Did you know that almost a third of all small businesses outsource at least some of their non-core operations? Outsourcing services is the act where one organization delegates some of its functions to an external service provider instead of handling them in-house. Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) allows companies to get more done and trust that professionals handle their outsourced tasks without growing their in-house teams.
From reducing operational costs to increasing efficiency and helping you focus on your core business functions, outsourcing can be an excellent investment for any business.
With that being said, let’s look at some of the small business services you should consider outsourcing!
Outsourcing Services to Consider Today
Accounting
Accounting is a commonly outsourced business function. If you don’t have financial experts on your team, it’ll take a lot of time and financial investment to learn the compliance standards your company needs to meet. But skilled accounting outsourcing service providers can often manage this function for various businesses at once.
Marketing
An external marketing service provider can help you grow your business efficiently and effectively. They can work on your ad designs, fine-tune your content, and handle your social media schedules. Once these non-core functions are off your plate, it frees up time to focus on core functions to help your business grow even more. In addition to being skilled in the marketing industry, these professionals can also assist you with new strategies and creative ideas that you might not have had access to without outsourcing.
Administrative Duties
It’s not uncommon to see virtual assistants operating within large organizations anymore. A VA can typically handle the majority of administrative tasks, including email and social media management. Hiring a VA is also one of the least expensive routes to outsourcing. However, you can expect to pay more for experienced virtual assistants and those that specialize in a particular area of business.
Customer Service
Customer service outsourcing is one of the most in-demand within the BPO industry. This service is particularly beneficial for businesses that deal with online customers and those that need telephonic assistance. BPO vendors usually outsource their services through external call centers and chat services.
IT Services
One of the most prominent outsourcing industries in the world is the IT sector. Companies that need assistance with their IT management can choose to outsource to managed service providers, or they can work with BPOs that provide on-demand services pertaining to any tech-related issues within the company.
Manufacturing
If you’re a small business, it can be pretty expensive to set up a manufacturing facility. And that’s precisely why this is an in-demand BPO service. Although offshore BPO is an option, you don’t necessarily have to work with a BPO service provider outside of your home country. However, if you’re based in the US, you might find that offshore outsourcing is one of your cheapest options for manufacturing BPO.
Sales
Many companies don’t have the expertise or skills in-house to effectively run marketing campaigns and set up funnels that’ll help close more deals. But when you outsource this service, you’re investing in professional results by delegating the function to skilled service providers that know how to bring in more business.
Research
Market research is no easy feat, especially if you don’t have experienced research analysts on your team. Small businesses that need to learn more about their customers or their industry as a whole for the sake of expansion need to ensure they’re doing thorough research. Instead of spending weeks creating surveys for consumer behavior research, you can outsource this function to research firms. They can help you get it done in the shortest time possible. As an added benefit, you might also find that the firm has access to more resources that can help you gain even more insights.
HR Outsourcing Services
Human Resources is another function that’s always in demand in the BPO sector. This function comprises all functions related to hiring, onboarding, and managing your team of employees. One of the most common functions of an HR outsourcing firm is recruiting new talent and training those employees for their new positions. Many other options also exist within this field, though, some of which include benefits management, payroll, and time and attendance management.
Logistics Outsourcing Services
Many companies that outsource their manufacturing functions also use of drop shipping service providers for logistics. This ensures that your product gets manufactured and delivered to your customers without your team members needing to manage the process. In general, eCommerce sellers that focus on their marketing and online presence tend to outsource this function as it saves them time and money.
Wrapping Up Easy-to-Implement Outsourcing Services
As you can see, there are various small business services that you can easily outsource to help take the pressure off your in-house teams. By outsourcing non-core functions, you can save time and money while also creating opportunities to focus on growth by zooming in on your core business functions.