Author Archives: 123outsource

What is the process of setting up a BPO Company?

February 4, 2012 by 123outsource
Categories: BPO | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

What is the process of setting up a call center or data entry house?
 
I have never done anything like this before, so I am the wrong person to ask.  However, I regularly interact with those in the BPO, Call Center, and Data Entry professions, so I know a few of the basics.
 
Here is a step by step plan for setting up a BPO company.
(1) You need to be an expert at most of the core skills of the outsourcing company you are setting up. If you don’t know what you are doing, you will not be able to hire or train others to do the job well. Also, if you don’t know what you are doing, you are not serious, and will fall on your face.
(2) You need to be a business expert, and an expert at attracting and keeping clientele.  If you know how to run a BPO call center perfectly, but fail to attract clients, you would be better off as a manager at someone else’s call center. If nobody will hire you, then that proves your value (or lack of it)
(3) You need to pick an auspicious location.  Some areas offer better rates per square foot.  In my opinion, lucky offices will attract more clients, so keep luck in mind.  Do you see an area where companies are generally thriving and making profits?  It is easy to see if someone has revenues, but profits are harder to detect. Maybe these seemingly thriving companies are just getting by, or taking a loss.
(4) There are companies that focus on selling equipment and networking for new companies to set up their phone systems and internet systems. 
(5) Once you have your office all set up, you need clients.  If you have an attractive web site and do outreach to large companies that might need a call center, you might be able to set up a client base.  From there, hopefully you will get referrals.
(6) You need to have a large pool of workers you can call if you need service.  Call centers have unsteady business, so you need a long list of people to call if you get a new client.  It is not a bad idea to let the client have a say in who you hire for their particular projects too.
 
Those are the basics.  I am not in that business, so I can not tell you more!  But, keeping an eye on your employees, and making sure they are doing their best is key. Bringing in an outside consultant to train and critique your workers could make a wonderful improvement too, and is worth the money.  Quality wins the game in the end, so if you are willing to invest in quality, you could beat out the competition.

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How to sell like a pro — what exactly do they do?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2012/06/25/how-to-sell-like-a-pro-what-do-the-pros-do/

Marketing your BPO outsourcing firm from A to Z
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2016/05/22/marketing-your-bpo-outsourcing-firm-from-a-to-z/

If Google ran a BPO, what would they do differently?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/03/30/if-google-ran-a-bpo-call-center-what-would-they-do-differently/

Picking a 4000 foot BPO office before you have the clients!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/01/06/picking-a-4000-foot-bpo-office-before-you-have-the-clients/

BPO projects, how to get them and what they entail!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2011/10/20/bpo-projects-how-to-get-them-and-what-they-entail/

What does Mark Cuban say about startups?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/12/04/what-does-mark-cuban-say-about-startups/

What is your management style?

February 2, 2012 by 123outsource
Categories: Of Interest | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

What is your management style like?
 
I have seen different management styles in action. I have seen managers who keep distant.  I have seen others who micromanage.  I have also seen some who are mean and yell at their workers all the time.  There are others who praise their workers all the time.  Which management style is correct or optimal?  I think it depends on what type of workers you have.
 
Some workers know exactly what to do, and don’t need help. Leave them alone and they will be happier and excel.  Other workers are pathetic, and can’t do anything right unless someone is babysitting them.  Many workers are brilliant, but will never finish anything on time unless you are constantly on their back. Then, they complain that you are always on their back — maybe there is a reason why you are on their back. If they would finish work on time, then you wouldn’t be micromanaging them in the first place — do they realize this?
 
India is an interesting country to visit.  They have a very rigid class system.  If you are a manager, culturally you are supposed to behave like a dictator when you are around your underlings.  You point authoritatively and say, “Do this, do that, and make it snappy!!!”  From an American perspective, it is a culture shock watching these managers in action.  But, maybe the type of workers they have need this type of authoritarian approach for them to perform at their best. It is not for me to say, because I have not had to manage people in India.  I only work with OTHER people’s employees who have always behaved — otherwise they would get fired (gulp!).   I think the Indian work ethic depends greatly on what type of industry you are in.  IT folks seem very diligent in India, while government workers have a reputation of being lackidasical — too much job security if you ask me!
 
