Category Archives: Outsourcing

British Airways Outsourcing ba.com

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01008/british-airways-46_1008478c.jpgTroubled economic times can bring all kinds of new projects. British Airways, bellweather of UK economy to a good extent, wants to outsource the operations for its flagship ba.com website as part of a major cost-cutting exercise.

It is estimated that ba.com takes about £30 million per year to run, and that BA is looking to save a big chunk here. BA Travel Booking and Servicing functions of ba.com – a major part of the ecommerce programme for BA’s online platform – will be outsourced to a third party under proposals being evaluated currently.

BA already uses third party vendors to for online FAQ service and payment system. Now even more will be outsourced, or maybe even sold, depending on how the proposals come. This blog post has more info.

Motivation for Starting Your Home Based Business

Did you know that increasing number of professionals working from home — even if they are employed with large companies? The advances in Internet and communications have made this possible.

And with such experience (or taste), some people are finally able to make a decision to start working on their own from their home office.

Most home based businesses can outsource 100% of non-key business functions. It’s a definite trend if you see the increase in project volume of sites like Elance.

We are seeing every possible work – from easy digital products to high-end investment banking work — being done from a home based business. Starting your home business is easier today than ever before, but most people don’t realize it, or don’t want to act on it!

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Here’s a thoughtful article written by Lazz Laszlo.

Has the idea of starting a home based business of your own been rolling around in your head for days, weeks, months, or sadly… even years?

You almost started a couple of times, but for some reason something came up that resulted in you deciding to delay the very first step.

The first step is truly the hardest, but there’s no denying that the first step is STARTING.

A man by the name of James Cash Penney who died at the age of 96 in the year of 1971 said something that perhaps will help you to understand that you are not the only one to have been timid about beginning a new business, in particular, your new home based business.

James Cash Penney said, “It is always the start that requires the greatest effort.”

He knew, and I’m sure you know, he’s the man behind the retailer J.C. Penney. You have to just love his middle name as it relates to his last name and capsulizes his life so to speak. He’s got a great story to tell if you take the time to find it and read it. Just to imagine that he lived through two world wars is amazing in itself.

There are lots of excuses used by people as to why they haven’t started their new home based business. Some of them include, but not limited to; just don’t have the time; just not ready yet; not sure which type of home based business to start; no money; looking for a partner; haven’t found the right product; or have to learn more.

If you’re in this zone of not being able to start, investigating the lives of others may just be the catalyst to kick you in the behind, knock you off the fence, and get you started. Benjamin Franklin said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”

The money you spend on a new pair of shoes is gone forever once it is spent and after weeks, months, and even perhaps years, those shoes will be discarded. The knowledge you gain from the article you read, the book you buy, the course you take, or the mentor you befriend will be with you for a lifetime.

You are not the first to have the desire to start a business. You certainly won’t be the last, but if you don’t start, you’ll be among the thousands who wished they had. It’s your choice to either get started or just forget it.

Some of my favorite people to read about have been, but certainly not limited to just these people;

Jeno Paulucci, the creator of Chung King Foods brought Chinese food to the kitchen tables of America. One of my favorite parts of his story was when he made a split-second decision and ate a grasshopper rather than… well, you’ll have to read his story.

Walt Disney began his dream, essentially in a garage. There are a lot of companies that begin in a garage, apparently because the kitchen table wasn’t available. Bill Hewlett and David Packard began the company that bares their name in a garage and as a footnote, they wound up burning down the garage. Oops! Apple Computer is another garage beginning business.

William Wrigley Jr., essentially stumbled on his fortune with chewing gum when this item he used as an incentive became more popular than the item he was selling.

Reading one or two of what I like to call, “How’d they do it” stories can shed a lot of light on what it really takes to get a business off the ground. It would be smart to make this an ongoing practice of reading about how others built their businesses, but don’t use the excuse of having to read just one more, and another, and another, and another… delaying your own start indefinitely.

The message here is that you have to focus and disregard what the naysayers think and say, this includes that little naysayer voice in your own head. Do you really want to do what other people want you to do, or do you want to put your efforts, energy, and brain power into doing what you really would like to do?

