Once you decide to try outsourcing to the Philippines, tips will be needed to ensure you build your business right. Outsourcing has been the go-to for many businesses and companies to secure business continuity, since they can benefit from its cost-effective options. And when you decide to outsource from the Philippines, one of the fastest-growing nations in the outsourcing industry with a staggering 30% growth within the last decade alone, you are guaranteed more than just cost-efficiency. The business process outsourcing industry in the Philippines already has several key advantages as the top outsourcing destination – low cost of labor, an English-proficient and highly skilled workforce, as well as cutting-edge technology and infrastructure. These are strengths that will continue to give the country an edge in the future of business process outsourcing.
Tips on how to outsource to the Philippines
Conduct your own research
Being informed is essential when you outsource, especially for the first time. Conducting your own research, whether about the pros and cons of outsourcing or about your outsourcing partner, can greatly help you and your business in the long run. Since outsourcing is a commitment, you need to know what you’re getting into before you say yes.
Identify the business functions
Outsourcing in the Philippines has many types and categories – from customer support and customer service to IT, financing, and healthcare. You can outsource many business functions to free up different time and resources that are better utilized on your business’ core functions. To know what works best for you and your business, you should first identify the business functions you employ before you separate what needs to be outsourced.
Determine the tasks to outsource
As the top outsourcing destination, the Philippines offers a variety of outsourced tasks. Once you have identified the business functions you need to outsource, you can now determine the corresponding tasks to get started on your outsourcing plans.
Know right away your outsourcing budget
Setting a budget is crucial to outsourcing. When you outsource to a cost-efficient staffing destination like the Philippines, you can rest assured you get more than what you pay for in terms of quality and business growth. To guarantee this, you must be well-informed about your outsourcing budget.
Check out the work portfolio
To get a deeper understanding of the project outcome you wish to achieve and ensure your goals are in safe and capable hands, you can check the work portfolio of your prospective outsourcing provider. Portfolios are a way to get to know how your outsourcing partner works, being solid proof of their expertise and reliability.
Clearly define your project’s scope
Defining your project scope is essential to ensuring you stay within your set budget and timeline. It also helps you keep track of the progress, especially for long-term projects. Project scopes function like a roadmap that can inform your outsourcing team members of the objectives, tasks, and deadlines.
Know the applicant’s experience
When you meet potential virtual assistants to help you in your outsourcing journey, getting to know their background and experience can indicate whether or not they can be a good fit for you and your business. Setting up in-depth interviews and even assessments are some of the ways you can measure your applicant’s capabilities.
Set up a good working schedule
When you outsource to the Philippines, you can find plenty of available offshore staffing no matter what time zone you come from. The outsourcing industry in the Philippines provides 24/7 services, with business process outsourcing centers having staff working multiple shifts so multiple time zones are covered. With this, you will have little to no problems setting up optimal working schedules that can work for both you and your outsourcing provider.
Set clear expectations
As a general rule, you’ll have less control over a project when you outsource it, which is why setting clear expectations is a must. Ultimately, the outsourcing provider you hire will become an extension of your brand, so you will need someone reliable that can provide you exactly what you and your business needs.
Make a checklist
To stay on top of your outsourcing journey, you can make a checklist. Checklists give you essential details for each step of a process and help you stay organized. It also guarantees you accomplish everything that needs to be accomplished, leaving no task or deadline behind. It has been a convenient and efficient way for businesses, companies, and entrepreneurs alike to keep track of their outsourcing endeavors.
Focus on communication
Communication is key when you outsource. Maintaining a consistent and transparent relationship with your outsourcing provider requires clear communication, especially since cultural barriers are one of the reasons why outsourcing can become a challenge for certain businesses. Clear communication leaves no room for misunderstanding, which decreases the potential for conflict. In the Philippines, the cultural barrier is of little to no consequence since the deeply-rooted values Filipinos uphold in their personal and professional lives contribute to the unmistakable, genuine sense of cultural compatibility that you can only find in the Philippines.
Request a quote
Requesting a quote can save you plenty of time and energy during the selection process. When you request a quote, you get more information about what outsourcing providers offer. It streamlines the procurement of certain products and services when you outsource, making it an effective strategy for small businesses in particular who value efficiency above all.
Set measurement tools to track progress
To ensure your outsourcing project is going exactly as planned, budget and time-wise, it is essential for you to set measurement tools to track your progress. This can also present opportunities for you to examine if there are certain aspects you can still improve in the project. Setting measurement tools also paves the way for target-setting, which can help you implement strategies for business growth.
Reasons to outsource to the Philippines
English language proficiency
In the Philippines, outsourcing is a resilient economic driver. Having a strong affinity to Western culture, the country is hailed as the world’s third-largest English-speaking nation and the world’s best country in business English proficiency with almost 60 million English speakers, as reported by Global English Corporation. Most of the Philippine workforce graduate from schools that adhere to western standards when it comes to English, and your business can benefit from this as it provides a more convenient and efficient outsourcing experience.
Cost-effective
Hiring an employee from the Philippines generally costs 30% of an equivalent role in Australia or the US, according to connectOS. For every role you have in Australia, you can typically hire three people in the Philippines for the same cost. This is achievable due to the Philippines having one of the lowest costs of living among its regional neighbors. Outsourcing careers are highly sought after – an employee working in an outsourcing role earns, on average, more than double the minimum wage – AUD$770 – AUD$930 per month.
Government support
A significant reason why the Philippines maintains its reputation as one of the top outsourcing destinations and the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia is because the government has invested significantly to position Manila as the leading global provider of outsourcing services. With a supportive government and consistent foreign investment, the business process outsourcing industry alone is currently valued at $250 billion. The government also continues to actively invest in the nation’s infrastructure and technology to support the outsourcing industry, and non-tax incentives are readily available to support foreign investment.
Choose the best outsourcing partner for your business
Clearly there are always risks involving other people in your business, and this is true regardless of whether the people will work in-house or form part of outsourcing providers. But what you need is a stable and reliable outsourcing partner that can bring your business dreams to life through ensuring your business growth. Common obstacles like managing cash flow, hiring and retaining staff, lack of secure technology, and handling customer service can and will hinder your business operations from reaching its full potential. By partnering with the right outsourcing provider, you can avoid these obstacles and stay on track with your business goals. And choosing to outsource to the Philippines means partnering with a diverse talent pool of highly-skilled people who can perfectly embody your business’ mission and vision without a hitch.
If you’re a business owner looking to try outsourcing to the Philippines for the first time or you’re in the market for the ideal partner to push your business to even greater heights, you don’t have to sweat looking for your outsourcing partner when you can turn to a reliable outsourcing solutions provider like The Outsourcer who can provide you everything that you’ve been looking for (and more) with their cutting-edge team of Filipino virtual assistants.
The Outsourcer can be your outsourcing partner. The Outsourcer is a game-changer in the Philippine and Australian outsourcing industry, having only the best talent for all business operations you need to be done. We will work on continuous training and coaching to give you the best results for your business needs. Save on recruitment and training expenses, while maintaining successful operations to grow your business by scheduling a free consultation with us today.