5 Reasons Why Outsourcing Is Not Laziness

Who’re you calling “lazy”? The businesses that outsource a number of their operations to developing countries like the Philippines? It’s not what you think.

Companies that outsource often receive bad rap for moving jobs out of the country and to another country, a move which critics deem “traitorous” or “unpatriotic” in the face of unemployment and economic slowdown, especially in the United States. These companies are even branded as heartless capitalists who exploit the (very) cheap labor of the country they outsource to, and lawmakers, perhaps due to constant pressure from “nationalists”, pass proposals or measures to limit offshore outsourcing and even fine businesses for such an action. As if it’s not enough, critics now throw the term “lazy” against companies that outsource.

Lazy? Not so!

Outsourcing gets the “lazy” label due to some companies that outsource a lot of work to offshore workers, leaving just a few tasks to in-house or regular employees, who have already become lazy. What’s worse is that offshore workers receive lower salaries than the in-house employees, despite handling more work (and the most important work) than the latter. Thanks to them, another harm is done.

Outsourcing should breed increased productivity, not laziness. The strategy is aimed at helping people and organizations unleash their full potential at activities they do best and reserve resources for worthwhile ventures. Delegating certain activities to third-party service providers is just means to achieve the aims. Here are a few reasons why outsourcing is not “laziness”:

1. Making the best use of time, the most precious resource – Life is jam-packed, so it’s really important for entrepreneurs to invest in activities they want to do rather than on menial tasks that don’t interest them. Think about all the time and effort you could have spent making your business more profitable.
2. It’s all about efficiency – Employees want to be the best at what they do best, and they want to do more. That’s good for the company. Now, is there any good in assigning tasks to employees who can’t perform them or are still learning them? You can’t wait for employees to master what they are learning right now when there is a deadline to meet.  
3. Matching people with their expertise – Outsourcing is about utilizing the people around you and letting them do what they are good at. So there is no reason why your PA should manage bookkeeping or your trainer take care of all your recruitment and hiring needs. Would you be okay with social media and accounts management when you’re a whiz at business development?  
4. Keeping up with the times and its demands – Increasing demands at work yet so little time? To achieve more in your unchanged time allotment, find help. Outsource. The times call for you to work smart, not work hard. Don’t be a slave of time, but consider time your ally.
5. More effective time management – We can’t be Superman or Wonder Woman, but we can be awesome with our time management. By outsourcing, we can make fewer mistakes and reduce repeat repairs or back jobs to move on smoothly to the next task(s).

In ways critics don’t see, outsourcing does remove the limitations that limited time sets on your increasing responsibilities and on your desire and plan for growth. It prevents us from becoming lazy and from wasting precious time.

More goals but less time to achieve them? Why not consider call center outsourcing to the Philippines? Want to know how working with an outsourced call center can help you maximize your time for more business? Call Taking You Forward, a fast-rising call center in the Philippines, today.

5 Ways Social Media Recruiting Can Benefit Your Company

Finding the right people for the right positions is becoming more and more difficult, even for SMEs and startups. Employers are now putting a lot of emphasis on skills rather than educational attainment, and recruiting teams are dealing with numerous responsibilities and challenges. Given the state of the job market in the current economy, the use of social media in recruitment and selection can prove to be beneficial for your cash-strapped SME or startup.

New tools, new ways to recruit

Small businesses and startups can do wonders with social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, other than to sell their products and services, raise their industry profile, and build their thought leadership. They have now found a new use for it: Recruitment. But why are businesses or rather brands on Facebook or Twitter? Because that’s where their potential customers – or future employees – are. The use of social media in recruitment and selection gives new meaning or impetus to e-recruitment.

Okay, so how can social media benefit your business or organization?

