Thinking About Outsourcing? Consider Whether It Is An Expense Or Means Of Growing Your Business

One of the main objectives of any business, and particularly start-ups, is growth. Generally, with growth comes increased business activities and operations. These lead to you requiring additional staff to complete the additional or new workload.

Employing more staff or training your existing team to cover new operations is one way to help you achieve growth. Another way is to outsource some of your activities ( for example, employ a VA to answer calls ). However, outsourcing needs to be paid for, so should you consider outsourcing as an expense or a means of growing your business? This brief article aims to help you answer this question.

The Argument For Outsourcing As A Growing Tool For Your Business

If you have activities needed to be done for your business, but you don't have the skills in-house to do them, then outsourcing is a good solution. Here are a few other benefits of outsourcing:

Cost-Effective. You can access skilled professionals at a fraction of the cost of employing locally.
Save on Capital Spend. If you need to buy machinery or plant, outsourcing is an alternative that can save you from considerable capital spend.
Increased Flexibility. Outsourcing allows you to turn on and off resources as required, rather than have periods when they are not used.
Increased Productivity. Concentrating on the things you are good at and outsourcing other activities can increase productivity in these areas.
Skilled Professionals. Outsourcing means you can access some of the most skilled and experienced professionals in a particular field, rather than having to upskill your staff.
Create New Partnerships. Outsourcing creates new partnerships, and opportunities will emerge from such partnerships.
Increased Innovation. Conducting activities that you usually cannot do in-house will lead to ideas for new products and services.

The Argument For Outsourcing Being An Expense

Of course, some argue that outsourcing is an expense to the business, and there are several good reasons why you may consider outsourcing not to be the right thing for yours:

Quality Control. If you outsource staff rather than have in-house employees, it is much more challenging to control their work quality.
Reduced Flexibility. Making business or operational changes means that you have to communicate these to your outsourced staff. This requirement can prove time-consuming and may involve training individual outsourced staff in different locations rather than centrally.
Lack of Commitment. Your outsourced employees are unlikely to have the same level of loyalty and commitment your in-house staff has. You might find that they move on quickly or not wish to return after periods of inactivity. This situation will cost you in terms of finding replacements.
Diminishing Returns. As wage increases occur in outsourced markets, the return on your outsourcing will become diminished, leading to a need for further outsourcing.

Conclusion

There are plenty of reasons why you might want to consider outsourcing for your business and several why you may not. Hopefully, this brief article will help you make an informed decision on whether outsourcing is an expense to your business or helps your business grow.

Need A Break, But Worried About Your Business Crumbling In Your Absence? Follow These Tips For A Stress-Free Holiday

You might well be the founder, owner, and lynch-pin of your business, but there will come a time when you have to take a break and leave your business in the hands of someone else. Worries about their businesses crumbling in their absence lead many small-business owners to avoid taking a holiday. If you are one of these, here are some tips to help allay your fears.

1. Plan Things Beforehand With Your Team

Before you go, sit down with your team and make sure they know everything that needs to be done while you're on holiday. Put someone in charge of the team, and make sure that every team member knows their responsibilities. Doing this will make sure that everyone is on the ‘same page’ while you are away.

2. Set Up An Email Responder

You may well have informed all your team that you will be away, but what about your clients, key customers, and suppliers? If they send you an email while you're gone and don’t get the usual timely response, they may well call while you're relaxing. Worse still, they might look somewhere else for your service! So, set up your email responder so they know the situation. Input essential information, such as:
When you go on holiday.
When you will return.
Who to contact in your absence.
Emergency contact number.

3. Download Any Business Apps You Need While Away

It is difficult for any business owner to let go of the reins while they are away entirely. So, make sure that you have everything you need to run your business downloaded on your phone, just in case. Hopefully, you will not need them, but they will give you a sense of relief, just in case you do.

4. Snooze Your Phone Notifications

Okay, so you've just downloaded all the apps, as mentioned above. However, the plan is not to use them unless necessary. So, snooze all those unimportant notifications. If there is something critical to deal with, your staff will contact you, as per your planning. Not getting pestered with trivial messages will allow you to relax and enjoy your holiday without constantly worrying about your business.

5. Bring An Emergency ‘Office’

In the best case, you will never have to use it. However, having everything you need to run your business while on holiday will reduce your worry about something going wrong in your absence. Pack your laptop, chargers, phone, essential paperwork, etc. Just having it with you will provide you with the peace-of-mind that you can cope, should you be needed. This tip is particularly crucial if you are travelling abroad or for an extended period.

Conclusion

For many small business owners, leaving their business in someone else’s hands, even for a short break is challenging. Hopefully, following these basic tips will give you peace-of-mind that your business will not crumble in your absence.

Forget Black Friday and Cyber Monday - Get Your Business Ready For Small Business Saturday!

Small Business Saturday is an annual non-commercial campaign aimed at helping promote small businesses across the UK. The campaign originated in the United States, where it sought to win back some of the online focus that consumers were paying to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Small Business Saturday encourages consumers to get out and shop locally. The nationwide event takes place on the first Saturday in December, and the aim is to make an impact with consumers that will last the whole year.

It is crucial that you make the most of this even if you are a small business owner, and make the right preparations to ensure success. But what is the best way to prepare your business for this event?

This article aims to give you some tips on preparing your business for maximum impact on Small Business Saturday.

How To Prepare For Small Business Saturday

1. Tidy-Up

Ensure that your premises are as inviting as possible, and the best way to do this is to give the place a good tidy-up. Remove any clutter or obstructions that will get in the customers’ way, and arrange everything to look organised and attractive.

2. Take On Additional Staff

Small Business Saturday is a special day, so make sure that you have plenty of staff on the premises to make the customers feel special. Adding a personal touch and going overboard on customer service are areas that a small business can out-perform larger or online retailers.

3. Prepare Your Website

Yes, the day aims to get people to your premises and off the internet. However, you need to have your website prepared in case people want to ponder a potential purchase. Treat them well in your shop, and the chances are they'll go to your website to buy later.

4. Prepare Promotions and Special Offers

Everyone loves a bargain or an offer they cannot get elsewhere. Create special promotions or special offers for in-store purchases, issue discount codes, website vouchers, etc, for visitors to use later.

5. Create An Event

Small Business Saturday is a unique nationwide event, so make it unique for those that come to your store. Refreshments, competitions, kids’ activities, and so on are ways of turning the day into something memorable that will get people to return.

6. Advertise the Event

Ensure that people know about Small Business Saturday and the special events you are laying on for it. Contact local online groups, newspapers, and your local radio station so that as many people as possible know about your event and promotions.

Conclusion

Small Business Saturday is a fantastic opportunity for small businesses to win back some of the attention that large companies and the big online retailers have. To ensure that you have a successful event on the day and its aftermath, you must prepare adequately. Don't have the time to dedicate for preparations? Our professional VAs are here to help!

Hopefully, this brief article will help with your preparations and lead to a successful Small Business Saturday.