Best New Outsourcing Hubs
Lately I have been reading about how the template of the blog homepage is so important in order to have the readers come back again & again.
I am toying with the idea of experimenting with a new blog template,which gives much better user experience.
One of the expert blogger which stated to be away from adsense ads till one has a sizeable number of readers , I think I will buy the idea and throw off all the adsense ads from the homepage.
I will be adding lot of bells & whistle in the coming days & to start with I have added the feedburner subscription through RSS as well as through emails
keep yourself posted for
Bpo forum by subscribing here.
I am looking for someone who is passionate about writings.The person shloud be well versed with the development in the outsourcing world.The topic covered basically are Outsourcing,Callcenter,BPO,KPO and all the related fields in the outsourcing industry.
I have a requirement of atleast 4 articles in the range of 100 to 200 words in a week.
I would appreciate if you can send some writings of yours when you send me your email about the same.Orinal writing is wat I am looking so please dont send a copy paste stuff from the internet.
Bpopark.com Website now allows you to subscribe the RSS feed via emails.
You will be updated about the latest development in the blog section of the bpopark site via this email program.
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After this message ends there will be a subscription box which states "Enter your email address ". Kindly subscribe with your email ID and always be posted.
The Nasdaq which is a $900 million US based stock exchange is thinking to outsourcing its core technology to the Indian software firms like Infosys & Cognizant. Infosys which is one the biggest software exporter in India must be really trilled to get this project.
I guess this might be the biggest project infosys might have got after the stepping down of their chairman & founder Mr Narayan Murthy.
He is the man who we all know is the man with conviction & the man of principles. I guess he is the few founders who have gracefully step down from their position which is generally a not easy task for many.
I know how it feels to step down from something which one has nurtured like its own baby.
I still recollect the lines he said when he step down from his seat. He said the company is like a daughter one has to make her grow , nuture her and one day has to get her married and send her in safe hands, he continued by saying the time is right now to hand over to safe hands which he is very confident about.
Kudos Mr Narayan Murthy I think there will be a long GAP we will see a mentor like you. He practices what he preaches.
I am sure yours philosophies of today will be used as common sense of tomorrow.
Nasdaq to up outsourcing to local IT firms
Another feature in the cap for Indian outsourcing company.Inspite of the bpo & Voice based callcenters industry not reaching its peak we have a new business of outsourcing model "Journalism outsourcing".
I think this line of business can be categorized under the KPO business.
All I can say there is more to come in outsourcing world, this is just the beginning.
A nice article on the same topic in the rediff BPO section can be read here.
Journalism catches outsourcing's fancy
Bpopark.com supports RSS through toolbars now. One can download the Bpo/Callcenter toolbar here.Its the best way to keep yourself informed as soon as there is a posting related to your field.
Apart from the RSS feature there are numerous features including google search power.So you dont require 2 different browser. This toolbar can do both the work.
It has few more added amazing features which you can explore when you download the toolbar.
One thing is for sure you will not regret downloading this free toolbar.
Bpo Park site now allows you to subscribe to many different information sources through RSS (Really Simple Syndication).
There are a number of online RSS services including Google, My MSN, My Yahoo and more that allow you to add any information feed in RSS format to your personalized pages. This allows you to keep track of what's going on in the Outpost from any RSS reader or browser that supports RSS feeds.
You will know which pages of information have a matching RSS feed by looking for the RSS Subscription options on the sidebar menu.
If you have a browser that supports RSS feeds like the Firefox browser and the new Internet Explorer 7 you can look for the RSS symbol 
on the browser interface to subscribe instantly or click here
Mandakini Sandhu does not mind living with her folks . For the
24-year-old senior process associate working with an international call
centre, a good amount of time is spent in her swank office in the midst
of the industrial hub of Gurgaon. And although she has to travel around
50 km everyday to reach her destination, the commerce graduate from
Punjab University does not mind the journey as long as she manages to
spend some time with her boyfriend Ashish Gupta.
For Sandhu, who spends almost 12-13 hours at work, her office is the
only place that allows her to snatch a few cozy moments with her
boyfriend. With the duo working in separate processes and living in
homes located 50 km away from each other, being together is not that
easy. But Sandhu is grateful that at least her office space allows her
to get up, close and personal, literally, with Gupta.
For many BPO employees like Sandhu and Gupta, the office space is not
just a professional domain. Instead, it symbolises one's personal
space, thanks to long hours being spent in office. From making friends
to cultivating relationships, BPO units are slowly becoming hubs where
inter-personal bonding takes place. And it comes as little surprise
that many also give vent to their sexual urges in the office space.
