Ten Offshore Outsourcing Buzz Terms

It is essential that you know the most commonly used buzz words or terms in the offshore outsourcing industry. The following is a list of ten buzz terms used in call center outsourcing:

1. Domestic or Onshore Outsourcing

Domestic or onshore outsourcing is when an organization's business process outsourcing requirements are being met by another company located in the same nation. When compared to other call center outsourcing solutions, domestic or onshore outsourcing is more costly; especially when it comes to taxes, labor costs and other business related areas.

2. Near Shore Outsourcing

This term is used when an organization is outsourcing some of its work activities to a neighbouring nation.

3. Globalization

"Globalization" is a term that gained recognition with the advent of the internet. It refers to certain types of products, service, and business that have no standardized boundaries of countries, time, or language.

4. Crowd Sourcing

This process involves inviting interested workers through an online "open call" i.e. Bidding platforms.

5. Offshore Outsourcing

As an authority on offshore outsourcing subject, I can tell you for a fact that more and more businesses (both small and large) are taking advantage of the offshore outsourcing. Offshore outsourcing is a process where work/tasks is outsourced to a destination or destinations where the manpower and labor expenses is a more affordable than near shore or onshore destinations.

6. TCO

TCO can be described as Total Cost of Ownership/Total Cost of Outsourcing from the labor costs to service fees, and from the implementation and managing of fees that call center service providers have to bear for a client's project.

7. SLA

Service Level Agreement (SLA) is an agreement that includes the terms & conditions, charges and services which call center service providers and their clients are to agree upon.

8. Virtual Call Center

Virtual call centers are call centers where all agents are situated in various locations around the world but perform their tasks as a team for an organization.

9. BPO

Business Process Outsourcing (commonly called BPO) is simply a fancy word for call center. Though, BPO can also used in a pretty wide perspective as it is divided into two groups:

• Front office outsourcing • Back office outsourcing

10. E-Outsourcing

E-outsourcing is when an organization purchases much needed information technology (IT) services and or products via the internet as an alternative to deploying its in-house source to satisfy this IT requirement.

When you contact an offshore outsourcing service provider such as 123 Employee, the aforementioned industry jargon will not seem like Greek to you.

Email Marketing Etiquette

If you're thinking of setting up an email campaign to grow a customer base, you should consider a few things first. Growing a customer list that is based on value is very important. The customers you have must value what you can offer them as must as you value them as customers. To start this process you must gain their trust and show them that you respect their privacy. Using an untargeted approach to create a customer list is definitely not the most efficient course to take.

Collecting email addresses by giving your potential customers a chance to opt-in is a good idea. Give them something of value to opt-in for by entering their email and name in a opt-in form located on one of your websites. This would be the more prudent course to take. This way the customer makes the choice. When they receive their first email, always give them the option to unsubscribe from your mailing list. For every email you send them afterwards, always give them the option to unsubscribe.

Another thing you might want to consider is keeping your emails short and to the point. People are very busy these days. If whatever point you are trying to make it to long-winded, you will lose your audience real quick. Use short concise sentences and if possible use point form. Only give your reader what is necessary and stay on subject.

Growing your email list will take time. Remember nothing good comes easy. If you take the time to grow you list properly, it will be one filled with customers who value you advice and the information you provide.

Best Regards

Turn Your Adapted PE Class Into an All-Star Show

There are plenty of ways to adapt sports for a special education class in physical education. However, simply changing the game and keeping it as real as possible can be boring in some cases. I would like to offer some tips to allow students shine by showing off skills that may not be encouraged in a day-to-day physical education.

Basketball is a very popular sport that most students know. The easiest adaption for a lesson in basketball would be to simply place hoola-hoops in the bleachers. However, working on shooting skills on a lower hoop can get old rather quickly. Why not spice things up and host a slam dunk competition? With the hoop lowered, all students will have the ability to dunk safely without needing to jump. Encourage the students to replicate their favorite basketball players and be as fancy as they like. It is very simple to have peers and teachers be the judges, rating each dunk just like in the NBA. Along with rating student's dunks, it is important to create an exciting atmosphere. Cheering and applause after each performance is crucial, let the students know what they did was amazing. Add some fun commentary, "Holy cow! Did you see that slam?! We have a regular Michael Jordan in class!" Students will feed off of this energy and really get into the game.

