7 Ways To Outsource Right Without Losing Control Of Your Business

7 Ways To Outsource Right Without Losing Control Of Your Business

• “Outsourcing and globalization of manufacturing allows companies to reduce costs, benefits consumers with lower cost goods and services, causes economic expansion that reduces unemployment, and increases productivity and job creation.” –Larry Elder, Lawyer and host of the Larry Elder Show

What is outsourcing?

It is an agreement in which a company will hire another company/person to be responsible for a planned or existing activity that is or could be done internally.

Both large companies and small businesses hire others for long and short term contracts and no matter how small a business is, outsourcing can be the most powerful asset in an operation.

Some large corporations will outsource around the globe in order to cut costs with great success.  Sometimes, this works very well and other times not so much, as the difference with with hiring others is that when outsourcing in large numbers and the other side of world means there can be inconsistency and less connection in communication and understanding thus, it can be a touch area to manage.

Where as, hiring a person or persons to work in your physical organisation on site means that you can speak to them directly, measure their performance and monitor what needs adjusting.

So, it varies greatly.

Outsourcing originally came from the phrase ‘outside resourcing’, which originated around 1981.

The outsourcing concept often involves the contracting of a type of business process, which could be in areas such as payroll processing, claims processing, operational processes, non-core functions like as manufacturing, facility management, call center/call centre support). And more.

Outsourcing is also the practice of handing over control of public services to private enterprises, even if on a short-term limited basis.  Sometimes on a longer basis, but there is no question that the worlds largest operations and brands all outsource in some format.

But so do i.

I am a one man enterprise and I love it that way, so I don’t want too many cooks so to speak working with me.  I tend to outsource team members for specific tasks an d roles.  For example; i cannot possibly be effective in my role as an Author, blogger, Consultant or course creator is I am also trying to manage social media, branding, traffic generation, customer service and more.  So, I stick to my core strengths and allow others to stick to theirs.

This means we all are productive and get more done in less time, but we also communicate with eachother to ensure we all understand each role and the overall vision and mission of my business.

Have You Ever Heard Of Spreading Yourself Too Thin?

Are you trying to do it all?

And if so how is that working our for you?

Doing too much YOURSELF can mean burn out, overwhelm, stress, less efficiency, loss of earning, bad customer service, bad reviews, and much more which could inevitably failure.

• “If you deprive yourself of outsourcing and your competitors do not, you’re putting yourself out of business.” – Lee Kuan Yew, Former Prime Minister of Singapore

7 Ways To Outsource Right Without Losing Control Of Your Business

I have been there

I used to avoid outsourcing like the plague and this was due to me wanting FULL CONTROL over my business as a self employed business owner.

Can you relate?  I am sure you can – but we have to see that we are all more powerful in specific roles, and this will mean more rapid growth through understanding of each element of the business operation.  

On the one hand – we want to know what is going on in our business and so we are reluctant to share the jobs and delegate tasks, but on the other hand we get so overwhelmed with our tasks that we wish we had another pair of hands to lighten the load a little.

Over the last 15 years I have learned both sides to the story.  But today, I ‘know’ the power in outsourcing so that I can run a tight ship without letting some things slip and standards drop.  This is good for me as focusing on what I am good at and what I love to do.  I work in my passions, and I love what I do, so I work in a role which brings me joy, and isn’t that the way to work?

Do we really want to do what we hate every day?

Sure, there will always be tasks which we are not quite as excited about, but we can manage these when we are doing what we love.  We can face challenges and uncertainties with greater levels of ability when we are focused in our greatest areas.

This gives me time leverage and this is what I always wanted.  I spend my time doing what I love in and out of my business.

The purpose of a business I think is doing this.  otherwise, what is the point in starting a business?

Do we start one to hate it, struggle and find it too much?  NO!  Of course not, yet many find themselves in this situation because they failed to organise their business in the best ways.

Hopefully, this post will help you to make better decisions and give you the confidence to make some changes where needed in order to help you and your business run and grow and beat competition.

We cannot ALL be GREAT at EVERYTHING can we?

And we don’t need to be either. That is a crazy idea.

• “Master your strengths, outsource your weaknesses.” – Ryan Khan, Founder of The Hired Group

It is more effective to do what we are good at and passionate about and have some kind of interest in isn’t it?

