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Friday, December 17, 2010

Choosing the Right BPO Offshore Outsourcing Firm

Selecting the right BPO offshore outsourcing firm is most likely the most significant task of a business owner who hopes to keep his edge in today’s competitive market. In fact a lot of people see this task as even more important as fixing up a business process outsourcing destination. Why not, there are an overwhelming number of organizations offering business process outsourcing services. But this should not discourage anyone else because there are a few tips that can possibly help you get started with a right service provider.

Business process outsourcing providers across the globe bring about dedicated services in order to help buyers make a right choice and decision. But then again, it cannot be denied that cheat companies still exists in full flow. In this case, business owners need to be aware of certain precautions so they won’t fall
prey to malicious service providers.

So, what are the tips when choosing the right BPO offshore outsourcing firm?

Experts suggest that business owners consider several factors before eventually deciding which BPO vendor to take. Ideally, entrepreneurs should first analyze and scrutinize the strength and the expertise offered by any targeted service provider. These business owners have to weigh services offered by the provider as well as the provider’s roster of clients.

An excellent way of finding an ideal firm is conducting follow up with the existing clients of the firm and their related services. Your selected business process outsourcing vendor must offer appropriate quality certifications and should feature highly-skilled workforce or must be in the position to provide training facilities.

Aside from quality certification and standards, your targeted BPO service provider should also boast strong financial background. In addition, the company should also show willingness to share the risk in your outsourcing contract. It will be beneficial if you try to know about the type of services the vendors can possibly offer you. For this reason, walk the extra mile and do a comprehensive research and try to learn what are the services put on offer. It also helps to check out the relationship of the vendor with the other outsourcing suppliers.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Local shops to release iPad on Dec 17

Local retailers disclosed that Apple iPad and its original Apple accessories will be officially released in the Philippines starting December 17, 2010. Apple fanatics from across the country can start shopping for such products in all Power Mac Center Apple Premium Reseller Stores nationwide.




APR stores of Power Mac Center (PMC) are found in Greenbelt 3, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, The Annex at SM City North EDSA, and TriNoma.





In connection to this, Power Mac Center will also provide free workshops on how users can maximize the Apple gadget on December 17, 18, and 19, 2010 at the Power Mac Center Classroom of Greenbelt 3 at 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm and 6:00pm, and TriNoma at 6:00 pm.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Do you have the right diet?

The word “diet” is probably one of the most popularly used terms these days not only among health buffs. But what really is diet? The National Institute Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) defines diet as the food or drink a person consumes each day. This comes in varied types such as Atkins Diet, the Zone Diet, the South Beach Diet, and many more.

Professionally speaking, diet is designed to limit the portions of food or drink intake to promote specific purposes such as weight loss. Apparently, this is usually hard to follow especially when people do not secure the services of a professional health practitioner. Ideal diet takes into account the foods that you like and dislike as well as a combination of foods with enough calories and nutrients for good health.

When planning a diet, see to it that you choose a diet that is appropriate to your calorie needs. Make sure that you opt for diets that are practical and easy to follow and maintained for the rest of your life so that you will achieve your personal goals. Make sure that your diet contains all the essential nutrients you need to keep you healthy. Read books on diet and proper nutrition to guide you or better yet, visit and dietitian who can provide you professional advice. Also, don’t forget to read Nutrition Facts Labels on each product you buy.

Healthy Weight Forum says that a healthful diet basically includes the following:

Sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals. Eating different varieties of foods from all the food groups on the Food Guide Pyramid will help you get the vitamins and minerals your body requires. If you eat less than 1,200 calories per day, make it a point to take a daily vitamin and mineral supplement.

Acceptable amount of protein. The average woman 25 years of age and older requires at least 50 grams of protein each day, while the average man 25 years of age and older needs 63 grams of protein each day. Sufficient protein prevents muscle tissue from breaking down and repairs all body tissues such as skin and teeth. In this case, make sure you eat a minimum of 2-3 servings from the protein-rich foods such as meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts.

Suitable amount of carbohydrates. Each person needs at least 100 grams of carbohydrates per day to prevent fatigue and dangerous fluid imbalances. Supply your body with enough carbohydrates by eating 6-11 servings from the Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta Group on the Food Guide Pyramid every day.

Have a regular doze of fiber intake. Sufficient fiber helps with proper bowel function. If you were to eat 1 cup of bran cereal, 1/2 cup of carrots, 1/2 cup of kidney beans, a medium-sized pear, and a medium-sized apple together in 1 day, you would get about 30 grams of fiber.

