How to Know It's Time to Outsource
It’s a good problem to have. Your staff is stretched because your company is growing. Suddenly, people are having to wear multiple hats and take on tasks that are outside their original job description. If you’ve got a flexible, dedicated team behind you, it shouldn’t be a huge problem — at least for a while.
But that’s not sustainable. Stretching your team too thin for too long wears away at morale and compromises the quality of their work. The good news?
Outsourcing makes a big difference.
Whether you establish an ongoing relationship with a contractor or you bring on a freelancer to get you through a busy season, the extra hands can be the difference-maker you need. But when’s the right time to outsource? Let’s take a look.
4 signs it’s time to outsource
Your team needs an efficiency boost
Check in with your employees. What’s morale like? Are people feeling appreciated or overworked? Is everyone able to deliver their best work or are they running around trying to complete umpteen projects by tight deadlines?
Don’t wait until people start grumbling to offer them some support. If a part of your team isn’t able to efficiently handle everything on their plate, it’s a sign they need a hand. Maybe that’s an intern to help process the boost in sales that come with the holidays. Maybe it’s a contractor to help them design graphics for a high-stakes presentation. Get clarity on what your team needs. If outsourcing can help bridge a gap for them, consider it.
The work is outside your staff’s specialty
Speaking of gaps, it’s important to create a workspace where there can be honesty around them. Say, for example, that you hired a content writer. Now, you need a bunch of ad copy. If your writer says they don’t write copy (because there is a difference between copy and content), considering hiring a freelance copywriter. That person can help you get the assets you need quickly and efficiently, freeing up your content writer to focus on their core work.
I’m using copy and content as an example because that’s in my wheelhouse. But IT is probably a more obvious area where outsourcing makes a big difference when the expertise just isn’t there. If your team doesn’t have the tech know-how necessary to implement and integrate the software your business needs to thrive, find someone who does. It will save you all a lot of frustration and time — which could ultimately end up saving you money.
You can expect ROI
Money’s what it all comes down to, right? Outsourcing is an extra expense for your business. And whether it’s short- or long-term, that can sting. But it’s time to crunch the numbers. Let’s say you ask someone on your team to implement that aforementioned software and integrate it with the other software solutions you have running at your business. If they don’t know what they’re doing, they’re going to have to spend days — maybe even weeks — learning the process. That’s payroll hours you’re committing to this project. And in this case, it’s an undetermined amount of hours (read: money). But if you hire an IT contractor, they can give you a quote for the project. At that point, you have a definite budget for it, plus you get that software solution up and running faster, driving efficiency and, in turn, helping your business increase revenue.
That’s a long way of saying: crunch the numbers. If you can see that outsourcing will give you a solid ROI, why wouldn’t you bring in some outside help?
You want to seize an opportunity
Whether you’re a business owner or a department lead, you’re aware when a good opportunity is in front of you. But how often do you have to pass on something because you simply don’t have the resources to explore and capitalize on it?
If there’s an exciting chance to grow or improve your business but you don’t have enough hands to take it on, consider outsourcing. Hiring an outside team to book, design, and set up that booth at that trade show could be a huge difference-maker for your business. Do it and you won’t have to kick yourself for letting the opportunity slip through your fingers when your competitor lands your dream client at the show.
It’s not always clear when outsourcing can help your brand thrive. But if you use the above benchmarks to indicate that it’s at least time to seriously consider it, you keep yourself open to the extra help you might need to score huge successes.
Shameless plug: I’m here to help. If your content team is overwhelmed or you don’t have someone with expertise in content but could use it to drive success for your brand, let’s talk.