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Virtual Assistants

How to Create Outsourcing Strategies For Your Small Business

People meeting at a table, writing on documents and discussing outsourcing strategies

If you’re wondering how to create and implement your own effective outsourcing strategies, you’re in the right place. 

Outsourcing isn’t something exclusive to large businesses. Sure, larger companies can reap the benefits of outsourcing on a larger scale. However, outsourcing can be a valuable asset to even startups and small businesses. 

Below, we’ll go deeper into how to develop your outsourcing plan. 

What is Outsourcing?

This is the process of sourcing an individual or company outside your own to perform a task or take over a business function.

Types of Outsourcing Strategies

1. Offshoring

Offshoring outsourcing is hiring an international company or independent contractor to do work for you. Among the strategies of outsourcing, this is probably the most recognizable and most common. 

2. Nearshoring

Nearshoring outsourcing is similar to offshoring. The difference is that nearshoring is hiring a third-party from a country close to your base of operations to take over a duty. 

3. Onshoring

Onshore outsourcing, as you may have guessed, involves hiring a third party within your own country. This can be a company or freelancer within your own state or region or even within your own city. 

Advantages of Outsourcing

A man smiling and giving two thumbs up.

1. Cost Savings

Its cost-effectiveness is what leads many companies to begin constructing their outsourcing strategies. 

Here are three ways you save money through outsourcing:

  • No employee benefits and overheads 
  • Lower comparative rates from countries with lower costs of living 
  • Cost of tools, software, education, and equipment 

2. Increased Efficiency

An outside team allows you and other team members to focus on other tasks. Often, the outsourced tasks are those that take a lot of time. Either that or they aren’t the most effective use of your skills. 

As a business owner, you should be focused on growing your business. You shouldn’t leave core business on the shelf for necessary yet lower priority processes. 

Also, developing your own in-house solutions can take a lot of resources. Ultimately, it would take a while before getting to a point where you can get fast results. This is where an outsourced team can be a worthwhile investment. Having worked with many companies, they have streamlined their operations. This allows you to do what you’re best at while they do the same.

3. Access to Specialized Expertise

With years of experience and expert driven processes, you can’t really go wrong. A third-party might have experience working with similar businesses as yours. This means they likely have the expertise to know what will work best for you and your company. As mentioned, they can do things efficiently without sacrificing a lot of quality. They typically have their own tried-and-true processes. They’ve tested and know which course of action will yield the best results. Knowing how to handle errors and find solutions to problems quickly is also an advantage.

Steps for Developing an Effective Outsourcing Strategy

Paper with numbers on it. outsourcing strategies

1. Define Goals and Objectives

Before you even start canvassing for potential outsourcing opportunities, you should have a plan. As the old adage goes, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” It may be a cliché, but some clichés can be the best advice. 

So, what would an outsourcing plan look like?

The Big Goals

Well, for starters, you want to know what the endgame is. Identify what you hope to achieve by outsourcing. Often, this process involves pinpointing problem areas and evaluating your pain points. This “painpointing” allows you to first justify the need for outsourcing. Not only that, but it also provides a benchmark to monitor progress. 

Checkpoints 

If your goals are your main destination, then you can view objectives as milestones or checkpoints. It’s valuable to break down goals into smaller obtainables. For one, it makes the goals seem like less of a major undertaking. Another thing is it gives you a more concrete picture of the journey towards the finish line.

2. Identify the Right Partner and Negotiate Terms

Now is the time to begin your research journey. There are several ways you can find outsourcing partners. You can try freelance websites, agencies, social media, business networking sites, and recommendations from business friends. 

What should you look for when picking the right outsourcing partner? 

Reputation – How can you know that a person or business has the skills to back up their claims? One word – reviews. Reviews give you a glimpse into what your experience might be like looking for a partner. 

You can look at popular review sites like Trustpilot or Glassdoor

Experience – How many years have they been in business? How many companies have they worked with? Are they similar in size to your business? Have they worked with businesses in your industry?

