You may be involved in a business, whether small or large it would have many tasks to be completed on a daily or weekly basis. Of these tasks, several may be repetitive and can easily be outsourced to another firm so that you can focus on the core areas of your business. The question regarding the cost may arise in your minds, and it is a legitimate one too. However, the truth of the matter is that you will save on costs and time, rather than end up spending, in the process of outsourcing your business to a third party.

Over the last ten years, outsourcing has increased by leaps and bounds, with over three million jobs outsourced. Outsourcing is no longer considered the domain of huge corporations; because of advances in technology, even medium and small enterprises can now outsource their work and reap significant financial rewards. Today, business process outsourcing enables professionals like software engineers, graphic designers, transcriptionists, accounting professionals and other IT specialists to work from any corner of the world. However, outsourcing is not as easy as it seems or sounds. There are several things to be taken into account, the most important being choosing the correct outsourcing partner. Care needs to be taken in selecting an efficient partner with a professional outlook.

The perfect time to outsource

To put it very shortly – there is no better time like now. However, the ‘right time’ to outsource can vary from business to business. While you may have your regular staff to handle day-to-day activities, they may not be able to manage the show if you are planning to expand or take up a new project. When the current workforce is unable to cope with the work pressure, it is time to think of outsourcing to a professional company that has the wherewithal to deliver. Small businesses can explore the possibilities of outsourcing right at the outset itself and take advantage of the cost savings.

What to outsource?

Today, almost every task one can think of can be outsourced. Right from accounting/bookkeeping, virtual assistant services, ePublishing, healthcare, document management to complex software development projects, to name a few, are being outsourced to third party companies that have the capacity to undertake such specialized tasks. A word of caution though, before you can decide what to outsource, list out your company’s strengths and weaknesses. Your strengths are your forte and it is better they are handled in-house.

Categories of Tasks to outsource

Outsourced tasks can be broadly classified in three different categories. On the top of the list are tasks that need high levels of a particular skill that are currently handled by the top executives in the company. Next is the category under specialized tasks like computer programming, software development and IT support. The third category comprises repetitive tasks like data entry, data mining, inventory, accounts payable and more. Today, the services of a virtual assistant are most sought after, as the Internet has made the globe a smaller place, with distance hardly making any difference.

Some of the most common jobs/tasks that people outsource for are mentioned below:

1. Web development and IT support:

A freelance IT team means that you don’t have to worry about data protection, software implementation, network system setups, and troubleshooting, etc. Are all handled by the outsourcing team? Apart from that, you’ll have access to IT resources that you have in the house, without additional cost.

2. Customer support:

Customers are the most vital part of any business, and it requires the utmost attention. If you outsource your customer support desk, then your customers will have access to reach out to you even when you’re not actually in the office.

3. Consultation services:

Consulting experts from time to time is good for business but bad for your bank account if you plan to hire one. Instead, you can outsource someone with the credentials at a lower price. You’ll only pay for what you need help with, not hiring them full time, so it’ll be easier on your pockets as well.

4. Payroll accounting:

Payroll and accounting are time-consuming. Although it’s done every month, your business will not be affected if you outsource. You can outsource payroll staff to handle taxes, compensations, and other procedures so that you can focus on operating your business.

5. Legal services:

Hiring a full-time company lawyer is not feasible for a lot of companies, especially small scale startups. It’s better and cheaper to outsource a legal team as and when the situation demands.

6. Data entry:

Inventory, cataloging, and other repetitive tasks are better off delegated to an outsourced person or team. You’ll get the job done accurately and save time, money without wasting effort on your team’s part.

This is just a small list of things you can outsource if you want. Companies are outsourcing complete projects, too. You just have to make sure that the benefits and costs of your investment are worth it.

Your Ideal Partner

It is critical to take utmost caution when picking your outsourcing partner in order to establish a stronger business through outsourcing. One bad decision might ruin your reputation and inflict more harm than good. Today's technology can assist you in finding a competent partner who can assist you in establishing your company.. While starting locally is a great idea, it pays to inquire around and check with other business owners who are already outsourcing their tasks. There is nothing better than going by word of mouth and you may also seek your partner through professional online networks like LinkedIn and Twitter. Outsourcing is the proven way to expand your business globally and small, medium and large businesses can outsource their work and save a whole lot of money in the process.

At TagX we offer a number of outsourcing services like data processing, data entry, data conversion and image processing. Do you plan on outsourcing your work to save costs and receive it on time? Get in touch with our experts today and we’ll help minimize your workload.

Prashi Ostwal - Author