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Outsourcing has gotten a bad rep lately. However, for some businesses it can be a cost-effective and healthy alternative to doing everything in-house. Here are six services your online business can easily outsource.
Customer Service
This is almost always the first thing that businesses outsource. Customer service operations cost a lot for a business to set up and maintain, so it is much easier to transfer that cost to someone else. Many of these businesses will charge per call, so you will not be stuck with large bills for zero benefit. This can run your business into a few problems as the customer service agent from an outsourced company might not be as familiar with your products as an internal one. If addressed before anything gets out-of-hand you can actually find great benefit from outsourcing this service.
IT Support
IT is a specialized service, and not many online companies have the expertise to do all of the information and cloud computing technology that is required for their business. Outsourcing IT operations will ensure the job is done right for a cost lower than a full time IT employee.
Web Development
Several companies offer web development services for competitive prices. These companies also keep up with changes in the field and consumer reports that show what customers are looking for in a Web site. This level of expertise cannot be passed up for an online business.
Freight and Logistics
This is a very commonly outsourced service even for brick-and-mortar stores. Very few companies have the capital to purchase trucks and trailers, much less the money to hire an employee to ship their goods. That is why logistics and customized shipping companies, such as the Brampton custom packaging company Pack-All International, offer customized packing services to help your company ship its goods.
Security
Yes, even online businesses need security as they have a physical location that the employees work at or host their services. The main necessity for security for these businesses are to protect its servers. If a business is successful, competitors may try to harm the computing power of the businesses or delinquents may target your server location.
Security also encompasses virtual security, such as IT security functions that work with anti-virus software as well as thwarting cyber-attacks. If a full cyber-attack is launched on an online business, the entire operation could be shut down for weeks and costs could soar into the hundreds of thousands of dollars to get back online.
Maintenance
Maintenance refers to keeping the structure where the business is housed intact. This includes fixing leaks, fixing any machinery that has broken, and taking care of any other maintenance issues that may arise. Hiring a single maintenance employee can be a very costly endeavor, considering maintenance is a skilled trade. Hiring a company to take care of maintenance issues as they arise is a purely cost-effective strategy.
There are several services that can be outsourced in order to help your business save money and hassle. Just remember, outsourcing is not always the bad thing it is made out to be.
