Business 2 Community3 Small Business Guidelines for Outsourcing Success
Any well-intentioned entrepreneur looking for business growth instead of just cost savings stands to benefit from offshore staffing. The problem is those who get too excited about the prospect of increasing their bottom line forget key considerations that would have significantly reduced risks of failure.
Here are three guide posts to consider before hiring offshore staff:
What do you need to learn?
First time outsourcers often assume that their offshore staff has to be the one to adjust, not them. Culture fit goes both ways. Take a look at the common values of the people in your outsourcing location. It’s related to and can influence attitude and behaviour at work.
For example, in the Philippines, many professionals work for BPO companies because the industry offers a lucrative career that can enable them to help their family and live a comfortable life. While work is as an important source of income, their family is still a top priority. As a result, small businesses need to foster work-life balance especially those who operate round-the-clock.
What will your consumers see?
Offshore outsourcing is a global business reality, but there is still stigma surrounding it. If your consumers found out that you are outsourcing non-core business processes offshore, what outcomes would they see as a result of this business move?
Addressing this early on will help you prevent a PR disaster. Offshore outsourcing helps small businesses thrive, generate jobs onshore, and prevent costs from being passed on to the consumer, but that’s not what the media will tell you. Well-meaning small businesses can leverage offshore staffing to help both their company and employees.
What does it take for you to believe that the outsourcing engagement is a success?
One of the key reasons why offshore outsourcing fails is the misalignment or disconnect between business objectives and outsourcing goals. Some don’t even have business objectives as their sole reason is to cut costs, which limits the potential benefits of outsourcing.
Determine both the input and outcome that you need to improve your business, both in operational and financial terms. What do you want to achieve in offshore outsourcing and how will it contribute to your business objectives?
There is no exact formula for a successful offshore outsourcing engagement, but any small business owner can reduce risks with the right approach.
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: 3 Small Business Guidelines for Outsourcing Success
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