26 Dec Outsourcing in 2020 – what you should know

Here’s what you should know about outsourcing in 2020

Are you finding yourself unable to focus on ‘the main thing’ when it comes to running your business? If yes, then you’re probably spending too much time on mundane, back-office busywork. For example, if you are a baker, you might struggle to find time to complete cookie orders in a timely manner because you’re too busy taking pictures with your smartphone and uploading the images to your Facebook and Instagram business pages. None of this should occupy the time of the best baker in town! It’s time to cook up a plan to outsource those not-so-sweet jobs to someone who is hungry for them.

By the way, no matter how small a small business is, it is never too small for outsourcing. Thanks to today’s technology, outsourced help is often a click away and with so many virtual helpers to choose from, no budget is too tiny for outsourcing.

What should you outsource? Things like administrative duties, social media assistance and other things that can keep you out of the kitchen are great to pass on to others.

Don’t worry about anyone stealing your products or ideas; technology also allows business owners to use platforms online to securely delegate work and share files with only those with permitted access. This means your cookie recipe is safe from the public eye.

When should you consider outsourcing? When your daily routine has more to do with ‘likes’ and less with what you’re known for, it’s time to outsource. By doing so, you’ll help boost productivity and thus, boost your bottom line.

One thing to understand when it comes to outsourcing is that what works in one business may not work for another. There is no single piece of advice to get all business owners ready to outsource those mundane tasks, either. However, if you’re new to outsourcing work to virtual support teams, there are a few things everyone should know. As we enter the next decade, and outsourcing grows in popularity, make sure you know these things before you hire anyone:

The main reason to outsource has changed. Business owners, while still concerned with saving money, have decided that saving money is no longer the primary reason to choose outsourcing. In 2020, customer service — specifically, the ability to provide customers with fast and efficient service daily — is more important than cost factors when it comes to outsourcing. Social media has turned into a breeding ground for disgruntled buyers who are not satisfied with their purchases. Having assistance to perform customer-service duties will matter to business owners who care about consumer retention.

There is help needed in the clouds. Cloud computing, the ability to store files in a server outside of your personal computer, is a growing trend that seems to have found a place in the marketplace. From pictures to videos to self-published books, cloud storage is king. This means that in 2020, there will be a greater need for professionals who have experience in developing and maintaining cloud computing systems.

There is help needed elsewhere. 2020 will usher in a need for more tech support. As more businesses rely on online retail systems such as websites and mobile apps, outsourcing workers to build and maintain the software to keep things running will be a necessity. Furthermore, as companies begin to zero in on niche markets and become able to provide specialty-based services, they will have to call on those who can provide support to the technology that will host said services.

Robots need a human touch. The increase of robotic or artificial intelligence (AI) support to automate certain tasks might cause humans to worry about their futures. However, an actual person must be in place to implement and monitor the technology. Chances are that business owners won’t have the knowledge nor the time to do any rebooting (or restarting) when the time comes. Besides, customers would rather talk to people before making major purchases, therefore, robots will not replace all the jobs! In 2020, people who can work with robotics and AI will be in high demand when it comes to outsourcing.

More English-speaking assistance will become available. India was once the place to find all sorts of outsourcing help, but this is changing as more business owners begin to understand the importance of outsourcing tasks in their business. And these companies prefer English-speaking assistance — that is, they are likely to hire someone from the Western part of the globe. Business owners incur too many risks to leave their outsourced tasks to someone who cannot speak or understand conversational English.

Human resources are outsourceable, too. Most business owners rely on outsourcing to help with many of the business functions listed in this post, but human resources are often overlooked. Here, at Insuraty, we specialize in helping small to medium business bring the economies of scale to work to their advantage through outsourcing. We help companies manage the administration of health benefits, insurance, retirement plans, payroll, and more. Studies have shown that HR outsourcing is highly advantageous to companies and the almost 40% saved through outsourcing can be re-invested into the company and the employees.

Now that you have an idea as to how outsourcing works, and how to make it work for you, we’d like to talk to you and share how outsourcing works even for small start-up companies. As you finalize your plans and goals for 2020, make a goal to save time and money when it comes to your business. Give us a call and we will help your plans become reality.