Pricing – Flexible pricing plans mean you can scale together with them. You want someone who can cater to your needs without charging you a fee for services you won’t use. 

After you’ve chosen the correct partner, it’s time to.discuss the terms of the agreement. This involves questions such as: How long is the project for? How much are the rates? What are the payment terms? What are the exact roles and responsibilities of the job? 

A man communicating with a woman via video call about outsourcing strategies

3. Establish Clear Communication Protocols and Procedures

Communication is key. It’s another cliché that holds water. This can already be a struggle with teams who physically interact with each other on the daily. Imagine how much more difficult it can get with virtual partners. 

That’s why it’s important to have protocols in place for virtual meetings and remote teams. Setting up the proper comms channels early on is essential for you to succeed in your outsourcing strategies. 

You need to determine what platforms to use, how often to meet, and at what times. This is especially important if you are working in dramatically different time zones. 

Consider coming up with a communication SOPs (standard operating procedure) as well. These SOPs provide step-by-step instructions on who to communicate to, where to communicate, and how often. For some, this might seem excessive. To others, this can save a lot of hassle down the road.

4. Monitor Progress and Performance Regularly

The checkpoints we talked about earlier can help with progress reports. We can use checkpoints as the basis for “check-ins” with your outsourced team. 

When you hit a milestone or due date, these are great opportunities to touch base with your team. You can discuss the status of the project. Are things running on schedule? Were there any hiccups along the way? How is the outsourced team doing? Are there areas that the outsourced team thinks you can improve? 

These are good questions to be asking. Remember, just because they are an outsourced team, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be concerned for them. Whether in-house or outsourced, maintaining good relations is never a bad idea or a waste of time. 

Best Practices for Outsourcing

A woman working on outsourcing strategies on a tablet computer

1. Set Realistic Expectations

A lot of business relationships fall apart when you do not clearly define roles and responsibilities.. These provide a framework for your partnership. 

This involves

  • Listing the tasks needed accomplished
  • The level of skill and experience required
  • Education requirements
  • Specialized knowledge needed for tools and software  

Clearly communicating the job description is so crucial. This sets up expectations for your partnership moving forward. 

Outsourcing companies can make all the promises they want. It is still your due diligence to research people and teams who you believe fit your needs the best. 

All your strategies for outsourcing will benefit greatly from you taking initiative and responsibility early on. 

2. Establish Performance Metrics

This process includes creating and setting up KPIs or Key Performance Indicators. These are measurable targets to aim for during your operations. 

These can be customer satisfaction, gross and net margins, customer lifetime value, and much more.

The KPIs you set up ultimately depend on your goals and objectives. 

3. Maintain Transparency

First, you need to know your needs. Second, you need to be open and honest about your needs. If you don’t communicate these effectively to your outsourcing partner, they won’t be able to help you. 

This includes letting them in on any mistakes you’ve made. Some people have this notion that by revealing the flaws in their business, they compromise themselves. You compromise yourself by not addressing a flawed process or system that you have in place. 

If you don’t know what your needs exactly are, that’s not something to be ashamed of! Some outsourcing solutions provide guidance if you need it. You simply need to communicate clearly with them.

Frequently Asked Questions

A cork board with pins and yarn connecting frequently asked questions.

What type of work is commonly outsourced?

According to Blackbear’s top outsourced services, the list includes:

  • SEO
  • Social Media
  • IT
  • Data Security
  • Marketing
  • HR
  • Customer Service 

We also have a list of 101 tasks you can outsource to a virtual assistant. 

What are the disadvantages of outsourcing?

  • Lack of control
  • Data security risks
  • Miscommunication 
  • Time zone challenges 
  • Cultural challenges

How do I reduce the risks of outsourcing?

  • Set clear goals and expectations.
  • Do extensive research.
  • Hire from a reputable marketplace/ hire a reputable agency.
  • Establish clear communication channels as early as possible.

What Is Outsource School?

outsource school

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

Conclusion

Our goal with this post is not only to help you get started but be successful. Outsourcing strategies can come in many shapes and sizes. This is one that we’ve seen work most often, and we hope it works out for you too!

