Anita Clark

By Anita Clark

Outsourcing in business is one of the most creative means of achieving your aims at a lower expense. In business or in any venture, great outsourcing tips helps in saving money and lessening the frustration of not having the necessary infrastructure to meet your needs. That is certainly true for professionals in all aspects of the real estate industry.

It is interesting to know that most businesses embrace the art of outsourcing, be it personnel, materials for production, infrastructure, or even skill—anything can be outsourced. All you need to know is the best way to find the right resource to meet your needs. Outsourcing can be a nightmare if the resource you find is illegitimate, which could lead to eventual hurt and disgrace for a business. Here are six steps that should be followed before and during the process of outsourcing to ensure success.

1. Clearly Define What You Want

Most of the people who outsource tend to forget that they are the ones best who understand what they want done. Assumptions about what you need are easily understandable, but can lead to a wrong step and may end up causing more trouble for you and the resource that you hire. Whether you are looking to hire someone to produce a full range of articles on home energy tips, help with marketing, or cover business tasks, you need to clearly spell out what you are looking for or you run the risk of wasting both your time and money. Being clear about the expected results prevents unnecessary confusion. As the client, you should also define the schedule with which the resource you hire should deliver whatever has been agreed upon.

2. Evaluate What Is Offered

This is a key step that most employers forget to focus on while hiring out services. Of all the outsourcing tips provided in this article, this is the most fundamental tip to have in mind. The best way of ensuring that you hire the right kind of help is by evaluating the qualifications of the resource. You should then focus on the feedback that other clients have given for this service provider. Approach the process as you would if you were hiring a full time employee, and therefore, take the time to do your research on the person you intend to hire.

@geralt, 2017. pixabay.com

3. Match Needs With Skills

This is one of the best outsourcing tips that will save you time in screening the applicants who wish to provide the services that you need. When a client states the specific skill set they intend to bring on board, random applicants who do not have that skill set will typically back off, leaving you with only a few applicants to evaluate. This will exponentially decrease the time it takes to weed through the applicants to find the right outsource hire. Remember, first impressions matter, so if someone does not match your needs, move on to the next person. Whether you are looking for someone to handle social media tasks, provide ghostwriting services, or something entirely different, you want to be both specific and realistic with your requests.

4. The Price Is Important, But…

One of the outsourcing considerations that naturally lingers in our minds is that costs need to be managed and not allowed to spiral out of control. However, it is wrong to consider the cost of outsourcing over the quality of output that will be shown at the end of the project. It is better for you to hire a resource who provides quality output at a high price, than a resource whose price is low but the outcome is compromised and of very low quality.

5. Plan Your Budget Wisely

Many people don’t allocate enough budgetary allowances for the provision of the services they need. It is frustrating to a service provider when they realize that you aren’t a good planner for the acquisition of a service you asked for. At the same time, your project may run aground when finances are inadequate. Service providers will end up distrusting you and you will fail to achieve the goal. Always make sure you have the funds to cover all aspects of the project, even setting aside 10 percent more for any unforeseen issues or opportunities.

6. Communicate For Success

Of all the outsourcing tips listed, this is the second most important asset you as a client can input while running a project with a service provider. The failure to communicate adequately can cause a lot of harm when a project is running. A service provider may be in need of clarification at some point and the best relief from a client to a service provider is communication. Communication fosters a good relationship in business and also counts a lot to ensure that milestones for a project are achieved within the given time frame. Do your part for making the project and ongoing relationship a success by effectively communicating through the process.

If observed, these outsourcing tips will help considerably to ensure results meet the standards that have been set by you, the client. When it works well, you can bet all parties will be happy and the current and future outcomes will be headed for continued success.

Anita Clark is a residential real estate agent with Coldwell Banker SSK, REALTORS®, in Houston County, Ga. She is from Coventry, England, is a retired military spouse, and has been assisting buyers, investors, and sellers in middle Georgia since 2007. Connect with Anita on Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, or on her Warner Robins GA Real Estate Blog.