This is a collaborative post: If the pandemic brought about a change of career, you aren’t alone. In fact, a record number of new businesses were introduced to the market during the pandemic. However, a sudden switch from general worker to a business owner may not have been on the cards for you initially – meaning that you may currently find yourself unsure of what you should be doing to grow your business.
Of course, the most obvious step will be to focus on expanding your business. After all, this means you’ll be able to cater to more customers, invest more money into your products and continue to make a name for your brand. However, many small business owners do not have the money or facilities to hire full-time staff – despite the benefits of expanding your team.
Thankfully there is a clear solution to this (and no, it isn’t doing everything alone). The answer is outsourcing!
Why outsource?
Outsourcing allows you to bring in a qualified professional to support you in running your business without having to pay full-time salaries. Instead, you pay them directly for the work they carry out. As such, it can be a great way to improve the quality of your services while also saving money.
What areas of my business should I outsource?
Graphic Design. Graphic design plays an essential role in the way in which you present your business online, whether that relates to your logo, social media pages or website. However, if you want to appear professional, you probably shouldn’t be trying to use your elementary knowledge of Microsoft paint to get the job done. Instead, you could enlist the help of Freelance Designers who can do the difficult work on your behalf. This is also a great way to take your business marketing and branding to the next level.
Admin work. The average business owner will spend “five to six hours per week on admin duties”. That’s five hours that could be better spent developing new products, interacting with your customers or even curating a better work-life balance. As a result, admin work is one of the most commonly outsourced areas. For example, you could hire a virtual assistant who responds to queries (online or over the phone) on your behalf, freeing up more time in your schedule.
Accounting. Unless maths was your favourite subject at school, it’s likely that you’re keen to avoid accounting as much as possible. After all, while we are taught about calculating the area of triangles, we aren’t taught about the important stuff like taxes and business expenses. Despite this, good money management is essential when it comes to running a business, from both a legal and financial standpoint. Thankfully, this doesn’t mean you have to spend hours pouring over a spreadsheet, as you can outsource these tasks to a qualified accountant or financial officer. Not only will this give you the gift of time, but you’ll be less likely to make costly mistakes or file your taxes incorrectly. This means you’ll continue to flourish in your career.