3 tips for working with an outsourcing business

How should you work with an outsourcing business? If you’re thinking about working with a third-party provider, that’s the question you might be asking yourself.

There are different ways of working with an outsourcing company, depending on your business needs and processes. However, if you’re used to handling things in-house, you might not know the best approach.

There are also plenty of advantages of working with an outsourcing business. However, if you’ve never worked with one before, you might not know what they are.

If that’s the case, don’t worry. The Hudson Outsourcing Team know the ins and outs of the outsourcing process and we’re here to help.

This blog will tell you how to work with an outsourcing business to increase your chances of success.

What is an outsourcing business?

First things first, what is an outsourcing business?

An outsourcing business is a third-party provider that handles work, processes or services for your company. There are many types of outsourcing businesses out there, each offering a different service or process.

For example, here at Hudson Outsourcing, we offer a bid writing consultancy, Hudson Succeed. Our team of expert Bid Writers produce tender responses on behalf of our clients. We help our clients through the entire tendering process, end to end.

The outsourcing company that you choose will depend on the work required.

How will an outsourcing business benefit you?

Before deciding to outsource your business processes, you might be interested in the benefits of outsourcing.

So, what are the benefits of working with an outsourcing business?

1. It’s cost-effective

For many companies, using an outsourcing business is the most cost-effective option, especially SMEs. To handle your business needs in-house, you might be required to upskill your team. This often leads to high training costs. Not to mention that it takes time away from their core responsibilities.

Another option is to hire new employees to take over the processes for you. For many companies, this seems like the obvious answer. However, the costs associated with hiring new staff are often overlooked. For example, you’ll need to cover the costs of advertising the role, the recruitment process and hiring the new employee(s).

Many businesses, especially start-ups and SMEs, are unable to cover these costs. However, that’s where an outsourcing business can help. By using an outsourcing business, you’ll have access to experts and specialists at a fraction of the cost. This is because you only need to pay for the work that you receive. 

2. It increases efficiency

Working with an outsourcing business will also increase efficiency for your company.  This is because outsourcing companies are experts in that specific process and, sometimes, have years of experience in that field.

Take our Bid Writing Team, for example. They know exactly how to appeal to each buyer, changing their processes to suit the different sectors we work with. This is because they’ve had years of experience learning about the tendering process.

On the other hand, handling your business needs in-house would take much longer. It could also impact how much time you have to spend on running your business. However, trusting an outsourcing business would increase efficiency, as they wouldn’t be required to learn new skills. 

3. Focus on core areas of your business

Following on from our last point, using an outsourcing business will allow you to focus more attention on your business. Often, the services and processes that businesses outsource are lengthy and time-consuming. If the tasks aren’t crucial to your business, you might not have the time to complete them in-house. If you do focus your attention on these processes, you might be neglecting more value-added tasks.

However, an outsourcing business can take care of these tasks for you, leaving you to focus on your core responsibilities.

4. Reduce overhead costs

Another benefit of working with an outsourcing business is that it could reduce your overhead costs. This is because outsourcing to a third-party provider will reduce your need for office space.

For example, hiring an in-house employee or team would require office space, desks, chairs and equipment. Depending on the size of the team, you might be required to move to a bigger space. This will definitely lead to increased costs, especially if the new space is more expensive.

On the other hand, outsourcing companies will take care of your business needs outside of the office. This will lead to a massive reduction in overhead costs. As a result, you can spend the money you save on other areas of your business. 

5. Access to experts

The employees at your chosen outsourcing business will be experts in their specific field. They’ll be well versed in industry trends, changes and techniques to ensure they’re always delivering a high-quality service.

Working with an outsourcing business means that you’ll have access to their experience, knowledge and expertise. You won’t be required to upskill your team or hire new talent. The outsourcing company can take care of it all for you.

How to work with an outsourcing business

Now you know the advantages of outsourcing, it’s time to learn the best way to work with an outsourcing business.

At Hudson Outsourcing, we’re experts in the outsourcing process. So, here’s our advice for working with a third-party provider:

1. Define your goals

Before working with an outsourcing business, it’s important for you to define your goals. In other words, what do you want to achieve by outsourcing a specific business process?

Defining your goals will help you decide which outsourcing company is best for your business to work with. If you don’t know what you want to achieve, you’ll struggle to find a suitable third party.

2. Don’t make assumptions about price

When outsourcing work, it’s common for companies to automatically choose the cheapest outsourcing business. Of course, it’s understandable that you’d be attracted to a lower price. However, you shouldn’t assume that they’re a suitable option for your business on price alone.

Similarly, you might choose an outsourcing business with a higher price point, assuming they’re offering a higher quality service.

When choosing an outsourcing company, you should consider other factors too – not just price. For example, you should also consider:

• How much experience do they have?
• Do they have a success rate?
• Do they have positive feedback from previous clients?
• Do they have an impressive portfolio of work?

3. Communicate throughout the entire process

Here’s another tip for working with an outsourcing business: communication is key. If you fail to communicate with your chosen outsourcing business, it’s unlikely to be a success.

This goes for every stage of the outsourcing process. From your first contact, you should provide a detailed brief, clearly outlining your needs and expectations. As the work is being completed, you should communicate with the third-party to make sure you’re happy with their progress.

