5 things to evaluate when choosing a BPO provider as your Outsourcing partner

Being a small or local business means that you do not have unlimited resources & cash flow to hire, train & retain employees at will. Hence finding the right partners to outsource specific tasks like Lead Generation, Customer Support, Bookkeeping, Accounting, Social Media Management and handling your eCommerce is the most essential objective that you need to achieve TODAY!

However choosing an appropriate agency to provide such one-time or seasonal services will require that you vett them with these best practices in the Industry:

1. Does the partner have sufficient knowledge of your Industry, Location & Market? There are a lot of skilled outsourcing partners in the new world of eCommerce & Digital. However, pick the one who understands your business and can actually help in a crisis.
2. If you are considering outsourcing your Customer Care toll-free or Helpline, ensure that the (low cost) partner adheres to SLAs (Service Level Agreement) defined by your business and not theirs. Refer to a sample template for a SLA contract here.
3. Hidden costs, taxes and liabilities. A lot of the overseas operators who do not have a local representation in your country may charge you for taxes, transaction fees and other costs that they incur to run their business. Beware of such practices. It is always better to interact with agencies that are transparent about their monthly pricing or annual contracts.
4. Monitoring progress. Based on what part of your business you have outsourced, it is best to add checks & balances by including weekly or bi-weekly reviews (at least in the initial months). This is essential to make sure that your outsourcing partner understands your requirement exactly as you see it. Read this for some funny outsourcing stories & nightmares other business owners have witnessed.
5. Making sure they deliver! After all it’s about the end results – isn’t it? As a small business how do you ensure that you haven’t been short changed? Together with monitoring progress, ensure that your BPO/KPO/Website/Social Media agency or partner gives you a plan with expected results and delivers accordingly. Here are a few simple samples of how to make your outsourcing partner provide you a progress report.

With the advent of COVID-19, a lot of small & medium businesses have struggled to stay afloat. The effect on SMBs has been devastating and many of those who survived are the ones who adopted technology & cost-effective business practices. Now in 2022, businesses which are traditionally run and locally owned need to adapt new ways of selling to their customers and interacting with them. Click here to consult with Globus Sales to evaluate if we can help outsource any of your business tasks on a one-time or annual basis.

Driven by a US educated woman entrepreneur, Globus Sales has been working with Small & Micro businesses worldwide in cutting their costs by providing back-office services like Bookkeeping, Direct Response Marketing, Social Media engagement, Customer Service &  Technology development.