Outsourcing in the Philippines

businesswoman holding documents

Important Back Office Services You Should Outsource

On a typical company setting, front office and back office services do exist. The front office staff are the revenue generating people while the back office workers are the support providers. The latter are those who interact with the clients closely, as the back office are those working behind-the-scenes.

In contrast with the common perception, the front and back office is just as important as the other. One cannot function alone.

However, this article will solely focus on which offshore back office services you might need.

Let’s find out here:

IT Services

With the ever demanding prerequisites of this technological era, IT experts are vitally in need. Every office department requires network setups to secure data, privacy, and decipher technical issues.

On the other hand, the IT team is not only classified as one. There are Developers, Designers, Network Admins, and more, which fills a full team of IT experts.

In most countries, IT is an integral industry that never stops improving. One of these countries is the Philippines. As the BPO industry in the country heightened, a larger pool of talents becomes available. This includes expert computer geeks and efficient fresh graduates with high hopes on the field.

Read more about why you need to outsource your IT services today.

Personal Virtual Assistants

Ever heard of Google Assistant? Siri? Cortana? These are just a few of the virtual assistant software. You can easily access them on your mobile phones, desktops, and laptops. This virtual assistant software can check your email, send a message on your behalf, call someone, and do simple tasks for you on the internet. However capable, this software is not as flawless as the personal virtual assistants in flesh.

So what are personal virtual assistants? What can they do for you?

Personal virtual assistants can help do small and big jobs for you. They also vary from an individual to an agency that handles skilled VAs.

Business owners, especially those from startup companies, have a lot on their plate. Juggling all the tasks from the least to the most important one – but with so little of time.

Firstly, you must identify which task you prefer to outsource and go from there. It would be beneficial for you and your company if you hire an experienced VA rather than an inexperienced one.

Learn more about virtual assistants and what can they do for you.

Human Resources Offshoring

For some businesses, maintaining every employees’ load of files and records is laborious. Overseeing the tax filing and various contributions were also part of the HR tasks. Moreover, they are the ones who screen potential candidates, look after their training and development. To say that the human resource personnel has sure a tough job is an understatement.

So if you are already experiencing these telltale signs, it would be best to start outsourcing your HR functions.

Payroll Services

Handling and computing the payroll for your employees might be one of the most time-consuming jobs a business owner could have. Nonetheless, the paychecks are also most important to be received by employees on time.

Aside from the countless numbers to compute, there are also hundreds of tax codes and government regulations to familiarise or even memorise. On this area, miscalculations are not welcome. If overlooked, you’ll end up with disappointed employees.

To avoid such mishaps, it is highly recommended to outsource your payroll services to a knowledgeable payroll vendor. Focus more on growing your business and reap more advantages of outsourcing your payroll services.

Outsource your back office works today and save costs while increasing your revenue! Contact us for a free consultation today!

business outsourcing companies

Top Reasons Why Philippines is the Ideal Outsourcing Destination

Most dynamic business outsourcing companies successfully achieve a favourable outcome from outsourcing in the Philippines. As a result, more foreign companies choose to offshore their non-core projects in the country. The low-cost labour, skilled people, and more lies other factors which affect the accession of companies who prefer the Philippines.

The Philippines is the leading offshore nation along with other remarkable countries on the list. From a young and humble industry since 1992, the irrefutable growth of the BPO business becomes visible. In addition, it has also paved the way for huge opportunities which helped de-escalate the unemployment rate in the country.

CBRE Philippines, consultancy firm underscored the immense growth of the economy during the industry’s peak in 2015. From there, the BPO industry’s development keeps on moving forward.

Dubbed as an ideal destination for business outsourcing companies, here are the few reasons why:

Labour costs are cheaper

Bagging the first spot on the reasons why business outsourcing companies choose the Philippines is the labour costs. It is not big news that the Philippines is a low-cost country wherein the standard of living is visibly cheaper than its neighbouring countries in Asia.

In other countries, the labour cost is relatively lower than in the Philippines. Some also offer a huge pool of, especially qualified professionals. However, why outsource in other countries when you can both enjoy the best of both worlds in the Philippines?

English proficiency

English – a universal language used in about 70 countries and is also considered as the Philippines’ second language. Used by a vast majority of educated Filipinos, it is strictly taught in schools and mostly utilised by the media. And with the sole proficiency in English, most Filipinos can confidently converse using the language.

