Future of Sourcing - Belize https://futureofsourcing.com/tags/belize en 7 Reasons to Consider Belize as an Outsourcing Destination https://futureofsourcing.com/7-reasons-to-consider-belize-as-an-outsourcing-destination <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/Belize%20call%20center%20624x325.jpg"><a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/Belize%20call%20center%20624x325.jpg" title="Consider Belize when looking for nearshoring options" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-1183-vOO2nkEqMAY"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/Belize%20call%20center%20624x325.jpg?itok=ZElCH9zd" width="624" height="325" alt="Consider Belize when looking for nearshoring options" title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>Belize, the tiny Central American country bordered by Mexico<span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;and&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Guatemala</span><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US">is known for many things: beautiful beaches, pristine Caribbean waters, ancient Mayan ruins, rainforests filled with exotic flora and fauna</span><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;and much more. Thinking of Belize as a nearshore outsourcing destination, however, rarely crosses anyone&#39;s mind.&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></p> <div> <p paraeid="{601c2d6e-a838-40dc-8cf8-5bb4da672638}{79}" paraid="1232873564"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US">To be clear, Central America and the Caribbean have become burgeoning contact center destinations, with countries such as Jamaica, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador</span><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;and Nicaragua numbering among the more popular.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US">However, t</span><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US">he fact Belize is a relative newcomer to the outsourcing world should not relegate it to a position of less importance</span><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US">absent from the list</span><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US">;</span><span style="font-size: 13.008px;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US">m</span><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US">any good reasons</span><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;make</span><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;it an ideal location.&nbsp;</span></span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p aria-level="1" paraeid="{601c2d6e-a838-40dc-8cf8-5bb4da672638}{123}" paraid="768084945" role="heading"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><strong><span xml:lang="EN-US">English-</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">S</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">peaking Country</span></strong></span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{601c2d6e-a838-40dc-8cf8-5bb4da672638}{133}" paraid="1853498929"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span xml:lang="EN-US">As a</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;former member of the British Commonwealth</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">, Belize is one of a handful of countries where English is the&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">mother tongue</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">.&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">Belizeans are native English speakers who learned the language from birth. Many have such neutral dialects</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;that</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;they make ideal candidates for contact center jobs.&nbsp;</span></span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p aria-level="1" paraeid="{601c2d6e-a838-40dc-8cf8-5bb4da672638}{153}" paraid="1595415235" role="heading"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><strong><span xml:lang="EN-US">U.S. Cultural Affinity&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{601c2d6e-a838-40dc-8cf8-5bb4da672638}{159}" paraid="374928623"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span xml:lang="EN-US">Many Belizean contact center agents have worked in the tourism industry, which benefits from over a million American visitors every year.&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">In addition</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">, U.S. channels dominate Belizean television and&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">include</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;everything from cable news to lifestyle networks to sports, movies, commercials</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;and more.&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">This combination of face-to-face interaction and media influence gives the people a deep understanding of and alignment with U.S. culture that few countries can match.</span></span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p aria-level="1" paraeid="{601c2d6e-a838-40dc-8cf8-5bb4da672638}{177}" paraid="1946409821" role="heading"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><strong><span xml:lang="EN-US">Proximity</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;to the U.S.</span></strong></span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{601c2d6e-a838-40dc-8cf8-5bb4da672638}{185}" paraid="547011541"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span xml:lang="EN-US">Belize is easy to get to from the United States. American Airlines, Delta, Southwest</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;and United all offer daily non-stop flights from several U.S. cities. Belize also mirrors U.S. time zones, which aids in doing day-to-day business.</span>&nbsp;<span xml:lang="EN-US">While not a&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">wholly&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">distinguishing feature &mdash;</span>&nbsp;<span xml:lang="EN-US">the same can&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">be said</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;of other countries in the region &mdash; that proximity should appeal to companies wanting a more hands-on <a href="http://outsourcemag.com/cultural-counterparts-the-advantage-of-nearshoring" target="_blank">outsourcing partnership</a>.&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">It allows them to keep&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">a&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">close watch on the</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;performance of their outsourced operations, which helps to</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;close the cultural gap, reduce training time</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;and foster</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;a greater understanding of customer expectations.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p aria-level="1" paraeid="{601c2d6e-a838-40dc-8cf8-5bb4da672638}{223}" paraid="1797559449" role="heading"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><strong><span xml:lang="EN-US">Service Maturity</span></strong></span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{601c2d6e-a838-40dc-8cf8-5bb4da672638}{229}" paraid="1969590423"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span xml:lang="EN-US">Even though Belize is an emerging outsource destination, it has gained a reasonable degree of maturity in a short span. The first contact center opened in 2005, and now more than 20&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">operat</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">e</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;across the country. Also, the <a href="http://outsourcemag.com/the-paradox-of-the-designated-survivor" target="_blank">Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)</a> industry has been singled out as a specialized &ldquo;niche&rdquo; area and priority industry for Belize&rsquo;s&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">socio-economic growth</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;in</span>&nbsp;<span xml:lang="EN-US">both the government and private sector.</span></span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p aria-level="1" paraeid="{601c2d6e-a838-40dc-8cf8-5bb4da672638}{249}" paraid="1416156923" role="heading"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><strong><span xml:lang="EN-US">Low Attrition&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">and</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;Turnover</span></strong></span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{c5dc6f50-ee00-4600-b763-20f6576b531e}{4}" paraid="1316228152"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span xml:lang="EN-US">Industry turnover among contact center workers in many parts of the world is high, averaging between&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.qatc.org/winter-2015-connection/exploring-call-center-turnover-numbers/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"><span xml:lang="EN-US">30&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">t</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">o&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">45</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;percent</span></a>&nbsp;<span xml:lang="EN-US">in some countries.&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">High attrition is not a concern in Belize,&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">where&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">contact&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">center staff may be well&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">qualified in their&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">field</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;but cannot get a better job in the local area. This career limitation tends to counter attrition, which ranges from 10 to 25 percent for outsourced contact centers and about five percent for captive and shared service centers.