any changes on a regular basis. It is also beneficial to have your HR department an outsourced solution since it puts more distance between you and your employees. This will typically make many employees feel better if they need to approach HR with a complaint.
Most of all, however, outsourcing your HR needs to specialists like those at Abingdon Science Park means managing your team better. This includes onboarding, training, managing, and more.
Marketing
Marketing is a business. It is a massive part of any successful company and is going to be required every day. Although you will want to have a few marketing specialists in-house, know that there is no reason why you cannot also outsource your marketing needs for certain projects. Launching a new location? Bring in a whole team of experts to get you the most attention, and leave your in-house team to manage your ongoing marketing needs.
Content
Content and marketing do go hand-in-hand, but know that you likely will be hiring two different teams to bring everything together. Marketing experts usually understand how to put together a campaign and manage it and aren’t necessarily artists, editors, writers, photographers, or videographers themselves.
That is when content outsourcing comes into play. Get in touch with creative content firms or artists, and you’ll have professional-grade marketing materials that compete with the biggest companies.
Web Development
A great website goes a long way, and unfortunately, great websites are more than just premium themes that have had their content updated to match your business. You need a website that reflects your business and looks premium. It is hard to get new customers to trust brands that they don’t know, particularly if the website itself doesn’t look good.
Going to web designers, especially those that know SEO and how to optimize your website for both users and algorithms, is so important. Rather than bring in someone who can do this full-time, however, you are going to want to outsource. It is far cheaper in this instance because it is a single project. You can then hire someone in-house to manage your website from there.