I’m confused as to why it’s used inconsistently; my definition would be similar, and simply put – “Outsourcing is the contracting out of a business function”.  

At the end of the day, it shouldn’t be a term misunderstood nor difficult to define.  Often the complexity of terms and phrases is all our own doing.  Of course over the years, the relationship between a word and what it means can alter, becoming either more acceptable or non-acceptable as times goes on.  Take for example the ‘virtual office’.  This term has been around for over 28 years, (having been first used in 1983 in an airline in-flight magazine article about portable computing!) and yet it still causes confusion.  It’s a grey phrase, yet more recently the term ‘virtual office’ is becoming more recognisable and user-friendly as businesses become more familiar with the benefits and features of using one.  It goes hand in hand with outsourcing in my view.  So why make it more confusing than it has to be? 

Personally, I think it should be kept in simple terms.  And more so – we should realise the reasons why?  First and foremost, it’s the cost savings.  We all know how crucial it is to keep our business operating costs down.  Not to mention the added fact of the climate we’re in and the fierce competition we have to stay that one step ahead.  In reality, the business owner or company needs to have full time focus on the business rather than trying to do everything with one hand tied behind one’s back. 

It’s no surprise that when you outsource, the quality levels and accountability can be increased dramatically, not to mention having access to a larger talent pool with sources of skills and knowledge.  The beauty is that all the elements can be done remotely and delivered digitally and as a proven example, we have clients using our ‘virtual office’ services for over 8 years now and we’ve never actually met them in person.

 Sounds bizarre?

Might sound like it is – but it’s not really.  We’ve seen businesses thrive by outsourcing the basics;  office admin, telephone answering, secretarial and book-keeping right through to the specialised services including website creation, analysis, PR, marketing  & accounting services.  And why? Because they’ve chosen the correct service provider.

Having someone look after some elements of your business while you concentrate on revenue generating tasks can be daunting, a little like ‘letting someone mind your baby’.  Trust is of paramount importance.  But having a service provider, who is accountable, trustworthy and considers your business ‘a vital part of their own’ is the right way to go.  And even more so someone who understands your business.

Plausibly though, it’s not for everyone.  Maybe it’s a step too far.  And logically even though the majority of business owners already outsource, some just don’t use the ‘outsource’ term.  When in fact, all SME’s outsource whether we realise it or not.  From our accountants, website designers to our solicitors – if it’s not done in-house, it’s outsourced!  And for some, it’s the best thing they’ve ever done.

Click here to read what some ‘OutSourceRs’ say:

And if you have any questions or queries at all about Outsourcing , please don’t hesitate to give us a call. 1850 812642

Click here for more information

Thanks to the team in Kro IT Solutions who implemented our words and thoughts into such a fabulous design, for their patience and their understanding of who Oceanic are and what we are about.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR NEW WEBSITE

We’d love to hear your comments and feedback…

Denise has over 16 years of PA and Office Management Experience and we are delighted to welcome her.

At Oceanic we are well aware that the continued success of any business depends very largely on the employees and team-work, so with our two newest team-members, we are looking forward to developing our ongoing relations with clients and building our structured PA service in –line with the recent demand.

Deasya’s commitment to excellence in customer service, attention to detail and business etiquette bring yet more positive attributes to our team here in Oceanic.

We are looking forward to seeing Deasya grow in her role as Admin & PA Associate and we congratulate her on the successful completion of the Programme.

If you are interested in a position or up skilling as part of FAS’s WPP – please contact Audrey on 01-8364641 or email your CV to jobs@oceanic.ie.

Dragon Niall O’Farrell of RTE’s Dragon’s Den, announced the winners, The Maldron Hotel being awarded the coveted Local Small Business award and the amazing Betty Ashe of St. Andrew’s Resource Centre winning Person of the Year. Such worthy winners and a testament to the activity and support in the area – often unheard of, but all silently working away in the background.  And it just goes to show that being a small personal business we still gained warmed recognition in the same pool as the ‘big-guys!’ Thanks to those who took the time to nominate us!

Oceanic are active members of Docklands Business Forum over the past year and Lorraine, Oceanic’s founder was delighted to be elected to the Steering Committee for 2011 acting as Communications Director.  It’s fantastic to see the growth, success and drive of the Docklands Business forum which is a complete Voluntary group of like-minded business, community and environmental individuals working towards a common goal in Docklands. To see the community thrive and actively encourage networking and organise shared marketing initiatives in the Docklands while integrating with CSR and the Environmental Committee to help businesses integrate more with the local community and develop a greener Docklands.  To find out more about Docklands Business Forum click her >> (www.docklandsbusinessforum.ie)

Little did we know we were scheduled onto the morning show with Donal Somerville and Ivan Agar this morning.

Nothing like being put on the spot with little time to prepare – but in hindsight the interview flew by, and the crew in the studio were fantastic as always and made me feel at ease. Click here to listen in…>>

If you’ve any feedback or questions – we’d love to hear from you!

Oceanic in Portfolio Nov 09