Makati, Philippines -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/21/2020 -- Mark Zucker, CEO of leading Chicago photo album company Zookbinders and co-founder of Philippines-based outsourcing company MCVO Talent Resources Services, talks about the challenges that pro photographers and other companies face in the modern business landscape and how outsourcing can help them cope in the hit Visual WOW podcast episode.
The global health crisis has negatively impacted a lot of businesses. Community lockdowns and minimized movement as part of COVID-19 safety protocols have forced businesses to pause operations for several weeks. As experts are yet to see an end to the pandemic, many business owners and professionals find themselves facing much uncertainty.
In the August 21, 2020 episode of the podcast series Visual WOW hosted by professional photographer Jack Hartzmantitled From Albums to Outsourcing with Mark Zucker, Mark shared valuable insights on how businesses and professionals can cope with financial and operational challenges through outsourcing. Mark recalled how about a decade ago, way before the pandemic threatened economies all over the globe, outsourcing helped his high-end photo albums company based in Chicago, IL Zookbinders remain operational while many competitors closed down one after another.
After 13 years of continuous growth, Zookbinders' sales flattened in 2008 due to the influx of shoot and burn photographers and online photo retailers, which resulted in the reduced demand for professional photo albums. The financial crisis of 2007-2008 also contributed to the decline.
With decreasing demand for their products and rising business costs, Mark turned to outsourcing as suggested by his COO Cherry Orlina who was born and raised in the Philippines. By hiring graphic designers in the Philippines, they were able to save $120,000 annually, giving them enough leverage to stay in business.
"We started outsourcing as a defensive measure because we were struggling to figure out how we were going to maintain our margins going forward," shared Mark. "If we didn't make [the] changes, in one year we were going from a profitable company to just being flat," he continued.
"Some people think of outsourcing as 'taking American jobs'. We look at it differently." According to Mark, outsourcing reduces the workload of in-house teams but at the same time, it also reduces costs. As a result, offshoring helps companies stay viable, thus ensuring jobs for all other employees who handle core tasks.
From 2011 to 2016, Zookbinders moved its IT, customer service, marketing, and accounting functions to the Philippines. By 2017, they were already employing more than 20 offshore technical professionals. This prompted Mark and Cherry to start the Philippines outsourcing company MCVO Talent Resources Services in order to share the benefits of outsourcing with other businesses.
As of today, the company supports a number of professional photography companies in the U.S. along with other entrepreneurs and businesses from various industries. MCVO Talent Resources Services provides a wide range of outsourcing services, including bookkeeping/accounting, customer service, data entry, digital marketing, graphic design photo/video editing, quality assurance, software development, virtual assistance, and website design.
To learn more about offshoring and the available outsourcing services in the Philippines, visit www.MCVOTalent.com. For your professional album needs in the U.S., check out www.Zookbinders.com. Finally, for updates and insights in the photography industry, follow the Visual WOW podcast series.
About MCVO Talent Resources Services
Established in 2017, MCVO Talent Resources Services is an outsourcing company in the Philippines with a sales office in Chicago, IL. The company specializes in a wide range of back-end processes, from accounting to website design. They provide custom outsourcing packages tailored to the unique needs of every client. For inquiries, book a call here.
About Zookbinders
Founded in 1995, Zookbinders is a leading provider of high-end professional photo albums based in Chicago, IL. They work with professional photographers looking to offer the highest quality professional wedding albums. Zookbinders utilizes a proprietary online design tool that lets its partners and customers easily design their personalized albums. Interested photographers can register here to get started.
About Visual WOW
Visual WOW is a podcast hosted by professional live events photographer Jack Hartzman. Each week, the podcast features key personalities in the photography industry with the aim to guide photographers and other entrepreneurs to grow their business. Catch the episodes here.
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