Top 10 Outsourcing Tips

More and more businesses are looking to accomplish more for less with outsourcing business and recruiting processes. Save time, money and resources and expand the reach of your business by outsourcing projects to skilled vendors. Here is a list of basic tips to help you outsource successfully.

10. Review the Portfolio- It's pretty basic. Check out each company's body of work (white papers, samples, case studies) before considering them as a vendor.

9. Don't Go Too Big...at first - Right out of the gate, be careful not to hand over mission critical projects to a new vendor.

8. Define Milestones - Schedule checkpoints where the status of the project is reviewed. This will ensure that you meet the final deadline.

7. Who Owns This? - Negotiate and define the ownership of the end work up front.

6. Post-Project Support - Do you need a warranty? A support clause? Discounts on future modifications? Before any work is done, negotiate the post-project expectations and support systems and you will save yourself headaches down the line.

5. Get Everything in Writing - Of course you'll get the initial contract agreement on paper...but make sure to secure and archive any proposed changes to the initial agreement, whether they are agreed upon or not.

4. Clarify the Scope - Any successful outsourcing initative begins with a defined goal and the requirements. Be specific about your expectations and the deliverables needed so the vendor can provide a correct and reasonable proposal. Give vendors all the facts. Most of all, create a project schedule and stick to it; you will see the positive effect this has on your cost-savings.

3. It's an Interview - When you receive proposals from potential providers, evaluate them as you would a resume and interview of a new employee. Ask questions. Check references. Have an open dialogue. The vendor you choose will become an extension of your team.

2. Specific Experience and Cultural Fit - The provider you select needs experience with the type of project that you’re undertaking. And going hand-in-hand with that is the vendor's corporate culture. Your needs should match their experience and their company's values, culture and style should compliment your own.

1. Best Price does not Necessarily Equal the Best Choice - Don't be tempted to choose the cheapest vendor just because they are the cheapest. Yes, it is possible that they are the best choice, but dig deeper. Will saving money by choosing the cheapest vendor now truly pay off later when it comes to quality and creating a long-term, viable relationship?

Top 10 Places Office Germs Hide

It's Wellness Wednesday at Arcus and that means we all clean our desks and door handles with Clorox wipes. It means the Arcus Wellness Committee passes out vitamin drops to the entire team. In the middle of winter, it's important to stay healthy and track down those pesky germs. I am an avid user of Purell: each desk at Arcus is equipped with a bottle of hand sanitizer and throughout the building there are many Purell stations! The Arcus Wellness Committee has put together the top ten places germs hide in the office.

10. The restroom - This is an obvious one. Sadly, some people still do not wash their hands after using the restroom. Wash your hands!

9. The coffee station - Got a Keurig? A Flavia? A good old Mr. Coffee? All of them are smothered in bacteria. Wash them inside and out daily.

8. Handles - A large number of people have direct hand contact with door, closet and drawer handles. Just face it: they are contaminated. We wipe our handles every week on Wednesday! We post signs around the Arcus Corporate Headquarters asking Team Members to wash their hands.

7. Carpeting - Carpets are covered with outside dirt. Steam clean them regularly to keep the germs and allergens at bay.

6. The microwave - Everyone touches the buttons on your office microwave daily. Wash your hands before starting in on your leftovers for lunch.

5. The phones - Your desk phone and especially any shared phones in the building are surely covered in germs. Clean them before each use.

4. Your cell phone - It doesn't matter if you carry a Blackberry, Android or iPhone, your phone is filthy. Clean it at least once a week with an antibacterial wipe.

3. Your keyboard and mouse - It doesn't hurt to clean your keyboard or mouse before using them every day. Use a disinfecting wipe and compressed air to clean it thoroughly.

2. Office supplies - Most of us chew pens and pencils or at least hold them in our mouths. Carry your own pens and don't share them.

1. Your desk! - The average office desk contains 20,961 germs per square inch! Clear your clutter and wipe it down now.

Stay healthy!

Top Ten Bizarre Holidays

Here at Arcus we have been building our 2010 Calendar. What better way to fill out the calendar of a quirky company like Arcus than to celebrate as many ridiculous holidays as possible. Ali Peters, Arcus Marketing Assistant, has put together her top ten list of bizarre, unusual and downright funny holidays. (By the way, did you know today is Rubber Duckie Day?)

10. National Chocolate Covered Anything Day (December 16)

9. Wear Brown Shoes Day (December 4) 

8. Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day (November 15) 

7. Evaluate Your Life Day (October 19)

6. Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day (February 11) 

5. No Socks Day (May 8) 

4. Everything You Do Is Right Day (March 16) 

3. Something on a Stick Day (March 28) 

2. Wiggle Your Toes Day (August 6) 

1. National Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19)

HONORABLE MENTION 

The three runners-up that didn't quite make our top ten list are

* National Dance Like a Chicken Day (May 14)

* National PB&J Day (April 2)

And, well, we put off deciding on the Third Runner-Up and we couldn't decide between Be Late for Something Day (September 5) or Fight Procrastination Day (September 6).