7 Things Most Startups Outsource Which Are Better Kept In-House

No matter how
great your startup and how talented your team, you can’t excel at everything.
For any business, there are always elements which are better outsourced to the
experts.

This is
particularly true for startups, because as a burgeoning company you still need
to develop skills and competencies in a number of areas. As you grow your start
up, it makes a lot of sense to outsource certain areas. For this reason, most startups outsource a number of tasks
and projects from marketing to technology.

However, there
are some things which are much better kept in-house for a variety of reasons,
including some which are very often outsourced by startups. Here are the top 7
areas you should keep in-house for better results all-round.

1. Your Core Business:

The first rule
of outsourcing is you should never outsource your core competencies. Whatever
your core business is, this is what you should always keep in-house. For
example, tech startups should never outsource your technology. The underlying
premise of outsourcing is to focus on what you do well, so it’s important to
keep your core business in-house, excel at it, and use this to set your startup
apart from your competition.

2. Website Design:

Website design
is still largely thought of as a task that needs to be left to specialised
website developers. This was indeed once the case, when websites could only be
built in code. However, with the rise of website building platforms, it is now
possible to build a website with only
a basic level of technological and design skills and knowledge. The advantages
of keeping website development in-house include reduced costs, greater flexibility
to be able to update your site, and above all being able to maintain complete
creative control. If you want a truly unique design which perfectly fits your brand, there is no
one better equipped to do this than your in-house team.

3. Customer Service:

Your
relationships with your customers are one of the most important things to
maintain for any startup. Especially in the early stages of developing your
brand, building strong customer relations through exemplary customer service is
essential in order to establish a great reputation which will allow you to
build your brand. Nowadays, more and more companies are choosing to outsource
customer service, often to providers based overseas who can offer the services
at the fraction of the cost. However, this usually turns out to be a false
economy: investing in strong, in-house customer service will repay itself many
times over in repeat business and referrals to new customers.

4. Strategy:

Strategy is
another element which is best kept in-house. Your strategy is what will set you
apart from your competitors and allow your startup to grow, and for this to be
unique it must be developed by your core team. This is not to say you cannot
consult with strategists, or outsource certain aspects of implementing your
strategies. The key is to outsource technical elements, but to keep the
ultimate decision-making control in-house. For example, you may choose to
outsource design or copy writing to support your marketing efforts, but the
person who designs your marketing strategy and makes the planning and
implementation decisions should be a member of your team.

5. Web Data Extraction:

Web data extraction is a
critical process for any startup. This process of data mining from various
internet sources provides invaluable insights on industry trends, threats and
opportunities, as well as helping to analyse competitor activity and assess
your startup’s own brand image. Keeping web data extraction in-house means you
will have greater control over the entire process. It will also allow your
startup to keep up to date with the latest data, and respond quickly when
things change or if there are any issues in the process, rather than going
through a third party.  

6. Staff Management:

Recruitment is a very common area that
startups outsource, and this makes a lot of sense. External recruiters have the
specific know-how and connections to be able to find the best talent to support
the startup’s growth. However, once that talent is in place, management should
always be handled by the core in-house team. This is particularly true when it
comes to performance
management and terminating employees: sensitive issues
should always be handled by someone in-house as a representative of the
company, and preferably someone who works closely with the employee.

7. Technology and Software Issues:

Resolving technology and software issues is
another area that is commonly outsourced in the startup world. Although this
makes sense in a lot of ways, outsourcing these problems could mean your
startup is missing out on a valuable opportunity. It is in addressing problems
and challenges and coming up with a unique solution that many startups have
managed to set themselves apart and this has ultimately been key to their
success in business. The most common way that these challenges present
themselves in the startup world is in the fields of software and technology, so
consider keeping these areas in-house.