Playing to your strengths is always good business advice. If you know nothing about cars, you shouldn't open a car repair shop. Someone who hates to cook wouldn't start a restaurant. This is just common sense. Whatever business you're in, you're good at providing that good or service. That doesn't mean that you are skilled at every business task that comes along with owning your own business. Why then do so many small business owners try to do everything themselves? The answer usually comes down to money. Hiring employees or contracting vendors to help with business tasks comes at a cost. Avoiding these fees can seem like a good way to save money. In reality, that is not true at all. Spending time on tasks that you ill suited for costs you money and hurts your business in the long run. Keep reading for some tips on which tasks you should outsource, how to find the help you need, and why using Stockpile free small business inventory system is a smart idea.
Accounting
Every business has expenses and revenue. Keep track of your funds is crucial to your success, and pretty important to the IRS. You have to know how much it costs you to run your business and how much you need to make to remain profitable. This is one of those tasks that seems pretty straightforward and simple, so many small business owners attempt to handle it on their own. Even if your business is small and you're fairly adept at accounting, it's a good idea to invest some accounting software. It can help you track expense, factor depreciation of assets and simplify things at tax time. There are a number of low cost options out there so if you don't want to hire an accountant check them out.
Advertising
Effective advertising isn't as simple as it may seem. It takes more than just getting the word out, you need to use the right words to reach your target audience. That means you have to know who your target audience is and what is most important to them. Your ad should be worded differently if you're trying to attract young singles than it would be if your customers are predominantly families. The ease and availability of online marketing has given many business owners a false sense of confidence. Since the cost associated with online advertising is so low they think they can afford the trial and error method of advertising. They believe that putting their message out there, any message, is better than nothing at all. Crafting the wrong message can actually drive away your potential customers. If most of your customers are college students but your ad appeals to families with young children, they may start to think that you don't want their business. They can actually be put off by what they see as an attempt to attract a different sort of clientele. Effective advertising doesn't require enlisting the services of a high power firm. You may be able to get some advice from a marketing student at your local college or hire a consultant online who is willing to work for a low cost just for the experience. Explore your options. If you still can't find any help that fits your budget do some research and try to hone your own marketing and advertising savvy.
Customer Relations
This is an area that many business owners can handle on their own. Chances are, you know your customers and have developed a rapport with them. With a little help from a CRM system you'll be able to track your customers and develop promotions that are tailored to them. For more on building customer relationships read our previous posts by clicking the links below.
Better Customer Service Begins with Employees
Inventory Management
Many small business owners lament their inventory woes. Tracking inventory can be a full time job, and it is often one that comes with lots of headaches. This doesn't have to be the case. Stockpile free small business inventory system was designed for small businesses. That doesn't mean that is limited in functionality or ability to grow with your business. That just means that is fully customizable and scalable so that you can make it work the way that you need it to. There's no need to worry about the cost either. Stockpile is available for free so that it's accessible to all business owners. If you're ready to learn more about what Stockpile can do for you try it today!
Sales
Some people are great at creating things and at selling them, other people excel in one area over the other. If you find it hard to talk to strangers and don't like to face rejection, sales probably isn't your strong suit. If that's the case this is an area where you'll need to hire some staff to handle this task. Some people are just born salesmen. They can anyone into buying almost anything. This is the kind person that you need selling your good or service. While you may be able to handle sales, a true salesperson can increase your customer base and grow your revenue. It's an investment in your company that will pay off in the long run. If you're not ready to hire full time employees just yet, look into getting some part time contract workers from a staffing agency. This can reduce your initial investment until your business grows enough for you to add your own full time employees.
Be Stronger than Your Inventory Issues with Stockpile Free Small Business Inventory System
We hope these tips help you identify areas where you should be outsourcing tasks within your small business. As always we are committed to helping small business owners succeed and grow their businesses. Check back with us again to learn more about Stockpile and the ways that we can help your business. Try Stockpile today!
