Your Business March 2020 - 185

Outsourcing

expensive and may be overkill, while
training your staff to a proficient level
in one or more areas takes time and
money. Besides, adding responsibilities
on top of people's existing roles
isn't always good management.
Outsourcing allows you to rely on
people who know exactly what they're
doing and also means you're paying
for the specific tasks you require.
n Better focus With the operational
demands outsourced, you'll have the
time you need to concentrate on your
business strategy, rather than worrying
about whether you'll find time to,
say, sort out payroll this month. 

to HR advice for any employment
issues, so make sure there are
effective communication streams.
n Payroll Not paying your staff on
time every month is the quickest
way to create discontent and
reduce productivity. By outsourcing
payroll services you minimise
both the risk and the admin, and
also ensure that you're compliant
with all regulations concerning
payments, including GDPR.
n Marketing From email
shots and social media to direct
mail campaigns and setting

The "virtual assistant" is an
increasingly common contractor
What are the downsides?

n Trust issues When you outsource,
you're putting your trust in someone to
do the job to the standard you and your
customers require. Make sure you have
a clause in the contract (with specifics)
enabling you to end the relationship if
the contractor proves unable to fulfil
its obligations. And read the fine print
to make sure there are no hidden costs.
n Security worries As soon you
share your data, the likelihood of a
breach increases because it's no longer
under your immediate control. Be
diligent and make sure the contractor
is as on top of security as you are.
n Culture clash You may find the
people carrying out the work have a
different working culture from those
at your company. Be alert from the
start to problematic differences in
approach and nip them in the bud.

What can be outsourced?

n Human resources As soon as
you have employees it's crucial to
have an HR adviser, not least because
failures in HR often result in legal
problems. An experienced expert
will help you avoid this. Your staff
should always feel they have access

up events, marketing is vital to a
business - but it's not necessarily a
constant need, so it can be effectively
handled by others when required.
n Copywriting You'll need someone
to provide all the information
that customers require on your
website, for a start. That content
will need refreshing from time to
time, and writing regular news
pieces and blogs is another triedand-tested promotional strategy.
Ensure the copy is accurate and
well-written and conveys the
message you want to get across by
employing a skilled professional
writer when the need arises.
n Customer service Your customers
are paramount, and you don't want
to be repeatedly unavailable to them
because you're busy with other tasks. A
dedicated customer support team can
be provided by an outside contractor.
n Admin The "virtual assistant"
is an increasingly common type of
contractor, and they can supply all
kinds of administrative support and
logistics - from overseeing your
calendar to organising business
trips - from outside the business. 

Let tech take
care of it

HR expert Kate Underwood
says you can outsource many
tasks to software
There are many HR software
platforms, mobile apps and
e-learning tools out there. If
you know where to look, they
can eliminate laborious admin
and help you attract, recruit,
train, develop, engage and
retain the very best people.
The best I've found is Breathe
HR, cloud-based software that
automates recruitment, absence,
appraisals, payroll, expenses
and more. Upskill People
empowers people through online
learning and development,
while WeThrive's employee
engagement helps managers
create highly effective teams.
My favourite time-saving
tech includes Toggle, which
increases productivity by logging
your time, and I find Asana
invaluable for managing team
workloads and projects online.
HR doesn't need to be
expensive if you opt for an
offsite HR resource like Kate
Underwood HR & Training.

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Your Business March 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Your Business March 2020
