The power of outsourcing as a best practice
Today's small business owners have a tremendous range of resources at their disposal to help them focus on what they do best and not get distracted by tasks that could be done better and faster by someone else. Many are easily accessed with a click of a mouse or the swipe of a finger - online or through various apps.
We all know about Uber and Lyft, the ride sharing model that has become so popular. But there are similar models for a range of services besides getting you safely to your hotel or the train station.
The ways to access talented people are changing. When Google looks to hire drivers for their autonomous vehicles, they go to what you might consider an unlikely source - Craigs List. Because that is where they can reach the people they are looking for - creative, tech-oriented, and opportunistic. If you don't need someone to sit in your driverless vehicle all day, a more traditional freelancer marketplace like Upwork gives you access to global resources with skills in areas like bookkeeping, marketing, research and writing. Set up an account and put out a bid - you will get a range of offers. Look over the respondents’ credentials and ratings and then pick someone to help you.
Other resources include Task Rabbit which provides services from cleaning to running errands, virtual assistants like Zirtual to help manage your schedule and Fiverr, an online collective of graphic designers and video production people.
These are just a few examples of the kinds of resources available to help small companies be successful - all accessible from your laptop or smartphone.