With a sport like basketball, there is much more that can be done to allow students show off their talents. The game of "Horse" is always a fun game that promotes creativity. Students can show off their ability to do trick shots that people may have never know could be done. Try hook shots or shooting backwards from various distances, some students may even have their own shot to show off.

Dribbling in basketball and soccer allows for a lot of fancy foot or hand work. We have all seen professionals achieve incredible things when handling a soccer ball or basketball. Granted these students are not professional athletes, we need to encourage them to try these fancy skills. Challenge students to juggle the soccer ball as many times as possible. To make this simple, use a beach ball or a balloon so students will be able to juggle for longer. After students have challenged themselves, you can turn it into a team effort. In groups, they can work together to keep the ball up for as long as possible using only their feet. Teach the students how to use their head in a game of soccer (still using a balloon or beach ball) and add that to the juggling contest. The games will be much more fun adding a little flavor with these skill challenges.

These skills may not be conventional or recommended for a class, but adapted physical education is about allowing the students to have fun with their physical activity. Showing off skills is often frowned upon in these sports, but we have to remember this is physical education. We need to promote the showmanship so students can feel like a real superstar in class, something many children dream of all their lives.

17 Deadly Mistakes That Keep You Losing At Billiards

Chances are, this is where you live in Billiards. You are just beginning and have found you enjoy the game. There is more to it than that. This is a game you can come to love, but if you don't get out of these 17 deadly mistakes...well I wouldn't recommend you buy your own cue.

These 17 deadly mistakes show up in four major areas: Vision, Preparation, Execution and Bad Habits. That's right, pull the sheet away and let's take a look at them, better still, one by one, eliminate them from your game.

VISION MISTAKES

Deadly Mistake #1

Thinking like a player and not like a contender.

This is not just a game like Canasta or Monopoly.

The day of the social pool player is fading. It is being supplanted by the idea of becoming a steadily learning and improving contender. This is a concept many miss completely when starting out.

You can't be absorbed with the idea if you win, you will hurt your friend who you happen to be beating. Settle on one objective, I CAME TO WIN!! This will help you focus on a single goal.

Deadly Mistake #2

You have not made a commitment to mastering the Basics of Billiards.

Let's go back to Canasta a moment: We all know how to shuffle, (well most of us do) cards; we can deal the whole deck; and we can count a hand well enough to decide how we'll play the game. We don't have to re-learn these basic every time we sit down to play.

Billiards is and should be the same when it comes to building your foundational skills.

The rock solid basics are stance, grip, bridge, stroke and aiming--we'll get into the right way in another article, right now we are trying to slip free of deadly mistakes.

Deadly Mistake #3

You are not dedicated to lifelong learning--Billiards is not a game of instant success. You will find steady improvement only comes over a period of years and much practice.

PREPARATION MISTAKES

Deadly Mistake #4

You don't have a game winning strategy and don't know where to find one. Strategy is your overall approach to the game whether you play in weekly matches, leagues or tournaments. A good strategy consists of several tactics such as Safety Play, Break and Run, and pattern play.

Deadly Mistake #5

You have not taken the time to find your unique game--Look at things not instrumental to your game, positioning of your grip hand, to cup or not cup the grip wrist, maybe a new twist to the bridge. Be an early adopter of new technology like specialized eyewear. How about the new cue extensions? Practice to perfect right or left hand cue use. In fact, all attempts at becoming unique will involve a lot of practice to make it a habit.

Deadly Mistake #6

You have no confidence in your skill set--You lack consistency and find it difficult to maintain a game plan for more than two or three shots.

Deadly Mistake #7

You focus on any pocket-hugging ball on the table as the target of choice without regard to its higher purpose.

Deadly Mistake #8

You don't prepare yourself by knowing your opponent's game. Study your opponent from the chair or from the sidelines, even when you are not playing him or her.

Deadly mistake #9

You don't persist in developing a pre-shot routine that employs all the basics. This is a must for your game. It is the starting point for every shot. If you don't have one, eventually you will falter.

Deadly mistake #10

You fear rejection--The closer you get to a win, the greater your anxiety, you don't want to cause disappointment in others. If you think this isn't true, how come you have a hard time playing someone who isn't even close to your skill level?