"For us, the office is practically everything. Weird working hours
means that most friendships happen usually within the office and in
similar working set ups. And in such a situation, intimacy is a
foregone conclusion," Sandhu, says. Although she says that she has got
cozy and personal (having gone "fourth base") with her guy, she has
refrained from having a quickie in the workplace as it's quite a risky
proposition.
However, if the recent visual footage acquired from strategically
placed cameras in a leading Mumbai-based business process outsourcing
(BPO) unit showing a couple having sex in an office cubicle is anything
to go by, workplace sex is no longer an aberration for most couples
working in India's sunrise sector. With work schedules stretching into
long hours, and bonding happening between emotionally lonely employees,
sex is just a manifestation for physical needs as two individuals try
and seek a connection.
But what happens when cameras zoom in on unsuspecting individuals and
manages to catch them with their pants down, literally?
According to Prakash Toppo, VP, HR, Global Vantedge, a Gurgaon-based
BPO specialising in credit and receivables, security cameras are an
essential part of the BPO biz. "Since most of our customers are
influential, they want cameras as they are dealing with a lot of
sensitive information. For the couple caught in a sexually compromising
situation, the one question that arises is why were they doing what
they were doing in the office premises."
Although Toppo goes on to say that "the office is definitely not a
place for such actions", the truth is that workplace sex is no longer
relegated to the darkest corners of the mind. While middle-class India
tries to grapple itself with changing social mores, for most
blue-collared workers whose existence revolves around a different time
zone, life is all about seizing the moment.
"Across all industries, sex pops up in various forms. So, in that
sense, it doesn't make sense to single out BPOs. But, with most BPO
employees having a very short-term attitude towards everything in life,
the incidence of sexual activity is definitely high. The guys in the
Mumbai call centre were plain unlucky to have been caught - there are
many who have managed to get away," a senior VP of a Gurgaon-based call
centre emphatically states.
Tanmay Nath, a team leader working with a leading voice-based BPO in
Delhi feels that it has more to do with "individual choices and the
manner in which professionals are able to ease themselves out if caught
in a sticky spot". "If you have a cool rapport with your manager,
there's no way the matter can get escalated -- but if your equation is
bad, you've had it. I say that because I have gone through it," Nath
who, although caught on camera kissing and smooching his girlfriend,
got away with slight reprimands.
Nicola D'Costa, 26, who moved to Delhi three years back, to work as a
senior customer process associate in an MNC BPO agrees with Nath.
Although she "doesn't see any reason to get sexually charged up within
the work premises, considering the fact that most BPO folks are living
on their own, she feels that most guys in this sector have much less
inhibitions".
"Most of us have shed a lot of inhibitions when we come into this
sector, trying to fall in step with a different time zone and culture
that becomes a part of you. Couples walking with their arms around each
other's waist/shoulder or grabbing a quick kiss in vacant corridors
does happen," D'Costa goes on to say.
Employees like Nath and D'Costa may be busy snatching a 'quickie' and
devising means to ensure that they don't get caught on camera. For BPO
companies, cameras act as a lifesaver as they try and ensure that no
breach of privacy takes place.
"Filming is essential as it is in tune with keeping the faith of
employees. It's not a breach of employee privacy as there is a huge
amount of customer-sensitive information involved, so it makes good
sense to impose surveillance. First instances of compromising behaviour
(kissing, smooching in the office premises) are let off with a stern
warning as such kind of behaviour is similar to misuse of facilities
given by the organisation and is therefore liable for punishment," J
Kalyanaraman, HR Head, HCL Comnet, says.
Although Kalyanaraman says that his company does not have a 'no-dating
within organisation' policy like many companies in the West, as, "We
don't discourage employees from having a personal life," Toppo says,
"although there is no written model of code of conduct, there is an
entire employee relations team, which handles the employee welfare."
What happens when an Alok joins a BPO? He becomes Alex and acquires an accent, not so American, not Indian either. Then he changes the way he dresses, the way he carries himself and then the way he lives. Yes, Alex is really Alok, but it isn’t about personality change but rather about self empowerment and belief. The general perception of a phone representative is to a large extent confined to answering calls. Can they add more value to the company rather than just being an outlet for customers’ frustrations?
The BPO industry has witnessed a phenomenal growth over the past few years and today is an industry of choice for many young professionals. The industry is now responsible for providing stable career paths to its young workforce within the age group of 21-25 years. Retaining these young professionals and keeping them motivated and engaged is a challenge that is giving HR managers sleepless nights.
Companies are adopting multiple strategies to become the employer of choice and create long-term career opportunities for their employees. Here is a look at the key skills that young professionals in the BPO domain acquire:
Communication Skills
The ability to communicate effectively with global customers is critical. Accent neutralisation, cultural awareness, empathy and judgement also play a vital role in ensuring smooth and seamless communication with global customers.
