The world of business has evolved into a more level playing field than it was decades ago. Small businesses now have a bigger chance of growing exponentially as their larger-sized competitors. Because of outsourcing, small businesses have been granted access to the expert knowledge and skills that their bigger rivals usually get, but for a fraction of the cost.
More and more small businesses are looking at outsourcing to help them fill their operational and skill gaps. If you are one of these small business owners who are open to the idea of outsourcing but need more evidence on its actual benefits, keep on reading. We present to you three examples of small businesses that have proven outsourcing really works:
1. Born to Sell. Founded by software engineer Mike Scanlin in 2009, this software development firm creates covered call investment tools such as a screener and portfolio management software. Born to Sell experienced two of outsourcing’s most popular benefits, that is cost-reduction and access to a talented workforce, when Scanlin opted to hire IT programmers from Eastern Europe instead of Silicon Valley. The Romanian and Russian software developers he worked with are Master’s degree holders of computer science who charged him only $15 an hour, which is 1/10th of the rate of a local programmer. His firm has saved half a million dollars already by outsourcing.
2. Flatten Me. Margo Redfern founded this 7 year old children’s book publishing company. She worked with freelancers from different parts of the world in carrying out the graphic and illustration work of the personalized books they create. Artist freelancers from Bangladesh, Canada and Poland were tasked to draw, crop photos and enhance pictures. She said having a team of global artists helped Flatten Me become more competitive and flexible than a traditional business with full time employees. Plus, with their proper planning of work schedules, they were able to operate 24/7.
3. ReMilNet. Founded in 2003, ReMilNet offers professional business solutions to achieve efficiency and effectiveness. Their services and trainings in topics of financial management, IT, logistics and organizational improvement help their customers experience cost-savings and higher productivity. ReMilNet has been outsourcing their HR tasks, such as payroll, taxes and benefits since 2008. ReMilNet’s president Sara Slettebo says it is more cost-effective for them to outsource their HR function because they have employees based in different states. The tedious task of preparing and submitting papers is left for the outsourced HR professionals to do, while they can focus on their company’s mission. She credits their outsourcing decision as the reason why their papers are filed on time and why they are updated on new policies about employee engagement in every state.
These small businesses have experienced first-hand the amazing benefits of outsourcing. They have proven that outsourcing is a strategy that can be instrumental to your growth, as long as you know which tasks to outsource and you partner with reputable outsourcing providers. Small businesses like yours can experience these same benefits when you decide that outsourcing is for you.
