New projects and business opportunities are knocking at your door, but you’re unable to capitalize on them due to being short-staffed? Your business is growing at a pace you could not predict, not even in your wildest dreams? Congratulations, your business seems to be on an upward trajectory!
This means that your next step is a turning point. Or, if you prefer, a make-or-break moment that will determine the future of your business.
That’s why we encourage you to keep on reading as we discuss and explain how outsourcing can help you overcome staffing issues, especially when it comes to startup businesses.
How to handle being understaffed?
The possible solutions to being understaffed all boil down to the 3 Os, and mind you, we’re not talking about out-of-office. At least not as a long-term solution.
Your options might seem somewhat limited in number, but choosing and applying the right ones will significantly increase the productivity of your business and lower the cost in the long run.
- Organizational restructuring: Dividing the new workload among your employees comes at a cost that usually turns out to be higher than expected. Internal restructuring ultimately means exposing your employees to overwork and overtime, and often results in decreased productivity, not to mention the risk of burnout and its consequences.
- Onboarding: Bringing in new blood to the company is a double-edged sword. New hires grant you a fresh set of eyes and bring in new ideas and innovation. However, the time necessary to get the expected and much needed results is a luxury not every company can afford.
- Outsourcing: Grants you access to expert talents and ensures you have the optimal staffing level precisely when you need it. It allows you to manage and divide your team’s workload effectively. Also, outsourcing boosts productivity and provides business continuity.
Out of these 3 options, outsourcing has been proven to be the most effective for a variety of reasons. Here are some of them.
Outsourcing – having an extra pair of hands
A lot has been said and written about outsourcing over the past few years. All of the definitions we stumble upon somehow leave us with the impression outsourcing is complicated and more bureaucratic than we hoped it’d be. There is also a notion that it implies certain risks in connection with data protection or the loss of control and management.
Outsourcing is commonly defined as:
- a business practice of contracting with an outside party
- contracting out business functions and processes to third-party providers
- the practice of passing individual tasks, subareas, or business processes over to a third party and thereby receiving the results from outside of your own company
In the light of the new economy and job market trends, such as the gig economy and remote work, the point of discussion often revolves around whether outsourcing is good or bad. More often than not, it is perceived as something negative.
And yet, we don’t see it that way when it comes to our everyday affairs.
When you come to think about it, we opt for outsourcing on a daily basis in our everyday lives with no questions asked. No one has second thoughts about whether to call in a plumber in case of a bad leak, and you certainly don’t question what to do when you hear strange noises coming from your car – taking it to the mechanic is the only right thing to do.
Then why do we hesitate to ask for help when it comes to our business? Because that’s what outsourcing is – getting an extra pair of hands when you need them.
What are the services that businesses can outsource?
It is worth mentioning that outsourcing is not exclusively restricted to administrative staff. On the contrary.
The shift to remote work and the evolution of outsourcing made it possible for different expert talents to fill various project-based and short- or long-term positions. It also allowed these talents to help businesses achieve their goals more efficiently, without significant restructuring, and at a lower cost.
Some of the sectors that have already recognized the full potential and benefits of outsourcing are IT, Customer service, Marketing, Finance, Law, etc. To learn more on how it works in practice, and how to work with a virtual graphic design assistant, click here.
What are the benefits of outsourcing in business?
The benefits and advantages of outsourcing are numerous. Outsourcing will eventually increase the flexibility and agility of your business, make it more adaptable to new market trends and challenges by having niche experts working for your business.
Some of the most obvious benefits and advantages of outsourcing are:
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- Focusing on core activities and projects
Your time and in-house team are your most valuable assets. Don’t risk a high staff turnover rate or lose your human resources by overloading them with tasks and projects out of their expertise. Instead, increase and develop your internal team capacity by allowing them to work and focus on their tasks.
- Lower costs (onboarding vs. outsourcing)
Recruitment, onboarding, and training are costly and time-consuming, so you might want to consider reallocating your budget to outsourcing, which will set you on a quicker course to achieving your business goals. - Maintaining high work quality and preventing brand damage
Onboarding new employees will inevitably affect your ongoing projects as your current ones will have to assume a new role, that of a mentor, which will leave them with little or no time to deal with their day-to-day tasks and responsibilities. All of this might bring you back to square one – being understaffed yet again with a potential decrease in work quality that might also backfire as brand damage. - Access to a larger talent pool and collaboration with skilled experts
No matter how tempting it sounds to have a jack-of-all-trades on board, you will eventually find yourself looking for that master of one. Outsourcing ultimately means avoiding a hit and miss strategy as it allows you to collaborate with skilled niche experts, ready to get to work when you need them, for as long as you need them. Also, make sure to take into account the value the outsourced talent brings to your company. - Safety net in case of unforeseen and short-term understaffing
Short-term understaffing can occur regardless of how big your team is and how good your organizational skills are. Having a safety net in case of unforeseen or extended personal leave ensures stability and continuity.
- Focusing on core activities and projects
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There’s no time like the present to start considering how your business might benefit from outsourcing.
Think outsourcing might be just the right solution for your business? Still having some doubts or uncertainties you would like to talk over? Check out our services or schedule a meeting with our team.
See how Assist-o can assist-U.