Have you ever wondered whether there were reasons why you shouldn’t outsource?
You have! Do you know what they are?
Outsourcing seems to be the buzzword of the moment. Everyone is being encouraged to drop the things they don’t enjoy, don’t generate income… but is this always right thing to do?
Hell no!
Despite my basing my entire business on people outsourcing, there are a few things that need to be considered before outsourcing anything.
Why you shouldn’t outsource
While the majority of people who outsource to a VA often say that they wish they had done it sooner, there are some things to take into consideration before considering this option.
Money
Outsourcing isn’t free. You will need to ensure you have the money available to pay for any work you want doing. If you’re struggling to find the budget the fund a team, then it’s not the right time to outsource. At least not just yet.
Fear
Everyone will have some kind of fear about outsourcing; it’s only natural. But if your fears are more than just the fear of change and are stressing your more than usual, then this is something that needs to be addressed before you outsource otherwise the relationship will suffer.
What can you do instead?
As you can see, outsourcing is not always the answer. However, there are a few things that you can do in order to ease some of the pressure of running a business. Let’s take a look:
Systemise
Every business runs on a set of repeated systems although for most business owners they are in their head!
It’s time to get them out of your head and document them in some way so you can create a library which can then be stored in an easily accessible location.
TOP TIP If a lot of your work is done on computers, then Loom is fantastic for recording your screen as you work.
Streamline
Once you have all your systems documented you can review them and see if there are any steps you can consolidate or, even better, remove.
Automate
Do you have areas in your business that you repeat regularly?
Automating them, where possible, will save you hours. Most of the leading business programs and apps can be integrated in order to save time. You can also consider the use of additional third-party apps, such as Zapier, then the possibilities increase significantly.
Most are easy to set up, but if you’re not confident doing this, you can hire someone to help on a project basis to do it for you.
Audit
Auditing your systems and processes should be done regularly to ensure that everything is running smoothly.
Take a look at what tools you are using, where you spend your time and where your money goes. Tools such as Toggl will help with time tracking.
Maybe you can save money by cancelling unused software or membership. You can then use this something more beneficial to your business.
By doing the above you should begin to see a difference in your business. You may even generate some additional funding along the way. It will also help when you are in a position to outsource as you will have systems in place to make the process easier.
I’m not saying that the points are above are a replacement for outsourcing, because they’re not, but they are a good start to creating a sustainable business that can be scaled when the time is right. There isn’t a successful business in the world that has got where it is today without someone helping out behind the scenes in one way or another.
If you’re still unsure whether you are ready to outsource, then I’m always here for a chat.
Until next time…