Sourcing Outside Your Business Can Help You Achieve Your Sales Goals
Sourcing Outside Your Business Can Help You Achieve Your Sales Goals
By Christopher Haymon
Small business owners who feel they have too much on their plate should look for ways to delegate responsibilities. Even if they are unable to hire full-time employees to take on certain roles, many tasks can be performed not only efficiently but superlatively by freelancers or outside companies. In addition, some jobs are better left to the professionals, so bringing in a talented freelancer can make a significant difference in the overall success and profitability of the company. If you are trying to increase your sales and expand your marketing reach, contracting with professionals in marketing-related fields can make a real difference.
When is it better to hire a freelancer?
There are some tasks that are best reserved for full-time employees who are committed long-term to the company’s goals and missions. And if work in any department is needed on a more permanent basis, hiring full-time might be wiser. Work that is intermittent or that doesn’t pertain to the business’s core identity, on the other hand, can easily be done by contract workers. Or maybe you need to have a job that requires specialized proficiency, such as web design, but only on a temporary basis. If you are wavering between hiring a contract worker or bringing on an employee in sales or marketing, you could try hiring a freelancer for a trial period, to see whether or not their services make a difference and if you would like to bring on someone in that capacity more permanently.
How to find reliable freelancers?
In today’s gig economy, it’s not hard to find highly trained professionals in an array of fields. However, not everyone who posts on a freelance job site like UpWork or SimplyHired is equally qualified or dependable. Make sure you check out portfolios and, when possible, reviews. And remember: if a freelancer’s prices look too good to be true, they probably are. A good freelance professional marketing expert or content creator is worth their wages and should not come too cheaply. Besides job boards, check out online communities, and ask for recommendations from others in your field. For some tasks, you may be able to contract with another business, such as Troubador Branding Company, which will assist you with your branding and design to reflect the values of a progressive culture.
What are some other options for small business owners?
You may not need to hire a professional to fill every role. You may be able to depend on software and digital tools to improve your sales and grow your reach. You can find software that will manage automated marketing, increase optimization, and even manage customer relations. In fact, customer relationship management software (or CRM) such as Salesforce or HubSpot is widely used by top-notch marketers, with noteworthy results. And most of these tools and programs are not expensive. You can get a professional version of Salesforce, for instance, for less than a hundred dollars a month. So, if you aren’t yet ready to hire a freelancer or expand your team in customer relations, getting tools to help you could be a useful and affordable alternative.
The value of forming an LLC
Whether you’re hiring team members or contract workers, it’s important to keep everything legal and industry compliant. Having a good payroll system will help in this regard. You also need to be sure both you and your hires have any necessary licenses or permits for the projects you are working on. Keeping track of your taxes and staying compliant will be a lot easier if you are registered as a legal entity. Typically, small businesses benefit from the limited liability company structure or LLC. You can probably do the work of creating an LLC yourself in MO, but if you need a little assistance, contact a good formation service such as missouri-llc.net. States do have different regulations on LLCs, so be aware of this if you are considering offering services out of state.
Whether you have reached the stage in your business growth where you are ready to focus on expanding sales and marketing, or whether you simply need to invest more in reaching the goals you have set, bringing in outside help can be a game-changer. Consider hiring a freelancer, contracting with a company specializing in marketing, or trying out some sales and marketing software to help you reach your goals.