Introduction
If you’ve been growing and managing everything on your own, it can be tempting to keep doing things yourself. But there comes a point when outsourcing is the best solution for your small business. Here are some signs that it’s time to consider outsourcing:
You’re spending too much time on admin and not enough time on core business activities
To have a successful business, you need to be able to focus on your core business activities - like the revenue-generating tasks that only you can do. Outsourcing allows you to work on your business, not in it.
This may seem obvious, but it’s important to consider whether you’re spending too much time on tasks that could be handled by someone else. If your job requires you to perform administrative work, customer support or social media marketing, then it’s time for you to delegate those tasks.
You’re missing out on opportunities
When running a small business, you don’t have the luxury of being everywhere at once. Outsourcing allows you to focus on what matters most: growing your business and serving your clients. This means having someone else working on your behalf, so you have more time for things like networking, strategising, and building relationships with potential clients.
You need an extra pair of hands, but you’re not yet ready for a full-time employee.
Hiring people is a big deal, and the process can be daunting. If your small business needs extra hands-on deck, outsourcing can be an excellent solution. Outsourcing allows you to work with experts who already know what they’re doing and how to do it well. You can avoid the headache of payroll and save money by avoiding holiday pay, sick pay, National Insurance contributions and the cost of additional equipment, amongst other things.
You want to grow your business
Having the time to think strategically and the resources to implement your strategy is vital if you want to grow your business.
Outsourcing allows you to work on your business, not in it, and it provides the opportunity to focus on growing your business rather than constantly having to put out fires. And even if your business is doing well overall, there will always be pockets of opportunity that need attention if you want to grow further.
You have too much to do
If like most small businesses, you’re probably doing everything you can to succeed.
But when you’re juggling day-to-day tasks and already working long hours, it may be challenging to find the time and energy to keep up with all the demands of running a successful business. Unfortunately, we can’t be superhuman every day; if you’re feeling overwhelmed with your growing to-do lists, it’s time to outsource.
You need your business to be more efficient
When you’ve been doing something for years, it’s easy to become attached to your processes.
You might think that a particular process or system is fine as it is and that no changes are needed. But if you want to grow as a business owner, you need to constantly evolve and improve.
It can be hard to take a step back when making decisions about how things should be done or performed. Having an outsider who can review your business objectively will greatly impact your business’s growth potential.
You want to strengthen weak areas
It might seem obvious, but if you don’t have the skills to do some of the tasks on your to-do list, outsourcing them is a no-brainer.
If you don’t have the skills necessary to accomplish the task at hand, and don’t have the time or resources to invest in learning, then outsourcing is the answer. For example, you may not have the time or skills to grow your company’s social media presence, but delegating this to someone with these capabilities means you can focus on other essential aspects of growing your business.
You feel like you’re working 24/7
Running a small business can be all-consuming. That’s not always a bad thing - your business is the culmination of your blood, sweat, and tears. Of course, you want to give it everything you’ve got. But we all know how important it is to take time out from our businesses, both physically and mentally.
Studies show that having more free time can lead to greater happiness levels and healthier lives overall—which is definitely something we all want in our lives!
Outsourcing helps to generate quality time away from your business. You’ll have the opportunity to do the things you enjoy without worrying about a million things you should be doing. This gives us greater focus in work and makes us happier in general.
You want to increase productivity
Tasks often take up more time than we think when we’re planning them. It’s hard to predict how long they will take because there are always unknowns in any project or process—like unplanned interruptions or unexpected problems along the way. If you’re busy with other priorities and can’t fit everything into your schedule, then outsourcing is a good solution.
You no longer enjoy running your business
When you were first starting out, you were excited and enthusiastic about everything you did. But now, it’s all become a bit of a chore. If you’re tired of doing all the work yourself, the solution is simple; outsource your least favourite tasks so you can spend your time on the ones you enjoy.
You’re heading for burn-out
You’re making mistakes because you’re tired or close to burnt-out, and you can’t focus well enough to prioritise effectively. You know it won’t be long until your clients and the growth of your business begins to suffer as a result. It’s time to delegate some of those tasks on your to-do list, so you’ll have the time and energy to see to the most critical parts of your business and have some well-deserved downtime.
Conclusion
The idea of outsourcing your work may feel a little strange at first, but it’s a great way to grow your business and provide the very best services to your clients, without spending all your time doing it yourself. When you start to outsource, you will have more time and energy to focus on what matters most to you and your business. So, if any of these signs ring true for your business, let us know! We’d love to chat with you about how we can help make this transition easier. Click here to get in touch.
