Whatever your business does there is probably some job in the office that takes time and effort by one or more of your team. It could be a repetitive process, like data entry, form filling, compliance, or bookkeeping. It may be a more singular process like building a website, writing content for your website and blog, or creating consistent social media.
You could be reading this as a more established business owner, with a larger number of staff doing repetitive tasks, or you want to scale your established business but can’t get the margin by using your current team and process.
In all these situations and many more, outsourcing is the answer to scaling up your business. In our experience, getting repetitive tasks into an outsourcing environment leaves you and your core TEAM, to work on your client relationships, your R&D, the unique work that only you can do.
Shergroup started its outsourcing operation in 2005 when it discovered the Business Outsource Processing industry in India. It took its constant flow of paperwork (as it was then) and build a sub-process for each type of enquiry so that enquiry was dealt with on a timely basis in a consistent way. Nearly two decades on we have created an entire team of High Court enforcement experts. We have also created a collections team, admin team, and now a digital marketing agency in our offshore at a lower cost and with a reporting structure. We de-constructed what we did and rebuilt it for volume.
So have a think about what happens in your own business, and look at what takes energy and time as a process to do.
Could that process be done in a different way?
Outsourcing is this process, sending time-consuming tasks out to providers who can do the same task, in less time, at less cost, and with metrics on performance so you can see the improvements in inefficiency.
Where Can Outsourcing Add Value To Your Business?
Check out our list of where we think outsourcing can make a So here’s a list of the areas where outsourcing can make a difference to your business in the short to medium term |
#1 Website Development and E-commerce:
Developing a website of your company or listing products on an e-commerce platform is a task in your business which we look at as a process. As a result, it needs a consistent process to underpin the content of your window to your market. So instead of setting up a separate IT department or hiring web professionals, you can get your whole online presence set up by outsourcing the build and development to an outsourced digital marketing team. You can buy the whole process on a plan, so you know your monthly outlay and what you are getting for that price per month. It will work like clockwork!
#2 HR |
To hire the right person for the right position you don’t need to hire a person to do the job. Outsource this to an HR consultancy and save time in calling, shortlisting, scheduling, and interviewing the candidates. You can use this saved time in other business activity where your presence is vital.
#3 Digital Marketing |
This is a hot topic for business owners where everyone is selling online and jostling for the top spot on Google. A digital marketer will help you with what we call the “dark art” of Search Engine Optimisation, Social Media Optimisation, content marketing, influencer marketing, social media marketing, and many more services that you don’t even know could help elevate your business.
What we have done in Shergroup is to de-construct the process of digital marketing and create an agency designed for busy business owners so they can get the right level of outsourced support. All our packages are named after Aladdin as it happens to be our favourite Disney movie! For information about how you and your business can have your own digital marketing outsourced process just message us at [email protected] to set up a conversation with Claire and the Digital Marketing TEAM.
#4 Sales and Promotion |
This type of service includes lead management, cold calling, relationship management, and other sales and promotion services to reach customers. It also includes strategising and selling to both customers (B2C marketing) and business (B2B marketing).
#5 Content Strategizing and Development |
Great content is the hero of your company on the internet that attracts, engages, and retains the audience. To maximise your reach and keep your audience coming back for more, you need to provide interesting content in a consistent way. We can hear you say, “How the heck do I do that?” and it’s a very good question.
So, the way we have done this is to take everything we have ever written and published over the last 10 years and curate it into a content pile! From there you can get ideas on what to write in the future, and even better what to give to an outsourced content team so they can pick up the job from you and write about your product or service in a production pattern that works for your business.
We can help you set up the right level of content production and help you curate and produce engaging content. So, don’t let this defeat your plans to go online. We’ve been there, done that and got the T-Shirt, and honestly, it’s not as difficult as you might think!
#6 Graphic Designing |
What we can say is, a picture is worth a thousand words.’ In the present world where everyone is in a rush, a person barely takes a few seconds to scroll down a post if they don’t find it interesting. Graphics play an important role to capture the interest of people. The internet works on ‘what you see is what you get and you don’t want to compromise on quality here.
Here again our CEO, and now her favourite designation, CMO, Claire Sandbrook, curated images and browsed through hundreds of iStock photos until she landed on the look and feel she wanted for her brand. Now she has gone even further by setting up an animation studio to get our little Avatars, The Shergroupies, working harder for us in explainer videos and Instagram Reels which keep the Shergroup brand out there and growing!
#7 Branding and Advertising |
These services include campaign designing, running campaigns, working to a budget, email marketing, and print and media management. Again, this could be an aspect of your business that is just not in your comfort zone. You make products and deliver services but how do you get them out to your audience, or as we like to say community?
The answer is wherever you are with your business you can take what you have and refresh it, or build it out using the skills of an outsourcing team. This whole marketing and selling aspect of your business can be outsourced and Shergroup would love to be able to help you build this up.
Whatever you do make sure you know your numbers, and get a process in place to watch your analytics on Google, and socials so you can see your business rise up. You are putting in effort and cash and you should expect to see a positive Return on Investment (ROI).
#8 Market Search and Analysis |
This is the basis of many other services as the results of data analysis help in forming strategies for marketing and sales. This includes campaign data analysis, brand performance, customer data, rep’s performance, and sales figures. Analysing this data and forming the right strategy is crucial. If your marketing providers don’t want to talk numbers, you know you have a problem! Don’t be put off. Insist on seeing your analytics at least weekly. In Shergroup we do an hour of marketing management a day and we look at our analytics every day!
#9 Finance and Accounting |
Services in the realms of finance, and legal services have many repetitive processes which can be outsourced. Move your bookkeeping, data entry, compliance, and paralegal services out to service providers who can do the same job at a lower cost and with even greater efficiency.
Remember you don’t outsource to get the same level of productivity as you have at the moment. You outsource to get efficiencies and savings!
#10 Security and Facilities Management |
Cleaning, catering and canteen, and security are essential services for a business. Outsourcing is beneficial as these are easily available and the service provider takes complete responsibility for the services and persons carrying out the services. You may already outsource these services already, but you may not think of it as outsourcing. But it is. So, take your view of how you look at outsourcing these types of services and transfer that thought process to your office processes. It’s exactly the same mindset.
Summing Up
Outsourcing helps in reducing overhead costs like hiring personnel and setting and maintaining a separate department. You pay only for the contracted services.
If you want to know more about this our CEO, Claire Sandbrook, would be happy to set up a 121 call with you and chat through what you’re up against. It’s not an easy decision to outsource but you may be surprised to find you are outsourcing something in your business already. Just look at your list of your suppliers and work out what you outsource – but perhaps didn’t think about it like that.
Shergroup provides a wide range of outsourced solutions to help business owners can a leg up in what is a competitive digital world.
We do this because we did it ourselves and we know it works. We do it because we know of plenty of good businesses that find this sort of problem difficult.fv
Now you can gain a competitive edge by concentrating on your core products and services leaving your branding and marketing needs in the expert hands of our specialists. We provide a real, down-to-earth, outsourced set of solutions that will help you meet the challenges of scaling your business in the digital age.
Contact us at [email protected] and ask to book a call with our friendly team of Business Solution Advisors.