This means that we can enjoy our businesses and enjoy life more instead of resenting what we do.

So, now, here are my 7 tips to outsourcing the right way which will allow you to experience less headaches and more quality time.

7 Ways To Outsource Right Without Losing Control Of Your Business

Outsourcing TIPS: 7 Ways To Outsource Right Without Losing Control Of Your Business

1) DO YOUR RESEARCH AND LOOK AROUND AT WHO COULD BE A MATCH FOR YOU. – It could be that you are a micro business or small business, so your needs will differ greatly.  You may be able to outsource from an online source which I will share, or you may need someone in Asia, Eastern Europe or somewhere else should you require a team for a project or large piece of work.  There will be good and bad everywhere though, so enage in deep research and if needed hire someone to find great outsourced workers.  You can look at various sites like fiverr.com, elance, freelancer and Upwork for the smaller tasks but I will add resources at the bottom which will help you regardless of the size of your project.  You will find that fiverr will not be as high quality generally speaking – as you are paying less for less experienced people.  Sometimes you will find great people there, but it is worth exploring the type of person, their experience and history and previous work.

NOTE:  If you are a Small business owner with a high number of staff or a large team with a successful operation already, you may just need to outsource for bespoke pieces of work or projects.  Remember that you will get what you pay for, so if you are spending very little then be warned that the person you hire may not have the kind of caliber you are used to in your organisation.

2) DIP YOUR TOE IN. – Start by outsourcing small tasks to individuals where needed, and when you have conducted your research and see if the standard is there first of all, you can try a few people and get to know them. If they are a good fit for you then you can ask them to work for you perhaps? The point is that you can initially test and measure your results before hiring for bigger projects.

You might hire a VA or virtual assistant for example, and they may be stronger in certain areas, so be sure to monitor their strengths and weaknesses before handing over larger tasks.

3) USE TOOLS TO CREATE SCREEN SHOTS OF WHAT YOU WANT.  – If you need to explain to outsourced roles. This is important as you waste less time and money on trying to explain exactly what you want. They have a much clearer idea as you can talk them through what you are looking for and looking at. And use videos or whatever you can, such as Zoom which can be a very useful tool to connect and deliver.

There are tools in the Zoom suite which enable you to use whiteboards and all kinds of presentation tools.  Make things clear and there is less which is lost in translation.

4) WORK OUT WHAT PRICES WORK BEST FOR YOU. – If you find a great outsourcer you can come to some kind of deal whereby you are both happy so that you can afford to pay them and they are happy doing great work but also they will be able to do more work.  Of course, with some sites prices are fixed, but in communication you may be able to create a deal for larger projects.

When outsourcing to Asia will can be cheaper for you, but just ensure the quality is there before striking a deal for a monthly fee for example.

5) DON’T GET PUT OFF FROM ONE BAD JOB. – You will find that some people are good and others are just not, but this is OK. This is life, and you will find a match eventually but remember that you can enjoy your business alot more when you have a good person or persons you can rely on.

So, don’t give up and try to do it yourself IF it prevents you from fulfilling your role and tasks.

6) BUILD GREAT RELATIONSHIPS.  – This goes without saying that, if you are rude to people you are less likely to expect the standard as they may feel that you are unreasonable. Treat people with respect and with common courtesy – just as you would an employee, as for me this works so much better. Then you can trust them to do bigger more complex jobs as you have built that trust and loyalty.

7) DON’T BE AFRAID TO TURN DOWN WORK. – If the work is not to your usual or expected standard then turn it down and say that you want it different.  Some experts will pay big money for projects and jobs so, offer to pay them in stages as you see the work being done. Perhaps agree to pay a portion per section and check the project each step of the way.

If you are spending a fair amount of money then be sure to know your budget and expect great quality – or take your work elsewhere.  This is where some freelancers will have reviews of work so you can see who is most trustworthy for you.

