Lv.11 Quest: Finding Allies / Discovering and Collaborating with Professionals and Outsourcers [HR & Back Office] | Small Business Studies

Find allies to complement your roles from these [6 Key Areas]!

Small businesses are multifunctional despite their size. Because they are small, every business owner and employee must take on a wide range of tasks. There is inevitably a limit to "doing everything yourself." Furthermore, some tasks, such as tax and labor affairs, require specialized knowledge and skills.

That is when “Quest Allies”—experts such as licensed professionals and outsourcing partners— become helpful.

They are truly like “travel support members” for your business. In small-scale management, high-quality work is required across all skill areas in the following “6 Key Areas,” so reinforcing your weak points is essential.

1. Management & Planning: Skills for setting business policies and values, and creating effective strategies

2. HR & Back Office: People and human relations; methods for good team management and personnel support

3. Money & Financial Accounting: Money matters; accounting skills, fund management, cash flow operations, and financial planning

4. Digital & AI: Methods for improving operational efficiency using the latest digital technology and AI

5. Sales & Marketing: Effective marketing strategies, public relations activities, and building customer relationships

6. Skill Up: Methods for honing existing techniques while acquiring new skills to promote self-growth

It is not easy for you to perfectly handle all of these categories alone. In fact, the idea of “relying on allies for missing roles” is the wisdom of small business studies.
✓ For example...

• If you are anxious about financial management, consult a tax accountant or CPA.

• If you are concerned about contracts or legal matters, consult a lawyer.

• For subsidy applications or licensing procedures, consult a labor and social security attorney or administrative scrivener.

• If your work has become complicated, consult an outsourcing partner or assistant.

You should have these allies take on the role of “securing your time and focus.”

“Soumu... I spent all night researching contracts the other day, and my head felt like it was going to explode...”

"Q-chan. That is a sign that it's time to rely on a professional. If you spend too much time on things outside your expertise, the value of your core business will drop."

Furthermore, in a small business, "time and mental space" = "management resources".
By effectively utilizing professionals and outsourcers, you can focus on the tasks you truly need to concentrate on, which will ultimately increase your profitability.
In other words, "If you can't handle it all as a result, trying to do everything yourself is not a wise management decision." Entrusting tasks to people with expertise in their respective fields is not a cost, but "an investment in the future." However, there are also
[points to be careful about] here.

✓ Do not rely on them blindly: Carefully examine the cost-effectiveness and the content of the tasks you are outsourcing
✓ Be aware of budget constraints and make optimal requests: Prioritize while looking at the overall balance of your small business
✓ Never completely dump tasks on them: Take responsibility as the client and maintain a sense of collaboration; blaming others is a no-go
✓ Avoid leaving everything to others: As a manager, you must understand the work yourself and always maintain a state where you can make sound judgments.

The relationship with professionals and outsourcers is not that of "outsourcer" but "comrade-in-arms" -- yes, "quest allies."

"But, professionals seem a bit intimidating..."

"It's okay. You can start with a 'spot consultation.' You just need to build a relationship with a reliable partner little by little."

Regarding how to interact with professionals and outsourcers, the important thing is to determine "who to ask, what to ask, and how much to ask." The allies who will accelerate your business quest are surely right nearby.

"Rules for Utilizing Professionals and Outsourcers" -- Three points for small businesses to walk alongside appropriate collaborators

1) View external partners as strategic "reinforcements"

For a small business, utilizing professionals and outsourcing partners is not about having someone to "help only when you are in trouble." Rather, it is about "reinforcing at the necessary time and in the appropriate situation" for the team -- in baseball or soccer terms, they are like "hired foreign players."
What is important here is not to "fill the gap just because you are lacking," but the idea of reinforcing strategically.
For example, if "organizing cash flow is the top priority this term," a tax accountant; if you want to "challenge for subsidies," an administrative scrivener or labor and social security attorney; if you want to "solidify business design," a small and medium enterprise management consultant, etc. -- "temporarily adding" personnel that fit your management stage is the smart partner strategy for small businesses.

"Soumu... I'm so overwhelmed I want to ask for help with everything~"

"I understand that feeling. But doing everything is dangerous. The Small Biz style is to identify the piece you need most right now and 'reinforce' that spot."

Such "spot hiring" or "project-based" cooperation also fits small businesses with limited budgets. "Flexibly increasing or decreasing allies according to current management issues" is the trick to operating a small business with high mobility.

