Outsourcing is an aspect of business that if utilised properly, can be useful in keeping down costs. Find the right partners, and the results will be presented to you promptly, all to the benefit of your company. Before you select what partners you want, you need to understand what your company needs.

You will also need to find out how these partners accomplish what you ask of them and figure out if your company will be able to synch up with these partners properly.

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Photo by Austin Distel 

Need to Outsource?

Every company has tasks that can be handled in house and can be handled just as well elsewhere. Finding out what these are and the rewards that are gained will be a tremendous boon to your company. While not every company outsources or needs to know how to outsource work, there will usually be a good reason to outsource. These can be anything from saving money, shorter tasks, and finding new markets to expand across. You may be part of a company that specialises in finance, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to design a logo.

A jack of all trades is valuable, but a specialist in a particular area is also helpful. Web design, graphic design and data entry/analysis are all tasks that can be handled by potential partners. A company that knows outsourcing will know where to find these partners and be able to hire them accordingly. For example, you may have a company website that needs updating, but not enough, that requires a full-time web designer. Small and large tasks can also be outsourced, such as payroll, customer service and data entry. These can also be outsourced as they are jobs that require a simple structure and training to complete.

• Outsourcing small tasks will be beneficial in that they keep costs such as accounting low. You may not need to hire full-time staff.
• Outsourcing will also mean your company will be able to assist its clients as often as they need, at a low cost to your company.

Never outsource main focuses, only what can be done just as well by outside partners. If you have a business that constructs tablets, do not outsource your original designs. Consider outsourcing the manufacturing, but only as long as this partner can handle the company to the same degree that you can.

• Never outsource a function that you are unable to track. Inability to measure this task means you’re unable to manage it.
• If the cost-saving benefits are present, your business should look into outsourcing the smaller tasks — for example, shipping and payroll.

Do not overextend. While it can be tempting to save money, it always pays to start small. This way, you can gauge the quality of the work your partner is submitting. An alternative is to set a trial for this partner, which is a better route for specific tasks that may need to completed in one period.

In the second part of this article, we will explain how to make your freelance business thrive by outsourcing in the right way.