5 Quick Tips if You're Considering Outsourcing (Accounting & More!)

By eliminating the need to hire and train internal staff through outsourcing, a church can save money, gain access to specialized knowledge, devote more time to its core mission, and increase efficiency by using the skills of a dedicated provider, particularly for tasks like website maintenance or financial management where they might lack internal expertise.

Here are our 5 quick tips to consider if you're thinking about outsourcing - whether accounting or something else!

5 Quick Tips if You're Considering Outsourcing

1. Be flexible. If you're unwilling to consider different software, systems, or approaches, you'll likely find it a difficult transition.
2. Don't make significant decisions such as new hardware/software or processes until you identify the outsourced partner you want to work with. Not only can the experts you hire make recommendations based on their experience, but it would be a shame to invest the time and effort to set up new systems/tools only to discover that no outsourced partners work with the ones you implemented.
3. Recognize that some responsibilities don't translate well to remote organizations. For example - in the church finance and accounting space, we've learned that someone in-house (employee or volunteer) should manage donations and be the primary point of contact for all donor contributions. Donors don't want to be referred to someone they don't know in another state to hear when their check will be deposited or when they can expect their quarterly giving statement.
4. Determine the relationship you're looking for before you start looking for a partner. There's a big difference when working with large corporations vs a single individual or even a boutique organization. The size of the organization will determine the level of the relationship.
   
   For example - if you're looking to hire a remote IT firm to manage an elaborate and complex suite of online software for your very large church, a large corporation is likely to have the expertise troubleshoot day or night. You likely won't develop a relationship with a single individual for these types of solutions but that really isn't necessary. You just want your problem solved.
   
   On the other hand, an individual IT contractor may not have the same robust expertise as a department of IT support staff but could likely be who you would use to install servers onsite or help an admin staff set up a new printer. These are the types of organizations where staff keep their cell number in their phone and know them by name.
   
   Both have their strengths. Just identify what you're looking for and the level of relationship you expect based on the solution they provide.
5. Don't just plan (and budget) for today. Begin with the end (or at least a couple of years) in mind. If outsourcing this area will be a huge time saver, reduce your stress, or help you avoid having to make another hire in 12 months, be willing to invest in the future, even if it's a stretch for your budget or might be a few months before you really need it.

By carefully considering these tips, churches can make more informed decisions when outsourcing, ultimately ensuring they partner with the right experts, streamline their operations, and free up valuable resources to focus on their mission and growth. 

Interested in Learning More About Outsourcing Accounting?

Book a complimentary discovery call with Church Central Office by filling out our quick Get Started Form. Having this information ahead of the call will help our team come prepared to dig into the individual needs of your church. 

You focus on ministry. We'll handle the accounting. 

Thank you to one of our church partners, Calvary Tuscaloosa, for the images in our newsletter.