Pros and Cons of Outsourcing

Running a small business requires many different roles to fill. One way to fill them is by outsourcing work! Unsure if you should outsource? Here are pros and cons to outsourcing work. 

Pros

1. Save money. Outsourcing work costs much less than hiring full time help! 
2. Faster turnaround. A freelancer focuses on one task at a time and will get things done faster than a full time employee. You can also give them a timeline or deadline for work. 
3. They specialize in their field. There are many different aspects to business, you can’t be an expert in all of them. That’s where a freelancer comes in handy. Hiring a freelancer is a great way to find specialists in certain fields. You can rest easy knowing the job is being taken care of.
4. Access to more talent. You’re not hiring a full time employee who needs to meet a long list of requirements. You can find top talent  in the field of your choosing. 
5. Prevents burnout. Getting some of your work outsourced helps prevent full time staff from becoming overwhelmed or burnt out. 
6. Build connections. Outsourcing is an easy way to network and build professional connections. 

Cons

1. Communication issues. It is not uncommon to hire a freelancer in another country or time zone. This may lead to communication issues and problems with different work hours. It’s important to be upfront about your preferred method of communication as well as the hours you are available to communicate. 
2. Not integrated into the company’s values and culture. A freelancer has many different projects for different companies. This means they do not spend time getting to know the values of your company. Be sure to think about what jobs you are outsourcing and how that freelancer will represent your company for the work they are doing. 
3. Hard on quality control. A downside of hiring a freelancer is that you are not familiar with the quality of their work. Don’t be scared to ask for check-ins to make sure their work lives up to your work standard. 
4. Work confidentiality. Outsourcing outside of your company may make it harder to keep certain projects confidential. Be sure to have an NDA or signed agreement to protect you and your company if needed. 
5. Lack of control.Since the freelancer isn’t on site it will be harder to check up on them to see how the work is going. 
6. Negatively affect company culture. If you outsource work your current employers may feel threatened and confused by bringing on extra people to accomplish tasks. Be upfront to your employees when you’re outsourcing and explain how it will positively help the company. 

There are a lot of considerations to take in when thinking about outsourcing work. Take time to think about how this would positively or negatively impact your company to see if it’s worth your time and money. Here at VersaTel Solutions we help companies grow by being an outlet for companies to outsource bookkeeping, accounting, and marketing.