Deadly mistake #11

You do not make runs because you have no rhythm because you have no routine because you are too easily distracted. Watch a billiards pro. You can almost set a metronome to his or her game.

EXECUTION MISTAKES

Deadly mistake #12

You shoot poorly because you are trying to remember a dozen different stroke shot techniques instead of one: sinking the ball in front of you.

Deadly mistake #13

You leave the table before the balls stop rolling and have no idea why you missed.

Deadly Mistake #14

You set up your bridge over a ball with wobbly fingers and then go through an aiming routine that has your cue swinging like a searchlight.

Deadly Mistake #15

You pass on a simple rail shot in favor of a table length cut shot.

BAD HABIT MISTAKES

Deadly Mistake #16

You resort to the mechanical bridge when a little stretching across the table would give you a more solid base for the shot.

Deadly Mistake #17

You exhibit a negative pessimistic attitude as opposed to a positive, optimistic outlook for your game.

Safeguarding Information Security and Technology

Undoubtedly, Information technology has become increasingly important. It has become a part of the day-to-day operations of businesses, companies, government and non-government organizations. Daily living of an average individual involves computer and technology: communication, e-commerce, online banking transactions and other financial and work-related activities. Companies, entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises have become more reliant on information systems to support and deliver diverse and complicated business processes which include accounting, inventory, marketing, payroll, research, sales tracking and even remote business operations that involve real-time surveillance.

There have been fair, satisfactory and even excellent results brought by information technology. The general public has been clinging to what one might consider as the perfect solution to an ever-increasing demand of complex processes of problem solving that delivers fast and reliant results. Indeed. But the jubilation is not absolute. As information technology has become prominent in its importance, so does the threat that comes with it. Despite the advancement of information technology, security and privacy have become an increasing pain in the ass. While superior information technology system has been built by the experts, maintaining its security has become harder for administrators and end-users. Today's users have become increasingly wider- ranging from vast majority of employees in many companies and organizations and a huge fraction of households all of which are exposed to security and privacy threats.

Majority of the security features are a hassle and awkward to use and can present a great obstacle to use in getting work done in such a desired pace. As a result, internet security measures have been bypassed, disabled or ignored too often. Subsequently, when security gets in the way of functionality, end-users tend to disable the very security features that protect them from cyber threats. The result is that they often engage in actions, consciously or unconsciously, that expose them to these cyber threats while compromising system security and exposing sensitive and confidential or personal information.

Privacy tools and software have become increasingly difficult to use. Over the course of time, as cyber threats have become increasingly vast and complex in operation, the very core of the tools that are designed to protect end-users have become user-unfriendly, difficult to understand by an average user and a bit expensive to avail. These factors have contributed greatly in the end-users decision of ignoring protection tools that puts them at risk to cyber threats.

Computer technology must be geared towards protecting its users. Privacy and security software developers must come up with a protection model and features that do not interfere with system usability. They must come up with tools that are efficient and cost-effective. Web designers and developers for banking and e-commerce must triple their standard in making these websites secure and infallible of threats.

It is of utmost importance that creators of information technology and end-users work hand in hand to protect the system that we depend on for our day-to-day cyber activities.

Faith and Fertility - Staying Whole During Fertility Challenges

Recently, I was released from the hospital after undergoing my fourth surgery to not only improve my health condition, but to hopefully restore fertility. It proved unsuccessful and my husband and I were truly devastated. Although this time my husband seemed more affected than me. He seemed so defeated and so did my long time surgeon. When my surgeon walked out of the operating room with a look of pure disappointment my husband panicked and wanted to make sure I was okay. The doctor confirmed that I was in fact okay, but his diagnosis was incorrect, and so the surgery could have possibly been postponed. This still meant no baby at this time for us. We were crushed.

The next day I was infused with pain medicine and more concern for my husband than myself. Strangely, I still felt faith and something forging me to move ahead with my next steps. As if I had madly conceived a better contingency plan just in case the surgery and procedure was inaccurate and produced no results. I was disappointed but something inside of me was unreal... I still believed in my heart that this was not the end! I would still conceive and carry my baby to full term. I cannot speak of what came over me or why I felt this way. It was a strange intuitive knowing that has yet to prove true, but even now as I write, I know it to be true, otherwise I would not be writing these very words. My husband on the other hand was worn out with all of the fertility procedures and surgeries. Every time I went under the knife he feared for my safety and hoped at the same time it would make a difference in us conceiving all in the same breath. How could I console him when I did feel disappointment, but I was not the least discouraged. Was this a form of "denial?"

