You know the feeling of bliss you get when you reach inbox zero or cross the last item off your to-do list? Yeah, neither do most of us. Because of that, many companies turn to outsourcing as a tool for small or overworked teams.
It doesn’t end there — other companies rely on outsourcing to fill knowledge or skill gaps they don’t yet have the headcount or budget to hire for internally, including paid advertising, video production, and payroll.
Think you might need to outsource some projects?
1. Cheaper than full-time staff: Outsourcing certain tasks, like content writing or marketing, can be cheaper than hiring a full-time employee. You’ll save on onboarding costs, healthcare coverage, and compensation.
2. Faster turnaround: Depending on the task, the person you outsource may only take one project at a time. Having one person devoted to your job allows it to get done faster. Setting a timeline up front makes it easy to dictate when you need a job finished. Since an outsourcer won’t have the other demands of a full-time position to contend with, you can set aggressive (but realistic) timelines.
3. Specialization: Need to hire a designer who specializes in business graphics? Outsourcing makes it easy to hire an agency or freelancer who’s an expert designer instead of an all-purpose, full-time designer who might not have experience in business graphics but will be a more realistic choice for day-to-day needs.
4. Access to more talent: Outsourcing allows you to hire the best of the best in your area of need. You’re not vetting and hiring a full-time employee who meets a long list of requirements. Instead, you can narrow down your search to those who specialize in a particular area. For example: recruiters with experience helping startups develop a diverse baseline team.
5. Can prevent burnout in full-time staff: Outsourcing can save the day if you don’t have the budget to hire a full-time position but need to provide a little relief to your existing team. By taking simple tasks or time-consuming projects off their plates, you can keep your salaried employees happy and avoid costly burnout and turnover.
When you’re part of a small team or growing business, it’s tough to allocate budget for other people to complete tasks that normally fall to you or your internal team. Instead of thinking about the extra money you’ll spend, think of it as an investment in the growth and productivity of your team.