No matter how hard you work – you can’t do everything on your own. At some point, if you want to get your company to the next level, you will need to hire a team. While some roles require dedicated personnel (anything to do with your core activities) – other responsibilities are often better outsourced to contractors, agencies, and freelancers.

In general, small businesses decide to outsource work for two reasons:

First, they might not have enough budget to hire a full-time employee – covering their salary and benefits, taking care of payroll taxes, unemployment insurance, and other expenses.

Second, there are never enough hours in the day to do everything yourself. So, as your operations start to scale, you should consider outsourcing certain tasks you’ve taken care of since the beginning.

Some of the benefits of outsourcing:

1. You get more time to focus on the bigger picture (working ON your business);
2. You get experts to do specific tasks that are not your expertise (e.g. bookkeeping);
3. You get the job done cost-effectively (employees are a lot more expensive than freelancers);
4. You can focus on other areas of growing your business (like marketing or building your expert position);
5. You improve business continuity (you’re not the bottleneck anymore).

Here are 10 tasks you could (and probably should) outsource:

1. Bookkeeping and Accounting

Bookkeeping and accounting are essential, but can be tedious and time-consuming tasks. When you outsource your bookkeeping and accounting you not only save time and money, you eliminate mistakes and increase accuracy so you’re running an organized and profitable business.

2. IT Management

As information technology becomes more and more complex by the minute, you should consider outsourcing the management of your website, databases, hardware, software and data analysis…

3. Administrative Tasks

A virtual assistant can make sure your company works effectively by handling all repetitive tasks like scheduling and setting appointments, sending emails, entering information and so much more… In my experience – a good virtual assistance should be the first person you outsource to. 

4. Research

Is there something you need to learn about your clients or your market? Whether you’re launching a new product or expanding into a new market, you must do your research. Instead of spending days or weeks in surveying your target audience or reading tons of online content, outsource this step. Professional researchers have access to resources and information that is not available publicly.

5. Web Design

Your website is the face of your company. It needs to be appealing, engaging and responsive. It also needs to be updated and it has to be able to convert your leads. If you don’t have web design, it is best to outsource this to a professional.

6. Copywriting

Not everybody is a natural writer. Copywriting is an art form, and when done right, it can be the influencing factor for a visitor to buy from you. Outsourcing this task to a professional copywriter can make the difference between a sale and losing the prospect.

7. Graphic Design
Just as you need a professional website, you need high-quality graphics. Most businesses only need a few graphics a month, plus some extra when they’re redesigning a website, releasing an ebook, or running a print marketing campaign. By outsourcing, you can pay per image or per hour. In either case, you’ll only be paying for time the graphic designer spends working for you.

8. Videography (Filming/Editing)
Videographers already have the equipment and software, which helps your business save money. Send them the details of the videos you want, and they’ll deliver the videos or post them directly to your social media accounts.

9. Social Media Management
Social media might be a critical tool for keeping your company in touch with prospects and clients, but managing social media can take so much of your time. Make sure to outsource this task to someone who has experience in advertising, developing new ideas and getting engagement.

10. Customer Service

If your business deals with clients mainly online or over the phone, outsource your customer service to an outside call center or chat service. Set processes in place and make sure you provide clear instructions to the company that will deal directly with your clients.

Now It’s YOUR Turn

For five minutes… come up with as many ideas as you can… what could YOU outsource – so you can focus on your strengths and grow your business?