Outsourcing can save your small business big bucks and give you a competitive edge.
Does your small business have a creative team, social media expert and multiple skilled assistants? No? Well, no problem. All of these duties and more can be outsourced. We asked the owners of three Chamber-member small businesses to share some their favorite outsourcing resources.
EXPERT PICKS FOR OUTSOURCING:
Terry Barber: Owner of Little Engine Broadcasting with three local radio stations
FIVERR.COM
Part of our success has come from being able to outsource many things that would require additional full-time staff or expensive investments in ever-changing technology. We use fiverr.com to do things like create logos, lay out sales pieces, convert files and produce promotional videos. Originally, we were attracted to the site because of the cheap $5 starting price. But now, we’ve dug deeper and found quality entrepreneurs that we don’t need to invest in regularly, but when we do, we can get quality work in a timely fashion. COST: $5 starting price
Ashley Jernigan: Owner of JBD Hospitality, helping clients with their marketing efforts
JAMMRESOURCES.COM offers a virtual assistant and social media management for the entrepreneur who needs help but not overhead. The Jamm team allows for consistency in social media messaging, allowing me to focus on other areas while keeping me on deadline.
QUICKBOOKS SE
This app monitors every transaction you make, including deposits, and you can categorize between personal and business expenses. Also, it tracks your mileage and records receipts by email or scanning. And it tracks your expenses and profits and tells you how much you should be paying in taxes.
COST: $11.99 / month
Pam Mashburn: Owner of exploreMedia and publisher of several magazines
TEXTBROKER.COM
Producing content is one of the hardest things for a small business. Creating blog posts, press releases and even website content is time-consuming (and not always ROI measurable). However, the more content we have, the more traffic and higher SEO we reach. Most small businesses can’t afford a copywriter on staff, and freelancers are hard to find. This online copywriter site (and there are others like it) lets you pay as little as $.15/word. A caveat: You need to cultivate relationships with the site’s writers to find the one who works best for your business. It costs a little more to request specific writers, but costs less than sitting down to write it yourself. COST: Starting at $.15 per word
