Over the course of the past couple of decades, outsourcing has become one of the most hotly debated topics in American politics. Nobody likes to see jobs go overseas, and lawmakers love to use a firm stance against the threat of outsourcing as a rallying point for their wider business agendas.

But in the realm of small business, outsourcing doesn’t necessarily mean taking work overseas. When small business owners talk about outsourcing, they’re usually thinking of farming out content work to freelance writers, hiring an accountancy firm to take on the book keeping or relying on an employment agency to track down and deploy hired help.

What is Outsourcing?

Outsourcing is the business practice of hiring a third-party, which c

ould be an individual or an organization, to handle specific tasks, operations, or services that were traditionally performed in-house. This strategy allows businesses to streamline their processes, tap into specialized expertise, and often, reduce costs.

The decision to outsource can be driven by various factors ranging from financial benefits to operational efficiency.

Key Elements of Outsourcing:

Task Delegation: Assigning specific tasks or operations to an external agency.
Contractual Agreement: Formalized terms and conditions defining the scope, responsibilities, and payment terms.
Short-term or Long-term: Depending on business needs, outsourcing can be project-based (short-term) or ongoing (long-term).
Domestic or Global: Outsourcing can be done to a local company (domestic) or to companies in other countries (offshore outsourcing).
Cost Management: A primary motive for many businesses, as outsourcing can offer potential savings.
Access to Expertise: Leveraging the specialized skills of experts or tapping into resources not available in-house.
Focus on Core Activities: Outsourcing peripheral tasks allows companies to focus on their core competencies.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Outsourcing

In the right context and deployed shrewdly, outsourcing can be a fantastic way for small business owners to improve efficiencies and bolster their company’s bottom line. But that doesn’t mean the practice isn’t without its own disadvantages, too. Outsourcing isn’t right for every situation, and so you’ve got to think long and hard before investing time and energy in farming out work.

To help you get started, here are 20 advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing from your small business.

Advantages of Outsourcing

1. You Get More Experts

Your core team might be fantastic at a few things, but nobody is perfect at everything. By outsourcing particular tasks, companies are often able to substantially improve performance by drawing on the niche skills of experts in certain fields.

2. Things Get Done Fast

One of the top reasons small businesses tend to outsource work is because it will get done quicker. If you’re working with a limited number of staff members, you can get things done a whole lot quicker by passing time-consuming tasks on to freelancers or external agencies.

3. You’re Able to Focus on What Matters

Another benefit of outsourcing tasks is enhanced freedom. By passing on supporting processes, you’ll be able to concentrate your skills on strengthening and improving the core processes that help make your business tick.

4. You Can Share Some Risk

One of the most important factors in any project is risk assessment and analysis. By outsourcing certain campaigns or processes on to experts in their respective fields, you will benefit from their enhanced ability to plan and mitigate potential risks.

5. You Can Reduce Costs

As one might imagine, outsourcing piecemeal work is almost always going to be cheaper than hiring permanent full time staff. Not only will you save time and money on recruitment, but your profit will also be extended than s to shorter overheads.

6. You Can Work Around the Clock

One major benefit of outsourcing digital work overseas is the substantial differences you might encounter in terms of time zones and holidays. Although this can pose an initial hurdle logistically, once overcome it can effectively mean your business is running even while you’re fast asleep.

7. You Can Simplify Project Management

If you choose to outsource work via a wide range of specialist freelance websites and online services, you’re often provided dynamic and intuitive platforms that will help you to effectively manage what’s being done, when it’s due for submission and how it will be paid. Most of this can be automated, freeing up your time for more important work.

8. You Simplify Work Relationships

Quite a few small business teams are tight-knit groups of friends and family — which is fantastic. But when you’re incredibly close to your staff members, it can also lead to issues when work isn’t being done up to par. By outsourcing work, you’ll typically be able to minimize work relationships to simple, contractual arrangements.

9. Efforts Are More Targeted

Another overlooked advantage of outsourcing is that it enables you to plan and execute more effective, targeted campaigns and projects that you wouldn’t ordinarily be able to take on. This gives your business the chance to take new risks and experiment with different methods of exposure.

10. You Get Peace of Mind

At the end of the day, choosing to outsource with a reliable individual or agency should give you peace of mind that tasks are being handled expertly and efficiently without you having to worry or lift a finger. What could be better?

11. Enhanced Business Agility

Outsourcing enhances business agility by enabling rapid adaptation to changing market conditions and industry trends. Companies can quickly adjust their service offerings, respond to customer demands, and seize emerging opportunities, maintaining a competitive edge in dynamic business environments.

12. Time Zone Advantage and 24/7

Time Zone Advantage and 24/7 Support Outsourcing to global service providers offers a time zone advantage, enabling continuous work and support. Businesses can benefit from round-the-clock operations, timely customer assistance, and accelerated project delivery, particularly when collaborating with teams in different time zones.

13. Access to Specialized Resources

Outsourcing grants businesses access to specialized resources, tools, and equipment that may not be available in-house. This access allows companies to leverage the latest technologies and best practices without the need for substantial investments, ensuring optimal performance and innovation.

Disadvantages of Outsourcing

1. You Lose Some Control

As you might expect, when you farm work out to external agencies or freelancers, you’re losing control of how those tasks are being monitored and performed. So long as you know and trust who you’ve hired, that shouldn’t be a huge issue – but you’ve got to tread carefully.

2. There are Hidden Costs

Although outsourcing work is generally considered cheaper, yo must also beware of getting ripped off. Outsourcing companies or big agencies will typically ask small business owners to sign lengthy contractual agreements, and they’ll include plenty of fine print. If you don’t read the terms carefully, you could get hit with unexpected costs.

3. There are Security Risks

In this age of data protection, it’s essential that you exercise caution whenever using customer data. If you plan to outsource processes that require personal data, you could be placing the privacy of others or security of your business at risk by passing that data on to other people.

4. You Reduce Quality Control

Outsourcing companies and some freelancers may often be motivated by profit rather than a job well done. That means the work you send out may come back quickly, but will lack the standard and quality that customers have come to expect from your products or services.

5. You Share Financial Burdens

Although it can be nice to bring in expert agencies to share in risks, it can be pretty dangerous to tie your business to the financial well-being of another company. Again, you’ve got to spell out any and all terms and conditions in contractual arrangements plainly – because you don’t want to take a financial hit if they fail to deliver.

6. You Risk Public Backlash

If you’re taking work overseas (even just to write a blog or two), your business very well may run into ill will from consumers that have taken a moral stance against outsourcing. Right or wrong, for better or for worse, some form of criticism is often inevitable.

7. You Shift Time Frames

One major disadvantage of outsourcing particular tasks is the risk that your freelancers or partner agency may be marching to the beat of a different drum. As a result, it might be difficult to synchronize schedules in order to ensure your customers receive what’s promised to them on a reliable timeline.

8. You Can Lose Your Focus

Because many outsourcing agencies or freelancers tend to service multiple clients at any given time, the work you’re sending out may not be receiving the focus it deserves. Depending on the processes you’re outsourcing, that lack of focus could be detrimental to your small business.

9. Things Get Lost in Translation

It doesn’t matter whether you’re dealing with overseas freelancers or some talented expert just up the street – but if you’re handing out remote work via email or telephone, important instructions are often lost in translation. That could cause you serious time, money and hassle.

10. You May Face Moral Dilemmas

While it may not be an issue for everyone, a major disadvantage of outsourcing is that you may be denying your team or a talented local agency crucial work or development opportunities. Growth begets growth, and by outsourcing work, you may not be contributing to the growth of your community.

11. Lack of Team Cohesion

When parts of a project or tasks are outsourced, the dynamic of your in-house team can be disrupted. There’s often less of a sense of camaraderie or common purpose, which can lead to decreased morale or motivation. This lack of cohesion can impact productivity and the overall team spirit.

12. Dependency on External Entities

By relying on external agencies or freelancers, your business becomes dependent on their timelines, expertise, and reliability. If they decide to discontinue their services, hike their rates, or face internal challenges, it could disrupt your operations. This dependency might limit flexibility and hinder quick decision-making processes.

13. Intellectual Property Concerns

Entrusting external entities with your company’s proprietary information or processes can pose intellectual property risks. If proper precautions aren’t taken, there’s potential for theft, misuse, or unauthorized sharing of your intellectual property. This can jeopardize the uniqueness and competitive advantage of your business.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Outsourcing Summary

Advantages of OutsourcingDisadvantages of Outsourcing

You Get More ExpertsYou Lose Some Control

Things Get Done FastThere are Hidden Costs

You’re Able to Focus on What MattersThere are Security Risks

You Can Share Some RiskYou Reduce Quality Control

You Can Reduce CostsYou Share Financial Burdens

You Can Work Around the ClockYou Risk Public Backlash

You Can Simplify Project ManagementYou Shift Time Frames

You Simplify Work RelationshipsYou Can Lose Your Focus

Efforts Are More TargetedThings Get Lost in Translation

You Get Peace of MindYou May Face Moral Dilemmas

Enhanced Business AgilityLack of Team Cohesion

Time Zone Advantage and 24/7 SupportDependency on External Entities

Access to Specialized ResourcesIntellectual Property Concerns

Outsource Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “26 Advantages and Disadvantages of Outsourcing from Your Small Business” was first published on Small Business Trends