Deciding when to outsource and bring on contractors is a little bit like the age old question - what comes first....the chicken or the egg? Do you outsource first? Do you grow first?
Outsourcing is a scary step to take for any business owner. Not only do you want to find someone you can trust to take over parts of your business, but you need to be able to fund them! But what I if I told you that you need to outsource to facilitate growth?
Do you have to be at breaking point to outsource? Or can you outsource as a stepping stone to growth?
The best time to outsource is NOW.
Yes, it sounds counter-intuitive to outsource before growth. But no matter what your current position is, you can always improve. Do you want to look back in 6 months time and think "gee I wish I had of started outsourcing xyz to someone 6 months ago"?
Outsourcing before growth
Always work within your comfort zone
Outsourcing before growth
The biggest hesitation businesses have when sourcing additional help before they grow is not knowing how quickly they will have extra revenue coming in. There are only a certain number of hours per day and days per week that you have available. Once you reach that threshold of maximum capacity, you then can't take on new clients nor will you have the time to onboard someone to assist you.
Outsourcing enables growth by freeing up time now, giving you time to onboard a contractor at the pace you are comfortable with and can delegate the tasks as required.
Instead of having a knee-jerk reaction to growth, contracting work before you are too busy means you can find the right help and can delegate at the pace that best suits you. Before getting into a flight or fight mode, looking at how you can outsource will help you remain in a more stable environment, which in turn allows your business to grow at a more sustainable pace.
Growing before outsourcing
That doesn't mean it's too late to outsource if you have business is booming! When business is growing exponentially and you don't know how you'll stay sane, looking at outsourced support will help maintain your stress and anxiety. It will require quick decision making and accelerated onboarding, but is is possible. When looking for potential contractors to partner with, it will be important to set time aside to meet with them and see if they can quickly jump onboard and that your trust in their capabilities is earnt quickly, otherwise you won't be able to let go and the relationship won't thrive as quickly as it needs to.
If you decide you need to grow more before looking at outsourced support, it doesn't mean you can't start looking at potential partners to find the right fit now.
If you aren't quite ready to outsource and you are wanting to grow your business a little more, it doesn't hurt to find an ideal contracting partner before you need one. This will help speed things along when you reach that panic moment as you will have a shortlist of people or companies ready to go.
Always work within your comfort zone
No matter whether you outsource before you grow, or if you grow your business first - you must always work within your comfort zone. Contractor relationships thrive on trust, and if you push the relationship too quickly, trust won't be formed. A lot of clients I work with hear me say "just start - it's all about little and often" - which is where knowing where your comfort zone is and nudging the boundaries a little rather than dumping or offloading more than you are ready to do. Timings can always be sped up or slowed down once you start, but sometimes the hardest thing about outsourcing is taking that first step and starting with a supportive contractor.....little and often.