As a small business in San Diego, you’re one of many. Almost all businesses in San Diego County employ less than 100 employees. You’re probably thinking, “100 employees?? That’s not a small business!” Well, in the United States, a 100 employee is still considered a small business. Small businesses from 1 to 100 employees experience common challenges – one of the most critical issues being which positions to hire full-time versus outsourcing part-time? As a small business with limited resources, it’s difficult to bring all positions in-house. For many positions, from accounting to legal to marketing, it makes sense to outsource.
So what do you outsource? Think of positions you really only utilize 50 hours or less a month. Do you need an in-house legal counsel full-time? Do you need a full-time SEO specialist? Do you need a full-time CPA? For most small businesses, probably not. Small businesses tie up precious resources in some staff that is under-utilized. Plus, you’re allocating extra funds for benefits, workman’s comp, etc. Tapping into an outsourced employee pool where your workforce can expand or contract based on projects is the most cost-efficient way to run your business.
So why outsource? It’s extremely expensive to employ talented people in all business-critical functional areas. In San Diego, small businesses have the luxury of a plethora of talent to employ. You can employ a talented bookkeeper for 20 hours a month. The bookkeeper will be paid much more per hour and it will cost your small business much less. The same works for most outsourced professions. It’s a win-win! Also, outsourcing is an excellent way to test employees before you hire them full-time.
As a San Diego small business, you must wonder what is the best way to outsource? First rule, “Watch for talent!” If you lead a small business in San Diego, networking is key. You and your employees must be present at various networking events. Most San Diego networking events are attended by other small businesses that offer outsourced business services. You and your employees must be “on alert” for key business services. Your employees must be looking to build a business alliance group – a group of “power partners” who you can refer your small business clients to and utilize yourself.
A San Diego small business’ first instinct must be to outsource before hiring full-time. It’s the most effective way to keep your small business nimble and growing.
