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If your business is continually growing, there will come a time when you realize you can’t do everything yourself. At this point, you will probably consider outsourcing as an option for managing your work load.
If you plan on outsourcing, know what you are getting into first and if it is even advantageous for you to do so.
Outsourcing is one option for handling all of your business needs. Instead of every task being handled by you, someone who is also a business professional comes on board to do it for you. They work for you but also have the capability of working independently when they know your business style. It can be a great cost savings as well as time saver for the home or small business owner.
However, as positive as outsourcing is, there are still some things you should know before you begin.
The best approach is to take your time with outsourcing.
As with anything, even though there are pros to outsourcing, there are also cons to be considered. If there were only advantages, you’d get a bit suspicious that it was too good to be true. Outsourcing can be positive but that all depends on you and your preparation. When you go into this venture with your eyes open, that lowers the number of potential disadvantages.
Before you outsource anything, learn what the potential disadvantages of outsourcing are.
* Loss of control – Here we are speaking of control over the finished product. Yes you have laid out your guidelines, but that is still no guarantee that you will receive things just as you need them. While you can ask for work samples to be sent to you as the project progresses, you might feel that the efforts of managing at this level are more difficult than just doing the work yourself.
* Tenuous relationship – It takes time to get into a rhythm when working with someone else. When you are outsourcing virtually and can’t lay eyes on the person, it can take even longer to develop a smooth relationship. This can lead to butting heads on projects due to different working styles and different expectations. To help plan for that, resist the urge to pile a lot of work on this person all at once. That may backfire on you in a big way. A better approach is to assign this person just one or two tasks to start, and gradually adding on from there.
* Catching a problem too late – Out of sight is out of mind, right? In your case, that would be wrong. A problem with the way that they are handling their specific part of your business might not be found until it is too late and then clean-up can be a nightmare. In the beginning, keep in close contact with your contract professionals so that any issues can be resolved sooner rather than later. If they are answering emails on your behalf, get copies of these as they are sent so you can see how this communication is being handled.
* Quality issues – No one is going to do things exactly as you do, but you want them to try. Even though they are contracted to do the work, their work may not be up to standards. A way to manage this is to set clear expectations, and give clear feedback. Also, give yourself some extra time on these projects so there is time to correct or redo them if necessary.
Outsourcing can be a wonderful way to grow your business. It’s just wise to consider any potential stumbling blocks before you do.
