8 Ways Outsourcing Can Benefit Your Small Business

Often, small business owners have to wear many hats throughout the process to grow their companies. Fortunately, finding outside help from experts in different fields may benefit overworked businesses. From small companies contracting payroll accountants to marketing specialists, outsourcing is everywhere. Here are eight benefits of outsourcing for a small business.

1. More Focus on the Core of the Business

From working with finances to overseeing employees, outsourcing may be a great resource when business owners feel overwhelmed or unfamiliar with certain tasks. This strategy can help the business focus on serving the customer and managing the company through a clear set of priorities. Additionally, outsourcing can buy back time otherwise spent filling out paperwork or understanding legal matters.

Both managers and business owners require time and space dedicated to company growth and focusing on the company's core. Using an outsourcing approach allows other professionals to work on specific internal tasks within the business, like customer service or HR management.

When your company outsources dedicated experts, your in-house employees have more time to help the business run smoothly while increasing your ROI. It also gives your company a professional look and feel — businesses that outsource to professionals can appear more trustworthy and reliable. This strategy shows the company focuses on providing the best possible service to its consumers.

2. Increase Efficiency and Productivity

Small businesses that attempt to do every task themselves end up spending more money in the long run in areas like research, marketing, and shipping. Outsourcing can improve a business's efficiency by providing a competitive advantage in the marketplace. When small businesses feel as though they can't measure up to the standards set by large conglomerates, contracted employees can help a company grow.

While it may be tough to let others run parts of the business, allowing experts to take over specific tasks within the work area can improve the entire company's productivity. Owners can then spend their time working with customers or planning out the growth of the business long-term, allowing every employee to remain devoted to one aspect of the business without several tasks wearing them thin.

3. Get Projects Started and Completed With a Stronger Turnaround

Businesses can start projects and complete them faster than ever before when companies run efficiently. Outsourcing firms can provide the resources to begin projects immediately with a strong turnaround time, as opposed to in-house employees who may need to focus on other tasks. Starting the project in-house may often require hiring new employees or investing in training. Outsourcing to a contracting company allows the company to do its jobs productively.

Outsourced tasks may include ones that are too time-consuming for in-house employees or ones in which the business may not have the resources to professionally put out quality content. These might be tasks like event planning, administrative roles, PR projects, or research. It can be beneficial to outsource long-term projects to ensure other employees can focus on their initial tasks and tacit knowledge. The business can remain strategic about its work hours while ensuring the company handles different areas professionally.

4. Reduce Labor Costs

One of the benefits of outsourcing expertise is helping reduce the cost of labor. Hiring and training new staff members can be an expensive process. However, outsourcing allows your business to pay only for the services you need without the additional costs of hiring in-house employees.

Outsourcing reduces expenses by paying for the productive time of contracted professionals. Many outsourcing firms can increase or decrease the number of employees who work on projects as time goes by, so companies don't waste money on unproductive time.

Hiring outsourced employees can also lower overhead costs, including extra expenses the business spends to keep individuals employed. These include health benefits, sick days, vacation time or workers' compensation. Additional benefits can raise the cost of labor, but hiring contracted employees doesn't require businesses to pay these expenses.

While it's unnecessary to outsource every part of your business, look into areas that may benefit from outside help. Realize that in-house employees will also require you to invest resources for physical office spaces and tools like computers and phones to complete their work. Contracted employees often work from a firm that provides these tools and requires no additional investment from you to do their jobs.

5. Grow More Rapidly

While many businesses enjoy having dozens of employees on their teams, the expenses of rapid growth, the hiring process, and supporting full-time employees may prove to be detrimental to the business. Often, small companies experiencing growth can't keep up with the costs, or their potential to build more momentum may be limited. This can hinder the company's productivity before it has a chance to thrive.

Outsourcing can have a couple of specific benefits when it comes to company growth. It can save you money in the long run that you can invest in other areas of your business. It can also be beneficial when companies need funding for different projects. Investors will be interested in businesses that show consistent growth and generate revenue through productive and efficient sources.

