Malaysia is a nation known for its very attractive business environment, and up-to-date infrastructure and also for the strong support it gets from its government which in turn has made this country a rising outsourcing option to China and India. The Malaysian government has actually positioned Malaysia as a hub for world class technological innovation and services – which has made many top rated multinationals locate some of their global or regional business’ in this country. Malaysia is also a country that has a much more stable political climate (this is important) which is also effectively backed by regular economic growth which has also made this particular offshore outsourcing nation very attractive for sensitive, high-end uses in the banking and finance industry.

Even though Malaysia is still a nation that is exploring its niche, this country has also established authority as a well respected outsourcing destination. Malaysia’s outsourcing industry has been placed together on drawing investments in third party and also captive outsourcing processes from several leading global organizations that cuts across different verticals – Oil and Gas, Banking, sales, Logistics.

You also need to understand that outsourcing in Malaysia has completely evolved (seriously!) Business owners will be glad to know that this country has evolved into offering a variety of services niche and is even integrated in IT, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and data processing in a number of industry verticals.

The Malaysian government initiatives are indeed a principal factor in the driving force behind this country’s outsourcing industry. The backing of the Malaysian government has truly helped to form institutions that effectively (and carefully) manage a variety of roles which range from setting up a small business to kick-starting a big company. In addition to this, the establishment of world class facilities and economic advantages has also contributed to attracting more and more companies to this country.

The turn of the century has indeed seen the rapid rise in the number of offshore outsourcing countries, with many countries across the world trying their very best to cut a larger piece or share of the outsourcing marketplace. Well, it is certainly no secret that India, the Philippines and China are the top three leading outsourcing destinations in the world.

There are also a couple of outsourcing destinations that are making their way to being recognized as outsourcing nations to reckon with. These counties are:

· Kenya,

· Vietnam,

· Nigeria,

· Ghana etc

The aforementioned countries have seen growth from their local outsourcing market

Daven Michaels

It is absolutely no secret that India is the country that comes straight to the mind when the word “outsourcing” is mentioned - there is even a new NBC television show titled “Outsourced”. The show is centered around a fictional company which has moved its customer service center to “India”.

When you choose to outsource, this will also mean sharing your business’ control and sometimes sensitive data with an outsourced firm. A lot of people simply see outsourcing as the best thing that has happened to the “business world”. Offshore outsourcing is known to assist in the effective use of resources, skills, investment and technology at an affordable rate. Well, according to the survey carried out by Goldman Sachs, since 2001 about 40,000 and 60,000 service division jobs have been moved offshore – they expect the number to rise in future.

Virtually anyone can outsource no matter how big or small your business is. When you choose to outsource, you basically get competitive edge without making any investment on infrastructure. Taking advantage of outsourcing is really the best option when you notice that you are losing focus on the main issues of your business because you spend most of your time on minor but necessary business facts.

The following countries are known for the competitive advantage they offer clients are:

· Philippines

· India

· China

· Canada

· Singapore

· Malaysia

· Brazil

· Kenya

· Czech Republic

· Poland

Yup, India is a country famous for its outsourcing industries as a matter of fact, “Outsourced” is not the only television show that features Indians and outsourcing centers. There are top Hollywood and Bollywood movies which feature characters that work for outsourcing businesses.

India is one of the top outsourcing countries that a lot of organizations seek when they need to outsource Information Technology tasks. India really stands out as a country that many people recognize but the truth is, if you are searching for an outsourcing country that totally understands the American culture, then you can consider choosing the Philippines. An average Filipino understands the American culture, you will be glad to know that they also have one of the best work ethics among the entire top outsourcing countries in the world.

Choosing a good outsourcing destination is the best thing you can do in order to have a pretty strong competitive edge – so, do not settle for any ole offshore outsourcing firm.

Daven Michaels

Virtually everyone on the planet already knows that China has become a key importer of consumer and industrial goods. May be in a short time, India will do the same. Outsourcing has really stood the test of time. In the early 19th century, the US was actually a poor (yes, poor!) developing country. The European capital assisted in helping to finance the American railroads, canals and even helped to finance new factories while the labor force in the United States began to produce goods that successfully competed with European made goods.

Because the markets were quite open and also somewhat competitive, both the Americans and Europeans benefitted immensely from this process. Thankfully, employment creation and economic development took place on both sides of the Atlantic. At the moment, service providers outside the country prefer to use “American made” computers, equipment, software, and telecommunications. Top outsourcing countries also obtain monetary, legal and marketing services from the United States.

