How to Identify a Professional Outsourcing Partner
by Chris C. Ducker
07. May, 2010 
38 Comments
Location: Starbucks, Cebu – Reading Time: 6mins
I’ve been getting a lot of email lately from people wanting a little more information on outsourcing, and more specifically the different ways to be able to outsource work, systems, processes – you name it. So, here’s a brief run-down on how to identify a good quality outsourcing partner.
If you’re an individual seriously looking into outsourcing life, or even a company owner that wants to offload some of your business routines, or perhaps even all of them, you basically have two pretty major options straight off the bat. One option is to keep things a little closer to home and chose to outsource to a domestically based company, in your own country. At first this might seem like the easier option – same time zone, same language, etc., however, the costing of this type of set-up isn’t going to be all that different than doing things in-house yourself.
Some business owners find it hard to let go, it’s in our entrepreneurial blood, they say. So, if you simply don’t want to rent additional space, or hire the people yourself (but still want, or need the work to be done) then embracing the virtual business way of getting things done might be your best option.
Bottom line, if you don’t mind having part of your business at arm’s length (it’s tough, I know, but come on guys, let go already!), you can chose to go the route that a lot of people are and use an offshore outsourcing partner, in another country. This tends to be the more financially attractive option to most people. Either way, you should pick a partner that enables revenue growth by accelerating market capture through modern strategies, or marketing in ways that are dedicated to your company vision and potentially with companies that provide results-driven professionals.
Quality, Flexibility, Proven and Competent
Your outsourcing partner should be one that executes quality with flexibility, whilst attaining pinnacle competencies without challenges that might affect your business growth. They should be a corporation that has a proven track record, working with a diverse selection of clients across the globe and on a number of different campaigns in numerous industries.
You should also look at teaming up with a corporation that consistently provides monthly, weekly, daily and hourly process-flow results and documentation from the beginning to the end of all parts of your operation. This is a real Golden Nugget. In this day and age, you shouldn’t settle for anything less, either. This enables you to monitor, in real-time, the performances from each individual working on your outsourced project, as well as the whole operational campaign as a complete unit.
My Top 10 Tips to Finding an Outsourcing Partner
1. Results Driven – A company that can help you reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction, at the same time. One that can set a goal that is achievable within a specific time frame.
2. Partnership – A company that shares your common goals and values. In which, performance is the key point among staff, the community and the managing company.
3. Innovative – A company that can execute on its own across the board. One that can provide a great deal of benefits to you and your business with modernized technology and more.
4. Flexibility – A company that is run by management that truly offer customized and tailored services, always keeping in mind the needs of you and your customers, first and foremost.
5. Modifiable Management – A company that can swiftly manage changes when necessary for achieving your performance improvement goals without negative impact. A corporation that can prepare staff members for a change without flaw and deliver change in a positive, productive and professional manner.
6. Benchmarking – A company that can provide comparison data to ensure that your customers are receiving the highest quality of service. Offering measurable success to customers and employees satisfaction, creating more growth and profit potential for everyone involved.
7. Resourceful – A corporation that attains depth, with an extensiveness of experience in the long-term market and is able to offer resources specifically fitting your goals and vision.
8. Employee Development – Your outsourcing partner should be able to provide comprehensive and ongoing training, as well as overall professional development for all employees, at all levels of the corporate ladder in relation to your outsourced campaign.
9. Continuous Improvement on Quality – Your partner should always take things to the next level and raise the bar higher for every goal that is achieved; this enables you to get closer and closer to perfection. They should also encompass the willingness and ability to meet both short and long term goals.
10. Proven Record – Above all, your outsourcing partner should have a successful, professional proven track record. They should be able to provide you with references and testimonials if you feel they are required. If a company, particularly one overseas, cannot do this one simple thing then simply stay clear of them.
A Final Word of Advice!
Most importantly, take your time. Outsourcing should be approached in the same manner as any other business decision. With caution, thought out properly and with a certain amount of ‘go with your gut’ instincts that set apart every successful true entrepreneur, from just the ‘other’ business owners out there.