Several communication training programmes have been designed by BPOs as it is crucial that communication is free of first language influences that impede comprehension, often referred to as 'Indianisms' in the industry parlance.
Most BPOs subscribe to similar formats when it comes to modules on accent and culture training. After rigorous training in neutralising accent, voice modulation, moderating the rate of speech, intonation and so on, call centre associates step into their new personas. That's where an Alok transforms into an Alex. While there are several aspects to communication training, most training programmes in BPOs focus on the following competencies.
Language: Employees are trained on speech orientation, which includes basic training on grammar, vocabulary, speech and pronunciation. "This helps the agents to 'zap the gap' and be perceived as a credible source of information," says Mophin Massey, who works as a communication coach with a leading BPO.
Comprehension: Employees are trained on understanding the customer's query and being able to provide an appropriate solution/ information. They are also trained on understanding different accents which exist within the US. Their ability to comprehend the customer is paramount in enhancing the quality of the customer experience.
Soft skills: The most important attribute in the course of a conversation between a customer and an agent is the ability to build rapport by using appropriate tone, claiming ownership of the issue and listening attentively. This allows the employees to build positive relationships with the customer and provide a human touch to the discussion.
Project-Specific Skills
This training is customised to the project that an employee is going to be associated with. It could range from learning about several financial products to technical skills. This enables the employees to build domain-specific skill sets which could be leveraged across sectors in the long run. Employees also learn sales and customer service skills during this phase that could come in handy for jobs in the service industry at a later stage. "I used to sell credit cards over the phone and learnt the nuances of the credit card industry which helped me find a job with a local bank," says Rohit Ahluwalia an ex-BPO employee. By virtue of these skills, BPOs have become popular poaching grounds for the airline and the hospitality industries.
Educational Support
Companies sponsor executive education for employees. Premier management institutes like the Indian Institutes of Management; Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies; XLRI, Jamshedpur; and Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad among others have tied up with leading BPOs and offer employees MBA programmes.
Employees are encouraged to apply for these courses which are generally sponsored by the company. Employees also have the option of pursuing technical certifications like MCSE and CCNA to gain domain-specific skills in the technology sector.
Multi Dimensional/Cross-Training
Employees are cross trained on multiple domains and are provided opportunities to work in various departments. Individual action plans are put in place based on the employee's aspirations and strengths. OD interventions are also arranged for on a need basis. Many BPOs have in-house counselling teams which assess the employees skill sets and identify training needs. This can result in astute career planning.
Feedback/Coaching Mechanisms
BPO have developed a unique one-on-one feedback and coaching framework which most companies subscribe to. This is again a unique practise as performance- and behaviour-based feedback is delivered to employees on a day-to-day basis. This helps employees to reflect on themselves and strive for improvement.
Promotional/Lateral Opportunities
The industry offers a wide variety of jobs to young professionals in areas like IT, customer support, human resources, training and logistics. The industry actively encourages employees to move up the ladder or gain cross-functional skill sets. Most companies fill their front-end leadership roles from the talent pool available within the organisation.
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The industry acknowledges the aspirations of its young workforce and grooms them through it's training programs. This aspect of employee development is unique and is being adopted by several other sectors. "The Indian BPO industry attracted a lot of young talent by creating a perception that you can have 'fun at work'.
The perception needs to change as the industry matures, since we want people to look at it as a serious career option and our training is aimed at creating that awareness and seriousness," says Savita Bradoo, training manager with a leading BPO.
With all the training and employee engagement initiatives that the industry is taking, the possibilities for young employees end where their imagination does. The industry hopes to change its perception of being considered a transitional stop-gap arrangement to that of a long-term career option.
eBay's Internet telephony company Skype is offering its U.S.-based users one hour of free international calling to landline phones in 30 countries around the world. (Calls to other Skype users are always free). Until June 30, 2006, U.S.-based Skype users new to SkypeOut, a product that allows Skype users to make calls from their PCs to any external phone line, can make up to 60 minutes of free calls to landline phones in countries including Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Mexico and the United Kingdom. The offer comes one month after the company announced that U.S. and Canadian-based Skype customers can make free SkypeOut calls to any landline or mobile phones in the U.S. or Canada until the end of the year.
http://www.skype.com
Guyana world cup cricket 2007 website was established because the ICC and the LOC has monopolized all advertising at the Providence Stadium in Guyana, No local businesses are allowed to put their signs anywhere near the stadium.
Only ICC Sponsors will be allowed signs until the world cup cricket 2007 matches are over, then the local companies may be allowed to put a sign at the stadium.
To help the Guyanese Businesses, The Guyana World Cup Cricket Website was established by a local company call World Sports Promotions.
