Invest In Offshoring Services, Make Time For Deep, Focused Work

Invest In Offshoring Services, Make Time For Deep, Focused Work

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It’s difficult to sustain focus in fast-paced work environments. This is especially true in BPO and offshoring services, where multiple tasking is the norm. Millennial entrepreneurs are known for their energy and passion in start-ups, but sometimes there aren’t enough hours in a day to get things done. One solution is to outsource processes and streamline operations, which is always a feasible solution.

In a culture of long work hours and constant crunch time, the consequences of overclocking your attention span is often overlooked. The common notion is that longer work hours equals to increased output and productivity. Studies have shown the opposite is the case. Do you belong to the new breed of hungry entrepreneurs, or are you a hardened a veteran with lots of energy to spend? As much as you may take pride in getting by with little sleep, your body isn’t clockwork, far from it.

Here are four ways you can curb your overclocked routine, and recover hours of free time to spare.

1. Sleep is precious (and non-negotiable).

Lack of sleep limits your ability to focus on tasks, and you can only get by for so long with caffeine. You may not feel the effects early in the week, but it will eventually catch up on your health. The optimal amount of sleep varies between people, but seven hours of solid sleep is enough to restore and reboot you for the next day. Anything less than six hours eventually impairs judgment and concentration.

2. Cut down on distractions.

This is difficult in hectic work environments. If there are too many priorities competing for your attention, you have to put your foot down and streamline, hire offshoring services. Multitasking is a misconception; you can’t really perform two tasks simultaneously. What you can do is handle tasks one at a time. How much you’ll invest on a task varies on priorities, and productivity apps like Pomodoro help you get going. Once you’ve adjusted to the learning curve, you can stay in the zone of tasking routines, and it becomes second nature.

3. Manage Your Time.

Make time for each task, develop a schedule, and stick to the routine. Leisure time is also an integral part of the process; did you know spending a few minutes checking social media is actually a good thing? The danger is in losing yourself in the momentary distraction, find yourself wasting more time than you’re supposed to. Fortunately, decisiveness is a default attribute in entrepreneurs; compromised productivity is something few are willing to risk.

4. Delegate To Offshoring Services, And Spare Time To Spend On Yourself.

“Me time” often suffers under the pressure of busy workdays. You’ll find it easier to carve leisure time once you’ve streamlined your day. If you find hours to spare on a busy afternoon, don’t try to fill it with tasks; go out for a walk or take a nap, anything you consider an enjoyable way to spend idle time. Besides, there’s a reason why many entrepreneurs outsource. Time is your most precious commodity, you only have 24 hours to spend in a day. Make every second count.

Did You Earn Your Weekend? A Three-Step Guide For The BPO Contact Center Industry

Did You Earn Your Weekend? A Three-Step Guide For The BPO Contact Center Industry

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There’s a reason why people say “thank goodness it’s Friday.” When was the last time you heard someone rant about the weekend? By weekend we mean the period when you actually enjoy some rest and relaxation. Sure, in some industries the definition of the weekend shifts with the schedule (think BPO contact center representatives). Some office staff also take pleasure in ensuring the work for the workweek is really behind them.

For most people, the weekend starts after Friday rush hour, and can end up to the wee hours of Monday morning. Some feel guilty about enjoying the weekend, though, especially when there’s still work left to finish. How do you know you deserve the break, then? Here are three signs you’ve had a great workweek:

1. You plotted and finished goals for your workweek.

Nothing’s more satisfying than knowing you’ve ticked items on docket. Did you complete your mid-term goals, finished all routine tasks? Work never really ends, though, and there’s probably more waiting for you by next week. The point is you were able to put as much as you can behind you, enough to start afresh.

On the flip side, the BPO contact center operates under wildly shifting schedules, and it’s likely workweeks are of uneven lengths. Turnover tasks also vary. “Do all you can, with what you have, where you are.” Theodore Roosevelt knows what it means to do meaningful work.

2. You took on tasks that are over your head, and prevailed.

This is icing on the cake of a great workweek. Did you have items on agenda more than you could handle? Maybe you finally took on tasks you’ve been dreading for a month? Were you forced to jump-start tasks no one else dared to touch? Finishing tasks you didn’t expect to start is great motivation for your weekend. Plan something special and celebrate.

Of course, the downside is realizing you’ve held on for so long on tasks, which is procrastinating. There are always items low on people’s priority lists; thank yourself you finally found it in you to start and finish these.

3. You innovated.

You’ll only appreciate something new when you’ve tread the old routine. Did you discover how to improve on existing processes? Maybe you met a client who have ideas that spark new growth to your business? Did you unlock potential you didn’t know you had? Anything that improves upon the old should be welcome, and you should pat yourself on the back for the achievement.

The BPO contact center is fast-paced and routine-based, and office staff are known for handling the same tasks periodically. Wouldn’t it be nice if you can inject innovations to enhance processes, skip steps, improve output?

Everyone deserves the weekend. Especially those who can put their stamp of approval on the previous workweek. If for some reason you evaluated your work and found it lacking, don’t worry. Next week will catch up soon enough.

The Most Successful Entrepreneurs Possess These Three Traits

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There’s one trait common among entrepreneurs, successful or otherwise: there’s a willingness to accept risks. The prospects in business either turn out great or sour, and outcomes depend on numerous variables. Most of these variables are difficult, even impossible to control. However, in face of uncertainties, the only constant you can control is how you respond to situations. Can you recall the last time your business was at crucial point?