Warranted, as someone that is involved in the outsourcing industry and does own an outsourcing solutions company, I am biased, of course, on what outsourcing can do for individuals and companies in regards to lowering costs and producing awesome scalability options for businesses to grow. However, I want to point out, I didn’t write this post to drum up business – I wrote it for you, my loyal readers who were simply asking for more info on the subject.
Now I’d like to turn the floor over to you guys – Questions? Comments? Rants? Raves? Go for it…! Have an awesome weekend…
By the end of 2010, I want to be a Full-Time Virtual CEO. Take the journey with me, month-by-month to find out how I'm going to do it! I’m a 19-year sales, marketing and PR professional originally from the UK and an entrepreneur at heart. I’m also the CEO of the Live2Sell Group of Companies, a thriving total business outsourcing provider based in Cebu City, Philippines.
Thanks for the info!!!
By the way, have you ever heard about yummy-cebu.com? I hear they just started a new contest called Mama’s day out!
Hi Tony
Thanks for the comment, and the plug for Yummy-Cebu!
I’ll check it out if I get a chance over the weekend.
Cheers,
Chris
This is a very interesting topic.
It goes without saying that businesses should always look for the best or should I say that take their time in taking such decisions for outsourcing because when results go bad it will be hard to get up again.
Hi Chloe
Thank you for your comment.
Absolutely! I have spoken to a lot of people who have rushed into things, and not planned and spoken with the right type of providers, only yo lose a lot of money and sometimes more…
All the best,
Chris
Chris, I’ve been thinking of putting together a hybrid structure with a US based project manager (initially me
who would refine requirements and oversee work done, and who had a set of known effective outsourced resources readily available to work with people and small businesses who want to have a lower initial barrier of entry into outsourcing. Do you think that would work? Know anybody doing that?
Hi Mike
It certainly could – if you had the right VAs!
I cant believe that this hasnt been tried out before, but to be honest, I dont ‘know’ of someone doing it right now. Well, not on any real ’scale’, anyway.
If you get going with it, let me know… I’ll see what I can do to help out.
Have an awesome weekend!
Chris
Chris,
Thanks for your encouragement! I’m wondering if the scaling problem is why we haven’t seen it. There’s one way to find out if that’s true
I’m planning to hire a couple of VAs and give it a shot.
I have a potential VA hire from within my family network in process. Assuming I get that pulled together, I’ll get started on it within the next month. We’ll see how it goes
Hope you enjoy your weekend as well. Really appreciate all the great info that you share on VBL.
Best, Mike
Great Post!!!
“Outsourcing should be approached in the same manner as any other business decision.” It’s like LIFE every decision must be carefully thought out but sometimes we get this gut feeling that we just need to do things differently from the norm.
From one Chris to another… Thanks for dropping by, buddy.
Following the gut is a great way to go – but, have a solid understanding of the subject you’re having to decide on is always required, too.
Stay tuned – lots more stuff coming in the next few weeks. Plus the launch of a new outsourcing resource, of which I have a hand in, too!
All the best,
Chris
Great Tips!!!
With perfect timing for me as well. I am more interested in outsourcing than ever and still trying to learn more about the process, and your tips have enlightened me. Thanks
Hi Jether
Glad you enjoyed the piece, and learned a little from it.
Search around the site a little, buddy – there is actually quite a bit on outsourcing, particularly with virtual assistants all over the place!
Thanks for popping in!
Chris
Result Driven,Flexibility, Employment Development, Continuous Improvement on Quality & lastly Proven track record. I really think that these are the key elements primarily on finding the outsourcing partner’s–Great few factors Chris’s you really hit it right on the vital money!
Most of the business tycoons needs to be in one place or the other, business outsource is one of the best solutions in the online business solutions. But to be on the top of it, people like them needs to be aware of these factors that help them decideds vital decisions.
This type of Article needs to keeps coming Chris, cant wait what will come out next!
So keep it coming!
Hi Dwith
Thanks for the comment, and kind words.
