Why are European companies slower to outsource? According to Dominique De Bernardi, it comes down to mindset - not money.
“In the US, people are used to contracting others for services,” he says. “But in Europe, the common thinking is: why should I pay money for something I can do myself?”
Dominique, founder of Eliel Advisory OÜ, has worked across Europe, Israel, and the Nordics, advising on business development and M&A. He sees this cultural difference as a recurring hurdle.
“It doesn’t mean doing it yourself is more efficient,” he says. “Hiring a professional can be better. But in Europe, there’s often resistance - not because of cost, but because of perception.”
Outsourcing, Dominique insists, shouldn’t be about getting something “cheap.”
“I don’t like using the word ‘cheap’ when it comes to outsourcing,” he says. “It’s about being cost-efficient. You pay a professional an adequate amount so both sides are satisfied.”
That satisfaction goes both ways: fair compensation for the provider, and high-quality results for the client.
“Those are the two tangents that have to collide,” he adds. “Especially for companies growing quickly and without the resources to build in-house.”
This mindset shift - from doing everything internally to trusting external experts - is essential for growth.
“It’s always proportional,” Dominique says. “You spend more, you earn more. And if you free up your own time - whether it’s six hours trying to fix a sink or six hours building your business - that time is valuable.”
In North America, this logic is embedded in how businesses scale. In Europe, it’s still a work in progress.
“But once people understand the value,” he says, “they begin to see outsourcing not as a shortcut - but as a strategy.”
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