3 Functions Small Businesses Should Be Outsourcing
Small businesses perform best when they’re focused on their strengths. This is particularly true during the early years of any operation, since small businesses are unlikely to be able to hire the diverse set of specialists necessary to handle a diverse set of activities – think, for example, of payroll and other accounting functions, marketing, IT, and recruitment. A business can have a great product or service, but lack the ability to tackle these tasks in-house.
Faced with these challenges, many experts on SMEs recommend that smaller operations outsource some functions so that they can focus on the core of their business. From both a financial and logistical perspective, though, most companies can only outsource some activities. The best path, then, is for operations grappling with such questions to prioritize these 3 tasks for outsourcing and budget to get them done correctly.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity norms change more quickly than just about anything else in business today. Hackers keep innovating and launching new attacks, technology changes, and IT professionals are scrambling to keep up. This is true even at major corporations where there’s plenty of funding for continuing education and training, as well as top-notch technology, never mind for small businesses.
Given the complexity of cybersecurity and related IT demands, small businesses should always outsource their cybersecurity needs. There are plenty of companies that explicitly specialize in supporting other companies’ cybersecurity functions and who can train your in-house staff on best practices while also helping your company develop the necessary infrastructure to keep your data safe.
Industrial Safety
Health and safety issues take many forms in business settings. While office workers might occasionally lift a box but suffer serious carpal tunnel from lack of ergonomic seating, those working with heavy equipment or toxic chemicals may face more immediate physical hazards. As such all businesses need to emphasize good behavioral safety habits, many small companies can benefit from outsourcing minor but particularly risky activities, such as industrial and warehousing activities.
By outsourcing your business’s freight management and related warehousing functions, you can protect your staff and reduce the need for extra training. The fact is, there’s no reason for your sales team to be driving forklifts on the side just because you need to deal with boxes of stock. Such industrial tasks are necessary, yet low-frequency, low-priority ones for businesses outside this field, but they’re too dangerous to leave to under-trained staff.
Accounting
Your business’s finances are important and they need to be handled with precision if your daily affairs are going to run smoothly. That being said, most small businesses don’t actually have enough work for a full-time accountant, which is why this task is often outsourced. Outsourcing accounting and other financial activities also ensures compliance with all key laws and policies and will simplify things when tax season rolls around.
Don’t let your small business get bogged down by tasks you can’t do well and that may put your operation at technical or physical risk. Outsourcing offers a budget-friendly alternative coupled with expert execution, all at a scale that suits your business.
