A crisis like the recent recession is a clear call to get out of your comfort zone.
No one gets ahead by maintaining the status quo.
In more prosperous times it’s easy to stick with the status quo, to keep doing things the way you’ve always done them and not worry too much about costs.
All progress comes about as the result of challenging assumptions to find better, faster, cheaper, easier or different ways to do things. That means questioning the way you do things and getting away from old ideas.
Two mistakes to avoid right now are to assume that things will stay the same or that your business can adapt to new circumstances ‘on the fly’ as they happen. The businesses most likely to survive and take advantage of opportunities (such as competitors failing) are those that have found different ways of working and done their planning.
There is always another way.
It’s always easier to go with existing arrangements and suppliers than look for new ones – but it can cost you dearly.
When was the last time you got competitive quotes for products, insurance, cell phone plans, printing, operating costs or office services? Getting new quotes can deliver significant savings.
Why not? “Because that the way it’s always been done around here.” Sound familiar?
We hear that all the time when we ask, “Why employ office staff when you could outsource your admin for up to 50% less?”… “Because that’s the way we’ve always done it.”…
If you always do what you have always done, you’ll always get the same result (or worse).
Why not outsource? “Because we’ve always employed someone to do it”, “Because the wife has always done it”
Do you assume it’s expensive, you’ll lose control and it won’t work for your business? How do you know?
Sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know.
You probably already outsource facets of your business without even thinking about it. Who does your marketing, graphic design, printing, website design, HR consulting or manages your IT? Do these providers work from your office or theirs?
Outsource your day-to-day back office tasks too, and save $20,000 plus a year for each full time office employee. Click here for a quote.
When to Outsource
For every company, the right time to outsource is different.
When you and your current employees are unable to manage the day-to-day bookkeeping and paperwork needed to continue growing the business, it’s time to consider outsourcing.
If you are considering restructuring your business, outsource those tasks that still need to be done. Click here for the Department of Labour Restructuring Guide.
Some businesses have in-house staff to handle daily activities, but may need outside help to free up time to undertake new projects that don’t warrant another full-time employee.
For start up businesses, outsourcing from the very beginning gives cost effective access to resources and expertise that can grow with the business. You can create a virtual office and your business will sound larger than it is.
Certainly, there are big questions worth asking about outsourcing.
Is there a case for moving your team members to more frontline billable work and reducing the cost of getting those back office non-billable tasks done? How much could you save? How would it work? Can I outsource and still keep my finger on the pulse?
Now is the right time to make some of the hard decisions you may have been avoiding. Ask the question. Click here to get a quote to outsource your back office tasks.
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Passionately supporting business owners
Great post and well said. I’m a big advocate of changing the status quo. Having to pay for physical office space and holiday pay etc just isn’t neccessary anymore. Most of us who work in an office need a pc, broadband connection and phone and away we go. So why do we need to be in one physical location when most of us can get things done with a phone call or email. Lots of companies are now paying staff to set up their own home offices so they can cut costs.