The Benefits of Outsourcing

Are you the chief cook and bottle washer in your business? Most small businesses today are built up from the expertise and hard work of one individual who works IN and ON the business. Maybe you have a few employees to help. Even so, you are most likely left with the task of handling a lot of different responsibilities.

No one is expert in every area of business management. That's why "outsourcing" becomes a good solution to the owner of any small business. Outsourcing is when you contract with outside firms to handle work normally performed by full-time employees. For example, you may outsource your company's accounting, payroll, human resources, IT, or marketing functions.

There are many benefits to outsourcing. Here are just a few:

Cost-Cutting and Capital Investment. When you cut costs, you're able to use the savings for capital investments in other areas of your business.

Increased Efficiency. Think of your typical work day and imagine how much of your time is spent chatting with others and doing mundane tasks. Multiply that time by the number of employees you have and that's how much your losing in efficiency. When an outsourced company is working on your account, they are working efficiently and only billing for actual time worked.

Reduced labor costs. Hiring and training staff can be very expensive, especially when you consider the amount you pay out in taxes and benefits. Temporary employees don't have a vested interest in your company so they may not always live up to your expectations. Outsourcing lets you focus your human resources where you need them most.

Talents are focused. Every business has limited resources and talents. Often times employees are given other tasks to handle because of the lack of human resources. Outsourcing allows everyone to focus on what they do best, and in the long run, this translates into better customer service.

Every day companies are using outsourced services to provide the manpower and expertise needed to successfully run their business. If you haven't considered it for your business, now may be the right time to investigate the benefits of outsourcing.

Anne Lazo is the owner of Eagle Soars Consulting. We are a full-service marketing and training company that has been serving small business owners for almost a decade.