World Sports Promotions has been endorsed and sanctioned by the International Sports Council.( I.S.C.) They are totally against the ICC monopolizing the Advertising space of the Stadium. This Stadium is Owned by Guyana, Not the ICC.
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What I heard was you were working in a callcenter and you've been fired.
Well, it's more than a callcenter. It's a telecom company that provides cheap services, connections world-wide. It's a medium-sized company andI work in the order department, I put orders into the computer. It's quite debilitating work, really bad, like factory work. It's modern factory work, because these are actually factories, even if it's a glass-and-steel building. Yeah, I think we are factory workers, the work is very monotonous, it's all the same. That's what I do.
How long have you worked there?
I've worked there for two months. Basically I came there through the uitzendbureau [job agency], the Undutchables, the one that always recruits the internationals. They told me that I would be working as a temporary worker, and basically it's a 520 hours contract with the uitzendbureau, after which I can possibly get a contract from the company, given that they need me. There were some problems in the beginning. This was the first experience for me with this kind of zero-hour contract. The point was they already fired me after one month, my boss, - he's actually a really nice person =96 but he told me that he had to fire me because they don't need me anymore. So I started to look for another job, and I found one in a vegetarian restaurant. But the next day my boss called me, and said: you can come to work again, and I lost the restaurant job because they didn't need me either. So it was like in one week, I really felt like a puppet, because I didn't have any experience with this. This is really like harsh, american-style capitalism, I think. So I thought: they can do what they want, absolutely, and you don't have any way of dealing with it. You just are told that they don't need you anymore.
The building where it's in, that's the whole company?
Yeah, that's the whole company. It's a huge new building which is half empty, only two companies in there. The company is 150 or 200 people in there, and it has another affiliate in another country of Europe, but it's a merger between an Australian and a U.S. company. It's this kind of pyramid-company, which sticks itself to the big companies and tries to buy off some deals, and this is how they work. I don't have much clues about them. Most of the people that work there are internationals, but there are also Dutch people, especially on the managerial levels, it's not necessary. A large part is internationals.
The department you work in?
It's an order entry department with maybe 30 people. I mean, on and off, because I discovered most of them work on this zero-hour contract, they come to the office three days a week. Which is what I could possibly get as well.
Can they write down what hours they want?
No. The company calls them when they need them most, in these three days. It's a really classical American company, you always work extra hours. Like now it is a low period, in the new year, but you always work extra hours. They try to make it like we're part of a family, so for example,if someone wants to leave a bit earlier, the boss basically says: yeah, but you have to ask your colleagues, it's not upon me to decide. Because they have to stay longer. But there is really very little solidarity in there. I saw this in the case of this boy who was fired. He was one of the two people who were fired just before me, because they were surplusses, they weren't working at a high enough speed, which could happen to me or another person as well. But the point is, I felt there was no kind of solidarity, from the people who were working there. He came back the next day, and the supervisor said 'what are you doing here?' and he said: 'Well, why was I fired?' And people were just finding him generally rude. I said: listen, he was very disadvantaged because he has a communication problem, like how he talks. I said: he's gonna have problems finding another job. I feel now, if people have to work in an office, which has really monotonous, braindead work, where you have to stare into the computer 8 hours. They work all the time, 8 to 6, how can I expect from these people to be like politically engaged or just human about this thing? What I see for myself is that when I get home, I have to like chill out, my head is really=85 And most of the people there work till six. So this is one dynamic which I find really difficult when you have to start campaigning, how do you attract them, because they are really tired, all of them.
So you have a zero hour contract?
Not even that. I have a temporary contract with my uitzendbureau, and this is due to finish in 1,5 month, if the company doesn't need me. If it says: we don't need you anymore, then I have to leave. So it's a deal between the company and the uitzendbureau.
Can you say yourself I want these hours next week?
No, no, this is what they tell you. For example, this week there is very little work, so my supervisor suggested kindly to just take 1,5 day off. But he's a really cool guy, I mean he really helps us. I think he comes from the same background, and just luckily got this job because he was really good. So now he finds himself in this position of having to ordain and really sack people. So he says when to come and when to not come.
A normal week you work forty hours?
Forty hours but usually let's say it's forty-two or forty-three. Sometimes a little bit less, like now.
The money you make is only for sustaining yourself?
Only for me, yeah.
You are from Slovenia?
Yeah. I'm legal now, but the first year I did things I am not going to talk about here. This is like my first encounter with this Dutch labour market. Before I was doing some black job, as well as I was an activist in an organisation, and I was paid. That was two or three years. Last year in Slovenia I self-organised a project with four other people, we got a grant for it, and we were doing some work in Italy with gypsies. I did all sorts of work. This one is a new one for me, like being in the system, regular work.
Do you have other sources of income?
No.
The people in your company, or in the department, they all have the same kind of contract?
