Tag Archives: Indian Software Companies

6 strategies for growing your outsourcing business fast

Categories: Marketing, Semi-Popular | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

In real life, growth is partly in your control and partly based on luck, and market conditions. What I learned from looking around is that most companies don’t grow because they have a failed growth strategy. Here are some simple ideas that can help your outsourcing business or offshoring business take off!

(1) Have labor resources
To attract new clients, you need to have some sort of exposure such as a well promoted web site, advertisements, or agents. But, if you don’t have the labor resources to get work done, then you will lose your new client as quickly as you got them. So many American companies are so stupid this way. They go to great efforts to gain new clients, and then don’t fulfill deadlines and lose the client within 30-90 days. Gaining new clients is hard, not to mention expensive. Make sure you retain them. Now, having labor resources is not the same as having quality labor resources. If your workers are all incompetent, that is even worse than not having resources at all. If not all of your staff is smart, make sure that the few who are smart, are regularly watching and inspecting the no-so-smart people’s work like clockwork. Otherwise you can not retain your clients. Having labor resources is key, but they need to be well managed too, otherwise you can not grow your business. Unfortunately, having more labor than you have clients means that you will be paying salaries for people who are not always busy. That is the cost you have to pay for growth.

(2) Give it away?
I just read a blog about a very successful African American. He was asked how he became successful. He responded that he had popular products and just gave them away in the beginning. He was not greedy for money. He gave lots of samples and free stuff to others, and gained the favorable opinion of many future clients. If you give something of quality away, people will get to know you and your company. Most people prefer to do business with someone they know. So, if they can get to know you for free, you will have a very fast way of acquiring clients — at a cost to you. But, how much is the cost to you if you give a little away to qualified prospects? I would screen them to see if they are worth giving a free lunch. If they seem like they have a good chance of being long term clients, then give them something for free, or at least give them some very flexible terms in the beginning. Most companies alienate prospective clients simply by being to rigid in their contracts and terms.

(3) Have a branch office in America
Many Indian software companies and companies from Belarus have an office somewhere in America. This means they are on the same time zone as prospective American clients. It also means that you have an American phone number, and people who speak good English. Americans will trust you more if you have one of your feet on American soil. Having an American office comes at a huge cost, but it can result in fast growth of your operation too. If you can’t afford an office, you can start out with an independent agent who gets a referral fee for introducing business to you.

(4) Have a well optimized website.
Many companies particularly in Gujarat show up all around the world. If you need a programmer in New York, Moscow, or Canada, companies in Gujarat will show up. If you want to get clients, you need to be visible wherever people are looking. If people find you everywhere, they will remember your company name.

(5) Do overflow work for American companies
Most companies in America have a labor shortage. It is hard to find good help in America these days. Many companies might be willing to use your services if you offer very reliable services at good prices. You can get large quantities of work fast this way. But, don’t screw up, otherwise you lose your relationship permanently. Watch your quality control, because you ruin their reputation if your staff makes any mistakes.

(6) Call people with websites
Have someone who is smooth talking call people with websites around the world who speak your language. Those website owners might need database programming or web design. If you get to know them without trying to push your service down their throat, they might not mind talking to you. A pushy salesman will get hung up on. But, if you just call to talk about what their needs are without being aggressive or trying to sell them anything on the first phone call, you might win their affection. Listening is more important than talking on these types of phone calls, and remember to avoid being desperate. You are there to casually chat and see if you can help them — don’t behave as if you are begging for a job. And remember, a little small talk goes a long way with Americans!

Good luck!

You might also like:

If someone doesn’t need your services today…
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/10/15/if-someone-doesnt-need-your-services-today/

Gaining market share or gaining the type of market share
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/07/18/gaining-market-share-or-gaining-the-type-of-market-share/

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/

The concept of lower-middle management
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2012/08/01/the-concept-of-lower-middle-management/

Knowledge Process Outsourcing – Facts of Interest

Categories: KPO, Outsourcing Articles, Semi-Popular | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Knowledge Process Outsourcing – Facts of Interest
 
KPO
KPO means knowledge process outsourcing and is a more sophisticated type of BPO.  KPO generally refers to accounting, legal, software, and outsourcing that involves research and good analytical skills.
 
History of BPO & KPO
The history of the Business Process Outsourcing industry dates back to the 1980’s when a handful of European airlines started using Delhi as a location for their back office operations.   Later, American Express consolidated its Japan and Asia Pacific back office operations also to Delhi and the NCR region (which is near Delhi).  In the 1990’s, General Electric was next to follow suit and start back office operations in Gurgaon, which is a satellite city of Delhi.  These initial BPO operations were done using a business model that consisted of parent companies and “captives” which are companies that have an exclusive relationship with the parent company.  Independent BPO operations didn’t start until the 1990’s although the industry didn’t have much strength until after 2000.
 
