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Outsourcing. It’s a big part of many successful businesses, but what can or could you outsource at a lower cost? Outsourcing done right, has the ability to create better value for your business or even add the expertise you need at a fraction of the cost of hiring in-house.
From C-suite execs to VAs and more, let’s take a look at some options that might surprise you, improve the running and bottom line of your business or simply reduce your workload so you can focus on more important tasks.
Reading reviews online or speaking with other business owners about their use of outsourcing can help guide you in making a decision to follow suit, but our main piece of advice is to simply make sure you’re undertaking the hire as part of your overall strategy. After all, following your business plan and growth strategy is ultimately what will keep you moving in the right direction.
Outsourcing is defined as this: obtaining (goods or a service) by contract from an outside supplier. The simplicity of meaning makes it easier to consider how it might work for you and to show that we’re not just talking about call centres…
There is literally thousands of options for outsourcing in today’s digital landscape with a quick google being enough to overwhelm you. With some careful research you might however be surprised at the kind of work you can hire for with your pick of personnel and their location.
There’s no doubt you’ve experienced a call or email exchange with someone working as an outsourced contractor in your daily life, but those calls or emails don’t always fit the cliché or stigma that often comes with outsourcing.
For example, let’s say you’ve started an online store and your business is young and growing. You’ve started it with most of the skills you need to continue building it, but you need some guidance from someone at the top level of such an operation. Well, you can find and contract a CEO with the specific experience you need at an agreed time and rate that fits your budget by outsourcing to someone like The Shared CEO.
Doing some digging reveals that The Shared CEO is run byJustin Hillberg, a man with decades of experience building online brands (some huge ones). After contacting The Shared CEO, it quickly becomes evident that you’re getting bespoke high-level help with their service. The beauty of the offering is that it doesn’t just come with a temporary CEO to offer real guidance, they also employ partners across related fields (including financial)that bolster what you can get from your time with them. It might seem out of the ordinary to outsource a key role like a CEO, but many businesses simply can’t afford that level of experience on their payroll and according to their team, the benefits of even a few hours a month can be enormous.
Our own version of outsourcing might also be worthwhile investigating for your business. Attune provide a unique Virtual CFO service, perfect for businesses seeking the expertise and financial insight of a CFO, without the permanent full-time employee price tag.
Attune’s Virtual CFO offers a qualified, experienced external financial specialist, who will assess cash flow and financial risk and identify opportunities for growth, guiding you towards reaching your business goals. We’re available when you require us and we strategically assist with maximising profitability and overseeing your business’ financial position. We offer the passion and commitment of a full-time CFO without the cost.
Perhaps it’s in the form of a Virtual Assistant who can take on the more routine tasks of your work day. One good example might be Remote CoWorker, a business offering dedicated VA professionals. They match your business with their staff and can tailor their time to suit your budget.You’ll get to meet (digitally) the person you’ll be dealing with directly and help ensure they’re suitably trained in the line of work you’re after.
The beauty of this arrangement is clearly in the saving of your time not to mention the ability to have someone on a contract that doesn’t require a full-time wage. Their list of clients is impressive enough, but the reviews reveal a trend of customers finding faster growth in their business through outsourcing.
The list doesn’t end there however… You might require customer support representatives, a phone answering service, an appointment manager, quality assurance or even a sales representative all of which you can find through any number of organisations.From Beepo to FusionBPO, the statistics of their reach and capability are almost staggering revealing the frequency of business using outsourcing services the world over.
The concept of outsourcing is great for so many businesses but each one will have their own story about how good or bad their experience is/was. If you’re considering outsourcing any part of your work, do your research on the people or business you’re engaging to make sure it’s the right fit.
If your business needs the experience of a CFO and you’d like to discuss our Virtual CFO service, we’d love to show you how it can be of benefit. Give the Attune team a call on 1300 866 113 or send us an email to start the conversation, you won’t regret it.