America is the opposite, where you have to be nice to employees, while they feel free to have bad attitudes and even talk back to their bosses and customers.  I am not a big fan of the American work ethic in 2012, or the lack of it thereof.  India has it’s problems, but people WANT to work, and that willingness is such a huge plus, that it makes working with Indians a positive experience, even when there are problems. 
 
Regardless of what your management style is like now, if you work in a BPO, KPO, LPO, or other outsourcing company, you can think outside the box to find new and better ways of managing people.  Do you offer bonuses and incentives?  Different people are motivated in different ways.  Some workers see the long run scenario, while others like quarterly bonuses.  Many people can not see more than 24 hours ahead of time.  If you give the wrong incentive to the wrong person, it won’t work out even in the short run. 
 
If it were up to me, I would think about a dozen different management styles, and compare notes with others in management. Try some of your better ideas out for a quarter and see if they are better than the status quo.  The only way to improve yourself is to try new things that seem promising. If they don’t work out, you can always go back to the old way of doing things!

Hybrid binational companies – the way of the future?

January 31, 2012 by 123outsource
Categories: Of Interest, Semi-Popular | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Hybrid bi-national companies — the way of the future?
 
Many American IT companies have a partner company, or an office in India, Vietnam, or some Asian country.  It only makes sense. It is hard to find IT workers here, and they are expensive, and often uncooperative.  It is not worth a managers time to always be trying to overcome insubordination, when you can find able and willing workers in India or elsewhere. One big problem is that many American software companies are tricky, and don’t inform their clients that they use overseas labor.  But, putting honesty aside, many outsourcing companies that are able to grow and succeed, use what I call the hybrid model.
 
Hybrid bi-national businesses
India has great labor resources for medical billing, programming and all types of back office BPO type tasks. I feel that it is foolish not to take advantage of this willing and able workforce.  Setting up an office in India requires a lot of travel and time spent, but in the long run, it seems worth it.  It makes it easy and flexible to get lots of work done as it is needed.  I know many people who work at bi-national companies with one office in America and the other in India.  Or a front end office in Singapore, and a back office in Hyderabad, etc.  
 
Problems with bi-national work relationships.
There are always difficulties in any type of business set up.  In America, the crushing costs of rent, labor, accounting, and taxes put many out of business or drain their cash away, especially if you are located on a coast where everything is sky high!  Try renting an office in California.  You might be paying $2000 for a modest sized room in a high rise that can fit three people.  The problems in a hybrid company are dealing with communication issues between America and India.  Communication styles are different in different countries.  People are in different time zones, and some people answer questions faster than others.  Some people communicate faster than others, and others have a different sense of how long things should take.    But, if you have people in America who enjoy working at night, a relationship with India becomes perfect, and easier than a relationship with an American partner who leaves work at 5pm right when you are warming up!
 
Marketing and management in America?
It is more effective to have your management and marketing in America.  We have more of a command of middle management than India does.  For some reason, I have seen hardly any middle level in Indian companies. You are either the boss or the worker, but customer service reps are only for large companies in my limited experience.  If you have your intermediaries in the states, who are a go-between for the workers and the clients, you might do very well in business if you hire the right people.  In India, it would be much harder to find such people, and they wouldn’t be that cheap either if they were any good!  It seems that different countries have their niches and specialties.  Argentina is good at art and dance.  India is great at programming.  While America and the Philippines are good at interaction — or at least we think we are!!!

