Outsourcing conjures up images of large corporate organizations and tenders for jobs such as cleaning services, facility management, etc. But outsourcing can include anything from word-processing services, database management, website content management to copy and fax services. The list is limited only by your imagination. The services outsourced by a small business will usually be provided by a business support services provider.

What kind of services can a small business outsource? Whether you are a one man business running from a home based office or have your own premises with some staff, the services that can be outsourced include administrative services, event planning, accounting/bookkeeping, recruitment, payroll, procurement and so much more.

The best way to find out what you can personally outsource is to keep a work diary for a few days. While this may be time consuming and tedious, it will show up all those tasks that can be performed by somebody else while you get on with the business of growing your business.

The best way to find out what you can personally outsource is to keep a work diary for outsource your admin tasks a few days. While this may be time consuming and tedious, it will show up all those tasks that can be performed by somebody else while you get on with the business of growing your business.

The benefits of outsourcing for a small business owner are numerous. You save money by not having to pay a full time salary for services you only require part time. You also save money on equipment, and the inevitable huge phone bills that will result from having a not too busy assistant sitting in your office with nothing else to do but call his/her friends. And most importantly you give your self more time to make more money and reduce your stress levels.

Finding a good business support services provider is essential to reaping the full benefits of outsourcing. So you need to research your potential provider and ensure that their work methods are compatible with yours. A good provider will take the time to learn about you, your business and your customers. In no time, you'll wonder how you ever did without one.

Some questions to ask when choosing a business support services provider for your business:

What are the fees and fee structure? If you know you will need their services on a regular basis, ask about retainer rates.

What is their confidentiality policy? This is very, very important, as you want to ensure that anyone carrying out work on your behalf maintains a strict confidentiality policy.

When is payment to be made? This could be at the end of the project or, if you are using a retainer service, then it may be once a month.

What is the method for sending/receiving work? Given today's technology you would be surprised at how many options there are for sending and receiving work.

Thanks to the internet, it's now much easier to work with your business support services provider. Communications technologies now mean that you don't have to physically be in the same place to collaborate. You can send work to your provider via email, fax or regular mail. You can also keep up to date with developments via email. There are also various collaboration tools available on the internet which allows you to share files.

Bill Gates, Time Magazine, March 22, 1999 VOL. 153 NO. 11 - "As a business manager, you need to take a hard look at your core competencies. Revisit the areas of your company that are not directly involved in those competencies, and consider whether Web technologies can enable you to spin off those tasks. Let another company take over the management responsibilities for that work, and use modern communications technology to work closely with the people -- now partners instead of employees -- doing the work. In the Web work style, [you] can push the freedom the Web provides to its limits".