No, there are people that are=85 There are two ways of entering the company, the direct way and the uitzendbureau. The uitzendbureau gives a temporary contract while other people have a fulltime contract. So it is forty hours or a zero hour contract, which means three or four times a week. It is like half-half. There are people who've worked there for like five years and there are people who've been there a year, and there are people like me. I started end of november 2004.
And when you were fired?
It was not really official, he told me in one week: you don't come any more after Friday. But then on Friday, he told me: please, you can come. I was really enraged with him, I said: you can't just tell me this thing. Then he was laughing at me, saying like: 'From which tree did you just fall? Because this is normal, I can fire you. I can also just let a human resources person come down to tell you don't come any more.' They don't even need one week, they can tell you in one hour. So I was like, ohhh, like being a little fool I think. I think he comes from the same background, because I was not hiding what I was doing before, I stated in my CV [resume] that I was organising a lot of people that are like really radical. Because my work was basically that. They don't mind. There is a really big group of really different people, you have artists, political dissidents that got legalised, who now work there, musicians, all sorts of interesting people. Painters, record producers. People that need a job, because now it is a kind of crisis, so they have to do this stupid work.
Do you have financial or other problems now there is an economic crisis?
Well, no, but I am literally lucky because I have this place, I rent really cheaply. It is very difficult to get a job these days, that's what I find most harassing. But this place where I live is a legalised squat, so I live like on the surface of the social movement part [in the Netherlands, certain older squats have been legalised, with relatively low rents, mainly squats from the early eighties??]. And I am alone, I am not poor. I might be if I lose this job. Yeah.
Maybe do you know people who have lost a job recently?
The people I know who lost their jobs have been here so long that the Dutch state tried to really integrate them. They do this kind of half-paid work and half-voluntary work, but no, mostly, I find the difference with illegal people that I know, and they have more problems finding a job now, because all these illegal service jobs there were before - except like private housecleaning - they now all need papers. For them it's much more difficult. But I also know quite some people from Holland that are desparately looking for work. It really is a work crisis, and if you want work that you like, it's not very easy anymore. You just have to take whatever, I think.
Are you member of a union, or not?
No. I am only one month legally on this market, you know. For me the priority in this country is not what kind of job I have, because for me it's important I make my university, which will make me another kind of work. I'm not yet so much inside. But if I get, with this company, intoa level that they will give me a contract, I would like to get in touch with, like, unions or a group of people, you know? Because I want to know what are our actual rights, even if we are like really 'flexworkers'=85I want to get in contact.
Do you have experience with conflicts at your work, even in the short period you've been there?
No. Or do you mean inside the organisation? There is like a conflict between departments, which is really all the time, because it's just people blaming things on bad communication with other departments. But that is nothing to do with this company, but a general thing, these companies they work like this, very disconnected.
Do you notice anything of racism or discrimination at your work, or in the labour market in general?
In this company, racism I would not say so. It's more institutional racism, I mean in the society itself. We are an international company. What is a little bit present is this male-dominated leading positions, a lot of men who are clerks, but I think in managerial positions also more men. But I've only been there so short, this is just what I see.
How do you see the future, do you want to keep this job for long, or are you looking for something else? You say you are studying to be able to work in something different?
I try to make my life like this, that my work doesn't take too much energy, because of time I have to dedicate to my study. So I am trying to look around for other things. I decided I am stopping with the nongovernmental sector, because I don't want to earn money doing politics anymore. Also because I have to have a space for study, so I prefer to do a stupid job. If I found a job in a kitchen somewhere, I would really like it, because this is really decent work, you know? But for now, because I have to sustain myself, I am keeping this option. Because I mean, you get used to it, [taps fingers like on a computer] to the routine, you just have to learn how to do other things next to it. But I don't see this as a future job. No, no, I'm just at the beginning. Maybe a year until I learn better Dutch, because it is a fact in Holland that the language brings you closer to the better, the more interesting work, so automatically, for people like us that don't speak good Dutch we get this kind of work andwe get the flexible work especially. Later on, when I learn it better, I guess I start to look for something more dynamic. I don't know.
After a while, do you want to have a fulltime fixed contract, or do you like this aspect of flexibility that you have different types of work alongside one another, or in successions?
That's a very difficult question, it is a good question. Because, a fulltime job is today something great for somebody that doesn't even have a job. They really dream about it I imagine. Then, when you see the nature of this work, what this work is, then you say I don't want to do this, but that is my perspective maybe. I have some broader knowledge of, I don't know, what kind of other work you could do. I wouldn't wish for this tobe my future work. If I consider that first I was doing a black job, I was doing social activism work, and now I am doing into-the-system-work, I feel the future is like, to create my own work. That would be the perfectest thing, because I am able to raise funds, and to create projects. But to get to that stage, I need a lot of time, I need to go through this flex-thing.