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Virtual Assistants

15 Tasks a Copywriting Virtual Assistant Can Perfect

A copywriting virtual assistant

Have you ever worked with a copywriting virtual assistant? You’ve probably heard of hiring a copywriter. But a virtual assistant who can handle copywriting – probably not. 

Though the really skilled ones can be rare, they do exist! And when you find one, here’s a list of 15 tasks you can pass over to them. This way, you can get quality help and save your own precious time.

1. Writing compelling sales copy for product descriptions or landing pages

Writing good sales copy that gets results requires finesse. This task also requires some understanding of A/B testing and data analytics. You may know your products well, but don’t really want to spend all that time tweaking campaigns. Maybe you’re already working with a sales virtual assistant. That’s perfectly fine! Just make sure you introduce the copywriter to them so they can work together and not end up clashing.

2. Crafting engaging blog posts or articles on specific topics

Blog posts and articles aren’t technically copy as the marketing world understands it. However, you still want these longer form content types to be attractive to customers. Blog posts and articles aren’t just for providing free information, after all. You want content that can pull readers in to make more sales.

3. Creating attention-grabbing headlines and subheadings

copywriting virtual assistantThis is a great example of what I mentioned above. These parts of blog posts and articles can use the practiced touch of a copywriting virtual assistant. Of course, headlines and subheadings apply to other types of content, too. They are used in product descriptions, social media posts, landing pages, and almost every kind of text content.

4. Proofreading and editing content for grammar, spelling, and readability

A top tier copywriting virtual assistant will be able to help you get every piece of content just right. With better skills and more experience, they can proof all your text content and tweak it to perfection. This way, you can capture your intended audience and make sure they aren’t turned off by glaring errors or even phrases that feel slightly off.

5. Conducting keyword research for SEO optimization

An SEO copywriting virtual assistant is the rarest of these rare gems. A good SEO virtual assistant who won’t ask you for the moon as payment is already quite challenging to find! But again, they are out there if you know where to look. With this treasure, you can get quality keyword research and the actual copy itself done seamlessly. We cannot stress enough how valuable this is! Smoothly integrating keywords researched by someone else into finished copy is not as easy as it sounds.

6. Writing persuasive email newsletters or campaigns

Two women with a laptop talking about a copywriting virtual assistantPersuasive writing is what copywriters do best. However, there’s additional skill involved in creating newsletter content and email campaigns. Email is one of the most underrated marketing tools that businesses have at their disposal. Getting your email marketing done right can boost your business quickly and sustainably over the long term.

7. Developing scripts for video or audio content

For this task, make sure you advertise for a copywriting virtual assistant who specializes in video or audio content. Script writing is not the same as composing an email, laying out a complete product description, or putting together a compelling call-out on social media. The right copywriter for this job will have experience plus more creative writing talent than your average copywriting marketer.

8. Creating social media posts and captions that resonate with the target audience

Social media is its own animal, and we all know that each platform has its own culture. Writing social media posts and captions that grab these varied audiences requires experience. Hire someone who has been on the different channels you need for a while and knows their lingo. 

9. Crafting compelling product or service descriptions for e-commerce platforms

copywriting virtual assistantsLike product descriptions on website landing pages, eCommerce platforms require a specific type of copy to be effective. A virtual assistant who knows the platforms you’re on and what their customers like can be a valuable asset.

10. Writing case studies or success stories to showcase business achievements

Case studies are another highly specialized area of copywriting. Success stories can also be challenging to write, especially for niche businesses. You definitely need a good copywriting virtual assistant to capture the essence of your value as a company and communicate to potential customers the value that they can expect to enjoy from your products or services. 

11. Creating persuasive copy for advertisements or promotional materials

As mentioned above, persuasive writing is right in every copywriter’s wheelhouse. However, advertising is a highly specialized field. If you have a writer who isn’t well-versed in ad copy or how to do successful promotions, you might not see much success. Hire a copywriting virtual assistant to create ads that not only draw clicks but sell more product.

