If you've ever wondered about the right timing or signs that indicate it's time to start delegating tasks, this one's for you. We'll discuss the tell-tale signs that suggest outsourcing might be the solution you're looking for, from stretched-thin teams to the need for specialized expertise.
Hey there!
If you’re listening to this episode, chances are you’ve already considered the possibility of outsourcing. Exactly when do you outsource? Is there a right and bad timing?
There is such a thing as premature engagement. We’ve seen this done by clients who hire ahead of the demand. There’s no work yet. They’re just anticipating. Now this isn’t always considered bad timing, but it’s better when you know what you need.
This means you’re probably experiencing one or more of the definite signs you should try outsourcing.
You and your current team are getting stretched too thin. When employees start taking on multiple roles, it’s a clear sign that the workload has outpaced your team’s current capacity, and you need to offset some of the burden so you can work efficiently.
You’ve got more priority tasks than there are hands to work on them, on top of your routine tasks. You may also find your schedule being taken up by tasks like customer emails, replying and scheduling your social media, or perhaps updating products on your shop pages.
There are tasks that require specific expertise your team may not have. You find yourself signing up for specific newsletters on specific topics, like SEO. You’re downloading guides about it. This is a sign you need to outsource. Businesses usually outsource specialties like graphic design, advertising, and web development but a lot of them attempt to DIY SEO, social media, and content writing. Often fruitless attempts, which wastes time and money. Outsource them and you get better ROI.
You’re looking at areas to cut costs. Speaking of money, you've scrutinized your expenses, examined your budget from every angle, and realized that there's room for improvement. Outsourcing saves a lot of money after the initial investment: you instantly save on overhead costs like recruitment, training, benefits, and office space, not to mention the time and money saved from trying to DIY.
Your company is rapidly growing. Business is booming, your customer base expanding, and your revenue is skyrocketing. That’s definitely something to be excited about! But as your company grows, your workload naturally follows. Suddenly, the tasks that were manageable before are now overwhelming your team, and you find yourself struggling to keep up with the customer demands. That’s a big sign you should consider outsourcing—to accommodate the sudden flood of tasks without sacrificing quality or efficiency.
Identify your needs. The clearer you are about what you need done, the better your outsourcing partners can be about fulfilling them, because your search would be targeted and would match you up with the right partners in the first place. You’d be able to look for specific skills and levels of expertise for your needs.
Next, do a pilot project. The goal here is to test your potential outsourcing team’s ability to take on your tasks. Look at how long they take to complete them, the quality of their work, and how much you’ll be paying for it.
During and after the pilot, look at the reviews to further help your decision. Their past performance and client feedback is a good source of insights. You want to see a track record of consistency, dependability, and adaptability. For example, if they seem impressive at the pilot project, do their clients say they keep that up? If they didn’t do as perfectly as you wanted, do their feedback say they’re trainable and have improved once they hit their stride?
Remember, outsourcing isn't just about passing off tasks. It's about finding the right people to help your business thrive. You do need to know about your business before you outsource. That’s where timing comes in. And you also learn more about your business during outsourcing.
Because when you outsource, you hire experts and specialists with experience. You’ll open a door to insights and objective viewpoints. You just might discover more ways to streamline your business. This is something we always get excited about, our favorite part of working with our clients, being there with them as part of their growth.
Alrighty, that's all for now. Thanks for tuning in! Until next time, happy outsourcing, and may your business journey be smooth sailing. Cheers!