Article Title: 4 reasons why you should outsource to Lebanon.
Published on: March 21, 2021
Given the transformations that the world has undergone over the past year, businesses have modified their operating models, with remote work becoming the norm, and cost optimization and digitalization continuing to be at the top of every corporate agenda. In addition to these shifts, outsourcing has become a strategic priority for many companies no matter their size or geographical coverage. From this starting point and with the sizable potential of the outsourcing market, Lebanon can be positioned as an outsourcing hub servicing the world, armed with a can-do results-oriented attitude, multilingual capabilities, and competitive rates.
Why should businesses explore outsourcing?
Typically, companies used to outsource tasks that were deemed administrative or non-integral, ranging from data entry to customer servicing. However, more recently, organizations are turning to competitive markets and outsourcing functions that are critical to their business operations. B.O.T recently launched an initiative to link startups and companies to professionals in the fields of data, digital, technology, creative industries, HR, and finance amongst others, to successfully outsource core projects, which will, in turn, contribute to enhance both the economic and social landscape of Lebanon.
By presenting the outsourcing capabilities of Lebanon to the world, professionals and businesses globally can benefit from 4 main areas:
1. Access to a highly-skilled pool of talent
All over the world, Lebanese professionals have made headlines by transforming organizations and powering companies to reach greater heights. In Lebanon, a highly-skilled pool of talent is still powering the country behind the scenes, be it in data services, the creative fields, marketing, communication, HR, finance, digital, software, and web and app development to name a few.
2. Working with results-oriented individuals
The ‘resilience’ of Lebanese people translates into a solution-oriented approach in business. By having to plan diligently, then adapt plans based on unexpected situations (which always seem to arise), the Lebanese are known to always deliver… even when it seems impossible. By outsourcing to Lebanon, the can do and will do approach that defines Lebanese professionals, can power global projects, to ensure they are delivered on time and at top quality.
3. Receiving top quality cost-efficient services
Given the economic situation in Lebanon, the costs associated with high-quality services have decreased. Thus, by outsourcing to Lebanon, high-quality services can be tapped into, resulting in cost optimization for companies. However, despite the competitive pricing models when compared to international markets, the quality will be on par with global standards.
4. Interacting with educated, multilingual talent
Lebanese are known to speak numerous languages and have one of the highest levels of tertiary education in the MENA region. According to the World Economic Forum, Lebanon ranks 4th globally in education in the subjects of math and science, in addition to 10th best globally, for the overall quality of education. The literacy rate for Lebanon is 93.9%. The ability of Lebanese professionals to adapt to different cultures provides a frame of reference to their strong interpersonal skills, as professionals. Hence, companies can benefit from multilingual support and project execution in English, French, and Arabic, in addition to streamlined communication and coordination.
Despite the numerous challenges that the residents of Lebanon endure on a daily basis, the unwavering spirit of the Lebanese people makes business and social news daily, with exceptional success stories emerging from the small nation. These four benefits of working with Lebanese professionals provide a pathway to start outsourcing to Lebanon.
Lebanese people have long been categorized as ‘resilient’, given all that they have endured. Following the tragic blast which shook the capital last August, Lebanese people took to the streets to join in the relief efforts and rebuild Beirut. A few days later, businesses were up and running again, serving local and international clients. Take Toters, for example, the delivery services app, whose offices were severely damaged in the blast, within mere days, they had set up in a new space and commenced their operations.
Today, with numerous challenges, from civil unrest to road closures, an economic crisis, and political turmoil – not to forget a global pandemic – startups, SMEs and freelancers are still working remotely, to ensure business continuity.
In addition, the majority of startups and companies that were founded in Lebanon (some of which have relocated their headquarters to regional and international markets), have kept their footprint here, with back offices based in the country. Others have remained committed to operating from Lebanon, and are providing outsourcing services to regional and international clients.
Examples include Anghami, which recently relocated to Abu Dhabi, HOVI, a homegrown, International SMarketing Platform, both based and operating in Lebanon, Ecomz, a Middle Eastern E-commerce website development company, which still operates in Beirut with clients all over the Arab region, and Synkers, a peer-to-peer platform that connects students to highly qualified private tutors, which still works and operates in Lebanon.
