Outsourcing for Small Business Owners: Outsourcing Problems and Finding the Right Partner

What are Small Business Owners Outsourcing Problems?

Small business owners often turn to outsourcing as a way to save time and money while also improving their operations. However, outsourcing can also come with its own set of challenges. The following are some common challenges that small business owners face when outsourcing, and strategies for overcoming them.

Challenges of Outsourcing for Small Business Owners

• Finding the Right Partner: Finding the right outsourcing partner can be difficult, as small businesses often have limited resources and may not know where to look for outsourcing providers. Additionally, small business owners may be hesitant to outsource certain tasks, such as customer service, as they may be concerned about losing control over their business or encountering outsourcing quality issues.
• Maintaining Quality: Small business owners may be worried about losing control over the quality of their products or services when outsourcing. This is especially true when outsourcing tasks that are critical to the business, such as customer service.
• Managing Communication: Effective communication is crucial when outsourcing, especially when working with an offshore partner. Small business owners may have concerns about language barriers or time zone differences that can make communication difficult.

Strategies for Overcoming Outsourcing Challenges

• Finding the Right Partner: Small business owners can overcome the challenge of finding the right outsourcing partner by researching potential providers and looking for one that has experience working with small businesses, understands the unique needs of small businesses, and has a proven track record of success. Additionally, small business owners should also check for references and reviews of the outsourcing provider before making a final decision.
• Maintaining Quality: To maintain quality when outsourcing, small business owners should set clear expectations and communicate them effectively to the outsourcing provider. This includes outlining specific quality standards and providing ongoing feedback on the work being done. Additionally, small business owners should also monitor the progress of the outsourcing work regularly to ensure that it meets their expectations.
• Managing Communication: Effective communication is crucial when outsourcing, especially when working with an offshore partner. Small business owners can overcome communication barriers by setting clear communication channels, establishing regular check-ins, and using project management tools to keep track of progress. Additionally, choosing an outsourcing provider that is familiar with the small business’ language and culture can also help to minimize communication barriers.
• Building Trust: Building trust with the outsourcing provider is key in order to have a successful outsourcing partnership. This can be done by setting clear expectations, providing ongoing feedback, and being transparent in the communication. Additionally, by following through with agreed-upon timelines and deadlines and showing a commitment to the partnership, small business owners can build trust with their outsourcing provider.

Tasks Small Business Owners can Outsource

Despite the challenges of outsourcing, there are a number of tasks that small business owners can outsource to help them save time and money. These tasks include:

• Customer Service: Providing good customer service is essential for any business, but it can be time-consuming and requires specialized skills. Outsourcing customer service can help small businesses provide high-quality service without having to hire additional staff.
• Data Entry and Bookkeeping: Keeping accurate records is vital for any business, but it can be time-consuming and requires a high level of accuracy. Outsourcing data entry and bookkeeping tasks can help small businesses keep their records in order without having to divert resources from other areas.
• IT Support: IT support is a complex and time-consuming task that requires specialized knowledge and skills. Outsourcing IT support can help small businesses keep their systems running smoothly and minimize downtime.
• Marketing: Marketing is an important task for small businesses, as it helps to attract and retain customers. By outsourcing marketing tasks such as social media management, search engine optimization, and content creation, small businesses can access the resources they need to create effective marketing campaigns without having to hire additional staff.

Outsourcing is Still a Powerful Tool for Business Owners

Outsourcing can be a powerful tool for small business owners to save time and money while also improving their operations. By outsourcing tasks such as customer service, data entry, bookkeeping, IT support and marketing, small business owners can focus on growing their business while their outsourcing partner takes care of the rest. However, it is important to choose the right outsourcing partner who can understand the specific needs of a small business and deliver the expected results. Despite the challenges of outsourcing, a small business owner can still outsource successfully by finding the right partner, setting clear expectations and communication channels, and being proactive in monitoring the progress. With the right approach, outsourcing can be a win-win situation for both small business owners and outsourcing providers.

Magellan Solutions Makes Outsourcing Work For Small Businesses

Magellan Solutions is the first of its kind in the country to offer business process solutions (BPO) especially for small and medium-sized businesses. Now servicing more than a hundred firms all over the world, it continues to provide top quality outsourcing services to local and international business.

Magellan Solutions has more than a decade of industry experience and is ISO-certified and HIPAA-compliant.

Make outsourcing work with Magellan Solutions. Talk to us today. 

TALK TO US!

Contact us today for more information.