As a business owner, how do you feel about outsourcing? Do you think of it in a positive or negative light? Most business owners think of it as a “dirty” word – as something they should not engage in. This mindset is almost always due to the many misconceptions there are surrounding the concept of outsourcing in business. Unfortunately, because of these misconceptions, many business owners miss out on massive growth and development for their businesses due to their reluctance in taking the plunge into outsourcing. That’s why in this article, we’ll debunk the most common misconceptions.
5 Misconceptions about Outsourcing in Business
- Outsourcing will make me lose control of my business
You control how much control your external team members have in your business. No one can come into your business and take control unless you give them the power to do so. To maintain control over the outcome of the tasks by your external team, be sure to maintain proper expectation management and detailed documentation (e.g. SOPs) of business procedures. Expectations should be discussed and agreed upon beforehand so both parties understand their role.
- Outsourcing means lower quality in my services
This could not be further from the truth. When you outsource, you are hiring experts. Most freelancers or agency workers have a considerable amount of experience behind them, you just have to know the right questions to ask and what to look for. Also, just to reiterate from the first misconception, having documentation like SOPs of how you do tasks or other procedures in your business will also maintain the standards that you have set for your business and its clients.
- Outsourcing is only for established businesses or big companies that can afford it
Outsourcing is also accessible and affordable for small businesses/private practices. In fact, outsourcing external team members, such as virtual assistants, is actually more affordable than hiring full-time, in-house staff. You have the option to hire them full-time or for one-off projects – either way, it is a budget-friendly way to access an extra set of hands to help grow your private practice.
- Outsourcing will compromise my clients’ privacy
This is an understandable concern to have, however, there are measures that can be put in place to protect the privacy of your clients. For example, you can control the kind of client information they have access to. As a therapist, we know that you manage sensitive information about your clients, such as their mental health status. You have full control over what information you give your external team members access to. Additionally, have legally binding documents such as non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) for the outsourced party to sign. Once signed, they will be legally obligated to keep all information disclosed to them confidential.
- Outsourcing will mean that I am incompetent as a business owner
A lot of business owners believe that having to outsource tasks means that they are incompetent or incapable of running their own business – this is absolutely not the case! In the words of Anthea Turner: “The first rule of business management is delegation. Don’t try to do everything yourself because you can’t.” You’re only one person. If you have dreams of growing your practice in the near future, you can’t do it all on your own. This does not mean that you are incompetent, it just means that you chose to work smarter rather than harder.
Hiring a virtual assistant for your private practice is a great way to grow your business faster and more efficiently. Don’t let these misconceptions keep you away from the amazing benefits that come with hiring external team members to help you in your business. Think about all the extra time you’ll have on your hands to focus more on your clients, or even just to have “me-time.”
Outsourcing virtual assistants has been a growing trend since COVID-19 as more and more business owners are opting for remote and external help. Considering outsourcing a virtual assistant for your private practice? Efficient and Free is at your service.