Tweets:
(1) Many American IT companies have a partner company, or an office in India, or some Asian country
(2) If you’re a night owl, working w/India is better than a US partner who leaves just when you are warming up.
(3) Binational companies capitalize on American expertise & an Asian labor pool. The best of both world(s).
(4) Having a binational company has its advantages. Office space in Bangladesh is a lot cheaper!
(5) A happy marriage of American management & Indian labor leads to optimal efficiency

You might also like:

The 2% rule; Only 2% of companies are worth hiring
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/10/21/the-2-rule-only-2-of-companies-are-worth-hiring/

Are you tired of outsourcing to India?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/03/05/are-you-tired-of-outsourcing-to-india/

6 ways to be more in control of your business!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/09/25/6-ways-to-be-more-in-control-of-your-business/

What is the best BPO work environment?

January 21, 2012 by 123outsource
Categories: BPO | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

What is the best BPO work environment?
 
If you are running a BPO, Call Center, Data Entry outsourcing company, or other outsourcing firm, you need to be refined in how to manage your work environment.  I had an interesting chat with a buddy of mine who runs a small web development company. He says that at many of the more successful American IT and marketing companies, everyone works in one large room, where the cubicles have low walls, so you can see everyone at a glance.  This was an interesting opinion. 
 
So, what is better, private cubicles, a room filled with desks and no dividers, or completely separate rooms?  If it is up to me, I like a separate room, but if I am managing others, I like to be able to hear them faintly in the distance, so if they are telling a client the wrong thing, I can run in and intervene — but I get relative peace and quiet simultaneously.  In the real world, my perfect environment is not so easy.
 
Are there studies that discuss the advantages of office set ups?  I am reading on Wikipedia that having a bunch of people working together in the same large room is called an “Open Plan”, and contributes to higher noise, higher turnover, and stress.  I can relate to that.
 
I’m reading another blog called The Good Work Circle that claims  that many larger companies are getting rid of cubicles and adopting an open workspace office set up.  The open workspace model was better for communiation and a sense of community. 
 
I like the idea of a hybrid system for BPO companies, where you get your private space and quiet part of the day, but can have togetherness during other parts of the day. 
 
Another factor is how cool the building is that you are working in.  A really pleasant work environment for BPO companies might have high ceilings, art work, a pool table, a pleasant break room, and places to interact with others. If rooms are too small or efficient, then it might not be so pleasant to be in them.  A good balance between space efficiency and coolness might win the game in the long run.  It is good to not overlook the fact that many people just don’t care about how cool the building is while others who are more tuned it will really notice and just not want to hang around if the work environment is not up to their standards for coolness!
 
Since every group of employees is different, rather that reading a book written by an “expert”, why not listen to YOUR employees and see what they say about what they think a good layout would be!  That way you please the people who you are stuck with, and can make the best out of it.  And remember, BPO companies in India have a high turnover rate, so if you can make your employees lives better, the will stay around longer!

Is it easier for bigger companies to do outsourcing?

January 19, 2012 by 123outsource
Categories: Of Interest, Semi-Popular | Tagged | Leave a comment

Is it easier for a big company to outsource or a smaller company?
 
I run a tiny company, and I find it easy to outsource. I am old fashioned and want to meet everybody in person who I work with.  In America, nobody wants to meet you in person anymore which I find to be a deal breaker.  What are they hiding that they don’t want to meet me?  If there is something wrong with someone, it is easier to find out if you are with them regularly.  On the other hand, a person can be very pleasant in person, and then later on you find out that they don’t keep promises.  Putting my personal issues aside, it is easy to get on a plane to India and interview a dozen companies for a particular task to outsource.
 
