Globalisation is not a new phenomenon; online work is not a new solution, neither is international business cooperation. What is new, is the speed with which the world turned fully remote. And even now, when we can see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, we must assume that it will largely stay so. 

Why not use this opportunity to grow your business in a cost-efficient way? You have an option to hire a third party (a different company) to perform services traditionally done by the staff in-house. This business strategy has been recognised since the late 1980s and is becoming more popular since then.  

Outsourcing – But Where?

For companies in different sectors (like IT, accounting, digital business), outsourcing of services is a regular practice. But it would be best if you decided where you will address your outsourcing needs. There are three models of this type of cooperation:

  • Offshore outsourcing – contracting of services in countries that aren’t in close geographical proximity (for example, on a different continent);
  • Onshore outsourcing – employing someone from outside of your organisation, but still within the same country;
  • Nearshore outsourcing – engaging persons or companies from neighbouring countries to perform work.

Imagine that you own a company based in Sweden, but you employ contractors from a start-up in Poland. In fact, Poland, next to Czechia, Belarus, and Ukraine, is an excellent example of a country where many IT services are offered under the nearshore model.  Naturally, such cooperation is beneficial for both parties. Let’s see why. 

Why Should You Consider Nearshore Outsourcing?

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Being a business owner or a manager means constantly calculating in your head and thinking of the most efficient ways to conduct business while growing your company’s profits. You want to gain control over your expenditure and convince the best people in your sector to work for you. You compare hourly rates for IT services in Western and Eastern Europe (on average 20 – 25% lower in the latter) and count in what way minimised personnel costs will influence (positively) the tax rates that need to be paid. You look at the talent pool and realise that opening your search to markets in other countries gives you a better chance of finding high-quality specialists in different fields. But that’s not all. The Nearshore outsourcing model provides many benefits. Let’s look at some of them:

Cultural proximity

Sometimes speaking with someone from the same culture helps fix problems and clarify issues faster. This is not to say that working with people from different cultures is a burden. Not at all! But the level of communication efficiency depends on an understanding of the culture and, in many cases, on a similarity of the language. Not to mention alignments of public holidays and vacation times in neighbouring countries, which is an important factor when you plan work.

Geographical proximity

Although your work is remote-first, you may still want to meet your contractors physically. In the case of nearshore outsourcing, you need a few hours on a plane or in your own car to meet your interlocutors. Moreover, you don’t have to worry about managing the time difference or forcing your employees to adapt their working hours to different time zones. 

Both geographical and cultural proximity allow you to have a close, working, engaged team that often interacts. 

Tackling staff shortages

You have a small company with limited funds, and you don’t want to hire full-time employees. Or you manage many ad-hoc projects, which require a variety of specific specialisations. Nearshore outsourcing gives you a chance to hire specialists in another company for temporary assignments. Remote employment is beneficial for them and for you, as you don’t need to invest in physical space and equipment for outsourced personnel. This is one of the ways to take care of:

Cost savings

All the benefits mentioned above bring us to this – the nearshore model helps you and your company save money. And any manager or owner asked about the main advantage of using this way of contracting will tell you that this is it! Look Both Ways Before You Cross The Road

Outsourcing the project’s parts may not sound like a complicated task, but it is not as easy as simply adding new people to your company. You have to take several cautionary steps in the process of nearshoring:

Location

When looking into another market, do thorough research on existing technologies, specialised training, and laws (especially concerning business activities and intellectual property) in a given country.

Experience and training

Countries differ in the technology they use, the education they provide, and, consequently, the skillset acquired by local staff. Do your research trace back the experience of the potential partner. Don’t forget to enquire about referrals, and don’t underestimate the value of word of mouth. It will help you find out about the company’s:

Reputation

The last thing you want is to get yourself into business with an unreliable company, that doesn’t have relevant experience or is otherwise entangled in financial or criminal trouble. Use all possible sources – from online reviews, through clients’ opinions to your network’s connections, to learn about your prospective partner’s expertise and business practice.

Internal processes

When possible, enquire about the internal practices, such as recruitment, communication with current and potential clients, not to mention the way the company adheres to laws, especially those relating to data processing, patent, and intellectual property protection.

In short, make a proper evaluation. Then, after you do, enjoy the many benefits of nearshore outsourcing!