If you carried out a quick Google search for the pros and cons with outsourcing , you’d quickly discover that this is a fairly contentious issue. For every advantage, there seems to be a downside. In modern business, it can be tough enough to survive as it is without having to deal with the fallout of making the wrong outsourcing choices. If you’re considering working with external companies or agencies, here are some tips to ensure you make outsourcing work for your business.

Knowing what to outsource

This is the most important consideration for any business owner that is toying with the idea of hiring external help. There are certain elements of any business that lend themselves to outsourcing and some golden rules to bear in mind when it comes to keeping certain aspects of the business on-site. Generally speaking, it’s wise to avoid handing over control of anything that involves direct contact with customers and anything that is absolutely vital to the day to day running of the business.

Before you make any decisions, have a look around you and think about the skills and talents you have on the team. If there are obvious gaps, weigh up your options. You could hire members of staff, or you could consider working with freelancers or outsourcing services like bookkeeping. Do some number-crunching, and think about the size and scale of the project. If you’re taking on a temporary job, you probably don’t want to be adding members of staff on permanent contracts to the payroll. If you’re talking about something that is ever-present, such as IT support, it’s worth getting in touch with an IT company and looking into managed services if you don’t want to recruit a tech team. It’s also beneficial to outsource tasks that will increase your efficiency but aren’t related to the inner workings of the business. Many businesses choose to outsource cleaning and janitorial services, for example.

Choosing the right companies

It’s always worth remembering that it’s unlikely that any external company will care about your business as much as you do. Having said that, it is possible to find agencies and other businesses that will do a brilliant, professional job for you. Don’t rush into making agreements and signing contracts before you’ve considered a few different options. Read client testimonials, have a look through portfolios and examples of previous work, and meet with representatives. Go for a company that offers that personal touch and a tailored service. You wouldn’t recruit members of staff who you didn’t feel were up to the job, so try and adopt the same strict approach with external companies.

As a business owner, you may come up against challenges or encounter jobs that you don’t necessarily have the skills or the inclination to deal with efficiently and effectively. If you can’t handle everything under one roof, outsourcing can be an excellent solution. Just make sure that you think about what to outsource and that you check the credentials of external agencies carefully.