12. Conducting market research to identify target audience pain points and preferences

Market research is not the most glamorous of marketing tasks. It can get really tedious! However, a copywriting virtual assistant can help you, and they can actually do it better than a researcher can. This is because they know what details about your targets are vital to create successful copy – like consumer pain points and preferences.

13. Writing persuasive call-to-action (CTA) statements for various marketing channels

If you’ve ever struggled with composing the perfect call to action, you’re not alone! Most business owners can relate to the experience. Let’s be honest – we’ve all thought at some point that it can’t be that hard, then tried and failed to write something that didn’t smell like grandpa’s favorite cheese. Don’t sweat it. We all have our weaknesses! Hire a copywriting virtual assistant and keep your peace.

14. Crafting engaging website content that captures visitors’ attention

Apart from blog posts, articles, and landing page copy, our websites all need text for each of their other pages. A copywriting virtual assistant knows what else can be added to these pages to avoid redundancy and make the best use of the prime internet real estate.

15. Creating content calendars and planning content strategies for blogs or social media platforms

When you’re running campaigns, you cannot do without content calendars that reflect well thought out strategies! And who better to set all this up than the one who knows how to implement it all? You got it, your all-star copywriting virtual assistant can come to the rescue once again. But don’t forget, these VAs have unusual skill levels, so you need to be prepared to pay higher than average rates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What qualifications and skills should I look for in a copywriting virtual assistant?

The realm of copywriting is vast. The copywriting virtual assistant you hire should have the qualifications and skills that you need specifically to fulfill the task that you need help with. Use the above examples as inspiration, and be specific in your job post so you can attract the right one.

What tools and software should a copywriting virtual assistant be familiar with?

Again, this can depend on the specific tasks you are hiring for. For example, WordPress, if that’s where your website is hosted that they are writing landing page copy for. Or, Amazon, if they are composing product descriptions for products you sell on that marketplace. However, most copywriters will have a go-to writing tool that they know well, such as ProWritingAid.

Can a copywriting virtual assistant work on a project basis or only on an ongoing basis?

Yes, like most VAs out there, a copywriting virtual assistant can definitely work based on the terms that suit you best. You just need to know what you prefer and find the one who is willing to meet those expectations. Some can even accept either project-based, short-term, or even long-term commitments. 

How do I effectively communicate and collaborate with a copywriting virtual assistant?

Make sure that you have set clear expectations with the person you hire. First, they need to know how you want them to report to you. For example, do you want daily updates? Where they can reach you, and when? Second, give them clear instructions on what you want done and the results you expect. Set clear deadlines as well. 

Effective communication is vital, and we at Outsource School can help if you struggle in this area – just book a call and we’ll get a meeting set up shortly!

What Is Outsource School?

outsource school

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

Conclusion

Copywriting is not a simple task. This job involves a lot more than simply throwing a bunch of phrases together, loading them up with keywords, and adding in some sophisticated- sounding words. Copywriting is a delicate process that balances the science of marketing and the art of creative writing.

So, how exactly can you get a copywriting virtual assistant – the perfect combination of rare expertise and affordable help? Set up a call with us and we’ll help you find one of these absolute gems!

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Virtual Assistants

15 Reasons Why Outsourcing to the Philippines Is Best for Small Businesses

An older man giving a thumbs up to a younger man on a video call.

We think that outsourcing to the Philippines is the best option for small businesses. And that’s not just from a bunch of research that we’ve done here at Outsource School. In fact, it’s the result of many years of experience actually outsourcing to the Philippines! Outsource School founders Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan hired their first virtual assistant in the Philippines when they were in college. 

In this post, we’ll run through all the reasons their experience has taught them why your small business needs to hire from the Philippines.