It’s no surprise your response to uncertainties and outcomes is an indicator of success (or failure). It takes at least a month to start or break a habit, and kudos to those who have the resolve of a US Navy Seal. If you’ve yet to develop the traits of a hardened businessman, adopt the following traits as your priorities:

1. Focus on solutions, not problems

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by roadblocks along your path to success. You probably know by now being entrepreneur isn’t a cakewalk, far from it. The same tenacity that got you this far should tide you in for long haul, right? It’s healthy to anticipate problems on the horizon, but you can only deal with these when within reach. Cross the bridge when you get there.

What to do when the problem is up ahead, then? Consider these as challenges paired with rewards. Remember, the biggest companies started small; it’s often an uphill climb when you start from the very bottom. Regardless of the terrain and the steepness of your ascent, treat every obstacle as opportunity for growth. Your most rewarding solutions are gleaned from the most hard-fought battles; find that silver lining.

2. Keep investing in feasible ventures

You’ll be tempted to stay in your comfort zone when you’ve achieved moderate success. After all, when you have more than enough, it’s as good as any reason to lie back and reap the rewards of efforts. If this is where you are now, that dreaded success plateau, then you should set your sights higher, look to Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and Richard Branson. Their approach on progress should knock you back to your senses.

The most successful barely even live within their means. Most spend for only the best in basic necessities, investing the bulk of money in a new venture. This seems so counter-intuitive for non-entrepreneurs, splurging on rewards as soon as there’s surplus to spend. A successful businessman shouldn’t have an end game; there’s always a new venture to invest or expand. Instead of spending your money on stuff and experience, put the bulk of it to work.

3. Never stop learning

The day you think there’s nothing left to learn is the day you never will. Often, it’s a serious drawback that knocks the senses, makes you realize you really haven’t figured it all out. If there’s one thing you should splurge on, it has to be on your personal development. If you’re taking a vacation, learn something from the getaway you can apply in business.

Having an open mind goes a long way; there’s always something to learn from every situation, every person you meet. Learning is also sacrifice, choosing to spend leisure time on personal improvement. Progress is appreciated on a day-to-day basis, but is undeniable years in retrospect. Like they say, you can fill a bucket with water in one go, or drop by drop. Fill yours at your own best pace.

Running a business is like running a marathon; those who have what it takes to endure, eventually succeed. Mind the setbacks enough to resolve these; remember, nothing is permanent in business. The law of averages confirm that you try often enough and you’re bound to succeed. The odds are eventually in your favor.

Elsewhere on this blog:

5 Habits of Effective Leaders

Dear Small Business Owner: You Also Need Staff Leasing Service

Is Customer Satisfaction The Goal, No Questions Asked? Rethinking The “Customer Is Always Right” Policy

Caffeine Is the Lifeblood of Your Business: 3 Reasons You Should Keep the Coffee Flowing

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What’s one thing workday mornings can’t do without? Based on the law of averages, ask enough people and you’ll likely reach a consensus: it’s the lifeblood of business, and it fuels the daily grind. It’s as close as you’ll get to ingesting magic beans, and it opens your mind to endless possibilities. Still stumped? You can have it drip, pressed, brewed, instant, and (gasp) decaf.

All credit goes to the guy who discovered coffee, an Ethiopian goatherd who one day noticed his goats were giddier than usual. He literally followed the scent leading to a local monastery, where he saw monks trampling on red beans to extract a weird concoction. This weird liquid is currently second to water as the most consumed drink in the world.

You may not consider coffee the staple of productive mornings, but there’s surely people at your office who will disagree. One experiment even aimed to measure how coffee affects productivity, comparing the difference between a week of flowing coffee and a week without it. The result? A 19% margin increase in perceived and actual productivity. This difference is more than enough to ensure your team delivers under pressure and against tight deadlines.

Have you ever considered coffee as essential part of your business? It’s served with donuts, at board meetings, on-the-go, and at every opportunity that needs a caffeine boost. If you plan to target the office’s coffee supply in effort to cut costs, these three crucial reasons should convince you otherwise:

1. Coffee makes people happier, consequently more productive

A study by the National Institute of Health proves drinking four or more cups of coffee makes people 10% happier, or at least 10% less depressed and cranky. This improvement is attributed to that caffeine jolt, but it gets better. The long-term effects is caused by all the antioxidants contained in every cup. The benefits are immediate and lasting, and in moderation, safely addictive.

2. Coffee boosts intelligence

If you’ve ever powered through overtime work downing pots of coffee, then you have first-hand experience how caffeine improves intelligence, at least for a short time. The caffeine jolts you wide awake, improving your focus. Your brain works smarter and faster this way. When sleep is scarce and you need a boost, drinking coffee improves attentiveness, reaction time, and logical reasoning, attributes closely related to intelligence.

3. Coffee is great for the liver, reduces risk of Type 2 Diabetes

A study showed people aged 22 and above tested lower risk of developing liver cirrhosis, an autoimmune disease closely related to excessive alcohol consumption. It appears coffee has protective effects against alcoholic cirrhosis, and increased coffee consumption proportionally reduces the risk. A separate study also showed drinking coffee reduces the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes by as much as 50%.

These should give you enough reason to keep the coffee flowing from the break room. Sure, you also have to account for those who prefer tea or chocolate, but nothing spites the flow of a productive day more than an empty coffee mug you can’t refill. So, break out fresh grinds and keep the pot filled, if you want to make the most out of the daily grind.

Elsewhere on this blog:

3 Outsourcing Essentials for Better Business

Navigating Timezones: Three Strategies for Expanding Businesses

Business Metrics: What Surveys Can Do For Your Business