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Starting a new business requires bags of confidence, oodles of drive and determination and usually, some sort of specialist expertise that sets your products and services apart.

But launching smoothly is simply the start of an entrepreneurial journey — success brings expansion and might rapidly reveal that there are missing skillsets in your team which your company can’t consolidate and grow without.

There are two basic options — hiring the requisite staff or contracting outside partners to help you out.

But recruiting the right talent for niche positions can be tricky and expensive, so it’s preferable offshoring some functions.

With that in mind, here are three services SMEs should outsource.

1. IT

Many modern businesses wouldn’t work without significant IT infrastructure — from PCs and laptops to mobile phones and tablets.

But unless you’ve got the necessary smarts, attempting to maintain and repair this hardware and the software which keeps it running is a fool’s errand. You’ll either end up with devices full of bugs and viruses, or worse, set fire to your premises.

In an ideal entrepreneurial environment, you’d have your own inhouse IT team at your beck and call, but if you’re not flush enough to afford such an extravagance, the next best thing is outsourcing your requirements to a managed IT support service like Redhall.

This local firm can monitor systems 24 hours a day and step in to prevent IT dramas turning into crises.

2. Payroll

It’s a no-brainer that staff and contractors like to get paid for their services and get rather angry when salaries or payments don’t arrive on time or aren’t accurate.

This duty usually falls under the remit of an HR department and drains cash and time.

However, automated payroll provider SD Worx has an outsourced, cloud-based payroll service which is quicker and more accurate than human employees — and ensures appropriate tax arrangements are adhered to for any territory worldwide.

It’s common nowadays even for small firms to employ remote permanent staff or contractors abroad, so these types of services make sure they’re paid promptly, and everything’s kept above board.

3. Digital marketing

Digital marketing covers everything from designing and building a bespoke website for your company to implementing SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) so that your site ranks well on powerful search engines like Google — as well as social media strategies and content marketing.

If you don’t have experience in any of these disciplines, it’s a steep learning curve — but investing in digital marketing can help SMEs compete on a level playing field with larger rivals and connect with customers in clever ways.

At least initially, it’s best left to expert digital agencies like Scenicus or Attercopia who have spent years helping diverse local, national and international companies establish excellent digital presences.

Outsource these three key services and your SME will be streamlined and ship-shape for 2019.

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