· Natural and physical disaster risks
It is no secret that the Philippines, sitting at the rims of the Pacific, continues to endure frequent bouts with typhoons, quakes, and volcanic activity. But not all places in the country are prone to floods and ashfall, there are places that are relatively safe and sturdy enough to do business. Ask your partner about your chosen location, the potential hazards there, and the city or building’s level of preparedness. There are even areas in Metro Manila that stands in near a long fault line and you should know the risks of setting up office in these areas.
· Power supply and internet connectivity
Internet penetration in the Philippines is pretty high for a developing country, although not all spots have a good connection. Your partner should know the strength of both internet and mobile connectivity of local providers in the area to ensure a stable business continuity plan. There are also places outside Metro Manila that still experience power interruption, especially during the dry season, which could be a deciding factor when choosing a location.
· Access to education hubs and talent pools
Your outsourcing partner should have data of special talent pools in specific locations in the Philippines. In this case, you might want to consider looking at several locations, their talent pools, and how these might fit your goals. It is also important to consider proximity to educational institutions in choosing your office, as universities in the Philippines have close ties with the BPO industries. Setting up headquarters near university hubs will make it easier to spot emerging talent that you may need to grow.
· Urban mobility and commuting ease
Business districts in different metropolitan areas across the Philippines are commonly hounded by traffic jams, especially during rush hours. This can cause problems with your team members, who might miss work hours or even experience work fatigue due to the daily bouts with heavy traffic. A hybrid solution would help prevent productivity loss, but you still want to have an office near public utility vehicle terminals. There are many modes of transportation in the Philippines. The most common are buses, trains, public utility vans, jeepneys, and tricycles for the inner roads. Taxi and ride-sharing services are also common but are only used in worst-case scenarios due to their price. You might want to study if providing transportation allowance is feasible to ensure high work productivity among your people.
· Proximity to commercial spaces
It is equally important to ensure that your office space is located near commercial establishments, like cafes, malls, and banks. First, having an office in these establishments will guarantee faster transactions as malls often hosts government agencies needed to secure necessary permits. Second, it would be easier for your team to shake off stress or order food for lunch or office celebrations. Malls are also the usual go-to place of employees during paydays, either to go shopping, buy groceries, or even send money to their family, relatives, and loved ones in the province.
· Supply chain access and efficiency
Make sure your Philippines team is in a place where it is easy to send important work equipment. Having an offshore team is challenging enough, so you want to make sure that your headquarters has quick access to supply chain networks. Most metropolitan areas are always accessible to supply chain networks, but in a hybrid model, where an employee can live in a relatively far-off area, you would have to consider how this factor plays out.
· Scalability and future-readiness
As a businessman, growth is always a top priority, may it be short or long term. You may want to start slow and steady by creating a small team in the Philippines, but you would have to assume that at some point, your operations are bound to grow. Is your chosen space or location capable of handling more people? Does it have more spaces for other aspects of the business you would want to outsource? These are some of the questions you might consider when looking for a spot for your Philippines team.