The value of outsourcing

Most business owners find that they spend only a small percentage of their time on important strategic planning. A great deal of their effort is spent on the day to day running of the business.

What can outsourcing do for your business? Fundamentally, it can remove the need for close involvement with the details of running a business, freeing business owners to concentrate on those aspects of running a business which truly warrant expenditure of senior management time and effort.

Benefits of outsourcing

In the current economic climate reducing overheads and outsourcing areas of your business may alleviate financial pressure on you balance sheet and help to streamline your business. Other benefits might include:

• lower costs (due to economies of scale or lower labour rates)
• increased efficiency
• increased focus on strategy/core competencies
• access to skills or resources
• increased flexibility to meet changing business and commercial conditions
• accelerated time to market

Areas you might consider outsourcing include:

Payroll

Payroll is the most common task that companies outsource. Services include weekly/monthly/quarterly payroll and normally attending to the completion of the relevant returns. Under RTI employers must submit their PAYE information to HMRC on or before the day of payment.

Human resources

It is possible to outsource your human resources requirements. There are specialist companies that offer a full range of services, including insurance, training, recruitment, policies, and procedural advice and help with complying with the myriad of employment laws and regulations.

Marketing

Independent marketing firms have all the necessary expertise and materials. You can outsource your entire marketing requirements, thus saving you the problems of creating your own internal material.

Information systems

Purchasing and maintaining information systems, hiring and evaluating IT staff and training users can all be very difficult. By outsourcing your information systems function, you can obtain the latest technology and suitably skilled personnel.

Delivery

Depending on your products and situation, there are numerous options for outsourcing delivery. Common couriers might be able to provide a major portion of your delivery function. Larger businesses might prefer to contract a major delivery firm rather than maintain their own fleet. Either way, you can hire the expertise to keep delivery problems and decisions off your desk.

The common feature of all these functions is that none of them is fundamental to your core business, and they can all be bought in at a competitive price. Thus, leaving you to focus on the real issues: providing the best possible service to your clients, growing your business and expanding your product lines.

If you have any questions on outsourcing your accounting requirements or any other, please get in touch with your Swindells’ partner who will be able to advise you further. Over the years we have built a strong network of local suppliers that we can connect you to.