1.  Skilled Workforce

The Philippines boasts of a highly skilled workforce. The country is home to so many skilled people ready to work that many of them won’t find appropriate employment locally. The lack of jobs to suit their skill levels is one reason why many Filipinos have sourced work elsewhere for decades. When you decide to try outsourcing to the Philippines, you’ll find many individuals ready and willing to give you their best. You can find almost any range of skills that you might need, including graphic design, content writing, app programming, website development, IT support, marketing, customer service, and project management. 

2.  English Proficiency

The Philippines has a literacy rate of 96-98% (the numbers vary by source). This is not just the native languages and dialects, but includes English. English is actually the official language of government, the medium of instruction as mandated by law, and the primary language of commerce. The country ranks 2nd in Asia behind Singapore in English proficiency. Although fluency levels do vary, the general familiarity with English makes working with Filipinos much easier.

3.  Cultural Compatibility

outsourcing to the Philippines

Filipinos have been working in other countries and working with foreign businesses for several decades. This has helped them to be one of the most culturally adaptable peoples on the face of the earth. Filipinos in general are already quite easy going. So, this adaptability makes them just that much more well suited for work with other nationalities. If you have a multi-cultural team, Filipinos will blend in nicely.

4.  Cost Savings

The cost of living in the Philippines is much lower than in western countries. This immediately makes outsourcing to the Philippines a money-saving option. When you add in the high-quality workforce, ease of communication, and cultural comfort, it’s a winning deal. But the cost savings don’t end there. When you hire overseas, you eliminate the need to provide and pay for many things that are required for in-house hires. These include office space, furniture, equipment, electricity, benefits, etc. This makes outsourcing much more efficient.

5.  Quality of Work

More than the skills that they bring to the table, Filipinos are generally known worldwide as hard workers. As long as you set clear expectations, pay them reasonable rates, and treat them with respect, you are almost guaranteed quality work. Filipinos do not, on average, have that feeling of entitlement that can be so prevalent in today’s workforce. 

6.  24/7 Operations

A man looking at his watch in front of a laptop.

One of our favorite benefits of outsourcing to the Philippines is the ability to extend operating hours. While asleep in the US, you can have a team working happily on the other side of the world. This is so valuable for eCommerce businesses especially, which technically never close. We all know that providing amazing customer service is the standard that today’s shoppers expect. Giving them the ability to not only shop with you anytime but also get their questions answered whenever they please is a real reputation booster.

7.  Excellent Work Ethic

Filipinos know the value of work. They also bend toward commitment and dedication when treated well. It’s part of their culture to want to form bonds and maintain relationships. A Filipino who prefers a transactional work vibe is rare! This stems mostly from their strong sense of family values. This contributes to their success at work because they are highly motivated to provide well for their families. They don’t shy away from long hours or a learning curve when they know the job ensures that their loved ones will be taken care of. 

8.  Low Initial Investment

Outsourcing to the Philippines does not necessarily require any initial investment whatsoever. If you’re hiring freelancers through online marketplaces or Filipino virtual assistant companies, you can find some that do not ask for any fees upfront. This means that you can search for, interview, hire and get started with a freelancer with no money down. All you need to put in is time. Simply figure out what you need, put together a job description to attract the right candidates, and go through the selection process. With most marketplaces and even some agencies, you pay when the work is done.

9.  Improved Productivity

a man taking notes in a notebook about outsourcing to the Philippines

You can bring a higher productivity rate to your business by outsourcing. A lot of this has to do with having people who are able to work around the clock, without paying exorbitant night differentials. When you can speed up your delivery cycle with reduced times for process development, you can serve more customers and make more money. 

10.  Improved Work-Life Balance

Filipinos have a good understanding of work-life balance, so they usually perform well over time. As long as you manage them properly, you will always have a happy team ready to give you their best on the job. Because they value family so highly, you may have to give them a bit more flexibility than you’re used to. This is usually in terms of taking hours or days off here and there. Still, outsourcing to the Philippines is a great choice because Filipinos know how to give grace for grace. They will make up for missed work with gratitude, and build loyalty towards you for being understanding. They also do not usually insist on keeping all the local holidays and will gladly work overtime to help you out in a pinch.