As mentioned in Ruchir Sharma’s book, Breakout Nations: In Pursuit of the Next Economic Miracles, the Philippines is expected to be a “breakout nation” and considered the country as a well-educated English-speaking population that serves as an advantage to the country.

On a customer’s perspective, clear communication holds the key to good customer experience as well as boosts the brand reputation. If not met, the customer would most likely look for a competitor to assist their needs.

The Board of Investments (BOI), named the Filipinos as highly educated and with a literacy rate of 74% to 94%, making the Philippines as one of the largest English-speaking countries in the world. Moreover, they pointed out that the Filipinos also have a strong customer service orientation and are highly trainable.

Cultural adaptability

Philippine history has rich cultural diversity. Engraved with the influences of the country’s Spanish, Japanese, and American colonisers millennials ago, the Filipino way of adapting to any culture becomes easier. Their manner of communicating with different races become a key skill as they easily get along with the do and don’ts of each culture that they encounter the Filipinos’ cultural adaptability is mostly evident in work-related situations as they manage to get along well with clients from different countries as well as foreign bosses and co-workers.

The Filipinos are naturally friendly, good-hearted, and easy to get along with, that’s why the cultural difference is a manageable matter.

The BPO business is already a massive industry which generates a whopping amount to competitive countries and their economy. One of these countries is the Philippines. Formerly called “the sick man of Asia” for many years to the “new tiger economy of Asia”, the Philippine economy noticeably soared during the peak of outsourcing in 2015. Up until now, a lot of foreign companies and individuals remains attracted to outsource in the country.

With the dynamic business outsourcing solutions that the country offers, all your offshoring needs will surely be accommodated. Partner with us today and get a free consultation with our very own CEO/Founder!

outsourcing fear

Overcoming Outsourcing Fears

For entrepreneurs dipping their toes into outsourcing for the first time, the venture can be really scary. It’s understandable that business owners develop a fear towards the industry, as there will always be negative connotations attached to this process. However, a huge part of this fear usually comes from past experiences with hiring offshore or from angry reviews written by disappointed customers online.

AJ Agrawal, founder of Verma Media, shares about the most common concerns regarding outsourcing and how these fears can be quelled. According to him, good communication plays a major role in eliminating risks and in ensuring a smoother transaction. He addresses the root of popular outsourcing misconceptions and how you can avoid it.

You can check out this article to learn more about outsourcing myths, or read AJ’s full entry.

designer

Graphic Designers vs. Web Designers: What’s the Difference?

A lot of people often confuse tasks between graphic designers and web designers, resulting in job mismatch and conflicts in the workplace. Laymen would think such roles are interchangeable, as both fields usually work with the same tools and software in designing. In many cases, graphic designers are burdened with responsibilities more fit for a web designer, and vice versa. Though both jobs are geared towards art and aesthetics, there are a lot of differences between both fields.

What is Graphic Design?

Graphic Design is the art of translating ideas into any form of visual communication. Graphic designers are often tasked with creating a layout for promotional materials that will then be used for digital or print distribution. Their work is often based around typography, use of space, colour and imagery. While writers relay a brand’s message through their careful choice of words, a graphic designer transmits a specific impression of the brand through visual stimuli.

What is Web Design?

Web Design utilizes the same visual principles of Graphic Design but is confined to the elements or totality of a website. Unlike graphic design, web design has restrictions like the size of the screen they are putting their content in and is geared towards different goals. Web designers need to cooperate with a team or a web developer in order to fully build a working site. Web designers are also limited in making their designs fit a certain coding language to be used in creating the website.

web designers

What are the differences between the designers?

Aside from knowledge in visual composition, web designers are required to know how to code. This is crucial because they need to gauge their design’s compatibility with the coding language the rest of the web development team is using. A background in HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is necessary to perform a web designer’s job.

Additionally, web designers need to take into account the optimisation of their design. They need to make sure that the aesthetics of a website doesn’t hinder its loading time and performance. Because of this, web designers often rely on image compression and other shortcuts that could help a page load faster without sacrificing visual quality. Web designers also optimise for mobile viewing and make sure their design stays good when viewed on different screens.