</span>&nbsp;<span xml:lang="EN-US">Not only that, but workers&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">are also attracted</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;by the uniqueness of some of these new jobs as well as the prospect of daytime working hours given the time zone proximity to the States.&nbsp;</span></span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p aria-level="1" paraeid="{c5dc6f50-ee00-4600-b763-20f6576b531e}{49}" paraid="1426436284" role="heading"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><strong><span xml:lang="EN-US">Regional Stability&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">and</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;Safety</span></strong></span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{c5dc6f50-ee00-4600-b763-20f6576b531e}{59}" paraid="1458229213"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span xml:lang="EN-US">In hi</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">s 1983 report for&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">the CBS news show&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">60 Minutes</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">,&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">the&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">late&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">correspondent&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">Morley Safer famously said, &quot;The good news from Belize is there is no news from Belize</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&quot;&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">a fact that is still&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">true.</span>&nbsp;<span xml:lang="EN-US">Belize is one of the most stable countries in the region, both politically and culturally.&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;<span xml:lang="EN-US">Contrast that with other&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">Central American</span>&nbsp;<span xml:lang="EN-US">countries, such as Honduras, its neighbor to the south, which recently&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">experienced&nbsp;</span><a href="https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/honduras-elections-end-brings-more-uncertainty" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"><span xml:lang="EN-US">contested election results</span></a><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;that led to months of protests and politically motivated violence.&nbsp;</span></span></p> </div> <div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{c5dc6f50-ee00-4600-b763-20f6576b531e}{110}" paraid="1533891107"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span xml:lang="EN-US">Several countries</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;&mdash;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;and Mexico</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">suffer from what</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;the</span>&nbsp;<span xml:lang="EN-US">U.K.</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;newspaper&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">The Guardian</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;called a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2017/jun/29/organised-violence-is-ravaging-central-america-and-displacing-thousands" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"><span xml:lang="EN-US">plague of violence</span></a><span xml:lang="EN-US">,</span>&nbsp;<span xml:lang="EN-US">while&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">The Telegraph</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">,</span>&nbsp;<span xml:lang="EN-US">another U.K. paper,&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">rated Belize as one of the&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/galleries/worlds-most-underrated-destinations/belize/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"><span xml:lang="EN-US">safes</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">t</span></a><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;in the region</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">.&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">As Safer said: The good news</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&hellip;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;there is no news.</span></span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p aria-level="1" paraeid="{c5dc6f50-ee00-4600-b763-20f6576b531e}{172}" paraid="200597852" role="heading"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><strong><span xml:lang="EN-US">Infrastructu</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">r</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">e</span></strong></span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{c5dc6f50-ee00-4600-b763-20f6576b531e}{182}" paraid="1282815316"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span xml:lang="EN-US">For a developing country, Belize has an amazingly&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">robust</span>&nbsp;<span xml:lang="EN-US">infrastructure</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;educationally, politic</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">al</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">ly</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;and technically. Consider these facts as evidence:&nbsp;</span></span></p> <ul> <li paraeid="{c5dc6f50-ee00-4600-b763-20f6576b531e}{182}" paraid="1282815316"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span xml:lang="EN-US">Belize has&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">a high literacy rate</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;and an educated workforce. Many contact center workers have college degrees;</span></span></li> <li paraeid="{c5dc6f50-ee00-4600-b763-20f6576b531e}{182}" paraid="1282815316"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span xml:lang="EN-US">The government provides industry support through tax incentives, classification of the BPO industry as a &quot;priority sector,&quot; subsidized training for those interested in a contact&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">center career</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;and promotion of the industry as an investment opportunity;</span></span></li> <li paraeid="{c5dc6f50-ee00-4600-b763-20f6576b531e}{182}" paraid="1282815316"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span xml:lang="EN-US">Belize has two main fiber optic hubs</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">ARCOS and TELMAX</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">and a third to come with high-redundancy rates nationally.</span></span></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{c5dc6f50-ee00-4600-b763-20f6576b531e}{239}" paraid="2034927011"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span xml:lang="EN-US">As you can see, t</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">here is more to Belize&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">than just beautiful beaches; it i</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">s also a growing contact center destination.&nbsp;</span></span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{c5dc6f50-ee00-4600-b763-20f6576b531e}{251}" paraid="989185609"><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span xml:lang="EN-US">Th</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">e combination of native English&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">speakers, affinity for and proximity to the U.S., relative regional stability,&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">the&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">supportive</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;government</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;and other factors</span>&nbsp;<span xml:lang="EN-US">should be enough to put Belize on the nearshore outsourcing map</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">or</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;at least&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">make it a contender</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">.&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">Time will tell.&nbsp;</span></span></p> </div> </div> <p><span style="font-size: 13.008px;" xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;</span></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/belize" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Belize</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/talent-management" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Talent Management</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/contact-center" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Contact Center</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/call-center" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Call Center</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/nearshoring" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Nearshoring</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/culture" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Culture</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/business-process-outsourcing-bpo" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="7 Reasons to Consider Belize as an Outsourcing Destination - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://futureofsourcing.com/7-reasons-to-consider-belize-as-an-outsourcing-destination"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/latinamerica-caribbean" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Latin America/Caribbean</a></div></div></div> Tue, 29 May 2018 16:57:22 +0000 Scott Newman 1183 at https://futureofsourcing.com https://futureofsourcing.com/7-reasons-to-consider-belize-as-an-outsourcing-destination#comments