Running an online business means constantly adapting to technology trends and increasing the scope of your online efforts to remain competitive. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed with the sheer amount of work on your plate, it may be time to seriously consider outsourcing online tasks. Strategic outsourcing can promote productivity, cut costs, and simplify work flow, resulting in a more successful business all around. If you’re considering outsourcing, keep these tips in mind.
- Define Your Outsourcing Needs
Before you begin delegating, list out your responsibilities and define your role in two columns: what you’re currently doing, and what you’d like to shift onto someone else. It’s not wise to outsource every task related to your online business, but there are numerous ways you can alleviate the in-office workload. This could range from data handling to account management, networking to design, proofreading to social media marketing. The more specific you can be about the responsibilities you’d like to outsource, the better poised you’ll be to effectively fill the position. It can be tough to delegate out roles you’ve always handled individually, but starting slow and building over time can help you retain control over your company while lessening your workload.
- Profile the Ideal Employee
Before you begin hiring, sit down and create the profile of your ideal outsourced employee. Specify the skills you require for the position, detail the amount of time you’ll need their assistance, be specific about language concerns, and create a budget for employee wages. This attention to detail will help streamline the hiring process, and see you able to shift the outsourced tasks onto a new, qualified employee sooner.
- Use a Certified Outsourcing Website
Once you have the ideal profile in mind, it’s time to start collecting applications. Ask applicants to include their contact details, examples of previous work, references, and CVs or resumes. Post your listing on a site like Guru.com. With over 350,000 freelancers to choose from, you’re guaranteed to find someone that fits the bill, and there’s one useful facet of this outsourcing website that makes it a standout amongst similar offerings. Guru.com will send you a list of qualified applicants that fulfill your specified requirements, whereas other sites simply list your project among numerous others for applicants to choose from.
- Consider the Benefits of Global Employees
You’ll quickly find that applicants flow in from all over the world, so it’s important to consider the benefits and disadvantages of employees in remote areas. For one, you’ll have a larger pool of talent to choose from, and employees that can work opposite hours to ensure clients always have access to the help they need. Foreign outsourcing is not without its drawbacks. If you’re dealing with sensitive proprietary information, security can become more problematic. Language and cultural differences can also result in miscommunication. It’s important to consider the tasks you hope to outsource and look at whether foreign outsourcing is applicable to your company’s individual needs—it’s not a one size fits all situation.
- Invest in Project Management Software
As mentioned in the previous section, choosing to outsource to employees across the globe can increase the chance of miscommunication. If your online business involves any type of development tasks, it’s important to craft a common work space in which changes can be tracked and progress can be verified. In order to maintain cohesive efforts across the board, it’s essential that any development issues are managed in real time. By investing in high-quality ALM tools, you can ensure every member of your team is on the same page.
From IT support to marketing, outsourcing your online business can be a game changer, both in terms of profits and productivity. If you are looking to outsource online tasks, keep these strategies in mind and make your venture more successful than ever.