But, what about larger companies?  My company has two full time people and a few others who do outsourced work like social media, programming, etc.   But, what about a company with 12 employees, or a hundred.  Is it easier for them to outsource?    If you are a manager who has 12 employees, you will have a problem leaving them alone for ten days while you fly to India.  Or perhaps you could hire one of them to fly to India themselves and set up a deal if they are smart and reliable enough.  The question is, would you outsource to another company, or set up your own office in India?  This is a difficult question to answer. If you want to be able to control who works for you, then hire your own staff.  If you want someone else to deal with hiring and firing, and always having people ready to work, then outsourcing to an existing company is perfect.  Or, you could outsource, but ask the boss if they can hire special people according to your specifications. There are many possibilities.   One key factor is that Indians want to work, and are eager to please foreign clients, while American companies are often extremely rigid, and often will not even return your calls or emails!
 
Huge companies seem to have refined outsourcing to a set routine.  They have a standardized method of sending the right people to India to have huge offices built that are  dedicated exclusively to their corporation.  They know how to do market research and find out how to attract the best employees.  Everything is refined to a science for the big guys.
 
My blog is more oriented towards small and medium companies, so my suggestion is to poke your head around and see if you can find the right people to work with overseas.  Be prepared to visit them once or twice a year, or perhaps more!  Whether you are a small or medium sized company, it is time consuming and tiring to fly to India.  Jet lag is terrible, and stomach disorders that you get in India really take their toll.  I feel that it is worth it in the end, but not without it’s price.  If you have a larger company, then your trip to India might get more accomplished in one trip making it more efficient.  But, the bigger issue to me, is learning to refine your travel and business plans so you get the most out of any investment in travel.

Tweets:
(1) It is easier for big companies to outsource because they can create their own office overseas
(2) Bigger companies get more favorable treatment from outsourcing companies purely based on their size!

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Mixed-level software teams: a business model that works!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/10/28/mixed-level-software-teams-a-business-model-that-works/

The 2% rule; Only 2% of companies are worth hiring
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/10/21/the-2-rule-only-2-of-companies-are-worth-hiring/

Data Analysis KPO India

November 10, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: BPO | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Data Analysis KPO India

KPO = Knowledge Process Outsourcing which is a type of outsourcing that involves a high level of sophistication in research and analytics. Market and Financial research are some of the most common specialties of KPO companies in India.

There are many types of KPO companies in India. The majority do some type of data analysis, analytics, research, or offer financial advice. You might find it interesting to browse our various KPO company listings in India. We have KPO companies in other countries as well, but our India KPO page is by far the most active in it’s category.

Please keep in mind that there are many companies in our data entry section that also offer data analysis services in India. It is unclear if their services have the same level of sophistication as a KPO company, but you can contact such companies and find out for yourself.

One of the main types of data analysis that KPO companies do is for market research, market segmentation, and business strategy. If you can identify your best market segment to contact, and the most efficient way of contacting them, then you can get a good rate of return on your marketing efforts.

Another common type of data analysis that call centers and KPO companies alike might engage in would be survey response analysis. A good analyst would be able to identify trends, and important data patterns by taking a closer look at the data.

You might also like:

KPO India Search Results

Call Center India Search Results

Data Entry India Search Results

LPO Definition and Information

November 6, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: BPO | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

LPO Definition and Information
 
There are a few terms in outsourcing that may not be familiar terms to Americans and Europeans. BPO, KPO, and LPO.  I have written a blog article about distinguishing BPO from KPO, and LPO.  But, let me summarize here. 
 
BPO = Business Process Outsourcing
KPO = Knowledge Process Outsourcing
LPO = Legal Process Outsourcing
 
Any type of outsourcing could be classified as BPO. However, the more highly educated types of outsourcing work fall into the category of KPO, which itself is a broad term.  BPO includes any type of data entry, call center, or back office work.  KPO includes any type of knowledge intensive services which often include research, analytics, writing, software, and sometimes legal work as well.
 
Legal Process Outsourcing is a subset of Knowledge Process Outsourcing.  Many companies in India specialize in various types of LPO services to please foreign clients.  It is interesting that almost all LPO companies in India are located either in the Delhi NCR region, or in Bangalore.  There are huge volumes of highly educated people in any of the top ten large cities in India, but these two cities attract certain types of industries.
 