2) Choose a "relationship where you can cultivate trust" over a "person you can trust"

People often ask me to "introduce a professional or outsourcer I can trust," but in reality, there is almost no such thing as a "person you can trust from the start." No one knows if someone they just met is trustworthy.
What is important is the relationship of "whether you can build trust."

✓ Do they answer sincerely when you ask a question?
✓ Do they break down things you don't understand and explain them clearly?
✓ Do they have a sense of empathy for the position of a small business owner?

It is essential to gradually expand the scope of your requests while confirming that this "foundation of trust" exists. Start with "light consultations" or "spot tasks" to gauge each other's values and stances.
Also, it is important to choose someone who "takes your future seriously" rather than just someone who is "easy to talk to."The essence of human relationships lies not in "whether you get along," but in "whether you can share a purpose." in it.

3) Clarify the three points of "Goal, Scope, and Responsibility" before signing a contract

No matter how trustworthy the relationship is, leaving the "content of the requested work" or the "scope of deliverables" ambiguous will lead to trouble.
That is why you must verbalize the following three points before any contract or request.

• Goal: What do you want them to achieve? (e.g., subsidy adoption, establishment of labor systems, completion of tax filings, etc.)

• Scope: How far should they be responsible for? (e.g., document creation only? Is participation in regular meetings also required?)

• Responsibility: To what extent is the other party responsible if trouble or delays occur? Specify this in a contract or memorandum.

If these three points remain ambiguous, misunderstandings such as "I thought you would do this much..." or "No, I didn't hear about that" tend to occur.

"The person I asked before was very kind, but... they said later that 'that wasn't included in the contract'..."

"Q-chan. That is exactly a 'lack of shared scope and goals.' Drawing a line carefully at the beginning leads to peace of mind for both parties."

While clearing up these things that are natural for business, try to be flexible and open to change. This attitude is very important.
Also, in small business, it is important for the "paying side" to take responsibility and lead the communication.Collaborators are not 'people to leave everything to,' but 'partners to move forward with together.' after all.

Three Steps

For the success of a small business, it is important "not to take everything on yourself." In fields that require specialized knowledge, collaborating with professionals and outsourcing partners can greatly improve the accuracy and speed of your business. Here, we introduce three steps to walk alongside appropriate collaborators.

① Organize the scope and roles of work

To determine "who to ask, what to ask, and how far to ask," you must first "take a detailed inventory" of the contents of your own work. This is because if what you want to ask the other party remains ambiguous, discrepancies in the quality and scope of the deliverables will occur, which can easily lead to trouble.
What you should be conscious of in this step is not just the perspective of outsourcing, but determining what you should invest your own 'time,' 'concentration,' and 'judgment' into.

✓"This task can be done by someone other than me"
✓"This task is more accurate and faster if left to an expert"
✓"This is directly linked to management decisions, so I should do it myself"

While making these distinctions, first clarify the overall picture of your company's work, and from there, extract only the parts you can trust others to handle. Without this perspective, the content you ask external partners to do will waver.
Furthermore, if you organize the work content, request scope, and location of responsibility like a job card, communication with the other party will be smooth.

② Gather information on experts from public support organizations

When looking for reliable professionals or outsourcing partners, relying only on "people who hit on a web search" carries some risk.
In small business, utilizing public support organizations rooted in the community is usually included in daily operations. Using those public support organizations to get introduced to experts is a safe and effective start.
Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Small and Medium Enterprise Support Centers, Yorozu Support Centers, Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant Associations/Professional Organizations, introductions from local financial institution clients, etc.
These public institutions and industry groups often introduce "people who are strong in this field" or "experts who are used to small business," making them very useful as an initial point of contact.

"I inquired with a tax accountant I saw online, but they were a bit bureaucratic and scary..."

“In that case, I recommend starting by visiting a ‘Yorozu Support Center.’ Above all, consultations are free.”

There are cases where the staff at the consultation desk will provide matching services based on the scale and industry of your business. If you are worried about not knowing who to ask, start by relying on a trusted, neutral organization.