There are some job processes that cannot be outsourced because in these particular job functions, personal contact is very important. It will definitely take domestic companies to come up with new products and or services to meet the needs of local customers. You really need to understand that outsourcing is not going to be the ruin of America, as a matter of fact a lot of the people we work with consistently remain close by – do you have to travel to India in order to see a dentist when you have a tooth ache? Or do you have to travel to get a lawyer, doctor, plumber? etc.

You will definitely begin to notice that after sometime that more and more jobs will be created than outsourced in America. The United States is popular for its open labor market – this is a characteristic that is basic to our country’s economic vitality. Do you know that about a million employees are tired of their jobs or simply hand-in their resignation letter each week and an equal number is hired to take their place right away? Agreed, it is a lot harder to lay off workers in countries like Japan and Europe than in the United States. You also need to understand that many foreign companies still come to the United States in order to set up operations and hire Americans to work in these businesses.

So, do not be afraid to outsource business tasks to offshore countries.

Daven Michaels

Offshore outsourcing is known as the practice of employing the services of an outsourced firm to carryout a couple of business activities in a country other than the nation where the products and or services will be sold. Outsourcing has truly grown at a really fast pace, thanks to the development in the following:

· Modern satellite

· Internet technology

· Better connectivity

· A stable search for affordable labor in order to reduce expenses and achieve competitive advantage.

When a business employs the services of outsourced employees from less expensive countries such as the Philippines, India, Malaysia, China to handle its back office and other business functions; the company can cut down on labor costs and of course have the time to concentrate on its core competencies and thus provide better customer satisfaction.

According to a reliable report, the United States companies have saved about 8 billion dollars – all thanks to taking advantage of outsourcing to a top outsourcing country like the Philippines. There are many developing countries recognized for their outsourcing industries, and are patronized by developed countries such as the United States.

The Philippines

One of the great things about this country is its people. An average Filipino is well educated and speaks fluent English – If you are an American business owner, you will definitely want outsourced employees who speak impeccable English. Outsourced employees from the Philippines are known to be quite excellent particularly in front office operations such as sales and customer service.

The Philippines is a nation that has a really massive pool of productive, multi-skilled and teachable labor force. A large number of Filipino outsourcing firms will only employ staffs that are highly qualified for a variety of outsourcing responsibilities. There are many American owned companies in the Philippines.

If you are seriously searching for an offshore outsourcing company that will certainly provide you with outsourced employees that know their onions when it comes to effectively handling work activities such as telemarketing targeted at customers or clients in the United States, you will need to choose employees who speak impeccable English. A reputable outsourcing company will ONLY hire employees who will successfully meet all your needs for your telemarketing department.

Please note

It is important for prospective customers or clients to hear a telemarketer clearly – this way, they (prospective customers) will be able to understand the kind of products and or services that you offer.

Daven Michaels

Let’s cut straight to the chase

China

Yes, it may seem unlikely but in the recent years, China is a nation that is fast becoming one of the top countries that supply offshore software outsourcing this is because of China’s incredible development rate. Even though India is presently the top leader in software outsourcing provider on the planet; right now, China is doing everything it possibly can in order to take over from India so that they can be the top leading player in software outsourcing. Some experts have even predicted that China will one day become one of the top three countries for outsourced software.

Many companies are even beginning to plan their offshore techniques in order to advantage of China’s emerging strength as a top outsourcing country. This plan also includes searching for different methods to take advantage of this country’s present software strengths. There are some assessments that suggest that China’s outsourcing industry could even give India a run for its money as the top outsourced country in the information technology service market.

As a matter of fact, the recent flood of activities that placed China right on the outsourcing world map came as a result of the following:

· Government’s support and promotion

· Japan’s decision to move most of its software development processes to China

· And because some large foreign organizations set u R&D centers in China

India

It is no secret that this country is well known for its outsourcing industry – there is even a television show on NBC titled “Outsourced” which feature outsourced employees in an American owned business customer care service in India. India is a nation that that is known for a labor force with the following qualities:

· English speaking

· Affordable

· Highly skilled

· Educated

This country also boasts of the following:

· World class Information Technology and networking facilities

· Friendly laws

· Well paid taxes

· A somewhat stable political environment

· World class certified software companies.

India’s offshore outsourcing industry is really growing industry and has produced lots of success stories that sure makes India a really popular offshore outsourced country for Information Technology related work and of course Business Process Outsourcing (also popularly known as BPO) services too.

