Let’s face it – no one likes to have someone else do their work for them, especially when you know you can do it yourself. For me, knowing when to outsource should be looked at not only in a monetary way, but in a way that really benefits the entire landscape of your business.
Firstly, when you do something yourself, you have a definitive view of how that something gets accomplished. YOU are the one that controls the quality, the time, and the effort. I’m the kind of person that generally insists on being entirely hands on: finances, home renovations, car repairs, laundry (don’t laugh – my Dad has been known to send his “laundry out”). But at what point in your life do these items outweigh your quality of life – things that you should be doing but put off in order to look after the latter. As a self proclaimed “always-doing-something” (even right now, with my four year old climbing all over me I am here writing this..) there are times when my brain is so overwhelmed with things I feel that I should be getting done, I end up taking a big deep breath and say – what will happen if it doesn’t get done?
Secondly: I’m cheap. I wouldn’t go as far as saying I’d make my kids go to school wearing cardboard boxes for pants, but I am definitely always looking to save a buck. Who isn’t? Therefore, my point of doing everything yourself is a direct result of either not wanting to spend the money, or not having the money to spend. For me, it comes down to what can’t I do myself due to factors like the equipment expense, the time expense, and the “just don’t feel like it” expense.
Thirdly: Do I know anyone in the industry I can use as a resource? If the project is currently out of my scope I will generally ask someone I know or someone in the field for their advice on the subject. If I don’t know anyone immediately, I generally try to make contact with three different sources, and this will give me a good feel for what I should be looking for. From this I decide if it is something I can take on myself. However – at what point do these three situations present an obvious time to delegate? I guess it comes down to time value. I generally value my time doing a chore around the house in the same way that I value my time working at my day job: if the time I have taken is worth less than the amount of money I could make at my desk job - it should have been outsourced. You may say: this sounds completely obvious. But when was the last time any of us have sat down and figured this out?
Outsourcing benefits are fully obtained by understanding and trust between you and the outsourcing company. Gaining trust (like everything else) takes patience and communication. PATIENCE AND COMMUNICATION! Outsourcing is a two way communication street that relies on both parties to be effective. A good outsourcing company will ask you lots of questions about details that you would have not considered relevant. A good outsourcing company will give full, confident answers to your questions. They will also help you with your (company) vision and help to provide methods to help your business landscape. Plus if the relationship is a success, you have just made an ally, which in this world – it’s all about who you know.For me – this is more beneficial than mere monetary value. Written by Josh Ament: a self proclaimed workaholic
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