The Entrepreneur's Guide to Outsourcing: What to Delegate First
Entrepreneur life can be difficult. Not only do you have to worry about keeping the business running, but you have customers to tend to while also trying to bring in revenue. If you work for yourself, you'll quickly find there aren't enough hours in the day. Welcome to the club.
The good news is entrepreneurs from all over have solved this problem. They outsource.
Small businesses of all types now outsource some portion of their work. In fact, 37% of small businesses report outsourcing at least one business process. That number is growing every year as more business owners realize they have to delegate if they want to grow.
If you want to know what to outsource first read below.
Table of Contents
Why Outsourcing is Important for Entrepreneurs
What Every Entrepreneur Should Outsource First
Web Design Services and Development Services
Find the Best Outsourcing Companies
Common Outsourcing Mistakes to Avoid
Why Outsourcing is Important for Entrepreneurs
All entrepreneurs face the same dilemma. There are only so many hours in a day, but as your business grows, it feels like you have to do more and more with less time. This bottleneck is what keeps small businesses from scaling and what burns entrepreneurs out.
You can fix this problem by outsourcing.
Here's the secret to building a successful business. It means wearing many hats, but you shouldn't have to wear all those hats forever. Figure out the jobs that sap your energy and don't directly contribute to your bottom line. Once you've found those tasks, outsource them to someone who will do it better than you.
Entrepreneurs who outsource enjoy three main benefits:
Save time — By outsourcing tedious tasks, entrepreneurs free up their schedule to focus on making money and improving their business.
Save money — It's unrealistic for most small business owners to hire a full staff. When you need extra help, outsourcing is often more cost-effective than adding another employee.
Get expert help — Even if you work in a specific industry for years, you will not know everything. Outsourcing allows entrepreneurs to tap into experienced professionals.
What Every Entrepreneur Should Outsource First
While it may be tempting to outsource as many tasks as possible, entrepreneurs should learn which services provide the biggest return on their investment.
Admin duties are always a great place to start when looking for things to outsource. Email responses, scheduling, and data entry are all time-consuming tasks that can eat up your day. By hiring a virtual assistant to take these responsibilities off your plate, you free up more of your time to do what's most important.
Bookkeeping and accounting. Keeping your books should not be done by an entrepreneur. While it may be tempting to cut costs by handling payroll and taxes yourself, bookkeeping requires precision and understanding of finance. Save yourself the headache and outsource bookkeeping services to a professional.
Customer support. Taking care of customers is important, but entrepreneurs shouldn't have to personally answer every email or phone call. When you outsource customer service, trained professionals can take care of support requests while you focus on growing your business.
Web Design Services and Development Services
Your website is your foundation. Period. 75% of consumers judge a company's credibility based on website design, so if your site isn't professional, you're not likely to make a sale.
But it's not enough to just have an attractive site. Your website must be designed and developed in a way that converts visitors into customers. Creating a high-converting website requires experience in user experience design, conversion rate optimization, and responsive web development.
Most entrepreneurs don't have the skills (or the time) to learn web design and development. That's why outsourcing your web presence to a professional agency is often the best solution.
When searching for digital marketing agencies that offer web design services, look for those with experience in your industry. A great web designer understands that websites require a strategic design, not just a pretty face. Look for portfolios that showcase an agency's ability to meet your business goals.
Here are just a few ways quality web design helps businesses:
Make a powerful first impression. You only get one chance to prove your value to potential customers. Hire a professional to design a website that will impress.
Reach smartphone users. Increasingly, people browse the internet on their phones. If your website isn't optimized for mobile devices, you could be losing sales.
Improve loading speed. Website load time is directly correlated to your bounce rate. The faster your site loads, the more well-performing your SEO rankings will be.
Find the Best Outsourcing Companies
Although it may be tempting to just pick the lowest bidder, entrepreneurs need to take their time finding the right provider for the job.
First, determine exactly what you want the outsourcing company to accomplish. Vague specifications allow for vendors to misinterpret your needs and low-ball you with solutions that don't meet your expectations. Be as detailed as possible. It'll make your life easier in the long run.
Talk to past clients and ask for references. Any reputable company can boast about how great they are. Let someone who has worked with the outsourcing company tell you how they did.
Don't automatically choose the cheapest service. In most cases, you get what you pay for. Price should be a factor, but cheap options often end up costing you more due to missed deadlines, subpar work, and communication issues.
Common Outsourcing Mistakes to Avoid
Like anything new, entrepreneurs will make mistakes. When it comes to outsourcing, there are a few traps new business owners should avoid.
Don't micromanage. If you want entrepreneurs to stop doing work themselves and outsource, you have to let go. Give clear direction on what you expect, then let them do their job.
Make sure you communicate. Before the work begins, establish a communication method that works for both parties. Set a response time window and reporting method to avoid future frustrations.
Start with small projects. Would you hand over the reins of your company to a new employee the first day on the job? Of course not. Start small when outsourcing and work your way up as you build trust with the company.
Bringing It All Together
As you learned above, outsourcing can drastically improve your life as an entrepreneur. Instead of trying to do everything yourself, hire professionals to take care of tasks like administrative work, bookkeeping, and customer support. This will free up more of your time to focus on growing your business.
One of the most impactful places entrepreneurs can outsource is website design and development. Ensure you hire an experienced designer who specializes in converting website visitors into buyers.
Remember, don't rush the process of finding the right vendor. Do your research and make sure you ask plenty of questions before hiring a third-party service to work for you.