When applicable, I recommend expert third-party services versus hiring a full- or part-time employee to do the same job. There are many benefits with using services and business consultants: If you are unhappy with the consultant or service, you can cancel it and sign up for another. If you are unhappy with your employee, it’s a lot more work to make a switch. Third-party services and independent consultants are always on time, and they only bill for time spent, never taking vacations. For many small business applications, this is the only way to go. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel when it comes to standard business operations.
In today’s global world, you can outsource just about everything for your business (accounting, web design, database setup, inventory control, e-commerce, marketing). You only need to hire employees where day-to-day needs warrant it, otherwise use contractors. This is the best way to control costs as you can budget for the contractors and use them only when you need the help. Your payroll is usually the largest expense — keep it to a minimum.
With the crash of the economy in the fall of 2008, employers laid off staff and found that the productivity stayed the same as the remaining employees took over the work left by those who left. Even though the economy improved in 2009, employers are not hiring back since production is adequate even with a decrease in staff. Independent contractors fill the gaps left by this unemployment.
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