Source Superstore [3/7]: You can’t afford not to outsource

The Source Superstore is now open!  To celebrate this opening, we’ve produced this seven-part publication which explores why, and how outsourcing is the most powerful and transformative business tool in existence today.  For this third part, we explore the compelling reasons why you simply can’t afford not to outsource (or at least, explore it!).

How and why outsourcing can transform your business

Don’t miss out on this seven-part publication which explores why, and how outsourcing is the most powerful and transformative business tool in existence today.

• Source Superstore [1/7]: Outsourcing’s past and future
• Source Superstore [2/7]: Growth of outsourcing is unstoppable
• Source Superstore [3/7]: You can’t afford not to outsource
• Source Superstore [4/7]: Marketplaces and aggregators
• Source Superstore [5/7]: Productised outsourcing services
• Source Superstore [6/7]: World’s widest range of outsourcing products
• Source Superstore [7/7]: Biggest range, best prices

Outsourcing, not just about cost savings

Outsourcing is incredible for you bottom line.  Businesses are dependent on their Human Resources, they can make or break a business.  Yet, people are very expensive and staffing costs are typically a dominant part of any company P&L.

Outsourcing can provide 70% savings on your staffing costs.  That’s incredible. It is possibly one of the most potent business tools available to business today.

Yet, outsourcing is not just about cost saving, and in fact it is only a small part of the transformative benefits the outsourcing offers…

Outsourcing really gets exciting when you realise that outsourcing affords you greater access to more abundant, highly qualified resources, which enable you to add rocket fuel to your business.

By accessing cheaper, more abundant resources, it means that you can hire more easily.  It means that you can hire more people. It means that you can do more market testing, launch more products, and enter new markets. It means that you can have more sales staff, more marketing experts, and create more content.  Access to more staffing, means that you can attempt to grow with less risk and less exposure. Hiring via outsourcing means that employing your next employee is less of a lumpy financial undertaking, which reduces the burden on your P&L.  Ultimately, outsourcing means that you are better able to out-compete, and out-strategise your competitors. The sky really is the limit, once you properly integrate outsourcing into your business.

The big businesses have known and acted on this for a long time, and now it is the turn of the smaller business.  Outsourcing really is the most powerful business tool available today…

The difference between outsourcing and freelancing

There is outsource and freelancing.  The two things should not be confused – they are very different.  Freelancing has become really popular in the last decade. It was popularised by Tim Ferriss’ book, the 4 Hour Work Week, and the flexible work-lifestyle movement, amongst other things…

Freelancing has been helped along in popularity by the explosion of freelancing platforms such as Upwork, Freelancer, 99Designs, Fiverr, and dozens more.  These websites allow you to post project-based jobs, for set prices and have people bid for the work.

However, there have been many disappointed customers of these freelancing portals. There is little or no quality control, and you have little control over your contractors.  Some contractors are good of course, but you might need to kiss a lot of frogs before you find you prince.

More from Outsource Accelerator: Read our review of Upwork Vs. Freelancer Vs. Fiverr, as we discuss the pros and cons of freelancing, plus we list the top 25 freelancing platforms.

In contrast, outscoring offers access to a highly professionalised Human Resource supply industry.  Not only does outsourcing provide the qualified and vetted people to do the job, but they offered highly structured environments that provide significant quality control, training and oversight.  

The difference between outsourcing and freelancing is stark…. it’s a little like getting a part-time university student to do some work for you during their vacation, compared to engaging a Wall Street professional services firm for services.  To learn more on the differentiation of freelancing, outsourcing, and contracting, read this.

Project based work versus ongoing services

One of the biggest differences between outsourcing and freelancing, is that outsourcing typically requires a staffing commitment of at least one full-time role, on an ongoing basis.  Typically freelancing is project-based. Typically for outsourcing, you have your team in one place – all under one roof, with infrastructure, management and oversight included.

Productised services – not to be confused with freelance projects

Since the Superstore sells ‘productised services’, it may be easy for our clients to confuse them more as ‘project work’, which is more common in the Upwork freelancer model. This certainly isn’t the case. The products offered in Source Superstore represent a contained (productised) version of an ongoing outsourcing service,  provided by a leading outsourcing supplier. The intention of the product is to allow for an easy obligation-free assessment of the supplier, the deliverables and the suitability of the services to your business.

Below are some key differentiating factors of outsourcing to freelancing:

• Ongoing roles (not project jobs), typically requiring a minimum of one full-time ongoing position
• Supported and managed environments (HR, training etc)
• Accountability hierarchy and account management
• Established high-quality offices offering superior infrastructure, internet connectivity, security and hardware etc
• Allows for greater scalability of roles, teams and space, providing enhanced institutional growth prospects
• Producing far more reliable and professionalised results

Outsourcing is an essential efficiency

We have discussed that outsourcing is on the rise.  We have seen the reasons why it is likely that eventually every business will be outsourcing.  If you believe that communications, IT, technology, and trade progress, then it is a natural conclusion that outsourcing will accompany that development.

Outsourcing is so advantageous, that you simply can’t afford not to – at least – properly consider it for your business.  You also need to consider that if you aren’t properly considering outsourcing, your competitors probably are. Consider that if you aren’t outsourcing, your competitors probably are, or will do…

Can you afford not to outsource?

Cheaper, more flexible and easier to engage

We will see that outsourcing is easier than ever to get started in.  The benefits of outsourcing can be applied to almost any business, in any business sector.  It can be easily integrated, and savings can immediately be seen.

And now with the Source Superstore, it’s easier than ever to start on your outsourcing journey.

The Source Superstore stocks the widest range of outsourcing services.  Each service has a distinct deliverable, within a distinct timeframe, and a clear price.  We work with only vetted and verified outsourcing ing suppliers – some of the best in the world.

The Source Superstore products are suitable for both the newcomers to outsourcing, and seasoned veterans.  There are a whole range of outsourcing products, and even consulting and educational items which can add incredible value to anyone that is outsourcing, or about to start.

Read the full seven-part publication

Don’t miss out on this seven-part publication which explores why, and how outsourcing is the most powerful and transformative business tool in existence today.

• Source Superstore [1/7]: Outsourcing’s past and future
• Source Superstore [2/7]: Growth of outsourcing is unstoppable
• Source Superstore [3/7]: You can’t afford not to outsource
• Source Superstore [4/7]: Marketplaces and aggregators
• Source Superstore [5/7]: Productised outsourcing services
• Source Superstore [6/7]: World’s widest range of outsourcing products
• Source Superstore [7/7]: Biggest range, best prices