Apologies for the lack of update on the business blog; things have been busy with studies and new project launches (some of which might even see the light of day)
We've got a book and DVD in production, a new fitness and retail website in development and a REPS accredited training course being assessed. I'm studying for my GP referral course and, most importantly, trying to cram in a few hours of GTA 4 as well!
How do I manage it all? Well, the blunt answer is...I don't!
I can write a book but have no clue as to typesetting, editing and publishing. I like building and maintaining websites but have no clue as to design, high end PHP or ASP programming and development. Study is good but takes hours and GTA 4...well, is just a bit too much fun for my liking.
That's why I outsource about 80% of all the above projects. I wrote the book but gave it to a professional company to lay it out and illustrate. The websites are being built professionally. I merely manage the development by providing guidelines for it. And outsourcing works. I spend a few hours a day checking in on projects that would take weeks, months even, if I were to take them on myself.
However it's not all fun and frolics. Outsourcing can be a real nightmare at times. You rely on them to work for you but you can't insist they do things your way. You tell them what you want done, but how they do it is their remit. Labels are put on slightly wonky; something that may drive you nuts but you'll need to grit your teeth (or pay more) if your outsourcers do it. Also, outsourcers are not exclusively yours. Outsourcers serve as many customers as they can to a set service level. You can pay more for extra attention but they can't be considered a direct part of your company.
The London Kettlebells outsourcing for shipping and fulfilment is a good case study. We use a very reliable company but we can't get the system running 100% of the way we would like to if it was in house. 95% of it is spot on which in a business environment is more than enough. However the perfectionist wants 100%
When things go wrong they can be a pain to set right. You have an extra management layer to go through and, as mentioned earlier, what you consider to be a major disaster may not have the same priority to your outsourcers. Remember that they are looking at their bottom line, not yours.
So what are my outsourcing tips?
- Ensure you get an SLA (service level agreement) and that they consistently meet it
- Make sure you get one point of contact and that you can rely on them to set things straight without your input
- Don't be afraid to change should you need to
The bottom line is that you can't always do it by yourself. You can either employ staff or outsource but to grow a business you'll need one or the other
