AS A CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRY with an intrinsic Caribbean identity, Belize offers a truly unique solution for business process outsourcing.

On the eastern coast of Mexico and Guatemala, it is the only English-speaking country on the Yucatan Peninsula, and its social and political identity has mirrored that of its more-distant neighbours in the Caribbean archipelago.

Like many of the Antilles, Belize has invested heavily in social development, and it has created a highly-educated workforce that sees an annual growth of approximately 8,000 new graduates each year. And with a median age of 21, the country ’s young labour market now supports over 4,000 in-demand contact centre jobs in its fast-growth BPO sector.

Belize’s continental position also has its benefits. While inflationary pressures and costs of imports have driven up the price of doing business in many states, Belize enjoys a relatively low cost of living. Its local BPOs retain staff on an average (but competitive) wage of US$3-7 per hour, and salaries for outsourced roles are up to 60-80% less than those for similar jobs in the US.

What’s more, Belize’s BPO sector enjoys a marginal staff attrition rate of only 5%, and its mostly bilingual population also caters to the Hispanic market segments of its outsourcing clients.

Belize’s value proposition among outsourcing destinations is so unique that the government there has identified it as a priority sector for its economy. And with a progressive wave in the United States pushing for ambitious minimum wage targets, Belize will continue to be among the leading choices for American companies looking to preserve their profit margins. Its “near-shore” proximity to the US also eliminates the costly domestic night-shifts typical for companies that employ South Asian BPOs, and Belize’s highly connected air-routes make quick and cost-effective travel a reality for US clients.

Beyond the innate convenience of Belize as a BPO destination, clients can be assured that the country’s outsourcing sector is mature and competent. Protel BPO, one of the country’s leading outsourcing firms, has differentiated itself by offering solutions that seamlessly align with clients’ brand identities and service standards.

In business since 2013, Protel provides inbound and outbound customer services, sales and lead generation, appointment services and email/chat support. On the service end, its employees undergo rigorous on-boarding training, have neutral accents, and regularly interface with clients in twice-monthly review meetings to track progress on performance indicators.

At a time when data security is increasingly coming under regulatory scrutiny, Protel is also PCI certified to maintain the integrity of client information shared offshore. This goes hand in hand with Protel’s mission, which sets up the company as an extension of its clients’ businesses; and as partners with a shared vision. To this end, Protel offers tailored solutions to meet its clients’ needs, and as a locally-owned company, it can offer the most competitive rates for outsourcing services. Its clients generally see 30% savings over Central and South American call centres, 50% savings over their internal call centre operations, and as much as 70% in savings compared to third-party US-based call centres.

Belize, along with other destinations in the Caribbean are near-shore BPO options, with a cultural mix, offering English, Spanish, French or Dutch as primary languages. Their affordability and international service standards make the Caribbean a true rising star in the Global outsourcing space.

For more information on outsourcing to the Caribbean, and to register for Caribbean Export’s Outsource to the Caribbean Conference, please visit https://outsource2caribbean.org/. The Outsource to the Caribbean event takes place from May 6-10, 2019 in Curaçao.

This article was originally published on the Outsource to the Caribbean website .