Even if you have the talent to do it all, it’s unlikely that you have the time or the energy.
That is why there are dozens of startups that will do it for you — driving, shopping, cleaning, etc.
When you use those services you are outsourcing; actually, you’ve been outsourcing some things forever — think dry cleaning.
Business outsourcing is done for the same reasons and works the same way.
Outsourcing simply means having others do the work.
image source: here
All kind of jobs can be outsourced by companies seeking ways to supplement staff, reduce costs or save time or energy. There are many other reasons to use someone’s help for your business.
And those ‘others’ can be local, domestic or overseas.
Putting solid effort into your project at the beginning will help make your project successful and that starts with finding the right vendor (individual or company), which includes performing in-depth due diligence no matter who refers them.
Whether you hire an individual or a company, it will be the quality and clarity of your communications that make or break the project.
All human interaction results in some kind of relationship and the success of each relationship is grounded in good communications. This is especially true when you reach outside your employee framework to get something done.
We queried Silo members, mostly entrepreneurs, and the response was unequivocal: effective communications is an absolute requirement and it is the responsibility of the person doing the hiring to see that it happens. If parameters, expectations, delivery dates, budget, etc., are not clearly stated, understood and monitored, the likelihood of a less-than-stellar outcome is also the responsibility of the hiring person.
Beyond saving time and money, outsourcing, whether local or global, is a way to stretch all your resources.
It allows you to do more with less, which has been and always will be the smartest move for startups and SMB.
I sincerely hope this series will help you see outsourcing as another business tool that you can use with confidence.