What is the biggest problem that you come across in this economy, and how do you see that in the longer term?
Okay. I come from the Socialist system, for example, for me moving here, it never changed anything in the way the employer treats the people that work somewhere. It just changed the nature of work, it means it is a lot of short work, and here in the west, there is really little manual work, everything is already in the South. It's very volatile, the companies that are here now, they won't be here in two years, they are going to make callcenters in Southern Africa. I ask myself, because they are going to liberalise China for example, which is a huge market, open it up. What will remain here in the west as a type of work that people will do? Who is this theorist that said we are approaching the end of work =96 I really agree with that, because I see less and less work. The generation of my mother and my father that worked in socialism were used to this like fulltime, long-life contract, and now they have these small pensions. But the generation after me, for them, this flexwork is going to be really normal. The conflict is in the people that are our generation, that came from this more industrial work, where we still had factories, industrial production, whereas now we have service production, which is a very big shift. For us it's a big shock but for the generation that comes after us this flexwork is going to be normal. How can you say to a fifteen-year-old, like, you know, you should fight for your rights, because the way your work is organised is not good. He'll say: yeah, but which is the other way, because I don't know which was the other way? Which was the old way? You had paid eight-hour work, you did something really concrete and you get a pension, but now yeah, it's a good question, how do you organise them? How do you explain this?
Do you have any remarks or questions?
I wonder what is the aim of organising the flexworkers. I find it a really difficult campaign, I find it really important also. And I wonder if you have legal people who have legal expertise, who can actually explain your situation? I mean: do flexworkers entirely know what are their rights, how can they organise themselves, how can they approach things? These uitzendbureaus, I think if you are a labour campaigner, I think these are the first institutions you have to target and research, because, not only do they take a lot of commission for every hour worked, they also have very discriminatory, and unpersonal ways of recruiting people. I think Holland in particular is one of the countries that can deal well with the recession because this is why you have more and more part-time, more and more flextime, flexworkers. This difference between the part-timer and the flexworker, do you have any research.
I recently read an article on India, I think every inidan should read that to know where we are now.
From Bollywood to Bombay Stock Exchange, India has captured the imagination of the world like never before. Perhaps, it is getting back to the centre stage of world trade, a position it held till two centuries ago. "India and China together were the biggest trading blocks and maybe we have come full circle to regain that status," commented Jignesh Shah, CEO, Multi Commodity Exchange, at the Indian Metal Conference held in Mumbai recently. At the Global Finance Conference in Rio de Janerio last week, scholars predicted that the top emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) could surpass the current world leaders in the next few decades.
There is a definite momentum towards a sustainable growth and if all major programmes the UPA government has lined up are taken up in earnest for execution, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's vision of 10 per cent GDP growth may not be far off. Bharat Nirman, JNNURM, Ultra Mega Power Projects, airport modernisation, greenfield airports and ports, and SEZs should all do much more than what the Golden Quadrilateral did to invigorate the infrastructure sector.
When Atal Behari Vajpayee proposed GQ with an investment of Rs 1 lakh crore no one believed the government had the money to execute the project. Today, no one would doubt India's ability to raise the kind of resources required. The domestic savings rate is steady at around 29 per cent and FDI contributions are growing by the day. "Initial investments that have come into the country definitely indicate India is emerging," said industrialist Vijay Mallya. Portfolio investments continue to pour in despite India being the second most expensive market. That is not without reason—annual results declared by the first 150 companies for the year 2005-06 show a net profit surge of 35 per cent. "India is not just emerging, but flying," Aviation Minister Praful Patel told Projectmonitor.
Services have attained critical mass and manufacturing is getting its due status after having slipped, and there is a boom in infrastructure and construction. "Modern manufacturing cannot create many jobs but infrastructure can do that. For that new methods of financing and better execution are required, areas where we have not made great advances," observed former Union minister Arun Shourie.
No one would like to spoil the party by talking about the negatives at this juncture. As the common thread in all our 'India Emerging' reports in this issue shows, there is a great confidence, flow of great creative energy and keen economic sense in the projects that are discussed and experiences shared. Yet, it would be too naïve to brush aside what is, arguably, our greatest weakness—while we are emerging with great confidence in the global economic arena, we seem to be floundering on the political stage. From allowing naxals to take control of as many as 110 out of 584 districts, to giving a sound burial to PSU disinvestment to dithering on foreign policy, the political decision making is nowhere near the mark. If only Dr. Singh gets into his reformer's shoes, it will definitely be 'Incredible India'.
submitted in projectsmonitor.com by M.C. Vaijayanthi
Recently I have been doing quite a few tweaks in the forum categories, as you check the forum I have added a new domain alltogether"VoIP" which is as big as the BPO industry & ofcourse connected to bpo.The free resources is been added along with featured products for downloads.
