Outsourcing in business

Growth, Quotable Magazine

Outsourcing Could Save Your Business

As we round out the last quarter of what seems to be like the marathon year that would never end, many businesses have been faced with the obstacle of shifting their business to an online model. Business owners are now not only having to run their business, but are also having to learn brand new systems in order to keep their business running in the virtual space. As entrepreneurs we always try to do everything for our business, but that is not always the best decision. The term outsourcing, when looked at in the traditional format, usually consists of you, the entrepreneur hiring someone like an accountant to do your books once a month, or the IT person who only comes in when something breaks down. In the virtual world however outsourcing is way more common than you think.

In the virtual world outsourcing is usually the largest component of your business. No longer are you working in the same building let alone the same state, or sometimes even the same country as the expert that you’ve hired to help you run your business. The entire business model is completely different.  

Working online or even remotely requires you to hire people that are experts within their field. It is so important as an entrepreneur that you understand where your zone of genius lies and where it does not. Understand that you cannot do it all and that if you do, your business will not succeed. When we talk about zones of genius what I’m speaking to specifically is someone who excels in a specific area of your business. Sometimes that is social media management, sometimes that is strategy, sometimes that is the technical back end of your business. 

When you look at your business from an online perspective it is very important that you departmentalize all moving parts of your business on the front and back end. Once you’ve divided your business into those sectors then and only then should you begin to decide what areas you can do, what areas you can’t do, what jobs or tasks you want to do, and what jobs or tasks (even though you can) you dislike doing.

It’s those tasks that take you longest and that don’t bring you joy that should 100% be outsourced EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Think about it this way, would you hire a brain surgeon to reset your broken bone? The obvious answer is no. The brain surgeon is an expert at brain surgery, they are not an expert at bones and resetting them. Although I am sure a brain surgeon could reset a bone, it is not his/her zone of genius. When you think about your business in this way it makes so much more sense to only hire the expert for that specific part, so that they can not only excel at their job, but they can also help your business to operate at the most optimal level.

It is imperative that as a business owner, you remove yourself from anything that impedes growth within your company and anything that impedes progress within your projects. So let’s talk about how to outsource.

After you decide which areas you do and do not want to work in every day, you can turn to several different sources to find the right VA. A VA is a virtual administrative assistant. Their main purpose is to support their clients and to implement. A level up from that is an OBM or online business manager. Their job is to help you create/manage the dream team, organize and delegate your ideas, and support you and your business to keep it functioning at all times. 

There are many resources that you can use to find people just like this. There are websites like UpWork and Allobee that showcase experts to help you grow your business. Whether you need someone to run social media campaigns or you need someone to help you with launching a product you will be able to find that expert within those realms. 

When you begin to look for these experts make sure that they not only excel in what they do and have raving reviews, but that you also are able to communicate clearly and effectively with one another. One of the hardest aspects of working remotely is making sure that communication is always understood and is always well received. When shopping for your potential new hire always check their references, as you would for a traditional position, and always review their work. Make sure that when you meet with them on a discovery call they share with you their standards and processes. Once you have figured those important necessities out, then and only then can you begin to build your team.

As I stated before, as an entrepreneur you can be tempted to do everything, but if you do everything you will not accomplish anything.

 

Bri Sanford is a Virtual Administrative Assistant turned Online Business manager and owner of The Raxx Creative. The Raxx Creative provides creative business solutions for small and large businesses worldwide.  The Raxx Creative has allowed Bri to not only work from home with flexible hours, but also allowed her time to manage her growing family of 3.  
Bri is also the creator of VA Fast Trak, an intense 7 week course that helps other aspiring entrepreneurs learn the ins and outs of working full time from home.  Students in her course not only learn how to open and operate their businesses but are guided personally by Bri through the entire process. Helping others has always been a passion and a gift that Bri constantly shares with anyone who needs her and The Raxx Creative will continue to be a place where entrepreneurs learn and grow in the online world. Find her at theraxxcreative.com and theraxxcreative.com/va-fast-trak 
You can also hear Bri on a recent episode of Quotable: a female millennial entrepreneur podcast!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *