When you hear the term “outsourcing“, your mind may immediately take a leap to thinking about sending valuable work overseas. In recent years, sending contracted work to other countries seems to have been the trending thing for big companies to do. However, outsourcing no longer has to mean long flights, time zone changes, and language barriers. There is a way to outsource without ever going too far “out”. There are many advantages attached to outsourcing to rural communities. Here is a closer look at how rural outsourcing right here on American soil is a great idea.
Save Money
Outsourcing to rural communities saves money. The location itself has the potential to cut cost in half over urban or foreign locales. The cost of wages can also be significantly lower than those of foreign contractors.
Save Time
Time is money. So why not save both by ditching the long flight it will take to ensure the job is being done right. Not to mention a lengthy start up process in which you’ll need to navigate various foreign nuances and language barriers. Pick a location that you are familiar with and make life easier. Spend those extra hours on an international flight on actually getting the job done. Nixing the time difference can also save the time and headache it takes to organize and sync production concepts.
Helps the Local Rural Economy
Many rural communities suffer from high unemployment based on changes in local businesses. People are often stuck when the jobs leave a community and they can’t sell their homes. Bringing more jobs to the US benefits everyone in this country as a whole. Outsourcing right here can help combat the unemployment rate and make the community a more desirable place to be.
Advantages over Offshoring
Rural outsourcing eliminates many of the variables that exist when you outsource to another country. While you might not be on exact same schedule, chances are you are pretty close in terms of time zones. Being off by an hour in one direction or the other can be an advantage because your outsourced workers may be able to have stuff prepared for you at the beginning of your day, or similarly finish up stuff at the end of the day.
Power distribution and telecommunications is generally more predictable in the United States than in other part of the world. You won’t hear your remote workers tell you “They just got their internet back” the way you might in some parts of the world.
There’s also that English thing. Almost all remote workers will tell you they speak your language. It doesn’t always mean they understand you. Using U.S. workers generally cuts down on language issues.
And if you want a face to face meeting, it’s a lot more possible when you are in the same country.