I have been getting lot of feedbacks as to how big this blog page was & the forum was getting little confused with many adversting photographs, well all has been taken care of & this blog page has been shrinked to just latest 2 post & the forum has no pictorial advertising.
I appreciate everyones time for the feedback, it only shows the interest you have in the site to make it one of the premier site in the bpo industry.
Lycos today made a grand entry in the Internet telephony (VoIP) market with the launch of Lycos Phone - a software dialer that also has a Media player for playing streaming video and MP3 music.
Lycos is giving a free US telephone number to all Lycos Phone users. Other competitors like Yahoo and Skype charge upto $36 per year for similar service.
Read More
Free Internet Explorer 7 Beta Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 Preview includes advancements in security and browsing experience for end users, functionality and compatibility for developers, and manageability for corporate network administrators. Beta 2 Preview is intended to enable developers, web developers and IT pros to begin to test the new browser for compatibility with their applications and websites
Login to the forum and download from the FREE Resources category.
email for more info: bpo@bpopark.com
Happy Download :-)
written by Donald J. Trump
Chairman, Trump University
For what is the best choice, for each individual, is the highest it is possible for him to achieve.
-- Aristotle
Some champions are born and some champions are made. A champion may be someone who shows marked superiority, someone who always places first in competition. A champion can also be someone who comes out on top, overcoming obstacles and beating the odds. We’ve all seen Olympic champions on television. What comes to mind when I watch these amazing athletes perform at their personal best is the amount of training they have endured, the sacrifices they’ve made, and the focus they had to have to get where they are. Endurance, self-sacrifice, and determination are the qualities of a true champion.
They also wanted to achieve something special. Ordinary wouldn’t be enough for someone who has the mindset of a champion. Champions think big. Champions work toward big goals. Champions are focused. Champions are disciplined. Champions think like champions. As Jack Dempsey said, “A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.”
When I’m having an especially tough day, I often think it’s like a race and I’d better have the endurance to reach the finish line. Somehow the endurance carries me through because I want to win. Billie Jean King said “Champions take responsibility. When the ball is coming over the net, you can be sure I want the ball.” I understand what she was talking about because I’m the same way. I want to play ball.
I have a box at the U.S. Open. Every year I love to watch those champions go at it. You can learn a lot from watching the pros, whether you’re interested in sports, the arts, or whatever. One thing they all have in common is the same mindset—they want to win, they want to be the best, not the runner-up: the best. That’s a very important quality. I’ve seen very talented people fail because deep down they were afraid of winning. Winning comes with responsibility. Champions rise to that responsibility. Search yourself carefully to make sure you’re ready and capable. If you’re not, do something about it. It’s an important element of success.
Most of you know that I’m a golfer, and I own four amazing golf courses in the United States. I’ve always said that golf is a brain game, which it is, but it is a demanding sport technically and it's a game of finesse. You cannot play golf halfheartedly and expect to get anywhere with your game. You have to concentrate and you have to have patience. As the legendary golfer Bobby Jones said, “It is nothing new or original to say that golf is played one stroke at a time. But it took me many years to realize it.” We win in our daily lives by being careful with every day, by having a champion’s view of each moment.
Let’s go back to that quote by Aristotle. That is self scrutiny at its highest. It really is the best choice to go for the highest achievement possible. Why set your goals too low? Did you ever hear a child saying they want to be nothing when they grow up? They are full of dreams and plans and rarely are they mediocre aspirations. They want to be presidents, doctors, astronauts, scientists, and so on. They’re on the right track and have the right mindset. If you need to, bring yourself back to when you had high achievement as a goal. Not everyone can be the world champion at something, but you can strive to be the best you can be. That’s the first step, and a daily responsibility.
Champions go the extra mile. We all know when we’ve done just enough and when we’ve really exerted ourselves. Make an effort to exert yourself—every day. Don’t fail because you never allowed yourself to get started! Don’t avoid success because you think the responsibility might be too much. Just focus and get going! You’d be surprised at what intelligent effort can produce. Alexander Graham Bell said something that I have always remembered: “Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.” Pay attention to these things and you will be on your way to thinking like a champion—and becoming one.
Businesses are something which have a tendency to change hands now and again over the entire life of the business. Whether it is a merger or an outright sale, there are certain factors which will affect the overall value of a business that is put up for sale by its current owner. The following paragraphs will highlight some of these factors and explain why the overall value of business can be altered from time to time.
Delaying the Sale
Selling one’s business is an extremely important decision for a business owner to make. The sale thereof is something which can either make or break the financial stability of an individual at times. A factor which tends to affect the overall value of a business is a delay with regard to deciding whether or not to sell the business. As there are times when the market would be most profitable for a business sales transaction, this time period can pass should an individual business owner wait too long to determine whether to sell or not.