6. Enjoy Benefits in Specific Areas of Business

Smaller businesses may not always have the expertise to support every specialized area of business. That's where outsourcing can provide insight and resources. Outsourcing creates valuable opportunities to work with industry professionals who are experienced in their fields.

Specialists can assist small businesses in attracting more customers and competing with larger companies by doing tasks either part-time or on a one-time basis. There are several specific areas in which professionals can provide their expertise to grow a small business:

Accounting

Finances can be complex for businesses that don't have the expertise to manage their money. There are several skills and processes to learn and standards to adhere to that a small business may not have the time or resources to manage. A skilled outsourced accountant can manage the company's finances, help the business save money, and use its sources wisely.

Marketing

Marketing firms can help you grow your small business and reach more customers. They usually have professional representatives who can plan and design ads, create content for your website and post on social media to promote your product or business. These firms offer a new creative lens through which your company can market to the right people and boost conversions.

Sales

Outsourcing sales representatives who can connect with potential clients will help to streamline the sales process and close more deals with customers. Hiring sales professionals will bring more business to the company and allow you to focus on other tasks.

IT Management

Information technology (IT) is of the most prominent outsourcing industries. IT professionals can manage your company's network and technology services or set up new electronics for your business to ensure your data remains safe. Experts can also assist in fixing any issues that arise during the process.

Administration

Small businesses may not have enough employees to cover the administrative tasks needed to keep the company running. Virtual assistants are an excellent option for entrepreneurs who want to outsource online. Administrative assistants can handle emails and personal schedules, post updates on social media or field calls from clients or customers.

Customer Service

Outsourcing customer service representatives through call centers or chat services can improve customer care and build consumer trust. Make sure you outline clear instructions about dealing with customers and how to best represent the brand.

Manufacturing and Shipping

Manufacturing products can be difficult for small businesses that need to keep up with customer purchases. Outsourcing manufacturing to a facility can assist in finding partners that handle product operations and oversee the distribution process.

Outsourcing the distribution process will help get more products to more customers. Businesses can hire manufacturing services or drop shipping services to handle their items and ship them to consumers. This can ensure products are handled professionally and reduce the chance of lost items or damaged goods.

Research 

Hiring outside researchers can help you learn about your customers and the industry in which you work. When considering launching a product or expanding your reach into a new market, proper research is necessary to ensure you succeed and make a profit. Professional researchers can spend time surveying target audiences and looking through online content to provide valuable insights for the company.

HR Management

Human resources are an essential part of any small business. Outsourcing an HR team can take care of hiring and managing employees. Many businesses choose to work with a recruiting service to find qualified candidates. At the same time, other HR employees can train members, oversee benefits and payroll or take care of time attendance issues.

7. Allow for Flexibility in Your Strategies

Outsourcing provides a significant amount of flexibility, allowing businesses to find instant support for their needs and adaptable service throughout the business's trajectory. A small business may not need the same amount of employees throughout the year. Outsourcing employees allows the company to remain flexible throughout its busy season and beyond. Your company can easily switch between the number of employees and in-house team members when necessary.

Even after small businesses experience a busy season, there's still the option to continue outsourcing employees to do one-time tasks like taking care of legal paperwork or filling out tax forms. Many contracting firms offer their services as many times as the business requests it and are willing to work with the owner and the in-house employees to make content or do tasks on their personalized schedules.

8. Support Various Business Processes at Once

When a business finds professional resources outside of the company, it can find the support to grow its processes at the same time. Whether a company needs IT specialists or legal advice, it can manage all of its outsourced employees at once. Here are a few specific areas in which companies may multi-outsource:

IT

IT is often outsourced when smaller businesses don't have the staff capable of setting up electronic equipment or handling computer systems. Many contracting companies will offer IT resources and other marketing or customer support services.

