Top 5 Reasons you should consider business outsourcing

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As someone who owns their own business it can be tempting to try and do everything yourself. However, whilst this can seem like the best way forward it isn’t always the most sensible or productive. Sometimes you need to think outside of the box and determine new ways to bring in new talent to your business. Looking into business outsourcing is a great way of doing this and can benefit your business in so many different ways in the long run.

Save Yourself Time

Getting someone else on board can be a great time saver.  If you have someone on board that knows what they are doing and doesn’t require any hand holding from you then it will save you value time, rather than trying to do all the tasks yourself.  This then enables you to pick and choose the tasks you want to do and to delegate the ones you don’t. You’ll then have more free time to focus on other priorities.

Flexible Workers

Having permanent people on board can seem like a good idea, but it can also feel like an expensive one at times. By outsourcing certain parts of your business you can pick and choose when they work for you and what they do. Many outsource companies offer flexible working patterns which, allows you to pay purely for the time spent working on your tasks, rather than you having to fork out for a full-time wage or employee.  Many flexible workers and Virtual Assistants are responsible for their own taxation and home office setup including equipment, yet another benefit to consider.

Bring New Skills into Your Organisation

When you outsource work you also have a good chance of bringing new skills into your business. You may know your business inside and out, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you know everything! Having a fresh set of eyes, skills and new experiences on board can really benefit your business and definitely a positive reason to consider outsourcing at least some of your work.

Trying Something New

If you are looking to try something new when it comes to your business then it can be handy and beneficial to get someone new on board. The benefit of this will be that they are able to bring new skills to the table whilst contributing new ideas and possible ways in which your business could work better.  They may even share past experiences with other companies and use this experience to ensure your transition goes smoothly.

Minimal Effort

Hiring someone to outsource your work to should be a straight forward process. In fact many companies have set procedures in place to help make it as smooth as possible for you. If you choose a company with experience then the chances are they have been through this with other clients beforehand so will know exactly how to minimise disruption to your business.

The good news is that many outsourcing companies will have details of their services and customer reviews on their website. This means that finding someone that is the perfect match to your needs and your business shouldn’t be too long winded or any hassle. You just need to spend a little time researching your options to find the perfect fit.  If you would like to know more about outsourcing and how it can benefit you & your business, then feel free to contact us for more details here.

 

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of Active Rain

10 Apps to make your business trip easier

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If you work in a job that requires you to do a lot of travelling then it stands to reason you are going to want to make life as easy as possible. Whilst not many people relish the thought of being away from home for a business trip, if you can make life a little easier then all the better.

One of the best ways that you can make life easy when it comes to travelling for business trips is to download apps onto your smart phone, laptop and or/tablet. These give you instant access to all sorts of utilities and information, which can make travelling that much easier.

Booking.com                                                                         

Whether your business trip is unexpected or booked in advance the booking.com app can help. For starters you are able to search out local accommodation choices, check prices and even book a room if you need to. Your booking details are then stored on the app for you to look up when it is time to check in.

Sky Scanner

If you need to travel internationally or even up and down the country then Sky Scanner can help with sourcing affordable flights. You are able to check flight details, times and prices given by a variety of different travel agents. This helps to ensure you get the best possible price with minimal searching when you’re ready to book a flight.

Asana

This app is a great task management tool for keeping your team and colleagues organized and connected.  With Asana there is no need for back & forth emails, you can create work tasks you plan to do or need a teammate to do whilst organising your tasks into shared projects for your initiatives, meetings or lists.

Expensify

Expensify streamlines the way you report your expenses, the way expenses are approved and the way they can then be exported to an accounting package (back office).  When it comes to business trips it can be hard to keep track of all your expenses. This app helps with that as you can store all of your information in one place, thus making life much easier.

Google Maps

It is easy to assume that the Google maps app can only help with driving directions but it does so much more.   It can provide interactive maps, street view, walking distance from point A to point B and well as provide you with a variety of possible routes that can be taken with duration no matter where in the world you happen to be.

Yelp

This app can help when it comes to looking up details of local businesses and services across the UK.  This can range from general things to do, place to eat, checking ratings, or reviews from past customers.   It’s great for when you’re away over night and want something to do with your spare time.

Google Apps

This allows you to download Google apps all in one place. You can then use these to create, save and share documents alongside checking your emails and using chat app GTalk.

Drop Box

Use this to store your files in one central location. You can then access these from your laptop, desktop, mobile phone and tablet etc. You can even share the files with colleagues and keep documents updated in real-time to help make your working life even simpler.

XE Currency

This helps when you are travelling abroad as you can instantly work out currency conversions and therefore see how much something is costing you before you part with your hard-earned cash.

Google Translate

Great when travelling abroad! It can assist you with working out what things to say and therefore making communication with others much easier when you’re in a different Country from your own and using a different language that you’re not familiar with.

 

 

 

 

 

Image courtesy of Intelligent Travel Australia

5 Benefits of using a Virtual Assistant for your business

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Whether you run a start-up company, a small business or you simply work for yourself, you may not always have the need for or the resources for a full-time assistant. Taking care of the day to day running of your business – arranging meetings, paying invoices, updating social media, or making travel arrangements etc can take up a large portion of your day when, you could be focussed on the more core elements of running your business.  These are some of the reasons why you could ultimately benefit from the services of a Virtual Assistant, helping to free up your time and getting things done, without the need of having a full-time member of staff.  So, let’s explore some of the many benefits of using Virtual Assistant below;

  1. They are quick and easy to source

More and more people are working from home or for themselves, with Virtual Assistants amongst those which are easy to find online.  With little recruitment time you could start using the services of a Virtual Assistant the very same day, meaning no lengthy or costly recruitment processes.  A quick Google search, recommendation from a fellow business associate or using a freelance hire portal is all you need to find your saviour.

  1. They are cost effective

You can hire a Virtual Assistant by the hour, project or on a regular retainer basis for as many hours as you need that day, week or month.  If you only need someone for a few hours each week or ad hoc to help out during busy periods, then you can hire a Virtual Assistant that meets your budget and needs, without worrying about other HR concerns such as pensions, National Insurance or taxation etc.  Virtual Assistants look after their own finances and taxation, so all you need to do is ensure you pay them for their time and they’ll take care of the rest.

  1. They are reliable

Virtual Assistants are skilled in a variety of disciplines and have a wide range of experience, working with a number of businesses across different industries worldwide and thus very adaptable.  You will be able to check out their testimonials and reviews of their services from past clients, and you can be sure that their main aim is to get the job done to the best of their ability.

  1. They can help you become more organised

The difference of having a Virtual Assistant working alongside you in your business can prove priceless.  You may find that your business is far more organised, less stressful and the little things you may forget to do or do not have enough time for, will get done without any fuss – making your business more streamlined and professional.

  1. They are easy to contact

Whilst there are some benefits to having someone physically present in your office.  These days, there isn’t much that can’t be done remotely thanks to Skype, instant messaging, email and much more.  Therefore, there should be no issues with your Virtual Assistant being contactable via these methods or even by sharing your desktop remotely in order to work collaboratively on certain projects together.

Hiring a Virtual Assistant can be a permanent or a temporary move and whichever you choose, you are sure to find instant benefits from their skills and ability to assist you in managing the running of your business.  If you are fortunate enough to find a Virtual Assistant that you are comfortable working with, and who provides value add to your business, you will have taken a very positive step to growing your support team and ultimately your business in the long run.  See here for more information on how a Virtual Assistant can help you in your business.

 

 

 

 

Picture courtesy of virtual support UK