Outsourcing – the cost-effective solution for your association

What can your organisation do when it needs to grow and develop but doesn’t have the man-power to push ideas further? Maybe your association would benefit from moving forward with a particular project – but the skills are outside of your team’s current capabilities; or investing in new technology and equipment isn’t financially viable for what may be a one-off or temporary need.

These dilemmas aren’t reserved for the associations and charity sector; there comes a time for many businesses and organisations when they need to look at alternative options to grow, manage and develop their offering; and outsourcing specific elements or individual projects provides the perfect solution; leaving inhouse staff to focus on the roles they excel at without overstretching their precious time further.

In a 2015 study by Smith and Bucklin 81% of associations who took part were already outsourcing at least one service and 46% of those remaining were considering it.

“Association executives realize they cannot hire and employ every talent they need to deliver against the important work of their organization. By outsourcing solutions for specific needs, they can ensure that their organizations thrive while serving the best interests of their members” commented Carol McGury, Executive Vice President, Event and Education Services, SmithBucklin at the time.

But what about the cost?

If you are looking to grow your membership numbers (and consequently your income) then money invested in a focused and productive membership promotion can be invaluable. Equally, being able to offer your members a better experience in return for their commitment, in the form of online events, online learning and improved communication platforms, is also money well spent.

Outsourcing needs such as these to a specialist provider can actually provide a better ROI.

As well as being more cost effective in terms of results, outsourcing elements leaves you and your team with more time to work on the day to day running and developing of your organisation; and you can upscale or downsize the outsourced members of your team as needed without the cost of advertising, hiring or training.

But they don’t know us….

The key to outsourcing is to employ the same onboarding techniques as you would when interviewing for a permanent member of staff. Outsource your projects to professional and experienced people who will work closely with you, as invested in the outcome of your project as you are.

This also means that the services you engage will come with accountability and clearly defined goals and milestones whilst tapping into a whole new world of ideas and techniques.

At Association Plus we use our expertise to fine tune and focus your projects, getting straight to the heart of what you need to achieve as quickly and as successfully as possible.

Our support services are tailored to your organisations needs and we devise a bespoke plan around the individuality of each association that we work with.

We are constantly monitoring the membership climate and can bring our expertise and experience and fresh ideas to your association.

Speak to us today to find out how Association Plus can help your organisation grow and thrive.