Please Note:

If you are searching for an outsourcing country to handle your customer care services, it is important that you choose an outsourcing nation that totally understands the American culture. India is wonderful when it comes to outsourcing technology related work projects but if you want to capture the American market with your customer service, consider the Philippines, because they clearly understand the American culture.

Daven Michaels

Every business owner knows that in the “world of business” in order to be competitive, you need to be able to offer unique products and or services, end of story. You do not have to own a “call center” in order to employ the services of outsourced employees.

Yup, outsourcing is indeed the one of the main keys to ensuring that your business remains profitable. Information technology is as a matter of fact, a really pertinent part of a company’s process that WILL need competent technical support that maybe beyond the ability of the present company management. If your company is experiencing this problem, then the solution is pretty simple; outsource your Info-tech department to a competent outsourcing firm that will manage your business’ IT processes.

There are many reasons why outsourcing is a better option for effectively managing your business’ IT department instead of maintaining an in-house Information Technology department.

Here are good reasons to outsource your Information technology department:

Improved Expenses Management Control

· IT costs become visible because all billable hours will of course be well accounted for. Outsourced firms are usually very professional and will be more than ready and willing to provide you with a well detailed account for all billable hours – this means you will not be unwittingly paying an employee who reports to work and spends the whole day slacking off and steadily collects his or her pay check every week – aghhh!

· Outsourced services are only employed when the need arises – this means you only get to pay for the services that you have actually used.

· An outsourced IT department will help your company reduce expenses by using its wide knowledge base of various IT specialists.

Increases the Quality of Service

· Outsourced companies usually make available to clients performance information and assessments.

· Ensures that successful communications between business duties improves at all levels and also ensures that IT resources are not being misused.

· Outsourced companies provide round-the-clock support at affordable costs

· Outsourced employees usually drive budgeting and planning improvements.

Please Note:

IT consultants are usually well trained on the latest and advanced technologies. Retaining an in-house “technically” qualified employee is quite difficult because job opportunities are regularly changing. Companies can also enjoy IT support coverage without relying on just a key IT person. If your company relies solely one key IT person, your company may be in serious trouble if your key IT personnel decides to quit.

Daven Michaels

Have you wondered why on earth you need to use outsourced employees? Or you are simply wondering when it is the right time to outsource? Well, the best time you should consider using outsourced employees is when you or your in-house employees really need to take out some quality time to clearly focus on very important business processes, other not-so-important but critical business functions can be successfully taken care of by the (reputable) outsourced company. So, a really good time to seriously think about outsourcing work is when you need to do the following:

· Gain access to world class professional services

· If you are seriously looking for an affordable way to successfully complete office tasks or business processes, in a really quick and effective way.

· If you clearly don’t have the funds to invest in additional or state of the art equipments, software, technology and so on.

· If you feel it is a lot more affordable to have someone else do the work instead of doing it in-house.

· If the job or functions can be done cheaper in-house, but doing this completely drains resources which is very useful somewhere else.

· If the work process is one that you or your staff – as a matter of fact – don’t derive pleasure doing. Many outsourced employees effectively carryout those tasks that many business people do not find pleasurable to do.

· If the expertise required for a specific job is so specialized that it is not at all practical to let a regular employee do it.

· If one of your staff took a vacation or has to leave the office often or if you need to take a vacation or have to be constantly out of the office.

· If you require short-term assistance with projects

· If you just need brief assistance until you get to hire new staff.

“I would love to outsource to my call center service, but I am worried about what people would stay, I just watched the trailer of NBC television series ‘Outsourced’ and some people where really not so thrilled because they think that outsourcing is bad for the American economy”

Whether you choose to believe it or not, everybody in America outsources work! And who told you that outsourcing is bad for the economy? You obviously have not read my article titled “Is Outsourcing Good for America? Oh Hell Yeah!”

Daven Michaels

Of course it is a great idea to outsource your call center service! Before we go to the reasons why some people think that outsourced call centers are a bad idea, let’s first take a look at the benefits of outsourcing your call center service:

· You do not have to shell out money every couple of months in order to invest in the latest telecommunication systems. In case you do not know this, these equipments do not come cheap and I am sure you have other plans that need financing. The outsourced call center service worries about getting state of the art facilities and providing top quality service – your job is to expect results.

· Worrying about employees shirking their responsibilities will be history and you will also not worry about firing an employee for incompetence yourself (most business owners absolutely HATE doing this). Outsourcing companies only hire people who are ready and willing to work and if they have to fire an employee, you will not be the one to give him or her the axe (Yay!)