11.  Access to Larger Talent Pool

The number of young people far outnumbers the numbers of elderly and children. These are people in the workforce or nearly ready to enter it. Moreover, colleges and universities in the Philippines graduate more than half a million students every year. That makes for a very large pool of qualified workers. 

12.  Scalability

A woman drawing a business workflow plan.

Outsourcing opens you up to a pool of freelancers. This means you can hire someone for an hour, a day, a week – however long you need them. You don’t need to make any commitments like you would when hiring an employee. This really takes the pressure off, financially in particular. You can get help when your business needs an extra set of hands, and release them when peak season is over. 

13.  Saves You Time

Outsourcing to the Philippines saves you time primarily because you can get what you need almost immediately. When you work with experienced marketplaces and agencies, they can get you up and running within the day in some cases. You can also outsource almost any task you can think of that doesn’t require a physical presence. Because you pay much lower rates than you would locally, you can outsource more. This means you can pass of almost every task that you don’t need to be doing as the business owner. 

14.  Flexibility

Because you’re not hiring based on long-term contracts with severance packages on the line, you can be flexible. You can try out a lot of things that you would normally be afraid to risk. If they don’t work out, there’s no mess to clean up in terms of HR. You can move hiring resources around as needed and form longer-term teams only when and where it makes the most sense.

15.  Good Attitude

outsourcing to the Philippines

Another of our favorite benefits of outsourcing to the Philippines is the cheeriness of the people, even in the face of adversity. Rarely will you find a melancholy Filipino. It’s almost a cultural taboo to frown! The positive attitude and friendly demeanor of the Filipino is even contagious. If you have a bunch of Filipinos on your team, you can actually see other team members start to act happier.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of services can I outsource to the Philippines?

You can outsource almost any type of service to Filipinos. As long as they can do it online, you can find someone qualified to get it done right.

How can I ensure data security and confidentiality when outsourcing?

When outsourcing anywhere, setting up digital safeties on your end is always recommended. With data being accessed over the internet, you are vulnerable to a number of cyberattacks. In terms of freelancer security, make sure that you are giving access only as needed and that you retain administrative control. Setting up monitoring is also vital to ensuring data security and confidentiality.

Is it possible to have real-time collaboration with teams in the Philippines due to time zone differences?

Absolutely! Freelancers in the Philippines are used to working with companies in different time zones. They understand the nature of the work and are always willing to find time to meet during client business hours. 

What Is Outsource School?

outsource school

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

Conclusion

Outsourcing to the Philippines can be the best decision you ever make for your business. We have lived this and recommend it to you because we know it’s true! Try it for yourself today at little to no risk and see how much it can boost your business.

Categories
Virtual Assistants

Outsourcing to India: Everything You Need To Know

Two computer screens showing programming code. outsourcing to India

Did you know that you could reap the benefits of outsourcing to India, even if your business is small? In fact, most smaller businesses these days are taking advantage of outsourcing software development to India, along with many other tasks. 

In this post, we’ll talk about the pros and cons of SEO, customer service, software outsourcing to India, and more. We’ll also look into how businesses normally take advantage of outsourcing to India. Finally, you’ll catch a glimpse into how to outsource work to India once you’re ready to give it a try.

Benefits of Outsourcing to India

You may be asking, “Why outsource to India in the first place?” Well, the benefits of outsourcing to India include several major factors, which we’ll go over here. 

Cost Savings

The first of the major advantages of outsourcing to India is cost savings. It will cost you a lot less when you’re outsourcing customer service to India, for example. If you hire from the US, Canada, UK, or other western country, you can easily pay double or triple for the same work. Because India’s economy is different, your dollar will go further than it would at home. As long as you’re still paying decent wages, you should be able to get the quality services that you and your customers deserve.

