When you’re juggling sales, marketing, payroll, and customer support all at once, the workload can get overwhelming. That’s where outsourcing comes in. Outsourcing simply means hiring an external company or freelancer to take care of specific tasks so your team can focus on what matters — growing the business.
Whether you’re a startup on a tight budget or an established company looking to scale, outsourcing can be a game-changer for efficiency and cost savings.
But what are the tasks businesses most often hand off to outside experts? Let’s break them down.
Why Do Companies Outsource in the First Place?
Before diving into the most common tasks, it helps to understand why outsourcing is so popular in the first place:
The Most Common Tasks Companies Outsource
1. Administrative and Back-Office Support
Repetitive tasks often take up more time than we realize. Many businesses outsource things like:
- Data entry
- Calendar and email management
- Travel booking and scheduling
- Virtual assistant services
Best for: Smaller businesses looking to reduce day-to-day busy work.
2. Customer Support and Call Centers
Providing 24/7 customer service is tough if you’re a small team. Outsourced call centers and customer support providers handle:
- Phone support
- Live chat and email support
- Helpdesk management
Best for: Businesses with growing customer bases who need around-the-clock support.
3. IT and Technical Services
Technology needs can quickly outpace in-house capabilities. Commonly outsourced IT support services include:
- Software and app development
- Website hosting and maintenance
- Cybersecurity monitoring
- Cloud and infrastructure management
Best for: Companies that can’t justify a full IT department but still need technical expertise. Outsourcing IT support to trusted providers gives access to expert teams without full-time commitment.
4. Accounting and Bookkeeping
Managing payroll and taxes can be complex and time intensive. Accounting firms often handle:
- Payroll management
- Accounts payable and receivable
- Tax preparation and filing
- Financial reporting
Best for: Any business that needs compliance handled accurately and on time.
5. Marketing and Creative Services
Repetitive tasks often take up more time than we realize. Many businesses outsource things like:
- Data entry
- Calendar and email management
- Travel booking and scheduling
- Virtual assistant services
Best for: Smaller businesses looking to reduce day-to-day busy work.
6. Human Resources Functions
HR can be tricky and time-consuming. Outsourcing here often covers:
- Recruitment and staffing
- Employee onboarding
- Benefits and compliance management
Best for: Growing businesses that need HR expertise without building an entire HR department.
7. Manufacturing and Supply Chain
For product-based companies, outsourcing physical operations can save huge amounts of money and resources. Examples include:
- Product assembly
- Logistics and distribution
- Order fulfillment and warehousing
Best for: Retailers and product companies looking to scale production efficiently.
Benefits and Risks of Outsourcing
Benefits
- Cost savings
- Faster turnaround times
- Access to top-tier talent
Risks
- Possible quality control issues
- Data security concerns
- Communication or time-zone barriers
How to Reduce Risks
- Choose reputable outsourcing companies with proven track records.
- Clearly define contracts and SLAs (service-level agreements) to maintain control outsourcing.
- Schedule regular check-ins and performance reviews.
Offshoring: Why It’s Often a Better Option
While outsourcing tasks can mean hiring any external provider, offshoring specifically refers to delegating business tasks to companies or service teams in other countries.
Offshoring isn’t just about cost savings. It’s about gaining reliable access to global talent, flexible scaling, and round-the-clock service, often at rates much lower than hiring locally.
Offshoring success stories, from startups to global enterprises, showcase how businesses have leveraged offshore business process outsourcing (BPO) to streamline operations, improve customer support, and accelerate growth.
Key advantages of offshoring over local outsourcing include:
- Significant cost reductions compared to domestic vendors.
- Access to specialized skills and experienced professionals worldwide.
- Ability to offer 24/7 support thanks to different time zones.
- Speed and flexibility in scaling teams up or down as business needs change.
An offshore benefits case study often reveals how businesses optimized expenses while maintaining or improving quality through offshore management services.
Countries like the Philippines have become hubs for offshoring companies Philippines due to their skilled workforce, English proficiency, and cultural compatibility with Western businesses.
Offshoring solutions cover different verticals such as customer service, IT support, accounting, marketing, and much more, often delivered as a turnkey solution with full management handled by your offshore partner.
Introducing iSupport Worldwide
If you’re considering offshoring, iSupport Worldwide is a prime example of a company that helps businesses achieve seamless global team integration.
About iSupport Worldwide:
- iSupport Worldwide specializes in building dedicated offshore teams for businesses in various industries.
- They handle recruitment, training, and performance management, ensuring your offshore staff are fully aligned with your company’s standards and values.
- With iSupport, you can outsource and offshore key functions, including customer service, IT support, finance and accounting, digital marketing, and back-office support.
- Their proven process delivers a turnkey solution that helps you scale operations, reduce overhead costs, and maintain consistent quality across borders.
Choosing an experienced offshoring provider like iSupport Worldwide makes it easier to enjoy the many offshore benefits while maintaining control, outsourcing, and ensuring smooth communication across teams.
How to Decide What to Outsource
If you’re unsure where to start, ask yourself:
- Which tasks take up the most time but don’t generate growth?
- Are there specialized skills I don’t have in-house?
- What’s more cost-effective: outsourcing this task or hiring full-time staff?
Tip: Start small with one task (like bookkeeping or customer service), then expand once you’re confident in the process.
Just because these are the most common tasks companies outsource doesn’t mean they are the best fit for your business.
With iSupport Worldwide, you can explore which tasks you would like to outsource while maintaining full control and keeping your company culture.
