Running a small business takes a lot of time, and as the old adage goes, “time is money.” When you’re running a small business, you’ve really got two full-time jobs. On one hand, you must take care of the business – that is, actually perform the work that the customers are looking for – but you must also manage a raft of administrative tasks, including bookkeeping and accounting, marketing and promotion, and human resources functions, among many others. How can you find time for everything? Some small businesses turn to outsourcing to save time and money. Here are a few ways your business can benefit from outsourcing administrative tasks.
Put Outsourcing To Work For You
Outsourcing certain administrative functions may seem counterintuitive, especially when you first begin to manage your own operation. Managing your own business generally requires more than the standard 40-hour workweek. Letting your administrative work slide isn’t really an option, so you can choose to perform the work yourself. If you go this route, you’ll be managing the “front office” in addition to performing the work of the business. If that option doesn’t look promising, you can hire office staff to help you perform administrative tasks. You could also hire an outside firm to perform your administrative tasks for you.
Administrative tasks that lend themselves to outsourcing include bookkeeping and accounting, payroll and taxes, benefits administration, timekeeping and other similar tasks. If that seems like too much, you can try to split some of these tasks between in-house staff and outsourced services. For example, you may want to keep bookkeeping in house, but outsource the major accounting functions. Likewise, you may want to manage timekeeping yourself, but outsource your payroll.
When making the decision to outsource administrative tasks, it’s important to look at the skill and knowledge involved in performing the work. For some tasks, (think benefits administration or accounting), specialized knowledge may be required. Hiring a qualified staff person to manage these tasks may be too expensive. In this case, outsourcing makes sense. By outsourcing, you get the skills and knowledge you need without having to find and hire a qualified individual.
For other administrative tasks, the work is very routine, and may require no or few specialized knowledge or skills. Payroll and accounts payable may be two examples of these kinds of tasks. Because these tasks are time-consuming and must be completed according to a regular schedule, but don’t require much specialization, you may find yourself more comfortable with outsourcing this type of work.
Another benefit of outsourcing is scalability. As your business grows, the need for administrative services grows, too. If you perform all of your administrative tasks in-house, you’ll need to expand the size of your administrative staff periodically. If you don’t do this in a timely way, your administrative staff can become over-burdened and your business can suffer. With outsourcing, your service provider takes on these responsibilities, allowing your business to function smoothly as it grows.
Outsourcing can allow you to focus on the most productive parts of your business, while ensuring that basic administrative functions are attended to. It also preserves your option to bring outsourced tasks back in-house, if circumstances warrant it.
Grantstreet Creative is a graphic design and marketing support firm in Dover, OH. If you would like more information about our complete line of services, please contact our Creative Director, Dave Ramsell or give Dave a call at (330) 243-0651 to set up a consultation.
Photo Credit: svilen001, via FreeImages.com
