I used to mow my own lawn. It only took a few hours, wasn’t hard to do, and gave me a sense of accomplishment when it was all done. Every week. Every Saturday. Mow and weed eat. But occasionally either my mower or weed wacker would break down and I’d spend half a day with “Bubba” on YouTube walking me through 15 possible reasons my machines wouldn’t fire. Sometimes his old school diagnostics worked. Other times the process led to more and more frustration, causing me to have to borrow a friend’s equipment just to keep my grass manageable and avoid embarrassment in the neighborhood. I’d reluctantly take my machines to a repair shop and, another hefty invoice later, be back in business. For now.
It was during one of those frustrating equipment failures that I met Bobby Joe and his John Deere. He had just joyfully and meticulously finished mowing my neighbor’s yard, so I asked him what he’d charge to mow my lawn. This conversation changed my life. After he told me the price I sat down and really thought about the true cost of doing it myself. What are the equipment, fuel, maintenance, and repair costs each season? What does it cost me to store all my equipment and fuel? What are the risks to me and my property for operating and storing a mower and weed eater? And most importantly, what’s my time really worth to me? What opportunities am I giving up by not being available to my family, and what are those opportunity costs? I really wish Bobby Joe was around all those times I had to say, “Not now, I have to mow” to my young daughter and son.
The real-life example above makes a strong case for personal subcontracting, or, as we in the business world call it, outsourcing. It refers to tasking another company with handling an essential business function. It’s done because it’s less expensive than doing it in-house. Whether it’s personal subcontracting or outsourcing, the concept is the same. It’s about taking things we normally do ourselves and having someone else do it for us at a lower overall cost.
I work at Acadia HR. We’re a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) and have been an outsourcing solution for businesses in the Hudson Valley and throughout the nation for 35 years. Our full-service PEO platform helps clients with compliance, stability, and productivity in areas such as Human Resources Management, Payroll, Taxes, Benefits, Workers Compensation, and Risk Management. As co-employers, we pride ourselves on shouldering the employment burden of our busy clients so they can focus on making their businesses thrive.
Like Bobby Joe on his John Deere, we joyfully and meticulously do our part – handling the administrative side of running your business so that you can devote more time to more important things, whether it’s improving business practices, expanding your market, or simply taking personal time to enjoy with family or friends. Please give us a call to discuss the possibilities.
Acadia HR has been helping businesses locally and nationally since 1989 by delivering tools and resources to build efficiencies in their clients through personal, customized service. For more information on outsourcing options, please call 845.876.1987 or email sales@AcadiaHR.com.