Access to Skilled Talent

Let’s say you wanted to try outsourcing SEO to India because of the cost savings. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to know that many Indians are highly technologically savvy. By this logic, outsourcing web development or software development to India is a good idea as well. If you were to ask other businesses out there, you would probably find that most have had at least one Indian involved at some stage in their project. 

outsourcing to India

Time Zone Advantages

Hiring from a country that’s several hours ahead may not sound like an advantage at all. However, we think it’s another of the best benefits of outsourcing to India. While you’re still cozy in bed, an Indian team can be hard at work on your app or website. This way, you can immediately have a look at their progress. Then, you still have time to give further instructions for them to do before their workday ends. If you’re outsourcing customer service to India, the time difference means that you can have people taking care of your customers while you sleep. And you’re not even paying the usual night differential!

Technology Infrastructure

India is one of the few countries in the world that have massive technology infrastructure for serving overseas industries. India is known for tech savvy, exposure to western culture and the English language, and low cost of living. Because of this, they are one of the BPO giants. BPO stands for Business Process Outsourcing, which is an industry centered on helping other countries with outsourcing and offshoring to India. It’s a huge industry because businesses always look for ways to save on costs while getting the same quality output. 

Challenges of Outsourcing to India

Outsourcing to India is not all rainbows and roses. Every option out there is going to have some caveats. You need to be aware of these pitfalls, but don’t let them scare you away from outsourcing to India.

Cultural and Communication Barriers

India does have a lot of contact with the western world. However, this does not guarantee an absolute match in terms of culture. It also does not mean that every individual you come across will speak English the way you expect. 

Many will say that they speak English fluently. That means, however, that they speak well according to their standards. It’s a different variety of English, just like British English differs from American English in vocabulary and accent, and even grammar. Maybe their teachers – also not speakers of your native variety of English – told them they speak very well. They are likely not aware that people in other countries can’t understand them or don’t hold the same values and norms as they do.

One thing that warrants its own paragraph here is a warning about Indian holidays. Make sure that you ask anyone you hire about the holidays that they observe because Hindus and Buddhists especially have some very lengthy holidays that the west isn’t accustomed to.

Lack of Privacy and Security Laws

Every country has its own rules and regulations. Outsourcing to India means managing your expectations in terms of what laws they must abide by. When it comes to Asia, you need to know that the law tends to be less advanced in the areas of technology. This means that you need to cover your bases more thoroughly than you would if you were hiring locally. We recommend consulting a lawyer who is well-versed in the privacy and security laws that will affect you.

A woman burning money.

Unforeseen Expenses

Hiring overseas will always come with the risk of unforeseen expenses. You won’t be able to control the work environment, for instance, because it’s not your office. You won’t always know what might pop up for an overseas hire, either. However, you can easily reduce these risks by going over the details of the job and setting clear expectations. 

Take note of any instances when a hire doesn’t comply. Take steps immediately to ensure higher compliance next time around. Still, they may simply not meet your expectations, or don’t seem to be trying to. In this case, be prepared to safely stop work at a reasonable point in the project and let them go. If you have the proper milestones set up, you should have zero problems hiring someone else to pick up where they left off.

Types of Services Commonly Outsourced to India

You can outsource a lot of different tasks to India. We don’t want you to think that there is a limit on what you can hire for there. These are just a handful of the most common outsourcing examples

Software Development

Outsourcing software development to India is probably the most well-known of all. Getting software built from scratch can be super expensive. This is the main reason why India is a go-to option, since they can do the work just as well as developers from the other side of the world.

Mobile App Development

Software outsourcing to India isn’t just desktop stuff. These days, a lot of companies are getting their own apps made. This is because just about everyone has a smartphone, and prefer to use it. More than this, companies can target more users with mobile apps because people are on their phones loads more than they are on computers. If you want an app built without getting into debt, consider outsourcing to India.

Digital Marketing

Outsourcing SEO to India is another really common one. SEO is really technical, and India has a long history of focusing on technical skills. It takes a special mind and special training to understand SEO at a high level. When your business is at stake, you want to hire only the best optimizers to get you quality hits to make bank.

outsourcing to India

Back Office Services

We highly recommend to all our clients that they pass off administrative type tasks as quickly as possible. These tasks are tedious and time-consuming – not the type of stuff a business owner should be handling. These tasks usually don’t require a ton of skills, but it’s always good to hire someone who understands all the tech that you use for business operations so they can do their job well.

