Search
Close this search box.
Blog » Business Tips » Outsourcing: Do You Need to Hire Help, But Aren’t Sure How?

Outsourcing: Do You Need to Hire Help, But Aren’t Sure How?

Heading-Towards-a-Contactless-World

Outsourcing can seem daunting. Research reveals that 80% of the companies state cost-cutting as their primary reason for outsourcing. It cites better customer experience, customer retention and scaling as other pressing reasons to outsource. No matter the reason, if you’ve never done it before, you might be at a loss for where to start.

1. Shadow yourself

If you don’t know where to begin when it comes to outsourcing, record what you do during a typical work week. Act as if you were explaining your job to someone brand new. Look at your calendar and think about what you do every day.  Once your week begins, write down tasks as you do them, so you remember every step.

You might even want to time how long it takes you too. It will help you realize what you do on a regular basis as if you were giving the tasks to an assistant. You’ll also become more aware of what’s on your plate in the first place. Decide what to outsource and what you believe you should be doing.

2. Make a wish list for outsourcing

Once you identify every little thing that you do, decide what to outsource. Use what you jotted down as a wish list. Sift through what you wrote and ask yourself:

  1. Does this task prevent me from making more money? If yes, it may qualify.
  2. Is this a task that I dislike doing? If yes, it’s something to consider.
  3. Does it just make mathematical sense to outsource? If yes, it’s another item to think about handing off.
  4. Can I afford to outsource this right now? The cost will be a significant factor when deciding.

While there might be other factors that come into play, use these questions to help jumpstart the decision-making process.

3. Get quotes

Use social media to ask around. A Facebook group can be a great resource for getting referrals. Whether you need website development, a graphic designer or someone to handle payments, invoicing or bookkeeping in general, Once you state what you are looking for and get recommendations, ask for quotes. You will have to schedule calls and take time out of your schedule to learn more about their services or review proposals that list deliverables and pricing. It also may take a little time to train them in the beginning.

4. Try it out

After taking quotes and choosing what best suits your needs and budget, hire someone and see how it goes. Just be sure to map out an agreement. If you want to try this out, be sure the contract states the duration of time you’d like to work together. Whether you’re hiring a podcast guest booker to promote your book or a financial writer to create content for your blog, you want to be clear about how you will work together. This way, you can see how it goes and later decide if you will continue. I think it’s easier to start small and then hand over more responsibility down the road if the working relationship is a fit.

The Bottom Line

Time and time again you might hear that you should outsource. Though it might seem overwhelming at first, follow the steps above to get started. If it helps you lower costs, scale your business or improves any other part of your business, then it’s well worth it.

About Due’s Editorial Process

We uphold a strict editorial policy that focuses on factual accuracy, relevance, and impartiality. Our content, created by leading finance and industry experts, is reviewed by a team of seasoned editors to ensure compliance with the highest standards in reporting and publishing.

TAGS
Financial Editor
Karen is a Nationally Syndicated Personal Finance Writer who sharpens her skills at US News Money. You can also find her placing clients on podcasts and reading about home office organization, productivity and habits.

About Due

Due makes it easier to retire on your terms. We give you a realistic view on exactly where you’re at financially so when you retire you know how much money you’ll get each month. Get started today.

Categories

Top Trending Posts

Due Fact-Checking Standards and Processes

To ensure we’re putting out the highest content standards, we sought out the help of certified financial experts and accredited individuals to verify our advice. We also rely on them for the most up to date information and data to make sure our in-depth research has the facts right, for today… Not yesterday. Our financial expert review board allows our readers to not only trust the information they are reading but to act on it as well. Most of our authors are CFP (Certified Financial Planners) or CRPC (Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor) certified and all have college degrees. Learn more about annuities, retirement advice and take the correct steps towards financial freedom and knowing exactly where you stand today. Learn everything about our top-notch financial expert reviews below… Learn More