Making the decision to start outsourcing doesn't happen overnight. Usually, only after months or years of trudging along, doing repetitive tasks or those they're no good at will a business owner decide to hand over the reigns to an outside provider.

That's a good thing, because entering into an outsourcing agreement shouldn't be taken lightly. Allowing someone else to act as your business is a risky thing to do. That's why recommend you take special steps to protect yourself and your business before you start outsourcing. You don't want to end up with an outsourcing nightmare!

Follow these 7 tips to make sure you've got all your ducks in a row before you start outsourcing. It can make all the difference!
<h2>7 Things You Should Do Before You Outsource</h2>
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 	<li><strong>Do your homework before settling</strong> on a provider. The first search result that pops up isn't a reliable way to gauge quality services or cost-effectiveness.</li>
 	<li><strong>Ask outsourcing providers</strong> you're considering if you can develop a custom plan rather than those listed on their website. You’d be surprised how often providers don't mind customizing a plan just for you!</li>
 	<li><b>Pay a little more to get a lot more</b>; pay a little less to get a lot less.<b> </b>Cost-effective services aren't usually cheap. Paying a little more will be worth it in the end.</li>
 	<li><b>Start out by outsourcing just a fraction of the work </b>you'd eventually like to outsource. This will give you a sense of how you work with the provider and the quality of their work.</li>
 	<li><b>Avoid add-on services you don't need </b>or being talked into outsourcing other areas of your work that weren't part of the original deal.</li>
 	<li><strong>Be fair but critical</strong> of every outsourcing provider you look at and try not to "fall in love" with one too quickly. Look at your options!</li>
 	<li><strong>Scale down your office space</strong> if you're able to outsource work that once required in-house help. This can save you more money than anything else on this list!</li>
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By doing these 7 things before you start outsourcing, you will ensure that you are protecting yourself and your business from a bad outsourcing relationship. As long as you know exactly what you're looking for in a provider and have actively compared several different providers in the industry, you can make sure you end up with the best possible outsourcing scenario and not an outsourcing nightmare.

To learn more about outsourcing and the mistakes you should avoid at all costs, check out this post by Conversational: <a href="https://www.conversational.com/10-biggest-outsourcing-donts/">The 10 Biggest Outsourcing Don'ts</a>

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