③ Start with a ‘spot consultation’ to nurture the ‘seeds of trust’

It is only natural to feel uneasy about signing a retainer agreement or requesting ongoing work right away. Therefore, as a first step, I recommend ‘spot consultations’ or ‘one-off project requests.’ For example, request only the application for a subsidy or the initial setup of labor management. Have them only review a contract. Through these ‘limited requests,’ you can observe each other’s work style and compatibility.
“Do our conversation tempos match? Do they explain technical terms in a way that is easy to understand? Do they have a perspective that is considerate of small businesses and do they act responsibly?”
Feeling out whether you can walk this path together from these perspectives is the first step in building trust.
And above all, what is most important is
not to treat them rudely, even if it is just a spot request. Instead of thinking, ‘It’s a one-off, so it doesn’t matter,’ think, ‘Because it is a one-off, I will engage with sincerity.’ Such an attitude leads to the next request and the continuation of the relationship.You cannot build trust if you view external partners as ‘disposable pawns.’
Carefully weaving each connection and maintaining respect and an equal footing as fellow fighters is also a virtue of small business.

“This is not limited to business owners; it is also an important point that professionals receiving requests should take to heart.”

By repeating spot consultations, the relationship will eventually deepen into one that is indispensable to your business. Those small requests will eventually sprout and grow into a ‘tree of trust’ that is essential to your business.

“The labor and social security attorney I asked for the first time the other day explained things so clearly! I feel a bit relieved.”

“Isn’t that great! That ‘relief’ you felt from starting with a small request becomes the seed of trust.”

How to choose and interact with ‘Quest Allies’ — The secret to long-term cooperation with professionals and outsourcers

Relationships with professionals and outsourcers should not be ‘one-time’ things, but rather relationships that should be developed into ‘long-term partnerships’ that support the future of the business. They are entities that contribute to the ‘evolution and stability’ of your business beyond just processing temporary tasks. That is the essence of ‘Quest Allies’ in small business. Here, let’s organize the secrets to building good relationships with such allies and walking together for a long time.

Focus not only on the other party’s ‘area of expertise’ but also on their ‘values.’

Professionals and outsourcing partners each have their own areas of expertise. They are professionals with diverse skill sets, such as tax accountants, labor and social security attorneys, administrative scriveners, web designers, and business process outsourcers.
However, what is even more important is the part about ‘What kind of values does this person have when they work?’

• Do they respond politely?

• Do they have empathy for the hardships and on-site realities of small businesses?

• Are their senses of money and time similar to yours?

As such, pay attention to their ‘stance’ on work. A gap in values, even if small at first, can become a cause for destroying the relationship in the long term. That is why you should choose your Quest Allies based on the axis of ‘Can I run with this person?’

Create a rhythm of fighting together through information sharing and ‘visualization of progress.’

Whether a cooperative relationship works well depends not only on the quality of the work but also on the precision of ‘daily communication.’ The responsiveness of emails and chats, the speed of information sharing, scheduling for the next meeting, and methods for progress management and confirmation—these detailed coordinations create a ‘rhythm of trust.’
Beyond just professional knowledge and ability,
do they possess the basic precision of business? Can you share that quality? If possible, it is ideal to use task management tools or shared documents to keep a state where both parties can see ‘what, who, and by when’ things will be done.
The longer the relationship lasts, the higher the risk that small gaps will cause trouble. That is why you should not view information sharing as a troublesome interaction, but rather
engage in it carefully as ‘infrastructure development for a relationship of trust.’

Do not forget ‘respect’ more than ‘compensation.’

In relationships with professionals and outsourcing partners, the issue of ‘compensation’ is unavoidable.
It is true that cost consciousness is important for small businesses. Since budgets are limited, the perspective of evaluating cost-effectiveness is indispensable.
However, what is even more important is ‘respect for the other party’s professionalism.’ Even if it is a spot project or a short-term request, never forget the feeling of gratitude and respect. Just by doing that, the quality of the relationship will change significantly.

• Don't just delegate and forget

• Put sincerity into your revision requests

• Always express your gratitude when results are achieved

Such habits build an atmosphere where people think, 'I want to work with this person again,' and ultimately foster long-term, positive relationships.

A 'quest' cannot be completed alone

No matter how wonderful the vision you paint is, you need the strength of allies to 'execute,' 'sustain,' and 'evolve' it.
Especially in small businesses, where management resources are limited, the presence of reliable external partners dramatically increases productivity and peace of mind. Professionals and outsourcers are not just subcontractors or external vendors.
'They are your comrades who will accelerate your journey'—.
Start with small requests and eventually move forward together toward greater challenges. While keeping that future in mind, let's carefully nurture each and every relationship.

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