Devoted to women of color in business

"Homeshoring" is a trend that you'll be hearing a lot about soon. This refers to the current cost-cutting trend of moving jobs to other countries and the backlash that is now creeping up: if there are ways for you to keep jobs in your community and provide a more effective level of services, you actually save customers even more money. They make better use of their budget and you provide better, timely information of your field.

To give you some insight into homeshoring, I have two examples I'd like to share with you.

Example 1: My web design company just recently won a contract from a nonprofit organization based on the level of service, information, and resources we provided. This client asked three potential vendors, and all of our monetary estimates were around the same range. However, our client is choosing us because she was impressed with our ability to communicate our answers, provide relevant forms, offer an easy-to-use checklist, and to come up with potential solutions.

When she asked two other companies for similar quotes, one couldn't find a referral for the web design aspect of the project (they're a straight web development firm but don't do design), and another didn't have a friendly demeanor or a response to basic questions.

The level of information we're providing to this client makes the difference: it's a level of information she's not going to receive from a more anonymous company.

Example 2: We are developing a website for a wonderfully enthusiastic high school student who received a grant to develop an international nonprofit. Her organization places girl volunteers from North America in work positions in other countries. This young professional's vision is to "go global" and give young women from many countries an opportunity to learn about our shared world.

One of the options she considered was contracting with a website developer in India. The cost would have been a great deal less then what it would cost to develop the website in the United States. However, she is confident of receiving a high level of service, connections, ideas, and referrals from working within her community, so she is choosing to "shop local."

The level of service we're providing to this client makes the difference: it's a level of service she's not going to receive from a non-local company.

As part of a global society, we definitely see a number of jobs go overseas to the most cost-effective place they may be filled. For example, if you call your credit card company, most probably the call center is in India or the Philippines. Some airlines are off-shoring their labor costs. The cost of manufacturing goods is much less expensive in China.

However, I think we're starting to see "recall backlash." If goods from elsewhere are more shoddy, or services are more uneven, I think we'll see a rise in "concierge"-style services and a rise in the numbers of consumers who choose to go with someone they know locally. Some industries and professions (say, hair stylists, attorneys, and spa treatments) are truly local and will stay local. People in these careers benefit by providing wrap-around care to their clients. For example, a local printer may want to advise clients to visit affiliated web designers, graphic designers, and computer support technicians. A local baby products store may want to offer referrals to nannies, daycare and preschools, diaper services, and produce or meal drop-off services.

For industries and professions that are not "local" or geographically-specific, now is a good time to understand how you may "personalize" your services and offer a high degree of "touch" and interaction to your clients.

• What makes a customer choose to go with you rather than with a non-US based company?
  
  
• What do you offer that is valuable to your customers now?
  
  
• What will you make available so your process is easier to understand?
  
  
• Which tools do you provide to make your client's life easier, more productive, or more financially rewarding?
  
  
• How will you help others through your company?

Here are ten ways you may adopt a "resource provider" attitude to working with your existing customers.

1) Make Connections. If you're lacking people to help get a job done, find those people and connect with them. Your partners in your endeavors wil form a strong team. As a group, you'll provide more variety, creativity, and problem-solving know-how to your customers' potential obstacles.

2) Share Referrals. Offer print and website lists of professionals you recommend and work with: these may be product or service providers who naturally "fit" as partners to your current position. As women in business, we are very "networked" to others: share these relationships with people who benefit from the connections.

3) Offer Information. Provide white papers or research that you've undertaken that will benefit your customers. Everyone wants to keep up-to-date with ways to save money and be more effective: consider offering a quarterly e-newsletter or some PDF downloads from your site: information is power and when you share information, you empower others.

4) Streamline. If your process is "clunky" or has a number of bottlenecks, find ways to streamline your process and make it more straightforward. Do you require five pieces of paperwork? Consider consolidating into one form, if possible. Move to an online system for your paper flow. Make a flowchart to help staff identify where customers currently are and where they want to go.

5) Check it off. A checklist is helpful to people who think in sets. Create a checklist of your process and post it in a prominent place. A checklist helps your customers understand your process and where they fit into your workflow. Include "sub-routine" procedures that your customer might go through: a checklist helps fill in gaps in understanding and gives readers a general idea of how your company works.

6) Think bigger. Do your clients have other needs that you don't currently fill? Consider investing in some research and development to precisely match a need that you know needs filling. This may be a new kind of widget or gadget, or a better type of system, or a new piece of software. If your customers know what they need, find a way to help them achieve that. Think from the big picture (what's needed?) and then fill in the details (how do we do it?).

7) Take advantage of technology. Provide a way for customers to access the information they need online. Is there a log-in section you need to offer on your website? Is there an uploads section you'd like to give to your important clients? Is there boilerplate text that you may post? Is there a Frequently-Asked Questions section that will benefit your customers? If so, add these items to your web and print materials. If your customers may find the information they need online, you free up your human staff to innovate and problem-solve.

8) Incentivize! What options, gifts, or opportunities will you give your customers? I'm sure there are ways for you to make your current products and services even more valuable: find them and offer them to your clients. When you shop, you like "buy one, get one free." What do you offer to customers so they feel like what they're buying is a great deal?

9) Innovate! What type of stumbling blocks are you identifying in your current business process? Is there technology to help overcome this? Do you need different people to address current issues? Find a way to use your company's skills and internal knowledge to provide even more efficient and effective customer service.

10) Diversify. Your customers benefit from the unique perspectives your team offers: when you mix it up a little and add diverse people's viewpoints to your group, you find even more ways to provide an extra level of service. Better service makes a big difference to your happy customer.

When you find ways to provide value to your customers, they'll choose you, time and time again, over any other company out there.