Put Outsourcing to Work for Your Home-Based Agency
by Stephanie LeeContributor Stephanie Lee of Host Agency Reviews writes a monthly column on issues faced by travel agents who work from home.
In the grind of life, I’m always searching for a way to make things more fun. Much like the Seven Dwarfs, I want to whistle a catchy tune while I work.
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Unfortunately, all too often, just as I’m on my way to cheerfully whistling my way through life, I’m interrupted. The deceptively friendly beep of my calendar alert reminds me I have to put together my newsletter. Or, I go to my website and discover the calendar is garbled, which means I need to figure out why it’s not working.
Talk about ruining the mood.
Like home-based travel agents and other sole proprietors, I wear many hats at work. (See last month’s column, “Selling Travel: It’s Seven Jobs Rolled Into One.”) But I can’t do it all alone. So this month, I’m writing about the solution – outsourcing.
Who should outsource?
“It’s better to do a few things well than to do a lot of things poorly.”
I’d argue that every home-based agent should be outsourcing. You may be a person of many talents, but the work of a semi-adequate bookkeeper and the work of an expert bookkeeper (to take one example) are two totally different things.
We’re in a profession that counsels others to use travel professionals because of the skill and knowledge agents bring to the table. So we really should understand the benefits of using someone who is an expert in their field versus relying on whatever dubious information we may have found by Googling our business questions.
What about the expense?
When someone mentions outsourcing, do you dismiss the idea because of cost? You shouldn’t. You’re an entrepreneur. As the saying goes, “You’ve got to spend money to make money.”
And don’t forget that you went into business for yourself with the goal of enjoying life more, not making yourself miserable.
What should you outsource?
You need to step back and recognize your own strengths and weaknesses and consider what is best for your company. There’s only one of you, so put your energy where it’s going to make you the most money.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Is the job highly skilled such as accounting, payroll, or web development?
- Is the job repetitive?
- Do you struggle to find time in the day to complete the task?
If you found yourself answering yes to any of the questions, add that job to your list of tasks you could outsource.
The possibilities abound. You could outsource the printing and mailing of cruise documents to your next door neighbor. You could outsource writing articles for your newsletters to a Montreal-based freelancer.
No matter the location of your outside help, it’s important to be clear on your expectations and express them to the candidates during the vetting process. Not communicating what you need and expect sets up both parties for failure.
What about control?
Many small business owners fail to outsource because it seems to mean giving up control.
I want to stress that outsourcing a job does not mean you have to lose control. It means that instead of doing the work yourself, you are delegating it.
Think of yourself as quality control, a job that takes considerably less time than doing the task in question, while still allowing you to know what’s happening.
Knowledge is power
A final cautionary note. Outsourcing frees up time and resources, making your life more fulfilling and your business more successful.
Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs are so exhausted when they finally decide to outsource, that they breathe a sigh of relief and hand over the reins completely.
That’s a mistake. After you’ve finished celebrating your newfound freedom, don’t forget to stay connected and put your finger back on the pulse of your company.
Former host agency director Stephanie Lee recently launched Host Agency Reviews, which features agent reviews of host agencies and tips for starting and growing a travel agency. As a new home-based business owner, she understands the challenges of self-employment. Connect with Steph on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.
