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Outsourcing small business tasks so that you and your employees can focus on generating income and new business is a great way to impact the productivity, growth and revenues of your small business. Thanks to technology that allows you to connect digitally with anyone in the world at any time, you can hand off responsibilities such as bookkeeping, marketing, information technology and administrative functions to contractors and freelancers you do not need to keep on staff. Outsource small business tasks by deciding what you do not want to do yourself, and finding the best professionals to work with.

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Steps

  1. Outsource Small Business Tasks Step 1.jpg
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    Decide what your business should outsource. Whether you are a sole proprietor or the owner of a small company, there are many tasks you probably do not have the time or the staff to do.
    • Identify tasks that do not need to be done in the office. Logistically, these will be the easiest to outsource.
    • Determine the strengths and values of your business and the core competencies of you and your staff. You and your employees need to focus on what you do best.
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  2. Outsource Small Business Tasks Step 2.jpg
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    Outsource highly skilled tasks when you need executive level expertise but cannot afford to hire a team of vice presidents. For example, use a tax lawyer several times a year to analyze your books and financial reports.
  3. Outsource Small Business Tasks Step 3.jpg
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    Outsource those tasks that are highly repetitive. For example, bookkeeping, payroll and data entry tasks probably do not need to be done on site.
  4. Outsource Small Business Tasks Step 4.jpg
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    Outsource those tasks that require specialized knowledge, such as IT support or website design.
  5. Outsource Small Business Tasks Step 5.jpg
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    Search for excellent providers. Once you decide what to outsource, look for the right contractors.
    • Ask for referrals from your own professional network. Talk to other business owners and professionals about how and where they outsource.
    • Check professional networking sites such as LinkedIn for contractors in the field you are trying to outsource work. You might also use other social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter to advertise what you are looking for.
    • Connect with contractors and freelancers on sites such as eLance, Guru and oDesk. These websites allow business owners to place an ad that describes what kind of work they need to have done, and contractors respond with their qualifications and rates.
    • Review qualifications and experience. Check references and conduct interviews by phone or online. Ask to see samples of work.
  6. Outsource Small Business Tasks Step 6.jpg
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    Create a contract. When you find a person or firm you are ready to outsource your tasks to, draw up a contract that describes the work, deadlines, expectations and rate of pay.
  7. Outsource Small Business Tasks Step 7.jpg
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    Communicate clearly and often with the providers to whom you have outsourced work.
    • Ask for weekly status reports or hold meetings via conference call or video chat to update each other on where you stand.
  8. Outsource Small Business Tasks Step 8.jpg
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    Evaluate the outsourcing process on a regular basis.
    • Make sure outsourcing is saving your company time and money, and that the work is being done to your satisfaction.
    • Determine whether there are other tasks that your small business can outsource.
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Tips

  • Be careful not to outsource tasks simply because they are unpopular and you do not feel like doing them. When you identify the parts of your work that are essential to your business and your customers, make sure you and your full time employees handle those tasks.

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Sources and Citations

Article Info

Categories: Buying & Forming a Business

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