Outsourcing is a lifesaver for many businesses.
It provides valuable time and space for business owners to focus on core activities without distraction, improves efficiency and productivity, and makes it easy for even the smallest business to access expertise skills to help them grow.
Almost any business task you can think of can be outsourced – from your marketing or payroll to bookkeeping and customer service.
But just because something can be outsourced doesn’t mean it should be. Each business is unique; your skillset and outsourcing requirements may look very different from your competitor’s.
If you’re not sure which things to outsource for your business, this article will help you gain clarity.
We’ll help you decide which tasks can be outsourced to maximise your time and help grow your business.
How Do I Know What Can Be Outsourced?
How To Decide What To Outsource
The key to effective outsourcing is identifying which tasks will benefit your business most if outsourced.
Here are some questions to ask yourself to help narrow it down:
Where do you lack expertise?
Are there things you or your team are handling that aren’t their strong points? Certain core business activities require expert knowledge, such as social media management, accounting, or website design.
You may be able to struggle through and do an average job on these tasks. But, it’s likely to take you longer and be less effective if you don’t really have a handle on what you’re doing.
An expert can do the jobs faster and to a higher standard, making it well worth the investment in outsourcing.
Is it taking too much of your time?
Whether you’re good at them or not, certain business activities are just fiddlier and more time consuming than others. If you’re time-poor and struggle to get through your to-do list, let alone work on growing your business, outsourcing is an excellent solution.
Things like payroll, bookkeeping, or responding to emails can easily be outsourced, leaving you free to focus on other things.
Is the task mundane and repeatable?
Many business tasks are tedious and repetitive yet vital. Activities like sending out invoices, paying bills, or creating documents often utilise standard procedures and can easily be done by someone outside your business.
If you have jobs like this that can’t be automated (or you need help setting up automation), a virtual assistant is a great choice.
Do you dread starting this task?
We all have things we hate doing. Those jobs that get pushed to the bottom of the list until we have no choice but to get stuck in. If you feel this way about a task, you may end up procrastinating until it’s overdue or doing a less than stellar job on it.
If you have something like this on your list, quit torturing yourself! One of the perks of running your own business is that you get to choose how you spend your time. Outsource that pain in the neck job to someone who might actually enjoy it.
Are you great at this task?
You don’t need to outsource everything just because you can. If you’re great at bookkeeping, enjoy it, and have the time, then keep it in-house and find something else to outsource. Play to your strengths and outsource your weaknesses.
Most Common Tasks That Can Be Outsourced
While almost every task in your business can be outsourced to the right person, here are some of the most common choices:
- Bookkeeping – make sure your financial data is up to date and accurate by outsourcing this time-consuming task to a virtual assistant: your accountant will love you for it!
- Payroll – if you have employees, you need to be adept at managing your payroll. This can take a lot of time and requires some specialist knowledge, so it’s a task commonly outsourced by many businesses.
- General admin – Need to cut your to-do list in half? Delegate those general admin tasks, such as email management, data entry, typing, editing, and document creation to your virtual assistant.
- Calendar management – quit wasting your time playing email or phone tag when setting up appointments or meetings. A VA can get your calendar organised so your days run more smoothly.
- Website management – loading new products, publishing blogs, and running website updates can be complicated and time consuming. But, it is a job that can easily be taken over by the experts!
- Research – whether you’re looking to create a database on your competitors or write a report, outsourcing your research will save you precious hours.
- Content creation – from blog writing to social media posts, consistency is critical in your marketing. Stay on top of all your marketing tasks by outsourcing where possible.
Ready To Outsource? Here’s What To Do Next…
Now that you’re clear on what tasks can be outsourced for your business, it’s time to pass them over to your trusted virtual assistant!
The Admin Army team are here to give you back time and control, whether you need support with your bookkeeping, payroll, or general admin tasks.
Contact us today to get started.