Are You Thinking of Starting a Contact Centre or BPO Business? Here’s Your Roadmap to Success"

By Rod Jones, Veteran Call Centre, Contact Centre and BPO Strategic Advisor and Consultant

Starting a contact centre or BPO business is an exciting venture, regardless of your industry experience. The journey may seem complex and challenging, but success is within reach with the right guidance and strategic planning. This article explores the intricacies of establishing a contact centre, focusing on strategic planning, financial prudence, and operational cost control.

Strategic Planning: The Blueprint for Success

With over 45 years of experience building and operating captive (in-house) contact centres and BPO centres, I've seen firsthand the challenges and triumphs. Strategic planning is not just a buzzword; it is the foundation of a successful business. A meticulous strategic plan helps you navigate unique hurdles and opportunities in each project.

The Consultant’s Role in Strategic Planning

Consultants are pivotal in strategic planning. Leveraging extensive experience and industry insights, they help clients understand their vision, identify potential pitfalls, and develop a robust plan. Consultants align your project with industry best practices and market trends, ensuring optimal resource utilisation and reducing costly mistakes. Investing in experienced consultancy is crucial for your call centre project’s success.

Defining Business Objectives

Your business objectives are the guiding star for all your efforts, forming the bedrock of your strategic plan. Over the years, I’ve worked with clients with varying degrees of clarity about their objectives. Here are some fundamental questions to consider:

Primary Goals: Are you aiming to provide exceptional customer service, increase sales, or support technical queries? Are you planning an in-house or BPO business?

Target Customers: Are you serving businesses, individual consumers, or both? Are your prospective customers local, regional, or international?

Service Offerings: What services will you provide? This could include customer support, technical assistance, sales, debt collection, or a combination.

Aligning Objectives with Business Goals

Ensuring that your objectives align with your broader business goals is essential. If your business aims to enhance customer satisfaction, your contact centre should focus on providing swift, effective resolutions and maintaining high-quality customer interactions. If your goal is to drive sales, equip your centre with the tools and training necessary to convert inquiries into sales effectively.

Assessing Readiness

Before starting, consider these critical questions:

? How much do you, the entrepreneur, know about running a call centre, contact centre or BPO operation?

? What experience do you have in the industry?

? What financial and other resources do you have at your disposal?

? Who else is involved in the project?

? What experience, skills, and resources can others in your group bring to the project?

? Do you have existing customers or clients?

? Do you have existing local, regional, and international sales networks?

? What consulting services do you need?

Answering these honestly will help you understand your strengths and identify areas where you might need additional support. Consultants help crystallise these objectives, ensuring they are realistic, measurable, and aligned with your overall strategy.

Project Readiness Assessment

Our comprehensive Project Readiness Assessment Methodology gathers a lot of detailed information about you, your experience and your contact centre or BPO development project. Investing in this assessment provides invaluable insights and you get a tailored project plan, greatly enhancing your chances of success.

Conclusion

Establishing a thriving contact centre or BPO business starts with strategic planning and defining clear business objectives. Leveraging my decades of experience and the expertise of our team of seasoned consultants, you can confidently navigate this journey, avoid common pitfalls, and set your contact centre or BPO on the path to success. For more information, email me at [email protected]