In a small business, there are tons of stressors and processes to handle. After all, a smaller business or a start-up doesn’t have the resources or man-power that a large, multi-million corporation does.
If you own a small business, and you have a process that is not your core business or that takes up too much time, you should consider outsourcing. Currently, more than a third of small businesses have outsourced processes to great effect.
Wondering where to start? Here are some common services that businesses outsource.
1. Accounting
If you own a gym, run a restaurant or craft art, accounting is probably not your forte. In fact, accounting is one of the most commonly outsourced processes out there. Handling your own books can be frightening, especially when you consider the legal ramifications if you do it incorrectly.
Instead of doing your own financial reporting, you should outsource to a third party. You can do this by purchasing software that makes accounting easier for you, or by giving the process completely to another company. Many accounting services also offer pro forma analysis if your business needs it. It can really help out to determine the future of your business.
An example of software is QuickBooks by Intuit, you simply purchase licensing and enter your expenses and profits as they come. If you want an even less hands-on approach, you can contact one of many companies offering to take over all of your books. Nowadays, you can even get these services completely online, so you never have to leave your business.
2. Laundry
Laundry is something business owners often forget, however, linens, towels, sheets, and other fabrics are a part of everyday operations, and they get dirty fast. Getting customers and making sales is difficult with dirty equipment, so having clean clothes and linens is a must in every industry. Unless you have a large, industrial washing machine in your business facilities or at home, you can expect to do a ton of laundry loads or waste a bunch of money on disposable linens.
Luckily there are plenty of companies offering their large industrial machines for hire. For example, Liox Clean, a commercial laundry service from New York, offers packages for any industry. If you’ve got gym towels, table cloths, or sheets that need to be laundered, you can get them washed and returned without a second thought. That means you can spend less time doing the washing and more time growing your business.
3. IT
Technology can be a real hassle. Tech support desks are unhelpful, setting up your own tech seems impossible, and we often don’t have the time to learn the jargon necessary to have IT in-house. For a small business today, you’ll need cloud support, website hosting, IT support, cybersecurity, and much more just to stay afloat. Does that sound overwhelming?
The sheer amount of software and hardware needed to run a business means that the IT outsourcing industry is huge: the global market of outsourced IT services reached $85 billion just this year. If other businesses are reaching for external parties to take over their IT, why shouldn’t you?
You can find plenty of companies offering their IT experience and hardware for hire online and in person. Electric, an IT company, offers packages including cloud support, help desk support, and general tech help for small businesses. If you need more or less service, simply look up “IT outsourcing (city name)” and you’ll have thousands of companies to work with.
Conclusion
Most businesses now outsource non-essential processes to other companies. This means you don’t have to spend extra cash developing a data center or an accounting department if you run a boutique. You need all of your energy directed towards making your business the best it can be, so consider getting some help with accounting, laundry, and IT services.