As a business owner, what do you think are some of the most important aspects of running and growing a business? According to Agile CRM, the 4 aspects of business growth are Project Management, Knowledge Management, Sales Management, and Customer Support. While many growing businesses are doing well in these four areas, some SMEs are struggling in one or more. This is where outsourcing comes into play.
Yes, outsourcing can give you solutions that are helpful in increasing efficiency and productivity. However, if you’re still thinking about it, here are 5 questions you need to ask yourself before you outsource your business.
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1.) Will it cost me more money and resources?
One factor you must keep in mind is that outsourcing is supposed to help you reduce operational costs. Thus, you must evaluate whether it is more costly to hire an employee on-site and invest in new equipment rather than outsourcing.
Another factor you need to look at is whether an outsourcing firm can offer you more at a reasonable price. Just because an agency offers cheap pricing, it doesn’t mean that they can provide quality service for you. Remember, quantity and quality must come together.
For example, you found an outsourcing company that can help you with customer support, but then there’s another company that does the same and offered you social media management without any extra charge. The latter is a great deal in itself, right? Keep in mind that when you plan to outsource, look for an offer that is worth the cost.
2.) Will my outsourced team meet deadlines?
Reliability and trustworthiness are two important factors when you’re partnering with outsourcing firms/agencies. This includes the ability to meet deadlines.
Do your research and evaluate which individuals/companies perform best in terms of timeliness and quality control. You can do this by looking at an individual’s/company’s profile on LinkedIn, and visiting their website and social media channels.
If a particular outsourcing firm does better than its competitors in terms of timeliness and quality control, pricing won’t be an issue. Partnering with an excellent company will be worth every buck.
3.) Can my outsourced team work with minimal supervision?
Another factor that must keep in mind is that outsourcing is supposed to grant you more time. Thus, you must look for an outsourcing firm with a team who can work with minimal supervision.
There should be no room for mediocre work on the outsourced team’s end. They should be able to produce quality results in a timely manner as was discussed earlier.
When your outsourced team can perform well with minimal supervision, this will give you peace of mind as well as more time to focus on the core functions of your business.
4.) Who will lead the team?
As a business owner, it’s important that you spend some time finding out as much as possible about the outsourcing firm you’re planning to partner with. This includes looking into the team members who will be working on your project, what sort of experience they have and who will be leading them.
Outsourcing your business without understanding these things takes a potentially huge toll. It can also make you uneasy when your work functions are handed over to someone else that you may not be sure about.
Almost every outsourcing firm out there has team leaders that ensure your outsourced team performs exceptionally. Choose a firm with excellent team leaders and high trust ratings based on social proof.
5.) Will it be easy to communicate with the team?
Communication is crucial especially when you’re going to outsource some of your business functions. Your chosen outsourcing firm must be easy to contact. They must be able to help you with your concerns and respond immediately without making you wait.
Moreover, their communication skills must be spot on. Choose a firm whose employees are trained to communicate efficiently with a neutral accent so that there would be no space for cultural or communication barriers.
When these factors are met, it will be easy for your outsourced team to understand your requirements and can perform based on your standards.
Conclusion
Whether you’re new to outsourcing or not, these 5 questions come in handy when choosing the right company to partner with. Consider the factors discussed in this blog post so that when you outsource, it will be worth your time, money, resources, and trust.
Synergist Corporate Solutions has the answers to all your outsourcing dilemmas. Whether it’s customer service, back-office support, administrative and accounting tasks, or social media management, your business is in reliable hands.
Get in touch today to find out how you can increase efficiency and productivity through outsourcing.
