From call handling and looking after customer relationships to taking care of invoicing and setting up a Direct Debit system, there are now a great many tasks that software and smarter set-ups can take care of for you, with no need to create a new (costly) role within your company. Whether you’re considering a receptionist or looking for a part-time accountant, here are 5 roles the internet can fill cheaply, or for free!
1. Receptionist
There are all sorts of odds and ends which receptionists or office managers look after. From taking calls and messages, to keeping diaries synced, this role in your company is nigh on indispensable.
Yet there are lots of ways to execute these tasks more cheaply. Virtual assistants, outsourced call handling and smart, company-wide diary software (or a good piece of project management software with a good collaborative calendar feature) all work well and will save you a lot of money on filling an in-house position. Check out:
- People Per Hour for a great virtual assistant
- Outsource call centres like OpenContact for call handling
- For free shared calendar apps give Google Calendar a go
2. Bookkeeper
If your invoices are running away with you, you may be considering taking on a part-time accountant or bookkeeper, but there’s lots of great software out there which can take the faff and hassle out of keeping your accounts straight. You can even automatically generate invoices, make payments and use Direct Debit systems to make your money tick along nicely without the need for an in-house bookkeeper. Try your arm with:
3. Customer relationship manager
In this day and age, keeping on top of customer relations and communication is essential. Tools like Zendesk make managing communication with customers and clients super easy and streamlined so you can take care of everything, wherever you go.
4. Social media manager
Hook yourself up with HootSuite to take care of all of your social media needs in one go. You can even get stuck into your social stuff one afternoon a week and auto-schedule all your activity to unfold while you get back to business.
5. Marketing manager
In fact, why stop at your social media manager? Employing a marketing manager may not be necessary either. Full, outsourced marketing departments can look after every aspect of generating leads and building your brand from creating overarching marketing strategies to creating cracking content to publish via social channels.
Again, People Per Hour is a good source if you’re looking for just a handful of services but full-service agencies can provide a complete package for a lot less than an experienced new team member…For starters:
- Xander Marketing and similar agencies cater their packages to fit small and medium enterprises with tight budgets
- Blur Group can put you in touch with thousands of marketing agencies across the world
- Forbes Magazine has some good pointers to help you make that tricky in-house outsourcing decision.
Are you looking for a new team member to fill a skills shortage? Would you consider using technology or outsourcing to plug the gap? Share your thoughts and your experiences with our readers below…