Not only outside factors, such as the general market, will affect the sale of a business. Internal factors such as a decrease in sales, creditors and unrest amongst employees within the company may all affect the time period in which a business goes up for sale. With that said, it is important that individuals sell when the time is right for selling. Unreasonable delay in a sale of a business may have adverse effects on the overall value of the business.
Private Business Owners Lack the Resources
Another factor which affects the overall value of a business with regard to the sale thereof has a lot to do with the lack of resources that many business owners experience. Unlike their corporate counterparts, smaller business owners do not have attorneys, accountants and financial advisors at their beck and call who can aid them in the sale of their business. Due to the lack of these professionals, business owners tend to take longer selling their business and finding the best buyers which will affect the overall value of the business.
Lack of Appropriate Business Sale Knowledge
Much of the information which an individual can gain from outside media sources such as television, magazines and websites deals with selling larger companies. For those individuals who are looking to sell a smaller, privately owned business, they may find difficulty gaining valuable insight into how to sell their business so that it brings in the most profitable price. Not having the requisite business knowledge can hinder the overall value of one’s business, as they do not know how to sell the business in a way which brings in the best price.
Future Profitability
A buyer in a business purchase transaction wants to know that the business which they are purchasing is one that will see future profits. It is not only important for the business to be seen as doing well at that particular moment in time, but it is also vital that the business will continue to do well in the future. Therefore, future profitability is something which will drive up the value of a business. After all, who really wants to purchase a business that will go downhill soon thereafter. The answer to that question is probably no one. If a current business owner can show factors which relate to future profitability of the business, then their business may be one that is portrayed as having good value.
Position the Company for Sale
A business that is going to achieve the best price and be seen as having the best overall value is one which is properly positioned for sale. There are many aspects which can adequately position a business for sale such as showing unique qualities that the company maintains, the value of its employees and the profitability of the company as a whole. The company must be prepared in a nice, attractive package in order to have the best positive value. A company which is under great management, sees good profits on the market and is a good purchase opportunity overall will yield the best selling price. Positioning the company for sale is best left up to professionals who are in the market of handling situations such as these.
Summary
To conclude, the previously mentioned items are certain factors which can affect the overall value of a business that is being sold. In order to ensure that a current business owner receives the best value for their company it is important to take certain steps to avoid sale delays, obtain the necessary resources to help the sales process along and retain the help of knowledgeable professionals in areas where they are needed. By taking the aforementioned steps, the current owner of the business will be better able to get the best possible selling price for their business.
extract from Aaron Muller
Please welcome our new sponsor, VIP Processing Services, LLC!
VIP Processing Services would like to welcome First Atlantic Residential Mtg(10/20), Amstar Mortgage Corporation (10/1) and CFIC(9/19) and thank them for choosing us for all their processing needs.
VIP Processing Services, LLC is a full service contract processing company serving the mortgage industry. Having 10 years experience in the mortgage industry, we have seen it all. We have helped originators process and settle thousands of loans in all types of lending situations. Whether your business specializes in the conventional market, sub-prime, Government, construction or all the above, we have the processing solution for you.We have built our business on the success of our clients.
We have assisted our clients to streamline their efforts in originating loans; and thereby increasing their overall production and close ratios. Our primary objective is to free up the originator to focus on building their pipeline and customer base.Outsourcing your processing makes a lot of business sense.First and foremost, VIP Processing Services does not get paid unless the originator gets paid. At the end of the day, we want your loan closed as much as you do and we will do everything we can to get the job done.Second, imagine freeing yourself of the fixed cost of having an in-house processor? Now you have the ability to control the costs of your overall business. With that comes no benefits package, no training, more office space, no health, vacation or sick days. We have all that covered, so you can focus on originating more mortgage loans.Third, we will work with you personally to meet you production goals.
Whether you are just starting out or have been in business for years, we will tailor our service according to your needs and goals. Whether you have a few deals, a large pipeline or spill over business, we are here to assist you in all your processing needs.Some hesitate to outsource their files because they lose a sense of control over their deals. We take that concern very seriously and make sure that the lines of communication are always open for questions or concerns. We come in early and stay late, have evening hours and will always return your calls, e-mails and/or faxes within a 24 hour window.The benefits are clear. Our motto 'you sell, we process' tells the whole story. You focus on what you do best and we'll focus on the rest. Another words, 'you sell, we process'If you have a loan scenario that you want to discuss, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to speaking with you soon. Below you will find our contact information.
VIP Processing Services
443-536-2040
http://www.vip-processing.com
spickettvip1@yahoo.com