One day I was home and trying to recover from my surgery when there was a 20/20 Special on television called "Extreme Parents." It was reported that a 60 year-old woman had given birth to twin boys through in-vitro fertilization, and she had another child prior to this through the same process at 53. Well-past the child-bearing years she was appearing on national TV telling the world her story. Amazing I thought! I was not in denial.

This seemed an obvious sign to me. While I was feeling somewhat down that day this brave woman appeared as a message for myself and countless of other women to remain faithful to the course. Science does not dictate what faith knows. In other words no matter what our condition may be, no matter the odds, or difficulty, if it is "Divine Will" for us to bring a child into this world with our own body then so shall it be, and by any means it may happen. This child will come with either assisted methods, natural, or a combination of both. There is no stronger faith than a mother who wants to conceive and birth a child. The key is to surround yourself with a fertility plan that includes spirituality. This is the missing link I think for many women who face fertility challenges.

As for me, I have chosen both natural and holistic methods, and I continue to work alongside my fertility specialist/gynecologist and a holistic doctor who specializes in acupuncture. I also do deep spiritual meditations, listen to a womb journey meditation I created for myself to visualize my healing and conception, I chant to call to the soul of my child -to be, and as always my husband and I pray. Keeping the faith during fertility challenges, I feel can only be consistent when a holistic plan is in place which encompasses our minds, bodies, emotions, and spirits. Unfortunately, most of the western world focuses only on the mental and physical aspects of fertility but does very little if nothing at all to address the spiritual and emotional aspects of women and men facing fertility issues.

I now understand clearly that if I had not been going to my acupuncture sessions, doing my mind-body-spirit meditations, relaxing, praying, and enjoying my husband's love and company... in no way would I have been in the spirits and the emotional condition I was after my surgery. By keeping my practices I had insured my own sanity and emotional well-being, and this is a must if one is to continue the journey of fertility challenges.

Before hand, I had already decided to take matters of my health and fertility into my own hands. This is my body, and my spirit and I could not just fork over all of me, and my resolve to my doctor's care. Taking responsibility for our health and understanding we are more than just a physical body is the first step to staying faithful during fertility challenges. We have other parts that may be starving and we are not nurturing those essential parts.

I believe many women face fertility challenges because there is often a spiritual lesson or message behind it which then eventually blocks the actual physical conception until we pay attention. It is spiritual law that states that what affects the spiritual equally affects the physical. Therefore, if there are issues of a spiritual or emotional nature which we remain unaware of it may greatly impact our fertility. For example, say a woman was a victim of any kind of sexual or emotional abuse, this woman may be hurt on a deep soul level. This may surely affect her fertility as the woman's soul is asking her to pay attention and heal herself first so that she can be the best mother possible for the child. Like it or not, aware of this or not our souls are a major part of our design as a human being. All aspects of the body are connected, our mind, body, emotion, and soul, and what affects one affects the other. So if our soul is hurt and our emotions in chaos it will often be very difficult to conceive and carry a baby term. All of our parts must work together in order for the miracle and mystery of conception to take place. If we only focus on the body we are missing three other very important aspects that can help or hinder fertility if they are not addressed. Without a holistic approach we may lose sight of our own needs and neglect aspects of ourselves that need healing before we can bring a child into the world.

Fertility in itself is a mystical experience... we create a human body, but the spirit animates this body and the child becomes a "human being" key word on being. Where do these spirits which inhabit our babies come from? The same sphere or place as our faith, which calls our babies and safely brings them to existence in the first place. The reason a mother desires her baby so much in the first place is the divine connection she shares with the spirit of the child. A connection between mother and child begins well before actual conception! From the moment your child becomes a thought in your mind a special bond, and a connection is formed. This is all the faith we need. This becomes our mantra and our drive to keep on keeping on. I want to encourage women to become aware of their emotional and spiritual needs during fertility challenges. We owe it to ourselves to explore and heal all of our parts so we can be the best mothers possible to our future children.

Blessings & Miracles,

Tanya