No matter what size business you have, whether you're a solopreneur or manage a bigger team, outsourcing can be a highly efficient way to complete regular tasks, as well as one-off projects. Hiring a freelancer or agency can yield many benefits, like tapping into a bigger pool of talent, getting your own time back for more strategic projects, and growing your team without additional overhead costs. Outsourcing can also grant you the intangible benefit of free time and the ability to pursue the more enjoyable things in life. Business mogul and best-selling author Timothy Ferriss explores this concept in great detail in The 4-Hour Work Week. Lauded as one of the most ground-breaking books for anyone struggling with long hours and burnout, Ferriss advocates for various ways to outsource work and life.
That said, outsourcing does not come without its own challenges, but learning how to approach this type of work arrangement can help you overcome the most common obstacles.
Challenges and solutions to outsourcing
Finding someone you can trust to deliver high-quality performance
One of the most common obstacles to outsourcing is acquiring the right talent. An effective way to approach this challenge is using referrals to find reliable freelancers or agencies. Tap into your extended network and ask around. Chances are, you know someone who has had a great experience with an accountant, graphic designer, or lawyer.
Another resource is through agencies or business centers that offer ancillary services. Working with an organization instead of a freelancer can also act as a backup to guarantee the delivery of work.
If you're a sole business owner currently doing this work yourself, it will feel like an increased cost
A good quality freelancer or outsourcing agency is cheaper than hiring in-house team members, but it will feel like added cost if you're currently doing this work yourself. While that may be true on the surface, outsourcing can free up your time for more critical tasks. Think about the most time-consuming work you do and measure those hours against how you could be more productive at your strategic goals that bring in more revenue.
Letting go may feel like a lack of control
Among the benefits of outsourcing is offloading things from your to-list, whether you do it directly or manage the process itself. This benefit can quickly feel like a lack of control, though, which is a valid and genuine concern. The key is to change your perspective. No one will be able to make the exact decisions you would, but if you equip your outsourced team with the proper tools, you can get close. The benefits of removing yourself as a bottle-neck will greatly outweigh the few things here and there that you would have done differently. In The 4-Hour Work Week, Ferriss anecdotally recalls the first time he stepped away from daily management and how his initial fear was replaced with amazement at his company's ability to be more efficient. Letting go offered him more time while his company flourished.
One way to ease into letting go is setting people up for success. Provide proper training to outsourced teams and set expectations in terms of due dates and preferred communication methods. Once you have the right people in place equipped with the tools they need, take a step back. In areas where you have very little knowledge, invest in a trusted source of help to get the job done while offering you peace of mind in the process.
Outsourcing is growing worldwide as both companies and freelancers seek greater flexibility in accomplishing their goals. For many organizations and individual business owners, this highly efficient means for performing regular or occasional tasks can offer a new way of creating efficiencies and reducing costs. From accountants to social media teams and more, consider how your business could benefit from outsourced help.