On the other hand, graphic design covers more mediums and can vary between print and digital media. CMYK is usually the preferred colour mode for most graphic designers as it is optimal for printing, while web design uses RGB.

Similarly, as with any industry, clashes can emerge between experts in the Graphic Design world and the Web Design world. For instance, a Graphic Designer might look down on their Web Design counterpart, thinking that web media is of a lower calibre than print media. Web Design experts alternatively, may get annoyed with Graphic Designers who don’t understand the intricacies of the coding side of Web Design.

Despite the differences between both roles, graphic and web designers are equally important. Visual media comprises a very significant chunk of advertising, and to better reach your audience, you’re going to need both. As established in another article, great design can affect your business.

 

Are you looking for a way to improve your website’s interface or revamping your promotional materials? Check out our web design and graphic design services to see which ones fit your business needs!

graphic designer

How Great Design Can Affect Your Business

Enticing visuals capture attention, but there’s a difference between creating a smart design and being tacky or overdoing it–and most companies struggle drawing the line between these traits. Visual appeal is often brushed aside in the corporate setting, especially when planning a budget. While not all, entrepreneurs cut costs on spending for aesthetics and assume it’s not a priority. This usually results in businesses relying on freelancers to do the designing, thinking that a project-based designer will cost cheaper. The reality is, when it comes to art, quality means everything. Here are a few reasons why investing in a regular designer is worth every cent:

Effective web design establishes your brand’s credibility

Have you ever researched a prospective business partner and found their website off-putting? Company websites are seen as a business’ shopfront, and must always aim to create a positive first impression. If you want to attract potential customers and partners, a polished website can establish your credibility and create a favourable user experience to your site visitors. In-house web and graphic designers can sometimes charge highly for their creative services, but rest assured that hiring professionals are worth every cent. It’s also important that you hire the right people for the job, as web and graphic designers both do different tasks but are often confused as interchangeable when they are not.

Colour Psychology and Colour Theory is real and artists know how to use it

artist painting

Though it’s not yet an exact science, the proper use of colours can impact a viewer’s mood and behaviour. Colours carry an emotional and cultural significance that can be incorporated in the multimedia design and make it more efficient or in line with the aesthetic goals. Especially when setting up your brand, a specific colour scheme can be used to reach your target audience better. For example, you own a hat shop for men and you want to expand your business by franchising in China, it’s best not to make a logo featuring a man wearing a green hat–this has cultural connotations in that country, and wearing a green hat in China actually means that their wives have committed adultery! Your target audience will perceive your brand as rude or offensive. There are more nuances when it comes to using colour, and expert designers know how to properly utilize colour symbolism in creating logos, websites, and other peripherals.

Half of your message can already be conveyed through design

Whether it be for graphic design, logo design, or a website design, adopting the fundamentals of art in creating a layout can be used to communicate with your target audience. Considering the following examples below:

design example

The differences in colour use, contrast, shapes, and typefaces can be used to convey a variety of messages. Trained professionals are equipped with the knowledge on how to “speak” design: visual art is like language, in a way that it can invoke a specific impression and harmonize it with the intended message. This is most important in logo design, as logos consist of a huge chunk of branding–it is considered as your business’ “face”.

Scrimping on your budget for design can subject your marketing materials to unforeseen circumstances, causing it to fail. I’m not saying that freelancers aren’t capable of creating great output, but rather, underpaying outsourced designers and freelancers can get you a substandard design that is likely to fail in conveying your brand’s message.

If you’re looking to hire highly-skilled artists & designers but still wanting to save, your best bet is to hire an offshore designer. You’ll get the same quality of output as an in-house artist but for lower wages and costs. Check out our services to see which options are the best fit for your business!

business partner

How to Find the Right Outsourcing Partner

All agencies aren’t created equal, and half of your success in offshoring lies in selecting the right business partner. Nidhi Hola of GoDaddy India shares her tips in finding the best service provider fit for your business’ needs.

According to the article, it all boils down to setting clear goals and identifying the core challenges that your enterprise is struggling with. Once fully established, all you need to do is line-up and cross-check your options. Though this sounds simple, you also have to keep in mind several factors that could affect your future partnership: if your goals fit into a specific niche, you might need to adjust your search to specialist firms instead of large agencies.

Nidhi describes more of these nuances in detail. To view the full article, you can click here.