A startup in its early stages isn't likely to have complete teams ready to handle tasks in each department; quite often, the initial employees wear many hats. As the owner or a manager of a startup, you also likely juggle a million and one tasks each day, including figuring out how to grow your team. Do you hire a marketing manager first, or another salesperson? Do you need an in-house accountant, or is HR more important?

Today, many tasks and positions can be easily outsourced to others, leaving you free to focus on other immediate tasks and project, while also saving you money on salaries, which may not be in the budget until your business grows. One such consideration is design -- having an in-house designer (or team of designers) can really benefit a business at times, but it can also be wise to outsource, depending upon your needs. To figure out the best option for your startup, consider the following:

How Much Design Work Do You Need?

Do you just need a logo to put on some business cards and the front door of your office, or will you be launching a full marketing campaign that leans heavily on design across different mediums? You obviously don't need an in-house designer just to do occasional work, but a team (or at least one heavily skilled designer to start) might be necessary if your goals call for continuous design work.

What Type of Designer Do You Need?

Will you be focusing on web design, print design, graphic design or perhaps a combination of all of the above? You might think you are saving yourself money by hiring one person with a little experience in many areas of design, as opposed to a specialized expert for each area of design, but remember the old saying, "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.

Know what you need, and how much of it you need, and you'll have a better idea of whether to hire in-house or outsource. If you are still unsure, consider your budget next.

Is It in the Budget?

Outsourcing doesn't have to be expensive, and is typically not as expensive as paying someone a weekly salary, especially if you are paying out a salary for services you don't necessarily need all the time. Look for web design agencies and graphic designers in your area and see how much they charge for the services you need, keeping in mind that you don't want a one-size-fits-all solution. Professional firms and freelancers should be able to customize their work for you to suit your needs and budget.

Additionally, hiring experienced designers often means paying them a substantial salary, as opposed to a designer who doesn't yet have much experience and will be happy with entry-level pay. If you have the budget for talent, great, but if it isn't in the cards at this time, you can outsource and rest assured that you are getting an individual or dedicated team that is already experienced.

In conclusion, either option can be a good choice depending upon your needs and budget at the time. The most important thing is to make the right choice for that point in time, and then reevaluate your needs as your business grows.