More than one-third of small businesses currently outsource a business process, and 52% plan to do so in 2019. Small businesses will outsource to increase efficiency and expertise, and most commonly seek support for accounting, IT services, and digital marketing responsibilities. Although outsourcing can provide small businesses with much-needed, cost-effective support, businesses should choose outsourced services with their expectations and communication styles in mind.
The global outsourcing market totaled $85.6 billion in 2018(link is external). Although this is a dip from $104.6 billion in 2016, the outsourcing market remains a dominant force.
Outsourcing isn’t only available to large firms, though. Our data shows that more than one-third of small businesses (37%) currently outsource a business process, and more than half (52%) plan to outsource in 2019.
Clutch surveyed 529 small business owners and managers to understand their outsourcing plans and preferences.
Small businesses can use this data to better inform their outsourcing decisions, including what tasks they should outsource and how to evaluate outsourcing partners.