5 Third Party Services That Will Save You Time & Money

When you are a startup business, there are two things that you are short of: time, and money. And, when you consider that in business, time IS money, and then we can break it down even further. This is where outsourcing to third party services can help. They will bring expertise to your business – and the time to get things done – that you can’t possibly match.

Yes, of course, they are going to cost you money. But, if you’re careful to choose the right companies to work with, then you will see enormous returns on that investment. Here are five business services that can help you save time and money – and help your company get better results.

Virtual assistants

First of all, there are lots of basic admin tasks that need doing when you are a startup. It could be filling in databases for competitor research, for example, or document filing. All these things will eat into your time and take you away from the most important aspects of your business. There is no point doing these tasks yourself – it’s just a waste of time and money.

You are far better off finding a virtual assistant and paying them what those tasks are actually worth. Let’s say that when you make the best use of your time, you are worth $100 an hour to your company. Would you pay that to an admin assistant for some general data entry tasks? No way – this is why you should pay someone a fraction of that price to do it instead.

General freelancers

You should also take some time out of your schedule to start meeting some freelancers in your local area. Freelancers are handy for all kinds of business entities, from small startups to giant corporations.

Everyone needs a little extra work done on occasion, and having reliable freelancers on hand is the perfect way of achieving your goals. Perhaps you need a graphic designer to mock up some marketing materials for you, or you could do with refreshing your copy to improve your sales? Get to know who is good at what they do in your area and you will reap the rewards.

Image

Accountants and finance experts

Great accountants are like gold dust for any business, regardless of size. They will free up a lot of your time and do your bookkeeping for you, which will give you a chance to take care of everything else in your company.

Not only that, but they will be able to identify cost-saving opportunities and give you essential financial guidance. In fact, finding an accountant and a business analyst is possibly one of the best things you can do as a startup. They will save you money, and help you get the most out of every last cent in your business.

Marketing help

As a startup, you should be concentrating on one thing in your early days – making your product viable for the market. The trouble is, once you are ready to pitch it to your audience, you will quickly realize that you don’t have one! Your best bet, then, is to find a marketing firm that can help you create a strong brand message and help you target the right people.

They will bring their expertise with them, and you can draw on that for the best possible results. There are a few different areas to look at. If you have an online branch to your business, then you might want to consider managed SEO services. If you are looking for national exposure, you could benefit from an advertising agency that can come up with TV or radio ads for you. Your marketing is vital to your initial growth, and it’s essential to get it right straight from the off.

Legal help

Whatever line of business you are in, you will need a lawyer at many different times. When you start out, there are contracts between you and your co-founders, for example. You’ll also need to think about your intellectual property rights. You will need to draw up contracts for your clients. suppliers and employees. There may be a time when you need legal help in court if anyone ever brings about a claim against you.

That legal protection is essential in almost every area of business, so it’s important to find someone you can work with from the start. Sure, you could save money by looking into everything yourself, but you will still need a sign off from a lawyer. So, it’s best to find a good lawyer and use their knowledge and connections as you go along. It will be cheaper in the long-term, and keep your costs down if something were to happen.