Customer Support Services

A lot of businesses shy away from outsourcing customer service to India. They prefer to go with the Philippines or Latin countries because the accents are easier to understand. However, you can find a number of Indians who actually have very clean English – you just have to be willing to pay more than a few dollars per hour! It will still be totally worth it. In addition, accents have nothing to do with grammar, so if you need some non-voice talent, there’s nothing stopping you from outsourcing to India.

Alternative for Outsourcing

Outsourcing to India is not your only option! You can outsource to many different countries all over the world. You can actually hire anyone these days who has the ability to work online. We have a favorite, however, which is the Philippines! Our whole team, actually, almost exclusively consists of freelancers we’ve hired from the Philippines.

The reason why we so highly recommend hiring from the Philippines is because they have the best scores in the areas we mentioned above. The costs of hiring in the Philippines are comparable to those in India. Sometimes, they can be higher, but this is because you get better quality. 

The time zone advantages are the same, and most Filipino freelancers are actually willing to work odd hours. They are very accommodating – it’s part of their laid-back culture! – so you can quite easily come to an agreement on hours. The BPO industry in the Philippines is also booming, so they have the experience and the infrastructure to support outsourcing. One of the things we love the most is that Filipinos speak English much better overall than the rest of Asia. Although some may have some accent and grammar issues, it’s not hard to understand them, comparatively. You will still need to look into privacy and security laws and set clear expectations to avoid unforeseen expenses. But you should be doing this with any hire, anyway!

Frequently Asked Questions

A cork board with pins and yarn connecting frequently asked questions.

How much can I save by outsourcing to India?

The amount that you can save by outsourcing to India versus hiring locally depends on the task you are hiring for. As mentioned above, you can expect to save up to 70% for the most part. This takes into consideration salaries and benefits, overhead, and equipment. If you require special software and are paying lower hourly rates, most freelancers will not agree to pay for the software.

What are the risks associated with outsourcing to India?

Outsourcing to anyone is risky because you have a lower level of control. You do not work in the same space, and cannot supervise them closely. When you outsource overseas, this level of control drops further. You can manage these risks quite well, though, if you set up the right checks and balances and keep a close eye on operations – or hire someone to do that for you!

How do I ensure data security and confidentiality when outsourcing to India?

For the most part, limiting access to data is the best way to ensure data security and confidentiality across the board. Always keep backups, and set up safeguards so you are always in control of your data. This is especially important for financial data. Scammers are everywhere! The only reason why we all worry about getting scammed overseas is because it’s much harder to prosecute an overseas scammer. Moreover, the reason why countries like India, China and Russia have a bad reputation when it comes to scams is because of numbers – there are many more Indians, Chinese and Russians in the world than other nationalities. 

What are the cultural differences that I need to consider when outsourcing to India?

One major hurdle for many western businesses when hiring Indians is the expectation of advancement. The Indian mindset is hierarchical because their society is hierarchical. An Indian hire can quickly lost motivation if not given opportunities for advancement. If you have a flatter operating structure, you may want to adjust for your Indian team to keep them performing well. 

To meet their aspirational goals, you will need to develop performance metrics to apply to them that unlock benefits. For example, if they finish a project faster without a lot of bugs, they get a bonus. If they fix bugs before the set deadline, you give them a nice review to post on different sites where they get work. Commendation within the company is also a good way to motivate people who love knowing that they can climb the ranks and hate feeling like they are commodities.

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Conclusion

After weighing the drawbacks and benefits of outsourcing to India, you may still feel uncomfortable pulling the trigger. We understand how making that first overseas hire can be daunting. However, we are confident that if you know how to outsource work to India, you’ll be totally fine. It’s really about hope much attention you pay in the early stages, as you prepare to get an overseas hire ready to start working. If you need help in this area, we are, of course, available to you. Just book a call and we’ll get together to see how we can be of assistance.