The business owner who can outsource is someone who understands the benefits of a level playing field in business. Outsourcing tasks has enabled the smaller business owner to access specialised and top talent, once only available to the larger companies. It enables the smart owner to free up their time, streamline their business practices and equip their business for growth.
But what can business owners outsource? If you’re looking to take advantage of this level playing field, how can you get started? Here’s a brief breakdown of what you need to do and what skills are typically outsourced by other businesses.
Learn to delegate
If you’re looking to benefit from outsourcing, you need to start by learning how to delegate. This means not only having a plan in place (see next point), but also learning how to hand over a task effectively. Having a clear brief of requirements is essential. It gives the outsourcer everything they need to know, to complete the required task to the standards you require – including any deadlines they need to be aware of, as well as clear instructions of what’s expected.
But delegating well is also about giving them space to complete the task. If you’re not used to outsourcing, it can be tempting to almost micromanage the whole thing. Not only does this frustrate both parties, but it also negates the benefits of handing it over in the first place! So learn to delegate effectively and trust the outsourcer is doing what they’re instructed to do.
Have an outsource plan in place
As mentioned earlier, you need to have a plan in place. This details what tasks are carried out within your business, as well as detailing those you need to outsource, as well as those you can and want to outsource.
It’s also a good idea to create workflows and checklists for any tasks you carry out within your business, so you’re all working to standard – plus it makes it easier to hand over that task to someone else!
Top tasks to outsource
So, with all that being said, here’s the top tasks small business owners are currently outsourcing to Virtual Assistants, PAs and specialised virtual team members:
- Administrative tasks and back-office support – including email management, filing, transcription and typing.
- Email and telephone marketing – from cold calling, through to telemarketing.
- Proofreading (reports, eBooks etc)
- Social media management – ensuring your business is visible and active online.
- IT training and maintenance – everything from training staff on the latest new system, through to maintaining customer databases.
- Copywriting – website copy, blog posts and even online social media adverts.
- Customer service – every stage of the customer journey, through to aftersales and complaints.
- Competitor research – essential, if you want to stay ahead of the competition!
- Website management – including updates, security and design.
- SEO – ensuring you hit the right keywords and seen on the different search engines, by the right audience.
Outsourcing is an essential tool for business and brand growth. As stated in this Mile IQ article, more and more small businesses are taking advantage of this tool, for good reason. So if you’re ready to have a chat about how you can benefit from outsourcing to Virtual Hand, book in a call – and let’s discuss your options.