• “The real power of outsourcing going forward is going to be that it increases an organization’s core capacity for change and growth. The business challenges over the next decade are going to be very different than anything we’ve seen so far and the companies that weave a powerful network of global partners through outsourcing will be the winners.” – Michael Corbett, Chairman of the IAOP 

PERSONALLY I ONLY USE THESE 3 OUTSOURCING COMPANIES MYSELF:

FIVERR.COM

UPWORK

FREELANCER

To learn more about the various types of outsourcing click below:

TYPES OF OUTSOURCING

OUTSOURCING FOR HR – ENTREPRENEUR.COM

INTEGRA GLOBAL SOLUTIONS OUTSOURCING

• “The important thing about outsourcing or global sourcing is that it becomes a very powerful tool to leverage talent, improve productivity and reduce work cycles.” – Azim Premji, Chairman of Wipro Limited

7 Ways To Outsource Right Without Losing Control Of Your Business

Let’s talk about reviews a bit more.

Just imagine that you are buying a product or service somewhere where you would see what others thought, like on Amazon for example.  We all want good quality, great value for money and a certain standard, otherwise we may avoid the product or service.  We know what we are looking for.  

So, we want to see that others found these products or services useful right? Sure, therefore we may apply this exploration to outsourcing also.  I personally will look at experience, communication, past work, speed of work and quality of work.

So, when looking for outsourcing professional always look for the qualities you expect in order to give you the confidence to trust who to hire.

I hope these ideas have helped you a little more when considering outsourcing, but don’t stop there.

Start your homework today and make your life a little less stressed by allowing others to help you with your most precious business.

Most people are worried about giving parts of their business away – but you are simply delegating as one would do in any job or business, so you can look at it as though you are interviewing to see whether are good enough for you or not.

Personally I am NOT TECHY – eventhough I understand it, I hate it, so I pass it over to others and I don’t waste my time or mental power.

So, figure out what you are weak at, and have little time for.

This is a business after all so you cannot be expected to do and know everything.

 

7 Ways To Outsource Right Without Losing Control Of Your Business

Next, here is a list of some amazing resources that I have found to be invaluable to my marketing and income generation.

These tools can help you whether you use them yourself or you pass them onto your outsourcers, but remember that – this is a list of useful and powerful resources ‘that I use’ AND Outsource also, but you can choose which tools you need and which apply.

I have basically learned and taken ideas from the top earning marketers and online entrepreneurs and various others-  and have attended many webinars, conferences, events and training’s, and I have taken notes on these products and services and put them to good use myself.

Pagemodo.com = Social Media Presence

MANDY.com = Actors make video for YouTube to promote your products or affiliate products.

UPwork.com = high quality outsource jobs you don’t want to do or you cannot do.

fiverr.com = pay 5 quid or more to outsource tasks like branding, book cover creation, vocie overs, sales page building and more

Personally, I have found all of these tools above to be of amazing value and with creating R.O.I.  So, I measure results and scale up what works best for me. I believe in using powerful money making tools which simply support me and provide amazing results for business and I can create continued growth.  As with all business, we have to find what works best for us.

Another resource you may find useful is THE OUTSOURCING HANDBOOK-GUIDE TO OUTSOURCING FREE 

You may also find VIRTUAL EMPLOYEE A USEFUL RESOURCE FOR OVERSEAS OUTSOURCING

7 Ways To Outsource Right Without Losing Control Of Your Business

Challenges We May Face

While outsourcing is great for me, and creates great advantages for my small Business, it is not without its challenges.

If one should decide to work with a foreign source, then of course there are language barriers and also different time zones. But, we can overcome these hurdles when we make our own communication clear up front.   This will really prevent unnecessary confusion.  But differences can work. For example we can look to create work when we sleep, so by the morning we have a new piece of work created.  So, we just need to be aware of possible barriers, but also take advantage of the positives.

• “In the long run, outsourcing is another form of trade that benefits the U.S. economy by giving us cheaper ways to do things.” – Janet Yellen, American economist

Remember finally that – no matter how small you are and whether your business is 1 or 100 members; never assume that expert help outside of daily operations not required.  It can create staggering growth and stability when applied in the right way.

As always I wish you the very best

Greg

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7 Ways To Outsource Right Without Losing Control Of Your Business

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GregDeTisi

Author and Small Business Blogger at Greg De Tisi Writing and Small Business Blogging

Author, course creator and business blogger - Greg has been supporting Small Business clients from all backgrounds all over the globe for over 15 years in developing ideas and passions into sustainable Small Business Models. Greg now has more of a focus on supporting his local business community in Bristol UK.