· Why should you pay for an extra office space for your call center services when you do not have to worry about this and still get top quality service?

· Do you honestly want worry about paying someone who has the habit of calling in sick just because he/she felt like sleeping in after having one too many drinks?! With outsourcing call center services, you will never have to worry about paying employment insurance, staff compensation, and retirement benefits. Outsourced cal center employees are generally dedicated to doing their jobs.

Some people think that outsourcing call center service is a bad idea because:

Accents! Accents!! Did I mention Accents?!

Oh please! Many of us have had the experience of speaking to a person over the phone in a call center in the Philippines or India and most times, we are not able to tell the difference! I’m sure you must have viewed the trailer of the upcoming NBC TV show “Outsourced” where one of the employees at a top Indian based call center service mimicked an American accent PERFECTLY! He even said the word “corndog” the way an American would say it.

Geez, there are so many talented outsourced call center employees that will do a great job answering question from customers, taking orders and so on. So stop hating! Wake up and smell outsourced call center services.

Daven Michaels

How to Successfully Choose an Outsourced Partner

A lot of businesses are looking for effective ways that they can cut down costs – especially if the business is still very new. One of the smart and common ways to cut down the cost of running your business is by identifying the business processes and department that incur too many expenses. After you have done this, many business managers identify firms outside the company who can successfully do all of the required tasks at lower costs. This is known simply as “outsourcing” – outsourced partners do company tasks at lower costs without compromising on the quality of work.

In order to choose an outsourced partner who is great at handling your company’s outsourcing needs, follow these guidelines:

· Ensure that you clearly identify the needs and motivation for a really successful outsourcing partnership. This will of course involve cost cutting and quality control measures.

· Make sure that you take some time to check out the alternatives that are available in the market – a good way of doing this is by investigating what other businesses have done in similar situations. This will give you a good idea of what kind of outsourcing company you can hope to get the best results from.

· You should check out the top industry players and make up your mind as to which outsourced partners will help you in furthering your business strategies and the type of value that the outsourced partner can add to your business.

· You also need to make sure that you run a background check on the would-be outsourced partner(s). It is important that you do this, especially if you want to find out what kind of reputation the outsourcing firm you are thinking of working with.

· You should also figure out some kind of standard for recognizing an outsourced partner that you can trust to effectively handle all your outsourcing needs. Pick the BEST method of getting potential outsourcing partner interested in working with you. The common methods are tendering and of course, bidding.

· Ensure that you get the prospective outsourcing partners to inform you about the kind of services that they are capable of providing that your in-house staff will be incapable of providing.

· You should match the professional background of every prospective outsourcing partner against the standard that you set. You should then choose the most competent and efficient outsourcing partner and work with them.

Daven Michaels

Okay, the main reason you started your business in the first place is to make good proceeds, and there are some times when you have to shell out good money in order to generate good leads but to no avail. These days, many people are poster, flier and even billboard blind. Because a whole lot of people are very busy making ends meet, they really never have the time to watch TV ads, and when they do find time to watch television, they usually get up and go to the kitchen to fix a snack or get something whenever an ad comes on. Outsourced telemarketers have very effective ways to get prospective customers or clients to know about and buy your goods and or services.

You need to understand that there is no way a television ads, leaflets, billboards and posters are going to respond to questions from potential clients or customers – especially if you sell novelty products just like the ones on NBC’s new television show “Outsourced”– customers will DEFINITELY have loads of questions. As a great option to running an in-house telemarketing department, why not take advantage of outsourcing? If you take advantage of outsourcing your telemarketing when your business is still quite new and still growing, you will be glad you did. Like the characters on the show “outsourced”, there are many young, smart and intelligent outsourced telemarketers in reputable outsourcing centers in the Philippines.

Here are some of the great advantages of outsourcing your telemarketing:

· Outsourced telemarketers are known for their abilities to help boost sales. Many reputable telemarketing outsourcing companies ONLY provide well experienced sale persons who are very aware that their own success basically depends on their utmost dedication and expertise in getting the job “well done” for clients.

· If you are only interested in getting results from your sales department, then the best thing you can do is to outsource your telemarketing. Reputable outsourcing firms only hire and choose a telemarketing team that will be perfect for your project. Do you honestly want to go through the hassles of recruiting and training a telemarketing team yourself? Didn’t think so.

· You also no longer have to put up with silly excuses that some employees take their sweet time to come up with and you also do not have to worry about being slammed with a law suit by some bitter employee who is just looking for a way to get back at you for giving him or her the axe – even though they deserved it.

Daven Michaels