Outsourced Services No Startup Can Do Without
If you’re running a startup, it's unlikely that you ’ll have a big budget that will enable you to do everything you want without restrictions, nor is it likely you’ll be able to hire a huge staff, which is why outsourcing is such a boon to the average new business.
By outsourcing various tasks and services to a third-party instead of hiring an actual employee who will need to be regularly paid and trained, you can save your startup a whole lot of money. Oh, and you’ll get an excellent level of service for the money you do pay too.
Of course, outsourcing isn’t just a nice option to have on the table - sometimes it is absolutely essential for the average startup for many tasks from payroll to content creation.
If you’re wondering where you should spend your outsourcing dollars. Here are the outsourced services that no startup can do without:
Payroll and Accounting
Payroll and accounting is essential to the running of any business, but it can be very time-consuming and making even one little mistake can cause some very big problems. So if you and your staff aren’t exactly mathematically inclined, and fi your simply don’t have the time to spare, outsourcing these services to a freelancer who has experience in the area could be a good way to go. Just make sure that you check their credentials first!
Virtual Assistants
If you have a tiny office, or especially if you work from home, the virtual office is your best friend because it will give you an official address and phone number, However, even more, important than that is the virtual assistant. This is someone who can take care of all those little admin tasks like booking meetings, answering phones and entering data that take up lots of time and office space, but which really do need to be done.
Virtual assistants can work anywhere in the world. Which is a boon for the small business because should you need that report typed at 3 am, you’ll always be able to find someone to so it, and they will do it well.
A piece of advice - although virtual assistants work remotely, it is never a bad idea to either meet them or talk to them face-to-face via Skype of Facetime, so that you can ensure they really know their stuff and that you’ll get along because in many ways they’ll be your right-hand man or woman.
HR
Human resource teams are vital whenever you need to hire an employee, fire someone or simply sort out problems within your team, so if you’re a solopreneur, you might not need them, but when your company grows, and you need to hire your first staff, they will become invaluable.
Of course, human resource experts, don’t come cheap and hiring them on a full-time basis probably isn’t desirable or even needed when you’re a startup. Luckily, you can hire freelance HR people who will handle all of your needs in that department on an as and when basis.
IT Support Services
Everything runs on technology today. Your website, your smartphone, your data storage - it all requires technology, and if any of it was to stop working, your business could very much grind to a halt. Of course, as a startup company, you probably don’t have the money to hire a crack team of IT experts to solve any problem that many come up. That doesn’t matter because there are numerous IT companies who will have your back whenever you need them - we’re talking 24/7, and they can be outsourced. In fact, everyone, not just small companies should be outsourcing their IT support because it is often better or at least equal to an in-house team, but much much cheaper.
Marketing
Marketing today is somewhat of a 24/7 thing thanks to social media. If you don’t have the time or the inclination to both think of and post witty content on a regular basis to keep people interested in your company and promote your products, you’re much better off hiring a social media manager, internet marketing expert or content writer to do it for you. You can find them all at places like People Per Hour and Upwork, and they are excellent.
The bottom line: As a startup owner, your time is precious, and that means you should not be trying to do it all, nor should you be tying up any staff you do have with tasks that can easily be handled by third-parties. Outsourcing is ready, available and cheap, which makes it a no-brainer, especially in the areas outlined above.