How to Hire on a Shoestring Budget with Smart Outsourcing

Imagine having coffee, eating breakfast – while someone from the other side of the world is editing web content for you… and that it’s past dinnertime where that person is right now. That’s a basic picture of how outsourcing works. Outsourcing has become something of a staple move for all sizes of companies around the world – especially those in the U.S.

If you have a shoestring budget for your business, you should consider hiring people through outsourcing. You can save money on salaries, benefits, taxes, and other operations expenses.

Finding the right people from another country is challenging, and there are possible risks and drawbacks you must consider before getting started.

What Jobs Can (and Should) be Outsourced?

Although some of what we call outsourcing hotspots aren’t ready to take on very technical tasks, anything is possible in outsourcing. The menu is full of options such as:

• Research

• Data Entry

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

• PPC (Pay per Click Advertising)

• Social Media Marketing

• Article Writing

• Editing

• Web Design

• Graphic Design

• IT

• Web/Mobile/Software Development

• Accounting

• HR

• Payroll

• Recruitment

• Customer Service/Call Center

• Prospecting and Lead Generation

In today's market, most of the non-essential tasks can be outsourced to another country.

What are the Possible Risks and Drawbacks in Outsourcing?

Just like any venture in business, there’s always a sort of a gamble involved. You can never remove risk and the possibility of failure or disadvantages in everything you put your hands on to work.

Privacy, Confidentiality, and Security Concerns

If somebody from the other side of the world knows my password and all, does it mean they hold my life in their hands? There are cases of disappearing outsourced employees. Check out the background of the outsourced agency/company, the workers, and everything there is to know. You can’t say your business failed because you neglected to double-check things.

No Direct Communication

There are some things, instructions for instance, that are best relayed to the person face-to-face. And also, working together in each other’s presence helps create a sense of professional camaraderie and a community spirit.

Language and Culture Barrier

There are certain jobs in which accent is critical – such as those in customer service.

A thick accent can have a significant impact on the quality of transaction communication or may lead to misunderstanding. For instance, think of irate customers calling their airline and demanding to talk to reps who speak with an American accent. It happens.

Some countries have different spelling for certain words, or there are nuances in a certain region’s use of the language which someone from another place might find not easy to crack. Think chips for fries.

With that said however, we should celebrate cultural diversity.

Timezone

It’s quite hard to work with somebody in a different timezone. Just when you’re tired and ready to call it a day, they’re just waking up.

Lack of Complete Control

You don’t have complete control of the situation on the other side. When serious problems arise, you can’t just dive into the matter right there and then. Rousing you out of bed at night so you can discuss solutions long-distance will always be second to having you roll up your sleeves and get to work hands-on the same hour the problem erupts.

Jobs Eating Jobs

Although we can never determine the exact number of jobs outsourced or moved offshore, outsourcing has become controversial in this aspect.

Because companies seek cheaper labor cost overseas, that can mean taking away jobs from people in the home country – like what’s happening in America and which is viewed of generally as unhealthy for the economy.

On the flipside, Michael Tanner of think-tank Cato, opines that “outsourcing can be generally good for America” because “economic prosperity is not about creating jobs but creating prosperity” when we shift our focus from creating jobs to creating wealth.

Where to Get Started with Outsourcing

The top three websites for outsourcing are Upwork, Guru, and Freelancer. You can post your job and start outsourcing in minutes!

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