A decade ago, only big businesses had the financial resources to outsource their marketing operations to a lead generation services company. Now, however, even small businesses have gathered enough guts and have felt that need to delegate some of their tasks to experts, sometimes even to overseas firms.

Outsourcing has become a major part of company growth for those who want to focus on the more important functions of running a business. Especially now that B2B lead generation has expanded to a wider array of channels, from social media, search and traditional, the need for more human resources has never been greater.

Of course, one of the concerns when outsourcing is the amount of management and control you can have. Outsourced lead generation services providers usually possess the skills and tools needed for excellent marketing, but the fact that they are operating remotely can pose a feeling of insecurity for some business bosses.

These are some of the things to ponder on when dealing with outsourced providers according to JD Sherry, Vice President of Technology and Solutions for Trend Micro:

1. Set clear objectives. What do you want your remote workers to accomplish? Without clear objectives they will find it hard to deliver what your business needs. Give them targets and goals that stretch them, but are not impossible. Also, make sure they fully understand what’s expected of them.

Remote employee contract. Create a contract that holds employees responsible for what they do out of the office. For starters, it could state they need to have a home office, access to Wi-Fi, and their phone turned on at all times.

2. Set up easy ways to communicate. Work smarter, not harder. With a communication system in place, it will be easy for you to communicate with your employees. Every business is different, so explore your options.

Project management system . An internal online system to log hours and keep track of any important documents, projects, contracts, etc. will keep everything in one place, making it easier for you and employees to keep track of everything and stay on the same page.

. An internal online system to log hours and keep track of any important documents, projects, contracts, etc. will keep everything in one place, making it easier for you and employees to keep track of everything and stay on the same page. Messaging . Tools like Google Hangouts, IM, Skype, or Facebook messaging all make it easy to chat with your co-workers and employees throughout the day. a matter of seconds, whereas sending an email could take hours to get a response.

. Tools like Google Hangouts, IM, Skype, or Facebook messaging all make it easy to chat with your co-workers and employees throughout the day. a matter of seconds, whereas sending an email could take hours to get a response. Schedule meetings. As mentioned above in creating an employee contract, decide how often and what type of meetings will be necessary, then schedule them in advance.

3. Stay secure. Ensuring your company’s network and data remain uncompromised, even with more people accessing that network remotely, is crucial. Select an anti-virus program with features robust enough to protect your small- to medium-sized business.