TO OUTSOURCE OR NOT OUTSOURCE – THAT IS THE QUESTION...

Keeping your business agile is key in today’s world of increased wages and NI. With demand for flexible working and staying ahead, being agile and outsourcing work is appealing.

We interviewed Abbi Henderson from Face For Business, the UK’s Favourite* Telephone Answering Service and asked what she believes clients should consider before outsourcing parts of their business.

Q: “Do you believe that clients should always look to outsource parts of their business to remain agile and keep costs low?”

A: “Outsourcing can help businesses achieve many goals, however what you outsource should be considered carefully.”

Q: “What type of work is typical for firms to outsource?”

A: “The most obvious and common are Payroll, HR, Accountancy, Social Media, Website Creation and Development,

That said, nowadays, many people are looking at outsourcing more and this is where the lines can get blurred.”

Q: “What should chamber members ask themselves before outsourcing?”

A: “Before you consider outsourcing, I would advise any business to consider the following questions: whereas we cannot agree a prescription on their behalf. However, in general, this is the guide we use when discussing with potential clients what aspects of a business should not be outsourced.”

• Core Competencies – This refers to a company’s core activity and, likely, its key differentiator. Therefore, in our view, outsourcing your core activity seems misguided, as it essentially turns your business into a middleman.

• Problems / Tough Stuff – Problems need solving, so if you can’t solve it yourself and it’s your core business, would outsourcing solve it? It may move it for a period but it will likely still be there.

• Serious HR – As this needs involvement from key personnel, yes, you may outsource HR to a certain level but at some point, you need to be making a decision yourself, especially when the cost is significantly more than employing the resource.

Q: “Is it possible to measure success when outsourcing?”

A: “Yes and this is probably the most crucial point to consider. If you outsource work to another company, how will you know if they are doing the job you wanted them to do and to the standard you agreed?

An example could be an outsourced delivery. You could simply send a survey by email, or text and ask the client. Alternatively, with our service, we let the client listen to us handle the call by simply clicking on the recording next to a transfer or message.”

Q: “Any final piece of advice?”

“What should I not consider outsourcing?”

A: “The main thing is to keep checking. Compared to doing everything yourself and hiring various experts, outsourcing is much better for the bottom line. However, you still need to set aside time to ensure you are receiving the right service.”

Uncover the benefits of outsourcing for your business with Face For Business. There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to outsourcing.

If you’re interested in the potential an outsourced telephone answering service could have on your business’ customer service and productivity, get in touch.