Typical specialties for Legal Outsourcing companies might include legal research, document drafting, patent research, litigation support, and assistance for foreign companies trying to set up a branch in India. Many companies have a wide variety of other specialties, but for Americans and Australians outsourcing to India, those are the specialties that are the most common.
 
I read that there were roughly 140-150 Legal Process Outsourcing companies in India, so there are plenty to choose from. 123outsource.net currenly lists over fifty such companies, and we welcome you to browse our search results.  We also have many KPO, BPO, medical billing, medical transcription, web design, and software companies that you can browse too!

BPO Projects – How to get them and what they entail

October 20, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: BPO, Popular Posts | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

BPO Projects
BPO = Business Process Outsourcing.  BPO companies typically do data entry, call center, payment processing, and other repetitive back office services.

There are many types of BPO projects out there.  Some are voice processes while others are non-voice processes.  It is important to note, that when communicating with prospective American or Australian clients, they might not understand what you are talking about if you use the term, “non-voice process”.  When talking to Westerners, it is more clear to mention a specific type of process or work such as data mining or telemarketing for example.

What do projects entail?
BPO projects might include a call center or telemarketing project, data conversion, image processing, payment processing, data capture, or a wide variety of other types of work.  It is important to note how many seats will be involved in the work, and how long the work is expected to take unless it is intended to be continuous work on an ongoing project. 

Getting work
Getting BPO projects is not always easy.  Established companies have a steady clientele that might refer them to other overseas companies.  So long as the quality of their work stays intact, they would normally continue getting regular business.  There might be economic cycles that would effect their work volume, but a steady flow of BPO projects would be normal. 

Newer BPO companies, especially those that have weak marketing skills, will find it much harder to get steady work.  Additionally, I have found that inexperienced start-ups have management that doesn’t always have a good command of English.  If your marketing materials are in broken English, it will be hard to attract data entry or call center work, since those lines of work are language intensive.

In the beginning, you should have someone help you with your marketing materials to make sure they will attract foreign clients.  Once you establish a reputation for doing good work for a reasonable price, then business will begin to be more steady. 

How do I get initial work?
You can contact companies overseas that might need your type of services.  Making personal contact is a very effective marketing technique.  You can advertise on alibaba.com, or on 123outsource.net to gain worldwide exposure for your company as well.  The basic trick is to find companies who need your BPO services, and to make them feel confident about using your outsourcing services. Offering them a little bit of work at a discount or for free with liberal terms is the easiest way to get BPO projects fast! If you make life easy for your new clients at a great price, they’ll be very enthusiastic about your company!

More ideas for getting work
Have a website, call companies that might need your service, create a Linked In profile, advertise on large outsourcing directories, use PPC advertising on Google, network with other companies, do email blasts, etc. Please read our more up to date articles below for more thorough information.

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You might also like

Marketing your BPO outsourcing company from A to Z
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2016/05/22/marketing-your-bpo-outsourcing-firm-from-a-to-z/

How to get more clients for your BPO or Call Center (compilation)
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/08/20/how-to-get-more-clients-for-your-bpo-or-call-center-compilation/

What is the process of setting up a BPO company?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2012/02/04/what-is-the-process-of-setting-up-a-bpo-company/

How to get clients for call centers — contracts!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/04/05/how-to-get-clients-for-call-centers-contracts/

Best Outsourcing Articles (compilation)
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2016/04/02/compilation-of-best-outsourcing-articles/

Outsourcing was first used as a business strategy in 1989
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/12/02/outsourcing-was-first-used-as-a-business-strategy-in-1989/

Getting new clients and nurturing them correctly
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/04/17/gaining-new-clients-and-nurturing-them-correctly/

Why Indian call centers fail
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2014/03/16/why-indian-call-centers-fail/

From 100 Indian call centers down to 1
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2014/01/21/from-100-indian-call-centers-down-to-1/

