Business in 2019 is no longer a rigid structure, where employees must work between the hours of 9 and 5, in an office building, attired in suits and ties.

Instead, the modern world of business allows for much greater flexibility, not only in how we dress and what time we arrive and leave the office but also in how firms are structured. Outsourcing and employing freelancers or contractors is becoming a prevalent part of business and is an excellent way of ensuring vital tasks are completed to a high level, for often a fraction of the price it would cost for a full-time member of staff.

If you’re wondering if outsourcing is a key element you should add into your business this year and the next, read on to find out why it’s so important.

What is Outsourcing?

Defined as “the strategic use of outside resources,” outsourcing is a crucial business practice that enables businesses to reach out to external companies and individuals to complete tasks that would have typically be completed by internal members of staff. It’s incredibly popular as a business model and is an efficient use of a company’s time and resources. The following two ways are only a snapshot of the benefits of outsourcing can provide a business.  

Gain Valuable Expertise

Unless you are highly skilled in a broad range of business tasks, there will undoubtedly be areas of your company where you lack knowledge. For example, you may not be an accountants whiz, which is why hiring an accountant to run their eyes over your business books is something you really can’t dismiss. Likewise, every business in the modern world needs a website. To ensure your site is found by the people who need to see it most, SEO must be implemented, and unless you’re skilled in this, it’s something that’s best left to the experts. Therefore, you should outsource to an SEO agency, as not only will your site be fully optimized for search engines, but you will be able to gain guidance and advice on a range of digital marketing elements. Outsourcing offers businesses an opportunity to utilize an expert’s skills without paying a high full-time salary.  

Scale Up & Scale Down Your Business

Especially as a startup business, you may find you go through periods of immense busyness, to then have periods of quiet or even no work at all. It’s for this reason why outsourcing is so vital. It enables you to have effectively another member of staff who you aren’t contracting to pay for the whole year. Freelance web designers, for example, often work on a project basis, which means you hire their services for a specific project, rather than keeping them on your books for a set number of months. It also means that the price you pay for their talent and expertise can work out as less than hiring a full-time member of staff. It also means that, should a period of quiet hit your business hard, you don’t have to go through the challenge of laying off a member of staff who may have become not only a colleague and employee but a friend, also.