If your staff spends hours learning specialized skills for one-off projects in order to save money on additional hires, it’s time to change the way you approach tech-related work in your small business. While it might seem cost-effective to keep projects in-house whenever possible, the money you don’t make due to productivity losses is often more than you’d spend on outside help. Add reduced quality due to amateur efforts, and it’s hard to justify keeping specialized projects in-house.

Unless it’s a core part of your business, it’s usually wiser to outsource tech-related work to professionals who already possess the skills to get the job done quickly and to the caliber you need.

If you’re not already outsourcing these tech tasks, it’s time to start.

Web Development, Design, and Marketing

Building a website is a major undertaking that requires a range of skills, from writing lines of bug-free code to designing a user-friendly interface. While drag-and-drop website builders make designing websites seem easy, it’s harder than it looks to create a site that reflects your brand  and works seamlessly on every browser and device.

While most business websites require some degree of ongoing maintenance, the biggest expense is in designing and launching the site. Since this is a one-off project, it makes sense to contract with a web developer who can build a full-featured, problem-free site on a quick turnaround. 

Web developers are a good choice for a basic business website. As the backbone of every webpage, HTML dictates the basic layout of websites, including images, contact forms, and links to other pages and social media profiles. Fortunately, small business owners can easily hire freelance web designers through online job boards.

Once you have your website put together, it’s time to do some marketing. Unless you’re a pro at the marketing game, you’ll need to hire someone to tackle this job for you — especially when it comes to developing and maintaining a presence on social media. For instance, many companies can handle important tasks such as public relations, event planning, and, yes, social media management, all of which will help draw business to your website and business.

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is another tech-related task that most small business IT departments (if they have one  at all) lack the skills to do effectively. When a tiny IT department spends the majority of its time managing day-to-day tech support issues, there’s little bandwidth left to monitor emerging security threats.

However, just because your business is small doesn’t mean it’s any less prone to a cyberattack or that a breach is any less devastating. In fact, the statistics point to the opposite. According to CNBC, more than half of all small businesses were affected by a data breach in the past year, and 60 percent shuttered their doors within six months of a cyberattack. 

Compared to the high cost of a breach, outsourced cybersecurity services look quite affordable. However, before contracting with a managed service provider, make sure you’re taking basic cybersecurity measures like updating software and operating systems on schedule, using antivirus and firewalls, and training staff on common phishing scams.

Software

On-premise software is expensive to buy and expensive to maintain, especially for small businesses with shoestring IT budgets. In addition to the investment required to purchase software, businesses have to buy hardware to run it and shoulder implementation and maintenance costs all on their own. While this may be practical for large enterprises with highly-specialized computing needs, it’s rarely a good deal for small companies.

Software-as-a-service, or SaaS, allows small businesses to outsource hosting, security, and maintenance expenses associated with software to the software provider. In exchange, businesses pay a flat subscription fee to access the software they need. Since SaaS solutions are hosted online, switching to outsourced software also gives employees access to the tools they need from any location.

One of the greatest benefits of SaaS is that it shifts software from a cost- and labor-intensive resource to something that’s cheap and easy to maintain. Instead of needing in-house IT to manage software solutions, once you’ve chosen the right software solutions for your business, implementing them is as simple as plug-and-play.

Small business owners shouldn’t miss out on the potential of outsourcing certain tasks. If you want better results, faster turnarounds, and lower costs, outsourcing is the right solution to your business’s tech-related needs. Paying high rates for professional freelancers and third-party service providers can be a hard pill to swallow, but it’s nearly always more cost-effective than handling specialized projects in house — or worse, failing to address tech needs and exposing your company to costly risks.  

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Hobbies are a great way to relieve stress, boost your mental health, and help you find joy while breaking up the monotony of work and other responsibilities, but they’re also a great way to make money. In fact, if you’re careful and take the time to learn how to build your brand, you can create a successful business based on something you love to do. Whether you’re into rebuilding cars or creating handmade decorative items, there are a million ways you can become an entrepreneur and actually make some great money at the same time. Here are a few examples of how you can turn your hobby into a lucrative business model.

