Delegating shouldn’t be a luxury reserved for the few. We think it should be for everyone.
71% of businesses say that they outsource to reduce costs. That’s a real testament to the ROI of flexible teams.
But what if you’re new to all this? At first glance, outsourcing can seem like a bit of luxury and yet another business expense. Trust me, you’re not the first business owner to feel this way and it’s a completely reasonable concern to have.
Thankfully, there are steps you can take long before you meet your virtual team that will help you save money in the short and long term. These are some of them…
Insource first
“Ask and you shall receive (or at least know where you stand)’
That’s how it goes, isn’t it? As a business owner, you naturally keep a lot of things to yourself. This can lead to feeling overworked and burnt out.
Before you outsource, try insourcing. Gather your team together and ask them to put all their tasks on the table. With some reshuffling, the entire workload can be delegated more evenly across the team and you’ll be working together like a well-oiled machine, without any extra help.
Automate as much as you can
According to a report by Work Market, 53% of employees state that they can save up to 2 work hours a day (6 weeks per year) through automation, and 78% of business leaders say that automation can free them up to 3 work hours a day (9 weeks per year). Those are staggering results.
There are tools out there like QuickBooks, Zapier, IFTTT and Typeform that — with a little bit of set-up time — can save your business hours, days and even weeks. You might find that you don’t need to outsource at all.
Outsource the tasks that take ages
If you’ve done steps 1 and 2 and found that you still need an extra pair of hands, start with the tasks that you and your team hate doing. You know the ones.
Think of it this way — what’s going to cost more? Procrastinating around a task whilst getting a salary, or simply paying an expert who’ll get it done in no time.
That’s why 57% of businesses say that outsourcing enables them to focus on the core business.
Document the process (if there is one)
If there’s a process that exists in your business that can be outsourced, get it down on paper. Here’s why:
- It allows your outsourced talent to hit the ground running
- Two words: Seamless transition
- You’ll spend less time briefing and more time getting on with what you need to do
- If your new virtual team member can see the process in front of them, they can provide suggestions to make the process even more efficient
All this equates to less time being wasted and more bang for your buck.
Master the sign-off process
The first task to do with outsourced talent? Decide on the sign-off process. A sign-off process will answer questions like, who gets final say? Where do they submit work? How often do they check in? Should they follow a checklist before submitting work? And so on.
This one process means that your new team member can work faster and get sh*t out the door. That’s essentially what you need from outsourcing and exactly what will make it a justifiable expense for your business.
Delegate the task of delegating
There’s one sure way to pour money down the outsourcing drain and that’s to leave people with nothing to do. But what if you don’t have the time to manage your outsourced talent?
Enter, the virtual assistant. Yes, it’s true, you can outsource outsourcing. A VA can take care of all of that for you, plus tasks like diary management, inbox management, personal brand, business travel and more. They’re practically superheroes.
Only pay for what you need
Outsourcing isn’t a 24/7/365 option for every business and so, it shouldn’t be treated that way with contracts, hefty cancellation fees and small print. No sir-ee.
Here at ibLE, we have a commitment-free model. This means you can outsource tasks that take as little as 5 minutes and you only pay for what you need. What’s more, we’ve got a team of experts across all areas of business, so can dial up your virtual support when required, then downsize when things are at a level your own team can manage.
Outsourcing doesn’t have to feel like a luxury. It doesn’t even have to feel like a big investment that will eventually make a return. With these steps, you can build an outsourcing solution that fits your business and your budget.
Register now to outsource to your virtual team.