Most agency owners have outsourcing somewhere on their business plan. However, it may be floating around on the periphery, with only a vague timeframe attached.
“In about 6 months, I’ll start thinking about outsourcing.”
“Maybe in a year I’ll be in a position to outsource.”
“Oh, you outsource that work? I’ve been meaning to do the same…”
Sound familiar? Knowing exactly when to begin your outsourcing journey is a challenge, and feeling some hesitance about this step is understandable.
After all, every strategic decision you make has repercussions for your business, and you’re determined to steer your agency to success.
If you suspect now is the moment to outsource, but you want to be absolutely sure first, then keep reading. Here, you’ll find 3 clear signs that the time is right, and a handy “should I start outsourcing” checklist.
1. You’re overwhelmed by low-level tasks.
At GoWP, we get it. You’d do anything for your business. That’s why you’re working long hours, taking on any and every task that’s needed just to get the job done.
On an average day, you might start with a sales call, move on to progress a couple of clients’ projects, then write a blog and a promotional post for socials before leading a late team meeting.
Phew! Your weeks fly by in a whirlwind.
Lunch break has become a luxury. You’re exhausted, and you have the sensation at all times of frantically treading water just to keep your agency afloat.
Most agency owners have spent some time in this position, but that doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. In fact, it really shouldn’t — for reasons that include (but go way beyond) your wellbeing.
You see, the very things you’re doing to keep your agency alive may simultaneously be stunting its growth.
That’s because as an agency owner, you already have a primary role that comes with important duties.
Neglecting these responsibilities because you’re too distracted by the day-to-day means you’re missing vital opportunities to innovate and improve.
The worst news? Your competitors may not be missing these opportunities.
To strategize effectively, you need time, space, and energy.
Outsourcing offers this. By handing over low-level work to trusted professionals, you can reclaim your status as an agency owner. That’s how you get back that bird’s eye view, the one required to make smart, creative, and strategic business decisions.
Adding outsourced team members gives overwhelmed agency owners the breathing room they need to finally grow their business.
2. Demand is starting to exceed capacity.
Do you now have more clients than you’d ever anticipated?
Are they coming to you for more and more services, so now your team’s schedule is totally maxed out?
Congratulations! Although it may not feel like it at the moment, this is an excellent position to be in. It shows that you’re doing something right as an agency owner. Whether you’d planned for it or not, your clients are prompting your agency to expand.
The message is clear: your offer is highly desirable, the service you provide is excellent, and if you’re ready to meet demand, your business is destined for a growth spurt.
Note that key phrase: if you’re ready.
At this stage, the worst thing you could do is disappoint your clients. Don’t fall into this trap by missing deadlines, delivering substandard work, or forgetting to follow up on important tasks.
Of course, these outcomes become much more probable when your team’s workload is at its most immense and intimidating.
So, start outsourcing. This is the perfect moment to relieve the pressure by adding someone new to your team.
Understandably, you don’t feel ready to recruit: after all, you’re still riding the wave of this unexpected jump in demand, recruiting is a time-intensive process in itself, and it may not even be profitable to hire permanent employees at the moment.
However, you definitely need an extra pair of hands (or two). This will ensure you meet your clients’ needs while retaining the high service standards that your agency is known for.
Thankfully, established outsourcing partners like GoWP can onboard a developer or a copywriter in just one day. There’s no need to panic!
3. There’s an opportunity to broaden or diversify your offer.
You’ve been providing a particular service for a while, and you’ve now got it down to a fine art. That leaves you with a couple of options.
You can retain this service model and focus on attracting an endless stream of new clients who need it, or you can supplement this service with additional offers.
There are many advantages to the second option. For a start, it opens up the possibility of generating more income from your pre-existing client base. That means less time spent anxiously searching for clients!
Let’s say you currently provide a web development service, so you create websites for clients on an individual project basis. If you added a web maintenance subscription service to your offer, you could turn these one-off clients into ongoing sources of revenue.
Why not take it further still?
Your web maintenance service could also be improved by add-ons such as blogging services, graphic design packages, or even social media support. Once you have a few clients committed to these monthly plans, your situation will be much more comfortable.
Rather than requiring a constant client acquisition to sustain your agency, you’ll depend on your subscription earnings as a core income. This is a much more solid base to scale up from, so your agency will benefit from this stability.
Of course, your clients will love it too! They already trust your agency to deliver, so it figures that they’d prefer to hire you for additional work than look around for another provider.
By offering convenient, comprehensive support, you only increase your agency’s appeal.
To deliver these extra services, you’ll probably need extra team members. You can use outsourcing to innovate your offer and diversify your service menu, equipping you to compete at a higher level.
Should I Start Outsourcing? A 14 Step Checklist
If even one of the following statements applies to you, it’s time to seriously consider outsourcing.
- I am frequently overwhelmed by my to-do list.
- My team members spend more time than they should on specialized tasks.
- I find myself performing tedious, low-level work that doesn’t reflect my role.
- The long-term plans I made for my agency are being neglected because I’m too busy.
- I haven’t had time lately to consider how my agency could innovate or improve.
- My agency has recently received an unexpected influx of new clients.
- The work that my clients require is on a higher scale or of a different type than usual.
- It’s becoming increasingly difficult to meet deadlines.
- I’m worried that work standards are slipping due to the pressure my agency is under.
- I’d like to grow my team, but I’m not sure that I’m ready to recruit permanent staff.
- I don’t have time for the recruitment process, but I need access to a specific skill set.
- The business would benefit from offering subscriptions alongside project-based services.
- To compete in my industry, I need to expand my service menu and diversify my offer.
- Clients request other services from my agency, but we lack the capacity to say yes.
When you decide to expand your team through outsourcing, make sure you chat with GoWP. If you’re still feeling a little stumped on this one, take a look at our outsourcing ebook: The Complete Guide to Outsourcing Work and Growing Your Agency.
GoWP already partners with hundreds of digital agencies, providing them with experienced professionals who have the specialized skills they need to grow their business.
There’s no reason you can’t join their ranks today. It’s within your reach to deliver more work — and more diverse, high-quality work — on time and within budget. For so many agencies, outsourcing with GoWP is the secret to success. Why not yours?