Create a web presence

You may already have personal social media pages, but when you’re running a business, it’s important to create a web presence that is separate from your own following. A dynamic, easy-to-navigate website can help your customers find everything they need, while an added blog will allow you to connect with them and show them what your business is all about. If you’re not a writer, never fear — you can utilize a service that will transcribe your spoken words quickly and easily for a small fee, without any expensive equipment. This will help you build a blog that is easy to read but is also in your own words.

Research the competition

With just about any type of business, there will be competition in some form. Whether it’s via an online store or a shop in your own neighborhood, there will almost always be someone else who has a similar idea. As such, it’s important to do a little research to find out what their business model is, how much they charge for items similar to yours, and how many employees they have, among other things. Getting to know the competition will allow you to build your company as strong as possible while preparing some market research. 

Save, save, save

When starting any business, it’s essential that you begin with a budget and to have a clear idea of where you’ll be in the next two years. You have to think ahead, because even the most successful small businesses can take some time to make a profit. Not only that, but it’s also important to think about the details when it comes to saving money. If you can run your business out of your home rather than buying or renting a storefront, that will save quite a bit on expenses. Utilize free online resources, such as the Google Suite, to get organized and to keep everyone involved in the business on the same page. Keeping your finances in order is imperative in turning your hobby-related career into a successful business.

Ask yourself the hard questions

While you may be excited about turning your hobby into a business, it’s important to ask yourself the hard questions before jumping in. Are you still going to derive joy from the hobby once you have to do it for your career? Is there a demand for it? How can you create a niche for yourself in the competitive world of online shopping? Can you devote the time it will take to make sure customers will find you and interact on social media? Answering these questions before you begin will help you form a more solid business plan and work out any kinks.

Turning a hobby into a business is a wonderful way to become an entrepreneur and do something you love, but it can be a stressful time as well. By preparing well and ensuring your finances are sorted out, you can reduce the risk of problems and make a smooth transition.

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Whether you’re working remotely by force or by choice, there’s no denying that having a dedicated workspace is the best way to keep your productivity high. After all, you’re more prone to distractions when you work from home, especially when you share it with your family. It goes without saying that having this delineation between your home and work life will be a truly great investment toward your career. Here are some great resources to help you create your perfect home office and, in turn, ensure your success as a remote worker.

Plan Your Workspace

Proper planning will help you create a home office that supports your productivity and comfort — and stay on budget, while you’re at it.

• No doubt, a home office is a great investment when you work from home, but you must also know the possible costs of your dream workspace.
• It’s helpful to note that you may be eligible for a home office deduction.
• You’ll definitely want to make sure that it has everything a home office needs.
• Fundamentally, your home office should be fitted with a home network that allows you to work or do your business from home without a hitch.

Furnish Your Workspace with Care

Yes, it can be said that furniture makes the home office. If you want to build a home office that truly supports your focus and creativity, think comfort and function, as well as form.

• It’s a good idea to find inspiration as you create the home office of your dreams.
• As the focal point of your home office, you’ll want to choose a desk that’s appropriate for the work that you do, as well as the space you have available.
• Make sure to invest in a home office chair that’s comfortable and ergonomic to allow hours and hours of uninterrupted work.
• Look into shelving and other accessories that help you keep your workspace organized for peak productivity.

Maximizing Your Workspace

Even the best home office setup, furniture, and equipment will be all for naught, if you don’t make the most out of the perfect workspace you’ve created.

• Maximizing your efficiency is a mix of a great workspace and healthy work practices that are geared for focus and creativity.
• A work routine is definitely a must when you work from home, starting from the time you wake up to the end of your day.
• You definitely want to impose a social media pause during your work hours (and even beyond) to keep your output high.
• From healthy snacks to adequate lighting, don’t hesitate to give your home office the little things that it needs to support your focus.

Suffice it to say, a dedicated home office is not only a good thing to have, but a truly worthwhile investment toward a potentially lucrative career. With the potential ROI hot on its heels, this is definitely a home addition you need to consider today.
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