“Outsourcing” is one of those trendy words that get bantered about the business world. For a home business owner, outsourcing can be one of the ways we “get rid” of the parts of our business that are too difficult or that keep us from being able to focus on what we do well. But, we still have to evaluate whether it is cost and time-efficient for us to outsource parts of our business.
Outsourcing means that you “send out” work and integral pieces of your business. For many businesses this might mean things like payroll, shipping, financial and tax preparations, etc. For example, if your business provides products to customers and you need to deliver or ship those items—you might choose to do all the shipping preparation yourself or even drive around and make deliveries. However, if it gets too expensive or you don’t have enough time to do a decent job at it—you might consider hiring another “company” to take care of it for you. You might outsource all or part of your shipping and delivery.
The things to consider when thinking about outsourcing in a small, home business are the costs in terms of expenses AND potentially increased revenue, and the labor and time costs to you. It might be worth it for you to spend more money having someone else take care of your shipping and delivery if it frees you up to put more energy into sales. What part of your business is the most valuable and needs your time and attention? If you can save a few dollars by doing all the bookkeeping yourself, but you could make much more money if you didn’t have to and could focus on services or selling—what is really best for the business?
Do your research when you consider outsourcing and find companies that are reputable, as well as affordable, and it also helps to find those who understand your small business culture and are savvy working with small home-based businesses.
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