For many industries, hiring a third-party support organization is a certainty. For example, outsourcing can be the right decision if your internal support team may need external help or needs to free up time to address other issues. Consider these tips for finding the correct vendor:
Decide What You Need
Before you decide to hire a third-party support organization, it’s essential to consider what aspects of your business you want or need to include. For example, do you want to outsource all your IT services or just parts? It’s also helpful to think about what goals and concerns are essential for your company.
For example, if your company is growing rapidly and profits are decreasing in response to increased demand for your technical resources, outsourcing some of those responsibilities may be the key to getting things back on track. Or perhaps something specific makes sense for an outside party (e.g., security) but not necessarily another piece of the puzzle (e.g., payroll).
Prepare To Interview Organizations
- Prepare questions for the interview
Before you meet with potential third-party organizations, think of some questions that will help you better understand the company’s history and growth. For example, ask about how long the company’s been in business, its biggest clients, and how it’s continued to expand over time. That will give you a feel for what kind of experience it has in the industry, which can be helpful when determining if it’s a good fit for your business needs.
- Ask about their plans
After finding out a company’s history, the next step is learning its plans for the future. By asking them about the company’s plans and goals (both immediate and long-term), you’ll gain insight into what type of culture the company’s built and whether or not those values align with your company.
Learn About the Company and Its Employees
- How long has the company been in business and what is its track record?
- How many employees do they have, and what are their areas of expertise?
- Who are some of their customers, both current and past? What kind of customer service have they provided to them over time?
- What services do they offer, and how do you plan to use these products or services going forward?
Ask About the Support Team’s Technical Background
- Ask about certifications.
- Find out what training and experience they have in your industry.
- Depending on your project’s nature, find out how much experience they have with your software or business process.
Learn How Quickly the Vendor’s Support Team Can Be Onsite for Emergency Situations
What’s the vendor’s response time for emergencies? How long does it take for them to get on-site for a critical situation? What happens if they aren’t able to get there immediately (or at all)? Do you have some sort of backup plan in place so your employees can continue working while waiting for help?
How quickly can the vendor reach you when needed? How long will they wait to contact someone else, like a manager or executive staff? Are they limited to calling or texting you during an issue? If not, can you focus on other business areas until everything has been resolved?
How quickly will they be able to start working on resolving issues once they arrive at the site — and how soon after that will results start appearing to ensure that all concerns were addressed efficiently by support personnel?
Don’t Forget That You’re Hiring People, Not Just a Company
Your organization is hiring people, not a company. So it’s important to make sure that the right people are working for you and that they’re a good fit for your culture.
- Make sure they are qualified.
- Make sure they are reliable.
- Ensure they are trustworthy.
- Make sure they’re available when you need them and accessible if there’s an emergency or problem any day or night.
Connect2Capital Helps Businesses Grow and Thrive
We hope our tips have been helpful. Many organizations have successfully hired out third-party support, so don’t let potential challenges stop you from considering it. We believe that the benefits of doing so can be quite significant, and we’re excited to see how your business grows as a result!
Connect2Capital offers advice on how to help your business grow and thrive, whether you’re considering adding third-party support or looking for other strategies to help your business succeed. In addition, it helps small business owners who may have difficulty procuring funding from mainstream lenders connect with mission-driven lenders that offer affordable financing.
For more assistance in helping your business succeed, complete this inquiry form to start the matching process between small business owners and lenders.
The information in this blog is for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the most current resources and recommendations available. Please consult with your financial, tax, legal, and other relevant advisors when making decisions about your small business.