There are plenty of reasons that companies choose to outsource certain services, and outsourcing isn’t just for large enterprises. A small-business owner may choose to outsource a service that they don’t have much experience with or that would simply cost too much for them to maintain in house. Saving costs, reducing risks, and increasing efficiency tend to be the main motivators for outsourcing. It can also give business owners more flexibility for expansion, or even downsizing if it comes to that. Economic instability means that you need to be ready for business growth or to pull back at any time.
Of course, you’ll need to be careful when selecting an outsourcing partner to ensure they match the goals and scope of your business, whether you’re a startup or a large enterprise. Any business owner should know the importance of researching those you go into business with, but how do you decide what to outsource in the first place? Particularly when starting out, it’s best to focus entirely on the core aspects of your business (products, customer service, team building, etc.) and see if you can outsource anything that distracts from these elements. Here are some of the most commonly outsourced services and the advantages of outsourcing them.
Financial Services
Since your cash flow and profit margins are the lifelines of your business, it may seem strange to outsource something so important at first glance. However, many businesses can’t afford a full-time CFO (chief financial officer), or they may lack staff with the proper experience and knowledge to create an accurate financial forecast or provide expert advice during budget board meetings. While it’s always wise to at least keep a bookkeeper on hand, you’ll likely find that you benefit from consulting with outsourced CFO services.
An experienced CFO can gather financial data about your business with their accounting team in order to produce accurate forecasts for your business performance and come up with solutions to establish growth strategies for your company. A CFO can also help you evaluate each of your business risks to determine which opportunities to pursue, as well as find ways to bring in new investors. An outsourced CFO can even provide virtual CFO services, meaning they never have to be an in-house part of your business. These services are just as good as having your own accounting team, but for a fraction of the cost.
Pest Control Programs
Any business faces the possibility of pest problems, and it’s a particularly high risk for those in the food, hospitality, storage, and shipping industries. While you might think it’s okay to handle pest control services, such as fumigation, in house, the importance of experience in this realm can’t be overstated. If you want the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your business and shipments are safe from pests like the brown marmorated stink bug, then you’ll want experts like this container fumigation Australia company.
Global Fumigation Services are fully accredited and have over 25 years of experience providing container and wood fumigation services around the globe. Their mobile units will come to your business, and they’ve even developed an EPA approved air quality management system to ensure a positive impact for all clients.
IT Support
Every business relies heavily on technology these days, with many integrating all of their software solutions as part of their digital transformations. While a small business may be able to get by with a point of sale system and a handful of software solutions, a growing business or an enterprise is more likely to be involved with big data, which will require the help of experts to manage.
Outsourcing IT support provides the usual outsourcing benefits of lower costs and freeing up time, but it also ensures uninterrupted services, even as you’re upgrading to new solutions. With an outsourced provider for all your IT needs, you’ll also have the advantage of professionals working around the clock to discover emerging security threats, so your business and information are protected at all times.
Once you’ve mastered your core processes, you may choose to take on more responsibility in house. Until then, however, it’s often a great idea to outsource any services you aren’t familiar with and to find outsourcing partners who fit your specific needs.