Get more clients for your BPO by having better TRAINING
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/10/05/how-to-get-more-business-for-your-call-center-better-training/

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Training for Outsourcing Jobs part 2

October 5, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: Getting a Job | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

I’m sitting here reading an article on HRO today.  It is about training process outsourcing.  The article claims that many American corporations have no idea what their expenses are for training employees.  A VP named Ed Trolley of a large American company was interviewed and gave some interesting answers.  Ed claimed that training was one of the most under-managed, under-leveraged, and under-valued, not to mention misunderstood functions in a corporation.    Training is often viewed as something you have to do.  But, how much emphasis is put on results.  Outsourcing training can help a company focus on what their core competencies are instead of stumbling, trying to train their own employees.
 
When I work with outsourced companies, I am always very aware of how their employees handle situations.  There is always a loose screw.  Some are good workers, but can’t communicate.  Others refuse to answer emails even if their life hinges on it.  Many do their work in a mechanical way without insight.  There are so many things to pay attention to in any type of job, it must be baffling to train people. 
 
Thoughtlessly picking a program
Getting “a” training program doesn’t seem to be a great idea.  Looking at the costs of training programs and saving money by outsourcing them seems to be missing the boat as well.  I believe that the key is to understand the various levels of training that need to happen.  In any type of task, there is a mechanical aspect.  If you do call center work, you need to punch in some numbers, or press a button so a computer can do that for you. You have to read a boring script, and try to be polite when answering questions.   So, there are different levels in the training here.
 
Levels of training
The first level is purely mechanical. How to make the call, what to say, how to answer commonly asked questions, what to do when the customer gets upset, or acts inappropriately.  But, what about the next level of training?  Ideally, in any call center, your manager should be looking over your shoulder from time to time and should be looking to see if you are gracefully handling all of the tasks involved in interaction. The manager should give you pointers from time to time and even write up a review about your work from time to time. So, we can say that reviewing and nitpicking could be level two in the training scheme.  But, there is yet another level! What could it be?
 
Sophistication and nuances? 
The individual who trains your employees how to make calls may likely be very unsuitable to teach nuances.  It is really on an individual basis who is good at teaching the different facets of any job.  Someone who is what I like to call, “Tuned in” can easily find all types of ways to refine an employee’s skills.  There are very subtle differences in the way you can answer a question that make the person on the other end of the phone much happier.  There are differences in your tone and amplitude of your voice that can make people think you are a nice person instead of a jerk — even if you say exactly the same thing.  The bottom line here is to pick the right trainor for each level in training.
 
Data entry training?
Data entry requires different types of training too.  Making sure information is complete and well formatted is key.  So, if someone can assess how well an employee deals with the trickier situations where answers are not so clear cut — is very important.  If you can spell well, you can catch other people’s spelling mistakes.  If you know what type of format is desired, you can correct formatting errors in the data input.   But, some employees do not catch the subtleties of the job, and some managers do not catch which employees can learn, and which should be let go.

Outsourcing your personal work

September 27, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: Of Interest | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

I was watching a documentary on youtube about American workers who outsource their tasks to India.  One accountant has someone in Bangalore do all of his work for him. The American employee still had to come to the office everyday.  He had a nerf-ball which he played basket ball with in his cubicle.  His goal, he announced, was to do as little as possible.  My only thought was, why doesn’t his boss hire the person in India himself?
 
But, outsourcing your personal work could be done in parts too. Some people hire an appointment setter in Bangalore to help them book their appointments, set their dates, and take care of other arrangements.  If you need to send flowers to your wife, your personal assistant in Bangalore can book that for you easily.
 
I’m thinking of all the data entry I do daily, and how nice it would be if someone in Ahmedabad could do it all for me. That would save me two hours a day.  The problem is that I am not good at explaining tasks to people. So, if they do a task incorrectly, it is my mistake half the time for not communicating clearly. 
 
