By: Matt Lloyd, CEO & MD Strikeforce

 In today’s competitive landscape, the pressure on businesses to “do more with less” is relentless. From leaner teams to rising operational costs, leaders across industries—particularly in FMCG and retail—are being challenged to deliver more value, more quickly, and with tighter resources.

Yet in the race to stay productive, many businesses fall into a familiar trap: mistaking activity for impact.

This is where the 80/20 rule—also known as the Pareto Principle—becomes a critical lens for leadership decision-making.

 The 80/20 Rule: Focus Where It Counts

The 80/20 rule suggests that roughly 80% of outcomes come from 20% of efforts. In a business context, this could mean that 80% of revenue may stem from just 20% of clients, products, or activities.

However, when internal teams are stretched thin—wearing multiple hats and constantly reacting to day-to-day tasks—it becomes harder to identify, let alone focus on, the 20% of work that truly drives growth.

This is where outsourcing becomes not just a cost-saving measure, but a strategic enabler.

 Activity ≠ Productivity

Many businesses pride themselves on staying busy. But high activity doesn’t always equal high productivity—especially if that activity is tied up in operational logistics, non-core tasks, or areas outside your team’s expertise.

Think about functions like retail merchandising, field sales execution, demand planning, or even customer service. While these are essential to performance, they’re often time-consuming and resource-intensive. Worse still, when handled in-house without the right expertise, they can dilute your team’s focus on higher-value tasks.

By outsourcing these functions to trusted partners who specialise in them, you free up internal resources to concentrate on what really matters: growing your business.

The Real ROI: Redirecting Focus to Revenue

When businesses outsource strategically, they’re not just handing off tasks—they’re reclaiming focus.

Rather than diverting skilled internal staff to manage execution-heavy tasks or technology systems, outsourcing allows you to keep your top talent focused on revenue-generating activities:

• Strategic partnerships
• Product development
• Customer acquisition
• Market expansion
• Brand-building initiatives

These are the “20% activities” that lead to exponential results—but only when given the time and attention they deserve.

 Outsourcing as a Growth Accelerator

 Modern outsourcing is not about cutting corners or sacrificing quality. It’s about accessing expertise, scalability, and speed that would be difficult or costly to build internally.

High-performing agencies bring their own data systems, trained staff, and proven processes—eliminating waste, reducing risk, and improving speed to market.

Most importantly, a good partner isn’t just a vendor—they’re an extension of your team. They bring fresh perspective, new capability, and shared accountability for outcomes.

And when this is done right, the results are measurable. Outsourced services, when aligned to strategy, amplify impact by ensuring the right things are being done, at the right time, in the right way.

 Final Word: Prioritise Progress Over Process

Outsourcing isn’t a silver bullet. It’s a strategic decision that requires alignment, trust, and clarity. But for businesses who get it right, it unlocks time, energy, and expertise that can be redirected to where it counts most.

In an economy where standing still is falling behind, outsourcing helps you move faster and smarter—focusing on progress over process, and outcomes over output.

So the real question isn’t “Can we afford to outsource?” It’s: “Can we afford not to?”