Financing

Spending money on financial experts will save you money in the long run. Hiring someone to manage money and accounting processes will save you time and energy and offer you peace of mind. It'll also reduce the likelihood of accounting mistakes or legal mistakes that could hold your company liable. Often, contractors advise on finances and legal matters, as many forms like tax refunds or business contracts will require a thorough knowledge of both processes.

Legal

Smaller businesses can talk with legal experts to ensure their affairs are in order and handled correctly. A company can outsource legal tasks, such as notarizing documents and officially registering as a business. Legal contractors can assist in making sure your company's advertisement, tax documents and financial accounts are up to standard and follow required regulations.

Digital Marketing

As more customers start to favor online products and businesses, it's essential that small companies direct consumers to their websites. Outsourcing digital marketing services can ensure that a digital presence remains a focused priority of the company.

Businesses need to catch up with the growing e-commerce marketplace, and to do that, they can outsource to employees who understand how to create digital marketing campaigns. These experts can also appeal to the business's customers, and the company that outsources will save money while producing reliable results.

Customer Support

It can be challenging for smaller businesses to compete with companies that have the resources for a large number of customer service representatives. Many consumers expect fast and reliable customer service, and small businesses can outsource to call centers to provide personal service and quickly resolve problems. Customer support services can also assist you in supporting financial processes by providing professional team members who are knowledgeable of the company's mission.

How Users Can Benefit From Business Consumer Alliance

Business Consumer Alliance (BCA) is a non-profit organization serving small business owners on their mission to build their businesses and attract new customers while conserving costs. With a business membership in BCA, small to mid-sized businesses gain support through our services to help them succeed in various ways.

As you focus on running your business's core functions, our team of experts helps you handle the rest. Here are a few of the services BCA offers to members:

1. Legal Advice

Businesses face legal questions regularly. For small businesses, legal issues can pose a significant financial challenge. Fortunately, BCA offers the solution. When companies partner with BCA, they gain legal advice from BCA's private network of attorneys and legal professionals.

Your business could benefit from legal advice on hiring, asset protection, licensing, and more. We also offer contract development and review along with contract samples that help you meet compliance requirements.

2. Arbitration and Mediation

When disputes arise between businesses or with a customer, being prepared can reduce stress and improve outcomes. Arbitration is a process that enables two parties to solve a legal issue outside of court, saving them time and money on litigation.

At BCA, we offer arbitration and mediation services to reduce costs and protect your privacy. Our private attorneys have experience handling all types of legal disputes and will work to resolve your case quickly and privately.

3. Marketing

Today's consumers rely on reviews and others' experiences with your business before deciding whether to do business with you. BCA provides several solutions for improving your marketing efforts and reaching your next customers:

• Sponsored partnerships: With sponsored listings from BCA, your business gains sponsored ads on high-traffic pages on our website to attract customers and push above your competitors.
• Customer feedback collection: BCA's customer feedback program is a competitive solution for gathering and analyzing feedback. Our team contacts an approved list of your recent customers and collects feedback, resolving any issues in the process. We also help you use positive reviews in your digital marketing to strengthen relationships with potential customers.

4. Business Administration

The everyday tasks of running a business are often time-consuming and can take your team away from more important work. Business administration is even more difficult when customers refuse to pay.

When you sign up for a membership with BCA, you gain a business administration partner to help you handle debt collection. BCA provides courtesy demand letters to collect unpaid invoices from customers. Our third-party courtesy letters have a record of success, and you keep all the funds.

5. Human Resource Advice

Your employees are a vital part of your business. BCA's HR services provide businesses with HR advice and assessments of HR issues to develop solutions. Our HR teams are familiar with local and federal laws and can help you achieve compliance and reduce disputes.

Find Small Business Resources at Business Consumer Alliance

BCA is dedicated to serving contractors, consumers and businesses through reliable membership resources and the promotion of self-regulation.

Our business membership program offers advice about legal disputes, human resources regulations, marketing tips, and advertising trends to small businesses in North America. With BCA's business membership, your company can access virtual services and affiliate discount programs. Our team of professionals is ready to help you grow your small business.

Contact a team member to learn more about BCA today.