Working 16 Hour Days? Save Time and Money by Outsourcing!

Filed Under (Bookkeeping) by Darron Skinner-Martin on 24-09-2008

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by Darron Skinner-Martin

All businesses need people to run them. Finding the help to do the ‘boring’ jobs know one wants to do can be difficult. Or maybe you just do not have the time. These tasks are mundane but are essential to the running of your business. Either way by using business process outsourcing (BPO) you can outsource staff relatively inexpensively. Using offshore BPO staff will enable you to get all those little jobs you have been meaning to do for the last week or month. Technology has made communicating and finding outsourced BPO staff very easy and risk free if done correctly.

There are several types of BPO. You can BPO staff offshore or you can simply outsource on site or within your country. There are a number of BPO companies which can provide you with the security measures to ensure your investment is ‘less risky’. The purpose of outsourcing is to save money with very little overhead costs or benefits such as sick leave and superannuation (or retirement plans such as 401K). BPO staff can do some of the following job roles as well as much more.

Data and Information: Data entry and word processing information are critical to the running of all businesses. Whether it is emailing lists, goods inventory or any other type of information entry, BPO staff can effectively complete these tasks saving you time and money on labor hire rates.

Telesales and Call Centers: Do your marketing strategies include the use of the phone? Outsourcing BPO staff can do all your lead generation, sales or manage your incoming calls. You can diversify your marketing strategies by using BPO staff to call business prospects. Direct marketing via telephone is a very effective marketing strategy.

Client Support: All businesses require customers or clients. The power of BPO staff can be seen in the areas of customer service. By outsourcing staff you are able to offer unparalleled customer support for all your products. Improve your businesses productivity by employing BPO staff to manage help desks for products, appointment confirmation and much more. This is all possible with out the expense normally associated with employing local in house staff.

Virtual Assistant: Is your business growing faster then the cash flow? If your business requires a virtual assistant to answer emails/phone then using BPO staff is a possibility. Perhaps your in house receptionist can do all the meet and greet and your virtual assistant does emails, data entry and/or calls clients. If even half the work your current receptionist is doing is on the computer/phone then a virtual assistant could be the answer to your problems. Your current in house receptionist could even do other tasks to increase your productivity.

Accountants/Bookkeepers: Keeping your financial records and books up to date does not have to be a stressful and time consuming issue (not to mention expensive) with BPO staff. There are many financial reports to be completed in the financial year. By outsourcing you can employ a bookkeeper at fantastic rates,save time and take away all your bookkeeping stresses.

If time is an issue for you and your business the use of BPO staff to complete those annoying jobs you have been meaning to finish is critical. Outsourcing staff could be the edge you have been searching for to increase your businesses productivity and capabilities.

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Can Your Accounting Staff Take You to the Next Level?

Filed Under (Bookkeeping) by Margot Brandlin on 07-06-2008

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by Margot Brandlin

When you’re just starting out, you’re not necessarily thinking about what your employees are going to bring to your business long-term. You simply want survival at first, and sometimes that means that you’ll hire anyone who can do the job and is willing to work at what you can afford to pay.

As oftentimes happens, a business owner hires someone they already know and trust, such as a neighbor or sister, to do the bookkeeping for them. Now, it’s true that this person might not even have experience in bookkeeping, but they just are more skilled at it than the owner.

Do You Need More Skilled Accounting Staff?

As the business grows, the needs and requirements of the business exceed the expertise of the original bookkeeper. As transactions get more complex, the books can get messy. And while the bookkeeper focuses on keeping up with the basic tasks, the big picture details go unattended.

No one is managing cash, monitoring profitability, or building relationships with lenders-no one is paving the way for growth. Even if the owner knew how to present the business to a bank or investor, the numbers might not be reliable. It can end up literally handicapping the entire organization.

Relief for the Business Owner

In fact, many owners don’t consider themselves knowledgeable in finance or accounting, and don’t have a formal background in it. This can leave them poorly equipped to properly supervise a bookkeeper, much less train them. In addition, they may not be able to handle issues like forecasting, controlling costs, and analyzing profitability.

If you hire a qualified CFO or controller, this can help you in two ways:

* By training and supporting your existing accounting staff, so they can operate at peak performance-this might include creating procedure manuals, automating some processes, and cleaning up books that are in disarray so that the bookkeeper can start over with a fresh slate.

* By performing financial duties that fall outside the expertise of the bookkeeper and the owner-this might include things like preparing and analyzing financial statements, creating business plans, defining budgets and performing cash flow analysis.

It takes unnecessary pressure off the business owner, who is freed up to focus on running the business. And the bookkeeper tends to thrive with training and clear expectations in place.

Efficient Processes Increase Your Bottom Line

Your accounting operations directly impact the profitability and growth of your company. For example, when you’re processing accounts receivables efficiently, payments are collected more promptly, cash flow evens out and banks view your business as being more credible.

If you don’t think your accounting staff can take your company to where it should go, perhaps it’s time to call upon a professional accounting service.

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