Starting a business is hard enough as it is. But when your small seed of an idea starts taking root and growing into a full-fledged operation, the stress can be almost unbearable. Sure, it’s exciting at first, but business owners quickly realize that they can’t do everything on their own.
At this point, owners must choose between one of two options for dealing with the increasing demand: hiring or outsourcing. Hiring comes with its own set of challenges, which is why many turn to outsourcing as way to get a helping hand. But knowing when it’s the right time can be tricky.
Here are 5 signs that you should consider outsourcing work:
1. No room left in your garage for stock
When you start running out of room in your home or office space, it may be time to consider renting storage space outside your place of business. Outsourcing warehouse storage space enables you to safely and securely store your goods in the correct condition for as long or short as you need. And most companies offer pay-as-you-use policies, so you are only paying for the space while you are using it.
2. You have no time to think about the future
As a business owner, your focus should be less on the day-to-day duties of putting together orders, answering customer questions, and sorting through returns, and more on the future of your company. While it’s virtually impossible to start a business without doing some of the grunt work in the beginning, eventually you should get someone else to do these responsibilities. If you can’t afford to pay another employee, outsourcing may be your best option.
3. You can’t keep up with the demand
Congratulations! This is a great problem to have. It means your business is growing. But as with children, growing pains can be uncomfortable, especially if you don’t make adjustments to handle the development. Consider outsourcing the storage, packing, shipping, and delivery of your products. That way, you can spend the time making sure your product maintains its quality.
4. Your family and social life has gone missing
If nothing else, owning a business is a practice in time management. Small businesses are a lot of hard work. But there comes a point when running a business can consume your life. Not only will this cause you to “burn out” quickly, but more importantly your family and social life can begin to suffer. If this happens, outsourcing certain elements of your business may be the best solution for picking up some spare time.
5. Your hair has gone missing
Managing everything at once puts a business owner under a lot of stress. Stress in not good for your business in the long term, and even worse for your health. Outsourcing work can ease the burden off of you.
For starters, if you haven’t already, outsource your IT work to a reputable technology firm. That can relieve you of some serious stress right away!
Outsourcing isn’t the always the answer, but sometimes it can be a smart business decision. If you have recognized one of these signs in your own business, look into ways to delegate your workload.