In summary

Now you know how to work effectively with an outsourcing business. Remember, it’s crucial that you define your goals. This should be the first thing you do, before establishing a relationship with an outsourcing company.

It’s also important that you don’t make assumptions based on cost. Don’t choose an outsourcing business just because they’re offering a cheaper price. As tempting as it may be, they might not be the best fit for your company. Similarly, you shouldn’t assume that a higher price equals higher quality. You need to consider other factors before making a decision, such as experience and quality.

Finally, communication is vital for a smooth, successful outsourcing relationship. You need to communicate with the outsourcing company at every stage of the process. From first contact through to the project’s completion.

Remember, if you’re on the fence about outsourcing, there are plenty of advantages! Outsourcing work is often the most cost-effective option, allowing you to invest more money back into your business. It will also lead to increased efficiency, leaving you focus more time and attention on your core business processes. Finally, your business will have access to experts and specialists. You can rest assured that you’re receiving a high-quality service, benefiting from their experience, knowledge and expertise in the field.

How can Hudson Outsourcing help your business?

Now you know all about working with an outsourcing business, but what does this mean for your company?

Here at Hudson Outsourcing, we offer an outsourced approach to the tendering process. From sourcing the tenders to writing your response to submitting the bid, we’ll take care of it all.

We have six divisions in total, each focused on a different aspect of growing your business. We want to help you Discover, Succeed, Procure, and be Vocal all while helping you learn via Alpha and develop with Hudson Labs.

Need help searching for tenders?

You may be wondering where you can find public sector contracts for your business. There’s no shortage of websites offering multi-sector tendering opportunities and leads. Ideally, you should be searching for a sector-specific site that posts all unique, public and private sector opportunities.

At Hudson Discover, we house 11 sector-specific tendering portals.  One centralised and easy-to-navigate portal can help you save time, streamlining the process.

These consist of:

• Creative Tenders
• Healthcare Tenders
• Facilities Tenders
• Construction Tenders
• Technology Tenders
• Logistics Tenders
• Research Tenders
• Consultancy Tenders
• HR Tenders
• Finance Tenders
• Hospitality Tenders

Once signed up, you’ll have access to your own dedicated Account Manager. They’ll be able to answer any questions you may have about public sector contracts. You’ll also get an email alert when new and relevant tenders are uploaded to your sector.

A subscription to one of our industry-specific portals will include:

• Unlimited portal access. You can browse your industry’s portal to your heart’s content. See the hundreds of opportunities that are available, intuitively categorised and easily accessible.
• A daily email bulletin. When you sign up to a portal, you can choose the specific areas in which you’d like to tender. Then, a daily bulletin is created for you. It includes all the relevant opportunities that have been posted to the portal that day, straight to your inbox.
• A dedicated Account Manager. They’ll handle any questions or queries you may have about the portal.
• A free 20-minutes phone consultation with a Bid Writer. Our expert bid consultants will chat with you for 20-minutes about anything tender related.

What opportunities can I expect from a tender search on one of the above portals?

We host all kinds of tenders in both the public and private sectors. These are inclusive of, but aren’t limited to:

• Open tenders
• Restricted procedure tenders
• Competitive dialogues
• Negotiated tendering procedures
• Innovation partnerships
• Single supplier contracts
• Framework agreements
• Dynamic Purchasing Systems

Now you know how find tenders for your business, you may be wondering how to write a bid. Well, luckily for you, our sister company, Hudson Succeed, are experts in bid writing.

They have over 60 years of bid writing experience and an 87% success rate. Whether you’re completely new to tendering or aren’t seeing results – they can help. There are four bid writing packages available:

• Tender Writing

Once you’ve found a tender you’d like to go for, send it over to us. One of our Bid Writers will write the tender response for you. They’ll provide a full Tender Writing breakdown and even submit it on your behalf.

• Tender Mentor

Tender Mentor can give your tender response a once over before you submit. The Bid Writing Team will analyse your response, notifying you of any errors prior to submission.

• Tender Ready

A 4-week programme for those who have never tendered before. The programme will develop your branded corporate literature and case studies. Our team will advise you on what tendering opportunities you should go for and guide you through your tendering response.

• Tender Improvement

The Tender Improvement package can help those who have tendered before but aren’t seeing results. Our Bid Writers will assess your previous responses and work with you to develop improved content.

Get in touch to find out how we can help your business grow.

Vocal

Our support doesn’t end there! Our creative content agency, Vocal, are on hand to help.

The Vocal Team are not afraid to stand up and be heard. And we make sure our clients aren’t either! From small, micro businesses to large organisations, we are vocal about the things that make your business unique.

Our creative service is dedicated to growing your business through striking and thought-provoking content. Our team specialise in six areas, including:

• Copywriting
• Marketing
• Branding
• Websites
• Design
• Illustration.

If you’d like to know more about what we can do for your business, introduce yourself to the team!

Contact us today to find out more.

Find more helpful tips and advice in our blogs. We cover topics including:

• The outsourcing process
• Advantages to outsourcing work
• How to find the best tender websites
• Bidding on government contacts in the UK
• United Kingdom tenders
• Blue light tenders
• Public procurement in the UK
• Government tenders
• Public contracts in England
• e-Tender websites
• And many more.