IT outsourcing
In 2002, all major Indian software companies were involved in the BPO industry including Infosys, Inforlinx, HCL, Stayam, and Patni..  Spectramind was bought by Wipro, and the team that started Specramind, created Quatrro in 2006.  Daksh got bought by IBM, and MphasiS was acquired by EDS.  Accenture, IBM, Hewlett Parkard and Dell, Convergys and Sitel also created venues in India which created a lot of high paying jobs.  These new high paying jobs in India are the reason why the phenonimon of the reverse brain drain from America to India started accelerating from 2004-2009.
 
KPO Services
Investment research, Business research, Data Analytics, Market research, Valuation, Legal research are the main core of what are considered to be specialties in the KPO business.  IT, Software, and Web services can also be considered to be KPO services, although research oriented jobs better reflect how many think of KPOs. LPO means legal process outsourcing which includes a wide variety of legal back office services.  An LPO is a type of KPO as well.  The distinctions between the various outsourcing terms can get blurry, and terms can have definitions that overlap with other related terms as well.  Putting distinctions aside, KPO is a dream come true for India, where they can get a nice market share of higher paying skilled labor and have evolved past the stage of only getting grunt work and software labor.
 
Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Research
Indian companies are now engaged in more and more biotechnology, and pharmaceutical analytical work. This is one of India’s most rapidly growing industries in the KPO sector. Israel is also very prominent in KPO as they have many companies who are very advanced in medical research.
 
Where are KPO’s typically located?
To run successful KPO companies, you need a good skilled labor pool.  India dominates roughly 70% of the world KPO market, and each metro in India has a different focus. Delhi is more oriented towards legal, accounting, and call center work.  Bombay is more oriented towards business.  Hyderabad and  Chennai gravitate towards IT, Data, and Transcriptions, while Bangalore is India’s hub for any type of highly skilled technical or analytical work.  Bangalore has the highest amount of highly skilled workers of any Indian metro and the majority of higher paying KPO jobs are in Bangalore.  Visit our Bangalore KPO page to see search results for KPO companies in Bangalore.

Tweets:
(1) KPO means knowledge process outsourcing and is a more sophisticated type of BPO.
(2) KPO generally refers to accounting, legal, software & outsourcing that involves research and good analytical skills.
(3) The HISTORY of KPO, BPO, and LPO
(4) Looking at a long list of KPO services, what defines them as KPO vs. BPO services?
(5) How do you distinguish what would be classified as a KPO vs. a BPO service?
(6) India dominates roughly 70% of the world KPO market, and each metro in India has a different focus.

You might also like:

How to find great offshore companies to do your back-office work!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/09/02/how-to-find-great-offshore-companies-to-do-your-back-office-work/

Roadblocks in the BPO outsourcing profession
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/04/24/roadblocks-in-the-bpo-outsourcing-profession/

Diary of a Night Owl Who Enjoys Outsourcing

Categories: Of Interest, Semi-Popular | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Diary of a Night Owl Who Enjoys Outsourcing
 
The night is young from a night owls perspective and the Indian programmers have already finished installing ten new pages with meta-tags, meta-titles and links.  The night owl says, “Wow, this is the way to do business — I didn’t even go to bed yet, and the work is done…. lets assign more”.  A feeling of relief that the Indian Software company in Pune is so fast on the draw, that the entire stack of emails that have the information for five dozen new pages will be done soon.
 
I’ve been writing customized SEO pages for dozens of pages for my new site for a few weeks now.  They are going online one by one, and google is responding generously to my hard work.  But, its so nice that with my odd schedule, I can find companies that are in full function, when I am in full function with my Leo schedule.  Its hard doing business with Americans.  By the time I get out of bed, have my mocha, finish my emails and other pressing matters, its too late to call the East Coast, and the West Coast only has a few hours to go. 
 
India is perfect.  If only we could move it to Australia, then it would have the perfect time zone for my schedule, but I’m not complaining, its excellent already. If only all companies could be like Indian Software companies!   Emails are the way I communicate these days.  Sure, a phone call is easier if there is a lot of back and forth in the communication.  But, emails are best for straight instructions and perhaps one or two quick questions for what the work entails.  Its amazing for me to get back and forth at 10pm when I’m in full swing, and America is unconscious.
 
My schedule is only normal when I take my break and go into the redwoods.  Its a six hour drive to Santa Cruz from here and the various state parts are waiting for me.  There is a feeling of peace there in any of the redwood forests, especially when there is a slight drizzle.  The earth is so soft as its composed of disintegrating pine needles.  Thats the only time I wake up as a civilized hour.  Last trip up North I woke up at 6am the last day and went hiking near Felton, CA at Henry Cowell state park.  I save all of my hundreds of business calls to the East coast for when I go on my trips.  Thats the only time I’m not a night owl.  Its up North that I do my welcome calls for new clients, and reminder calls for existing clients.  I wouldn’t be able to call India from there because I fall asleep at 10pm when India has just gotten to work since its +13.5 hours.
 
If you are a night owl who is in a software business, Indian Software companies are a dream to work with.  Try it!