I outsourced my networking to a local company.  They have a young lady who is contacting company bosses throughout the world who will join my outsourcing directory. I do not have the skills  or patience to do this myself which is why I am happy that they are doing this for me.

Who Gets Listed How High On 123outsource.net?

September 24, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: Of Interest | Tagged | Leave a comment

Who gets listed how high on our outsourcing directory?
 
123outsource.net is an outsourcing directory that sorts outsourcers into a dozen or so categories.  The key to getting business is to be near the top of the list in your respective category. But, it is not always so easy to attain a top spot.  Since we are new as a directory, we have a vast majority of free listings currently.  Paid listings get listed higher on the search results than free listings do.  But, how are free listings ranked?
 
Our Preference System
We have a preference system for listings.  If you write reasonably well, and have a nice website, you might get a high placement even with a free listing!  If you send us a logo for your company, or have a Skype number, we might raise your placement a bit for that as well.  
 
Functional Websites
We feel that if you are a professional company, you would have an attractive and functional website. If your website doesn’t load properly, that is a big issue. That means that prospective customers can’t find you. On the other hand, if you have no website, that is a huge issue too. Many companies signing up with us have a website that says, “This domain for sale”.  That is not an encouraging sign!  Web sites that hide contact information are evasive. Customers want to know what country and general area you are located in.  If you have multiple offices, you should list them in your contact us page.
 
Foreign Numbers?
Picture yourself in the United States looking for a company to outsource to. Most Americans do not know how to call India, nor do they want to, even to save their own life.  People do not know how to calculate the 13.5 hour time difference from California to India which changes to 12.5 hours in the Spring and Summer due to daylight savings.  People in America do not understand international dialing codes, and feel alienated when we hear that funny ringing sound that phone lines in India have. You are used to your ring tones, but Americans find it very — foreign sounding.  So, what is the solution?  If you can get a US number, a UK number, perhaps a Dubai number too, and advertise that on your site next to your Skype number, you are making life easier for the foreign clients to reach you.  You will probably get many more foreign clients if you make their life easy, and we will list you higher on our list too!
 
Higher Placement = More Work!
Most companies want work, and as much work as they can handle.  Most companies want to grow and prosper. Being at the top of the list matters.  Please ask us about paid listings near the top of the list.  If you are going to get a free listing, please make sure you have a nicely written notes section, because your notes make a huge impression of how professional you are!

Now America works for India!

September 9, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: America, India | Tagged , | Leave a comment

I always thought that China would take over the world, and we would have to undergo repression, discrimination, and work for them.  But, the reality is much nicer — for those of us who like samosa and chai.  Infosys of India is training American workers.  American recent graduates will fly to India for six months of training, and then go back to their back offices in the states.  Everything in outsourcing is reversed now. 
 
But, India leads the world of spirituality and technology to some extent now.  Many salaries for programmers are actually higher in India than in America.  Many Lucky (smart) Indians are returning home to enjoy salaries in excess of US$100,000 per year.  Of course, most salaries are nowhere near that amount in the IT industry, but these high paying jobs are sprouting up in India more and more.
 
Meanwhile, at Tata, another huge Indian company, they have 5000 workers in Brazil, Chile and Uruguay of all places. Cognizant has opened back offices in Phoenix and Shanghai.  A few companies in India have opened call centers in the Philippines too. 
 
When I talk to narrow-minded people who are anti-outsourcing, I always stress that any small store in India sells 80% American products.  Shampoos, soaps, laundry detergent, and other small items sold in mini-stores in India seem to be made by American companies. Try spending an hour in Bangalore without seeing a Citibank, Subway, KFC, and other American businesses.  We are part of a global economy and currents flow both ways.
 
Japan has also capitalized on American labor with Toyota opening many plants throughout the United States. So, reverse outsourcing is a way of the future.  There is hope for America.  India will give us a job — and hopefully a samosa break too.

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