Which tasks should you outsource in retail?

Outsourcing involves paying a third-party company or freelancer to do a task for you.

For many roles, it can be cheaper and more convenient than employing staff.

Unlike hiring an employee, an outsourced company or individual is responsible for their own taxes and benefits and is able to supply their own equipment and resources. It is often ideal for part-time roles that require niche talent.

In retail, there are many tasks that can be beneficial to outsource. Below are just a few tasks that you may want to consider outsourcing.

Accounting

A lot of retail managers can spend a lot of time handling accounting tasks such as paying employees, keeping tax records and filing tax returns. It can often make sense to outsource a bookkeeper to take over these tasks.

By using an outsourced accountant, you can free up time spent doing book-keeping while also increasing the chance of your accounting being done accurately.

There are accountants out there that specialize in retail. When outsourcing an accounting firm or individual, make sure that they are accredited and experienced with good reviews.

Marketing

Advertising your retail company can take up a lot of time and energy. It can make sense to outsource a top marketing agency to promote your business for you.

This could include handling duties such as web development, SEO, social media marketing, graphic design, email marketing and paper marketing.

Some retail managers prefer to take on roles such as social media marketing and email marketing so that they maintain a personal tone (especially if it’s an independent business).

However, tasks like web design, SEO and graphic design are often better placed in the hands of experts - these tasks require talent and resources that the average retail company doesn’t have.

Outsourcing marketing can have other benefits such as increasing leads and maintaining brand consistency. Make sure to hire a trusted marketing firm with good reviews and rankings.

Cleaning and maintenance

Some retail stores delegate the task of cleaning to employees or may hire separate part-time employees to clean their store in the morning or evening.

Others prefer to outsource cleaners - this can allow your employees to focus on store-related duties and can take away the hassle of hiring dedicated in-house cleaners. Look for reputable cleaning companies in your area that specialise in retail.

Maintenance of your store is something that should definitely be outsourced - especially when it comes to tasks such as servicing air conditioning, repairing electrics or fixing plumbing.

Such maintenance tasks may only be needed infrequently (in many cases on an emergency basis), so it’s better to outsource technicians where and when you need them. Look online to find a trusted handyman that you can call up to take on these roles.

IT maintenance

Many modern stores are reliant on working digital software or a working ecommerce site. Fixing bugs and maintaining applications often involves specialist expertise, which is why it’s worth outsourcing an IT company.

If you’ve built your own retail software or paid for a custom built retail website, the developers of this software/website will likely be able to maintain it for you.

This may involve an ongoing fee (in the case of website maintenance, this may cross over into digital marketing including services such as SEO and social media marketing).

It could also be worth having a local IT technician on call to fix IT problems and possibly give advice on improving your digital infrastructure. Make sure to read reviews and assess credentials when hiring IT technicians.

Warehousing and delivery

Warehousing and delivery is a task outsourced by many online retail stores. This saves you having to find storage space for inventory and you don’t have to worry about hiring a dedicated delivery driver.

When selling popular branded products, you may also be able to take advantage of drop-shipping - this allows you to find the nearest warehouse and driver to where a customer lives in order to reduce delivery times.

Handling your own warehousing may be easier if you’re selling your own crafts. If you’re only delivering locally (such as a local furniture store), you may also prefer to hire an in-house delivery team.

However, in most cases, the two services are better off outsourced. Make sure to do your research when looking for warehousing and delivery services - fees can vary a lot and you want to make sure that they have a good reputation.

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