Gulp down a minimal amount of fat each day and see to it that you limit the amount of cholesterol in your diet to reduce your risk for heart disease and may help you lose weight. Cholesterol is a fat-like substance derived from animal products such as meat and eggs. Ideally, you diet should include no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day.

Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses, 8 ounces each, of water or water-based beverages, per day. Increase your water intake if you exercise a lot.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Bolster your Defenses against Colds and Flu

Colds and flu are trending these days, affecting people regardless of age, gender and status in life, leaving those affected searching for fast solutions that could help them counter such much-dreaded illnesses. Do you know how to bolster your defenses against germs and viruses lurking within practically all areas in the home, office, schools, and malls that cause colds and flu?

A research conducted by Emily Sohn and Rachel Johnson suggests the following:

Take Vitamin D supplements on a daily basis. According to studies, children who regularly take Vitamin D supplements reduce their risk of being attacked by common flu virus. Laboratory studies reasons say that
the supplement helps immune cells identify and destroy bacteria and viruses that make people sick.

Soak up on green tea. Green tea contains polyphenols, a potent plant antioxidant known to boost the immune system. A specific type of polyphenol known as catechins kill influenza virus. Steep green tea for
no more than a minute or two and add a squeeze of lemon and honey to it to reduce its bitter taste. Never add milk to your green tea because proteins can only bind the polyphenols and make them ineffective.

Indulge in probiotics. Also referred to as ‘good’ bacteria, these probiotics found in yogurt, sauerkraut and other foods makes their way down to the lower intestines and suppresses the growth of ‘bad’ bacteria in
the body. Probiotics activate the immune systems. The next time you go shopping, look for products that are labeled “Live and Active Cultures” Seal from the National Yogurt Association. This label attests that
the product contains a set of minimum amount of two particular types of beneficial bacteria.

Gulp down soluble fiber. Soluble fibers which are abundant in citrus fruits, apples, carrots, beans, and oats helps fight inflammation. Make it a point to have at least 25 to 38 grams of total fiber each day.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

The Trouble with Business Process Outsourcing

Delegating your tasks to a BPO offshore outsourcing provider does not always mean smooth and more efficient business. Let’s face it, not all outsourced providers who claim to be professionals are really experts in the field. There are those who have such impressive websites but could not possibly provider you a list of their satisfied clients. There are also those who are only after the amount of money you can invest on their services.

In this case, take extra precautions when choosing business process outsourcing company; otherwise you fall prey to outsource providers who lack effective management of employees or those who do not have a well structured organization. Problems also tend to occur when communications and expectations from the provider is unclear, leaving the outsourced personnel feeling unsupported and unmotivated; hence they become unproductive.

At any rate, it is practically the responsibility of the BPO offshore outsourcing provider to set up an effective means of managing the projects they handle. These outsource service providers have to see to it that they are able to foster effective communication, both in language and technology, and accountability. These providers also need to make sure that they can possibly manage their own workforce and that they have the ability to set parameters and clear strategies for communication and
oversight.

Business owners whose employees work within the same building can closely monitor their employees. These entrepreneurs can attest whether employees are working at their own workstations or at the lounge drinking coffee and probably trying to catch up with one another. Those who outsource though,
tend to have limited boundaries over their workforce. A business owner who hires an outsourced employee does not really know whether paid workers spent their work time researching on assigned project or whether they actually researched on their next vacation. Entrepreneurs who outsource also have no idea whether the employees spent their time chatting with customers or navigating their own Facebook profiles.

Certainly, a business owner has to effectively and efficiently manage his employees. Entrepreneurs also need to take advantage of a pool of resources available from today’s outsource-friendly market. Those
who wish to outsource need to find and utilize web-based solutions that would help them keep track of employees’ activities and progress. Outsourcing companies can use web based solutions to establish
accountability and trust between the outsourcing parties and outsource service provider. Such solution help companies and business owners know if the employee showed up for work on a particular day and also helps business owners monitor the employees’ activities.

Aside from web-based solutions, business owners can also turn to client-server based software solutions that provide reporting tools that help evaluate employee progress, productivity, and time management more effectively. Client-server based software includes a website that provides employers a secure area featuring useful information such as screen shots of the employees’ working stations. Such programs automatically send real-time screen shots of each computer, allowing each worker to be more
accountable for their productivity and allowing employers to effectively oversee projects.

To recap, managing outsource employee can be a bit challenging, but companies can actually utilize specially designed software programs such as web-based solutions and client-server based software to help them overcome potential and common problems in outsourcing.