When you're first starting your company, you may be forced to wear a lot of hats – from salesperson and product development to marketin...
When you're first starting your company, you may be forced to wear a lot of hats – from salesperson and product development to marketing manager and accountant. But as your business and your budget grow, outsourcing your non-core business functions (so you can focus on seeking out new opportunities and keeping your customers happy) quickly becomes the way forward. If you're in this growth phase, then these are the experts and professionals you should start forging relationships with.
1. Marketing, SEO and Social Media
From pay per click advertising campaigns, technical on-page SEO, sourcing organic traffic through link building and establishing a presence on the social media platforms that your ideal customer likes to spend their time on, marketing in the digital age has become a lot more complex than simply taking out an ad in the local paper!
Unless you have the resources to hire your own qualified in-house marketing team, outsourcing to an established digital agency will get you a much better return than trying to tackle everything on your own. This is especially true if your biggest competitors already have a strong online presence. Remember that outsourcing your marketing doesn’t mean you have to relinquish creative control altogether – and you shouldn’t, as you know your product best. Find a partner that will take your suggestions and ideas on board and help you realize them.
2. Legal Advisor
Having access to expert legal advice is no longer just the realm of large firms and corporations. More and more, legal firms and management buyout advice services are dedicating resources to small and medium businesses so they can access advice at an affordable level, when and where they need it. From registering your business and finding suitable startup financing, to dealing with licensing requirements, drawing up customer contracts, managing disciplinary proceedings with employees and protecting your intellectual property, every business owner will benefit from sound legal counsel. Online legal services which offer a certain amount of cover for a fixed monthly fee are also an option for smaller businesses. You can also save money by drafting legal documents yourself via free online resources and having these reviewed by a lawyer rather than hiring them to do the document from scratch.
3. IT Services Provider
Virtually every modern business now depends on technology to perform their day to day activities to a large extent – whether it’s could-based solutions or on-premises hardware. Knowing which new technologies will work best for your business, where you can improve efficiency, and who to call when things go wrong has become vital to remaining competitive. Finding a local provider of managed IT services who can also offer remote monitoring and support for the quickest response adds an invaluable tool to your business belt and helps you avoid costly downtime.
4. Accountant, Tax and Financial Advisor
Most business owners start their company because they have a passion for the product or service they're selling – not because they enjoy negotiating with banks or filing taxes. In the early days, a solid accountant with experience in local tax laws and requirements who can assist you on a freelance basis is a great investment. As your business and profits grow, it’s time to start thinking about long term financial planning and investment. A dedicated business financial advisor can assist you in a myriad of ways – such as better managing your cash flow, improving your profit margins, planning for expansions, exploring and evaluating available lines of credit, and creating a financial safety net for emergencies.
5. Recruitment Consultant
Whether you're looking for a temp to fill in for the receptionist while they're on leave or an experienced branch manager for your brand new satellite office, having an existing relationship with an HR or recruitment firm that understands your business and what you value in an employee can save you massive amounts of time and effort. If you depend heavily on your staff, then this is a relationship you’ll want to foster.
6. Insurance Broker
When you're wrapped up in plans to launch a new product, admiring that new company car or being handed the keys to your new office, you're not likely to be thinking of all the things that could go wrong. Luckily, if you have a good insurance broker by your side, you can leave the worrying up to them. Sitting down and explaining what your business can’t function without (and therefore where you need to most cover) can be the difference between success and failure for your business should the worst happen? Aside from all this, as an industry insider, an insurance broker knows the market and will almost always be able to negotiate a better premium than if you went it alone.
7. Mentors and Industry Experts
Sometimes, what an entrepreneur needs most are a pep talk and a sounding board. Building a network of experienced business owners and industry experts who can offer advice when you need it is always a valuable and rewarding exercise.
1. Marketing, SEO and Social Media
From pay per click advertising campaigns, technical on-page SEO, sourcing organic traffic through link building and establishing a presence on the social media platforms that your ideal customer likes to spend their time on, marketing in the digital age has become a lot more complex than simply taking out an ad in the local paper!
Unless you have the resources to hire your own qualified in-house marketing team, outsourcing to an established digital agency will get you a much better return than trying to tackle everything on your own. This is especially true if your biggest competitors already have a strong online presence. Remember that outsourcing your marketing doesn’t mean you have to relinquish creative control altogether – and you shouldn’t, as you know your product best. Find a partner that will take your suggestions and ideas on board and help you realize them.
2. Legal Advisor
Having access to expert legal advice is no longer just the realm of large firms and corporations. More and more, legal firms and management buyout advice services are dedicating resources to small and medium businesses so they can access advice at an affordable level, when and where they need it. From registering your business and finding suitable startup financing, to dealing with licensing requirements, drawing up customer contracts, managing disciplinary proceedings with employees and protecting your intellectual property, every business owner will benefit from sound legal counsel. Online legal services which offer a certain amount of cover for a fixed monthly fee are also an option for smaller businesses. You can also save money by drafting legal documents yourself via free online resources and having these reviewed by a lawyer rather than hiring them to do the document from scratch.
3. IT Services Provider
Virtually every modern business now depends on technology to perform their day to day activities to a large extent – whether it’s could-based solutions or on-premises hardware. Knowing which new technologies will work best for your business, where you can improve efficiency, and who to call when things go wrong has become vital to remaining competitive. Finding a local provider of managed IT services who can also offer remote monitoring and support for the quickest response adds an invaluable tool to your business belt and helps you avoid costly downtime.
4. Accountant, Tax and Financial Advisor
Most business owners start their company because they have a passion for the product or service they're selling – not because they enjoy negotiating with banks or filing taxes. In the early days, a solid accountant with experience in local tax laws and requirements who can assist you on a freelance basis is a great investment. As your business and profits grow, it’s time to start thinking about long term financial planning and investment. A dedicated business financial advisor can assist you in a myriad of ways – such as better managing your cash flow, improving your profit margins, planning for expansions, exploring and evaluating available lines of credit, and creating a financial safety net for emergencies.
5. Recruitment Consultant
Whether you're looking for a temp to fill in for the receptionist while they're on leave or an experienced branch manager for your brand new satellite office, having an existing relationship with an HR or recruitment firm that understands your business and what you value in an employee can save you massive amounts of time and effort. If you depend heavily on your staff, then this is a relationship you’ll want to foster.
6. Insurance Broker
When you're wrapped up in plans to launch a new product, admiring that new company car or being handed the keys to your new office, you're not likely to be thinking of all the things that could go wrong. Luckily, if you have a good insurance broker by your side, you can leave the worrying up to them. Sitting down and explaining what your business can’t function without (and therefore where you need to most cover) can be the difference between success and failure for your business should the worst happen? Aside from all this, as an industry insider, an insurance broker knows the market and will almost always be able to negotiate a better premium than if you went it alone.
7. Mentors and Industry Experts
Sometimes, what an entrepreneur needs most are a pep talk and a sounding board. Building a network of experienced business owners and industry experts who can offer advice when you need it is always a valuable and rewarding exercise.
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