Secretariat services and remote offices allow organisations to delegate the day-to-day running of the business to external parties. In effect, it falls under the umbrella of ‘outsourcing’, which eliminates the need for an association to directly employ any additional staff.
What Are The Benefits?
The benefits of using a remote office service include:
- No infrastructure costs - Experienced staff - Advice and guidance available - Free up your time - Improve efficiency How Much Does a Remote Office Service Cost? It may come as a surprise that these services can be extremely affordable. The advantage of using a remote office service to provide an external administration team is that you do not have to cover the costs of infrastructure or meet the requirements of employment legislation. All overheads are already covered, as the outsourced company will recruit, train, manage and pay their own staff. You simply need to pay an agreed amount (either monthly or per project) for their services, which will be tailored to your personal needs. Associations and Not-For-Profits Making use of remote office and secretariat services is a great choice for associations and not-for-profit companies who tend to be run by volunteers from their home addresses. Outsourced remote office services can provide a physical address, manned with administrative staff who are ready to respond to emails or pick up the phone and answer any client queries. It frees up more time for Board members and directors to focus on core strategic tasks. These services can be tailored to your association’s needs, enabling you to cherry pick what you require. They can undertake a range of tasks, some of which you may not have considered if you’re new to the membership association sphere, including: - Governance and compliance overview - Membership management (onboarding and renewals etc) - Meeting support and AGM administration - Bookkeeping and management reporting - Systems review and efficiency improvements Growth and Development In addition to traditional secretariat services, you can also seek support with event planning, training, and project management. These time-consuming tasks are necessary for the growth and development of an association, and often require a lot of man-hours. Using a remote office service can also expand the skills and knowledge within your organisation. If you choose a specialist in the not for profit and membership sector they can provide in-house consultancy to support the organisation’s strategic objectives. Contracting these services from an already trusted partner can significantly reduce the administrative burden of coordinating outsourcing to different agencies. How We Can Help At Cygnul we are seen as trusted advisors to the Board for our clients, offering support to associations around the UK. If you want to explore how these services could help your organisation, please get in touch with us.