1. No more costly, time-consuming background checks – Employers and recruiters (including recruitment process outsourcing providers) will no longer go through the rigmarole of background checks, especially when recruiting a large number of people. Most employers may consider Facebook and Twitter to be personal and not professional sites, but they can’t just write them off if they see it as useful for researching potential candidates.
2. More traffic in recruitment – If you aren’t recruiting on Facebook, perhaps you should start now. According to The Social Media Hat, the service has 1.44 billion monthly active users, and comScore even reported that Facebook also has the most popular social app among millennials, so chances are high that your future employee(s) of the year is on Facebook. Why not post or upload a job ad there now?
3. Boosts your company’s image – A social media presence can help boost your company’s image to job seekers as it gives them the notion that your company is flexible and ready to adapt to the times. With more and more people getting hooked on social media, you give them a reason to remember that you’re hiring.
4. Fast and easy referral – If your future employee(s) of the year is not on social media, then probably their friends are. By being active on social media, you make it easier for people to spread the word that your company is hiring. They can share or talk about your job ad with their friends who are looking for a job.
5. Personal interaction with job seekers – When attracting potential candidates through social media, you are engaging with them on a personal level. You make it feel that your company is genuinely interested in them. Today’s job seekers are more likely to go for employers who recruit them with a more personal approach.

For companies that still hire through recruitment agencies or post job ads on print media and online job search sites (such as Monster and It’s My Career), social media is the in-thing in cost-effective, hassle-free – and fun – recruitment process.

How can you combine social media with recruitment? Why not ask a call center company in the Philippines? Call Taking You Forward today, a fast-rising call center and recruitment process outsourcing provider in the Philippines.

The Virtual Assistant: The New Personal Assistant

Are you a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owner who:

• Doesn’t enjoy doing time-consuming routine tasks?
• Struggles to complete important projects on time?
• Loses track of important developments and other updates on certain projects?
• Forgets dates and business appointments?
• Lacks the time to work on new projects or pursue new hobbies?

If you said “yes” to all these questions, then you obviously need help. It’s time you learn the value of delegation and take advantage of outsourcing. It’s time you hire a virtual assistant (VA) who will help you organize your tasks and timetable.

The idea of using a personal assistant to perform administrative tasks and run errands is not new among big businesses, but the practice is already getting traction among solo entrepreneurs and SME business owners, thanks to outsourcing and technology.

What is a Virtual Assistant (VA)?

A VA is not someone who will run after you, read you important notes, remind you of your important schedules, and make or fetch your coffee. In fact, they will most probably never set foot in your office – but they will be by your side at every click.

You can see your VA and communicate with them through email, chat, videoconferencing, and voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), hence the job title. For the hands-on professional, a virtual assistant from the Philippines is the best person to employ remotely.

Benefits of Hiring a VA from the Philippines

More and more business owners are outsourcing at least some (or most) of their administrative tasks and back office processes to virtual assistants, thus letting them focus on the core business. They are entrusting to outside experts a wide range of services, from bookkeeping to data processing and file maintenance to clerical work. And yes, they are hiring virtual assistants from the Philippines, one of the world’s top outsourcing locations today.

What benefits can an entrepreneur or SME business owner get from hiring a virtual assistant, especially one who comes from the Philippines?

• Competence – Filipino virtual assistants are well-known for their higher education, English fluency, excellent communication skills, and exceptional computer skills. They are knowledgeable, skilled, and experienced in different industries. They are smart workers, and they perform to high standards.
• Cost savings – For $6 to $10 an hour, you can already get a virtual assistant from the Philippines to perform the tasks you want to outsource. The hourly rate may be lower than the American rate, but when converted to their local currency, the rate is way higher than the local minimum wage.
• Time management – Your VA can and will adjust to your location’s time zone or business hours. While it is nighttime in the Philippines and operating hours at yours, your VA will stay up to perform the assigned tasks, so rest assured you get what you want done before closing hours.

With a VA keeping in touch with you through modern technology, you can avoid stress and worries over unfinished projects and now pursue new project and hobbies. Do business the right way today. Hire a virtual assistant.

8 Lessons Businesses Can Learn From USWNT’s 2015 World Cup Win

The Yanks have done it again. In what was described as a fairy tale rematch, the United States women’s national soccer team (USWNT) crushed Japan 5-2 in the final of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, held on July 5, 2015 in Vancouver, Canada. It was sweet revenge two times in a row for the Yanks, who lost to the same team in the 2011 World Cup.

Draw more traffic to your site by outsourcing SEO to a Call Center

When you put up a new grocery store in your neighborhood, what should you do so that people will notice your new business right away? You’d probably do any of the following: