How many of you prepare your own Income Tax Return? Unless you’re one of the few who can still file form 1040EZ, my bet is you use a CPA or professional tax preparation company. It’s their job to know about changes in tax law, what you can deduct as a business expense, and a multitude of other details that would make your head spin if you had to stay abreast of it in addition to all your other responsibilities. That’s a sensible application of outsourcing; paying a professional to handle tasks you either don’t have time for, or don’t have the expertise to execute them efficiently. It’s the same logic behind taking your good suits to a dry cleaner or having an ASE-certified mechanic repair your car’s engine.
According to an article in Harvard Business Review about outsourcing marketing and advertising, “The benefits to business include cost savings and improved quality.” If outsourcing can save you money and deliver a better quality service or product, why wouldn’t you? Harvard Business School professor Gail J. McGovern, the article’s author, said, “The outsourcing of marketing activities is catching on; in fact, in a recent poll of business owners and executives, 53 percent reported plans to outsource all or most of their marketing activities.” The number one reason for outsourcing? You’ve heard it before. Outsourcing frees up your time to focus on your core business; the stuff you know how to do best.
Just what types of activities do businesses outsource? Find out in this article from Marketing Profs. Then call us and we’ll dispel the myth that you can’t afford to outsource your marketing. Unless you have time and money to burn, many businesses can’t afford not to.
About Carole Holden