If you’re at the point where running your small business involves more administrative tasks like accounting and payroll than actual business-management tasks like hiring and making important planning decisions, it might be time to find a professional third party to help you out. If you’ve already made that decision and run the numbers to identify which tasks you do want to handoff, that’s great. Now you just need to find the company or person to whom you’ll be outsourcing those tasks. During that process, it’s important to keep a few things in mind. 

Finding the Right Partner

The process of finding the right partner to handle the tasks you no longer can is often a daunting one. Before you’ve even started to search for possible companies, it’s important to have a few things laid out. You should know exactly what tasks you want that third party to handle and the extent to which they’ll be doing so. Will they be given full autonomy over that task, or will you or someone in your company be overseeing them? Do you expect that task to be completed in a specific way, or does that not matter as long as it gets done? 

Having answers to those questions can allow you to better assess a potential third party’s fit with you. Of course, their own experience will be a big part of any decision, but how they react to the parameters of the project and relationship can give you an idea of whether or not they’re a good fit for your business. Also, take the time to review their past work and see if you can speak with other companies with whom they’ve worked before. All of this information can help you make the right decision. 

Starting Off on the Right Foot

Once you’ve made your decision and identified to whom you’re going to be outsourcing, it’s wise to do a few things. As with all business agreements, you want to have a written agreement. Layout all of the expectations and payment terms and have both parties sign. It’s also a good idea to ease into the relationship. You’ve seen their work, but it’s still a good idea to give them a smaller project to start with to make sure that it meets your expectations. 

Outsourcing can have a huge impact on your business. It can take the weight off of you and your employees’ shoulders, allowing them to do what they do best. As with any business decision, though, it is wise to take your time to make sure that you’re a good fit.