If you’re embarrassed as to what people will think of you while you are climbing and stumbling on the ladder of success, you might as well quit now. Success is a bumpy road with lots of hazards and stress, which is another couple of reasons why people seek the safety of a job rather than beginning a home based business in their off hours.

Dean Martin, the entertainer said, “Successful people make mistakes.” Some people make more mistakes than others, but I have never met anyone who has only made one mistake in their life. I was taught that there is a lesson in every mistake, but more to the point, you can learn from the mistakes made by others. Read a biography or two of people behind some of the greatest achievements in history and you’ll see that it wasn’t always smooth sailing.

If you are not just a little bit daring and willing to spit in the face of pessimism, than you’re not living.

Malcolm Forbes said, “Venture nothing, and life is less than it should be.”

It’s time to start your journey into business. You don’t have to go at break-neck speed, but you do have to begin. It’s been said that the best part of the trip is not the destination, but the journey itself. Begin your journey today.

Yes, it sometimes hurts to be entrepreneurial and a visionary. It is full of embarrassment and behind-your-back ridicule, neither of which is lethal. Try something and if it doesn’t work, try something else. The adversities in your life will fertilize the genius within you. I’ll leave you with this Welsh proverb; adversity and loss make a man wise.

About the Author: Lazz Laszlo is a former Investment Executive and Radio & Television Financial Reporter with many entrepreneurial endeavors to his credit. He spends his time as an emcee, public speaker, enjoying life and writing about business, travel, retirement, strategy, and pleasure. To learn more, please visit Lazz’s website; http://www.925-wage-slave-alternatives.com

My-Data-Team: Data Entry & Work From Home Jobs

About_The_Company:
My-Data-Team’s mission is to help all members succeed with the best experience possible. The company offers a comprehensive program in Data Entry and other work-from-home opportunities. It all starts with you and our personal mission to keep the utmost honesty with our members and to make sure you are satisfied with our company.

Meet The People Behind The Company:
Timothy Darwin is a founder and Director of My Data Team (also referred to as Global Data Entry or World Wide Data Entry). Timothy He was originally employed in the Silicon Valley CA, but fell victim to major downsizing in the late 90’s. Timothy was a Data Specialist and decided to take his skills to the Internet. He spent years prior to trying work-from-home opportunities, some good and many bad. He decided to put his knowledge of the Internet and Data Entry to work.

Timothy’s goal was to find companies that had downsized who would send him work. He found that the number of opportunities for data entry was overwhelming. He then decided to create a program for My-Data-Team to give others the same opportunity.

Testimonials:

  • This is a great system, I have tried many so called legitimate companies, to always be disapointed. This is truly the best on the market. I have no regrets on my decision to become a member. Keep up the nice work. – Karen B, Campbell, TX
  • Just wanted to write to compliment you on your traditional data entry jobs listings. I have been able to find some great jobs through the members pages. I am currently doing some transcript work thanks to you guys Thanks for the opportunity. -Chandra D, Laguna Beach, CA

Website & Contact Information: If you have been looking for extra income or work-from-home opportunity, then visit: My-Data-Team

Top 5 Questions: How to Increase Online Sales?

2007 was the first year of MyOrbit – and full of great experiences. We consolidated our ground in E-Business and learned new things from our clients worldwide. Though we have completed 3 quarters, this New Year 2008 gives an opportunity to share the top 5 questions from our customers in 2007. If you are in any form of business – these will help you.

Q1. How can I increase my sales through online channels?

Answer: This really is a big question with no one answer – otherwise everyone would have done it! What we have found from our experience of running multiple businesses is that there is a need for a structured approach to attract targeted visitors (prospects) and ensure that the entire chain of events is planned – till the time an order is placed.

Many services companies will say “oh, this may work for product companies, but not for us”. This is just a lame excuse by someone who fears change. We have seen successful examples of services companies generating almost 80% revenues from their website + other online channels. The need is to create an online platform (say, a part of your website/blog) which shares valuable information with prospects, and a system which can do all of what a physical sales person can do. With Audio and Video possible on web-pages, a good website can generate more sales than a team of salespeople, at a fraction of the cost. The only expenses you have to make are for online marketing, for which you can see other posts on this site.

