When (And When Not) To Outsource A Task
Outsourcing involves paying a third party company to take over a task. It can free up time spent having to do the task yourself and it’s often much cheaper than hiring an employee to take on the role.
You can outsource almost any task nowadays, from answering the phone to creating social media content. But just which tasks should you outsource? Just because you can outsource anything doesn’t mean that you should outsource everything. As a result, you need to pick and choose which tasks to outsource and which to do in-house. Making the right choice is likely to depend on your company’s individual circumstances. Below are a few tips to help you determine when and when not to outsource.
In This Article:
When to Outsource
Here are a few reasons to outsource certain tasks to a third-party vendor.
When you don’t have the skills/resources to do it yourself
It makes sense to outsource when you physically cannot do a task yourself because you do not have the skills or resources. If you want to build a company app and you don’t have any knowledge of how to develop an app, it makes sense to outsource an app development company rather than trying to learn to program yourself.
When it’s a time-consuming task you hate
There may be other tasks that you are capable of doing, but they are long-winded and take up a huge amount of your time. For example, many companies spend huge amounts of time doing bookkeeping and financial auditing. Outsourcing a certified public accountant could save you a lot of time.
When you can afford to outsource it
Outsourcing costs money - but if you’ve got enough money in your monthly budget to comfortably cover it, then why not outsource? As your business grows, the cost equation will flip, as outsourcing can cost significantly less than hiring in-house.
>> Related: Signs It’s Time to Outsource Your Content Writing
When Not to Outsource
Of course, some things just need to be done in-house by your own team. Here are some examples of reasons not to outsource.
When it’s a core task
You should never outsource core tasks, because these are the tasks that clients pay you to do, and therefore should be the tasks that you are skilled at and enjoy. For example, if you run a web design company, you shouldn’t be outsourcing other companies to design client websites for you. This is a case where direct hires are a better choice.
When you’re handling highly sensitive information
Outsourcing means sharing information with third party companies. If you’re handling sensitive financial information or company secrets, you may not want to outsource a task that involves access to this information. Only do it if you can find a company that you wholly trust and make sure that you’re not going against any laws or client agreements by doing this.
When you’re on a tight budget and can do it yourself
If you’re on a tight budget, you may not have the money to outsource lots of tasks. In this case, you need to prioritise outsourcing the tasks that you physically cannot do. Don’t waste money outsourcing tasks that you can do yourself. For example, if you only have enough money to outsource one task and you have to choose between accounting and marketing, consider which one you are most competent at. If you are able to do your own accounting but struggle with marketing, it makes sense to do accounting in house and outsource marketing.
Ready to Outsource Your Content Marketing? Let’s Talk
Content marketing is a key task many companies outsource when they don’t have the in-house resources (or time) to do it themselves. If you need someone to take over content writing and marketing for you, book a free discovery call. Let’s see how we can help you create content that resonates with your target audience.