Not to worry – I have plenty of great stuff coming up on the blog, so stay tuned!
Chris
Knowing what to look for when choosing an company to partner with is very valuable information. I have thought about outsourcing many times before but always find myself a little worried to move forward because of my lack of knowledge. Now I have found a place to increase that knowledge. Thanks Chris!
Hi Jonathan
You sure have, buddy… I am in the process of actually putting together a completely new resource on Outsourcing with another well known blogger. It should be launched this month sometime. I decided to do this because I didnt want the VBL blog to turn into an outsourcing resource, but rather stay true to the concept of a lifestyle design concept across the board.
Thanks for the comment and dropping by.
Chris
Nice post Chris. I think you’re missing an important item here and that’s responsiveness and turnaround time. You want rapid assingment of the task and timely execution.
Hi Matt
Indeed, you are right, my man!
Thanks for the input – much appreciated…!!!
Chris
Thanks for the post. Great tips.
Hi Dwayne
Glad you found the content good… I appreciate the virtual ‘high five’.
All the best,
Chris
Hi Chris,
I am Onibalusi Bamidele from http://www.youngprepro.com
If you know a little about me, you would have hit my guest posts in 1
or 2 places.
My question is, can virtual assistants write many high quality articles for me which i can be submitting to guest blogs? How much should be my budget? Is there a country restriction? because i am
a Nigerian.
Thanks a lot,
Onibalusi
Hi Onibalusi
Thank you for the comment. Much appreciated! And a great question you put forward, too!
Yes, virtual assistants definitely can help you create web content to be able to use on blogs, etc. In fact, I did a case study on this exact subject a couple of months ago, and suggest you check it out immediately. It was a three-part series I posted in one week, click here for the first post…
The one thing I would suggest you think about however, is WHY you would want people to write guest posts in your name. That’s the whole point – create good content for readers of other blogs, to entice them across to yours. Having someone else write this type of material kinda defeats the object of the whole thing.
However, its a perfect set-up for things like article submissions, etc. And you’ll find that most freelance VA’s will actually submit the article to all the major directories for you, as part of their service. On average, you’d be looking at around $5 per article for a good, SEO optimized article. A little less for something a bit more ‘loose’, shall we say!
Thanks again for the questions, and I hope this response helped out a little.
Best,
Chris
Hi Chris,
I don’t want to do that for my main blog, I want to go into other niches which I won’t even use my name. I will need Virtual Assistants to help me write for the niche blogs and also help me build link and traffic (using guest posts).
I now have an Idea of the budget, $5 per article.
I really appreciate your answer. You are yet to answer that of the country restriction.
I will try to check out your case study.
Thanks a lot,
-Onibalusi
BTW: Will I have to sign any agreements or I will just make the payment.
Thanks a lot,
-Onibalusi
If you work with Freelancers, generally speaking no contracts or agreements are signed.
If you go to a provider, there could be. But, never promise anything more than a month at a time if you do go this route. No need to.
Keep us all up to date!
Chris
From thousands of BPO that is presently active and I believe is still counting, it may take a lot of effort and time to get to know a good outsourcing partner, it could be even the most difficult task a company may encounter on how to choose an outsource company that has the most effective business model, this is why posts like this are so important. To help us.
Hi Ludwig
You make some great points here. Thank you.
I have another Outsourcing related post going live soon… So, stay tuned.
Regards,
Chris
Yes, fantastically good article about Identify a Professional Outsourcing Partner. I am reading it with pleasure, this is interesting and useful information!
Glad you’ve found it useful, bud.
Thanks for dropping by.
Nice post. What’s your experience as to getting qualified help, such as writing a technical e-book or setting up a membership site?
Hi Fredrik
Thanks for the comment.
For something like this, a project based employee will suffice. You wont have to hire someone full-time. I suggest you check out Freelancer.com or something similar. There are plenty of good people that can do this type of thing on these websites.
Good luck with things and hope to see you back at the blog soon.
All the best,
Chris
Very informative post!
Really, thanks for sharing.
Thanks and Regards/-
Jason Webb