Q2. We have built a great website…now how do we promote it?

Answer: Do you know which places your clients and prospects visit often? That’s the place you need to advertise in some way. Consider buying text links, we have found them best on performance/price. Some sites also offer paid articles referring your site – those are good too. For example, our clients often visit sites like: www.cio.com, www.cfo.com, www.ft.com, and many smaller sites – all of them are good options to advertise. Small sites and blogs can give a great return on online ad spend. So invest some effort in that. Over the last 6 months, we have developed a way to identify such small sites relevant to each business, and you can contact us for more info.

Q3. What are the options to increase my online sales?

Answer: There are numerous options, and each product/service should plan a suitable mix of them: Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising, Text Link or Banner Advertising on High Traffic Sites, Sponsored Articles on Sites or Blogs, Email Marketing, Mobile SMS Marketing (this is a very exciting area, and will evolve rapidly in 2-3 years – if you are a consumer products/services company – you just can’t afford to ignore this).

Q4. How much should I spend on online marketing?

Answer: Just like in a physical, brick & mortar business – your online marketing budget would have two components: (1) Brand Building (2) Product/Service Marketing. Now, if you already have a known brand, then skip (1), and spend effort and money only on (2), which is more focused towards earning dollars by selling your Product and Services. Plan to spend up to 10% of the sales volume, and spend in phases to ensure results are coming. So if you have a product/service of $500 value, and you want to sell to 200 customers, then your desired sales volume = $100,000. So you should plan to spend up to $10,000 in online marketing. This does not include your fixed costs, like staff salary and business operating expenses.

Now, it’s important to note that the amount you spend will depend on the gross margin you have on the product/service. So you can choose to spend just 4-5% as well. But 10% is on the upper side, and will perform very competitively to physical sales people. If you are spending more, you are probably not executing well and there is room for improvement.

Q5. What kind of team and skills do I need to increase my sales online?

Answer: The team can be very lean, but must understand your business and products/services well, and also understand how information is shared in the Internet space. Many Small and Medium businesses are able to do it (with some initial guidance) with just 1-2 full-time staff because they can easily coordinate with the sales and production teams. But its a different problem in large companies: the marketing departments often don’t have the skills and support to generate online sales, and the sales teams don’t have access to any part of the website – so it’s a difficult situation.

Our recommendation is to give the responsibility of online sales also to the Sales/Product Teams, and give them the tools and training to make it happen. Regardless of your company size, new media tools can be (and should be!) used successfully. If you are not sure about your team’s understanding/skill of operate your blog (write and discuss with audience), you can contact us for inputs as we have done it for a few companies in 2007. At its core, your website is an extension of your key business people and presentations – and is best suited to generate business leads.

We hope you found these answers useful. You are welcome to ask your questions on how to increase online sales.

Wishing you a great 2008!
Shankar AVSB
CEO, MyOrbit

Template

For submitting the content to get your company/business listed on MyOrbit.biz, please use the following template and guidelines for maximum benefit.

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1. ABOUT
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Introduce your company briefly – your background, location, key objectives and strengths, etc. (50-100 words)

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2. PRODUCTS & SERVICES
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What exactly do you offer as products and services, and what are the benefits? The more specific you are, the higher the chance of a company/person coming to you for more information. Diagrams and videos can fit well here. MyOrbit can suggest the points for you (50 – 250 words)

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3. KEY PEOPLE
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Very Important. Who are the people behind this company, and what is their background/experience? Where are they located? Photos and videos can fit well here. MyOrbit can suggest key points here (50 – 250 words)

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4. TESTIMONIALS
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Often the most overlooked part in a company’s message. Do you have customers who like what you do? This is the perfect place to share a few client quotes/testimonials. You can remove the client specifics if you want. The aim is to see if there are customers who are willing to speak for you. (50 – 250 words)

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5. CONTACT INFO
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In addition to your website, it will help you to give the following: Name, phone (complete with international dialing code), email, and/or a contact form link. MyOrbit can help you in this. We can also put a contact form for you here, so that when someone likes what you are offering, they can contact you from here.