Outsourcing business functions is often done by big businesses to reduce costs and improve efficiency but many areas can be outsourced for smaller businesses too.  Businesses will often call on outside expertise on an occasional basis.  Accountancy or Legal services would be examples that are needed occasionally – it would be unaffordable to recruit your own accountant or solicitor and there would not be enough work to keep them busy.

This can also apply to other areas of your business:

• Inbound calls

  Research has identified that that responding to telephone calls can be the biggest distraction during the working day.  Calls should be answered promptly and represent your business in the best way, and there always needs to be the enough people available to take the calls.  Outsourcing this function to a professional business able to undertake virtual reception and message taking functions can ease pressure on your team and save money as you only pay for the time taking calls.  They can also screen out those annoying sales calls for you.  This service can develop into Customer Service functions and responding to queries too.

• Bookkeeping

  Often this causes a problem at the end of the month or the quarter because it has been put off as it is a small part of someone’s role.  Outsourcing can make it more accurate as well as free up time and make those periods less stressful.

• Customer Care Calls

  When was the last time that you called up your customers to check that everything was going well and if there was anything else you could help them with?  Whether it is a one-off survey, launching a new service, or on-going account development and prompting further orders the right outsource partner can look after this on your behalf – even processing the sales they create!

• Credit Control

  Are you struggling to get paid on time?  Often prompt reminder calls that invoices are falling due, and requesting information on payment dates can have a dramatic impact on improving cashflow.  Outsourcing this can be particularly important as it separates this function from those that are working directly with the customer (sometimes then it is difficult to chase payment).

• Response and Fulfillment

  Do you have enquiries that need to have information provided to them whether by post, email, or over the phone?  This can be dealt with in a flexible way so that you are only paying for the resources needed at a particular time.

• Marketing

  Do you have the right expertise to create a buzz about your business, whether this is generating leads by calling prospective customers, digital marketing or creating content for social media – these are all areas that expertise and resources can be provided by engaging a business with the right experience.

By looking carefully at the people that you have and breaking down the roles that they undertake it is often surprising the many hats they wear – but that they don’t always have the time or expertise to do these crucial jobs well.  If you can outsource these areas it can help you get your team doing more of the things they are good at, while cost-effectively utilising expertise you don’t have in the other areas.