Outsourcing in Bangladesh: Ultimate Guide [2024]

Tired of 9 to 5 jobs? A fixed salary and less flexibility at work?

Want a "freelance lifestyle"? Yes—it has evolved to be a lifestyle lately. And who doesn't like to work sitting on their couch while enjoying a cup of tea?

We can see a growing number of people seeking outsourcing jobs, which is indeed good news!

But are you wondering how to start an outsourcing career in Bangladesh? What skills do you need for this? And what are the job opportunities there to start working as a freelancer?

You'll find all the answers below in this article. We'll give you a complete guideline to flourish in a career in outsourcing. By the end of the reading, this article will shed some light on your way of becoming a successful freelance worker.

Let's get started…

It's a method of hiring people outside your company to complete a specific task or operation. For instance, a company may need to build a website but have no in-house web development team.

In such circumstances, organizations can look for people who will do the work for them. This practice is highly beneficial for companies because they get to cut costs spent on hiring new people. Outsourcing is the most common solution for information technology companies worldwide.

This practice started in 1989 in the USA. Gradually, it becomes a viable option for business during the 1990s.

With outsourcing taking over the global market, Bangladesh possesses great significance following the wind. Let's dig deeper to know how exactly Bangladesh is doing in the outsourcing arena.

According to Oxford Internet Institute, Bangladesh is the second largest country providing outsourcing services. And according to ProthomAlo Bangladesh has over 6.5 lacs freelancers.

Goldman Sachs has prepared a "Next-11" list of countries based on factors like investment, human capital, and economic progress. And Bangladesh is one of the countries on the list.

Amazingly, all these imply that Bangladesh is thriving in the outsourcing sector. Additionally, the government assists with programs to train people of different ages, mostly young folks, to make a living by freelancing.

You can see that Bangladesh has plenty of people to get hired remotely. Ever wondered why?

Bangladesh has become a top outsourcing market for many multinational companies in recent years. The country has a large and skilled workforce, and during the past 20 years, its economy has grown significantly.

Go through the following observations to know why Bangladesh has become one of the leading countries to offer outsourcing help.

Low Labour Cost

Compared to other countries like the USA, Canada, and China, online labour costs way less in Bangladesh. The average outsourcing income to some other Asian countries is Bangladesh: $301, India: $428, China $1,145, Philippines $3218.

On top of that, our living cost is lower than in developed countries. As a result, we can serve people at a decreased price.

However, the lower payment doesn't imply the most successful stage for freelancing. We are on our way as there is already a noticeable income growth. Furthermore, as we have a huge number of graduates without jobs, they are choosing to start a career in freelancing.

Outsourcing jobs have shown many of us a light of hope. Also, many think working from home is way better than having no income.

Quality Service

Although our pricing is lower, the service quality is as good as other Asian countries. Bangladesh has the 35th position as a successful digital nation on A.T. Kearney's 2021 Global Location Index. Also, we have grown a reputation for strong work ethics.

The steady improvement in our digital infrastructure plays a significant role in ensuring high-quality outsourcing services.

Upwork says that Bangladesh is one of the top 10 countries with steady service value progress. Besides, we are the 3rd Asian country with the most ID registered on Upwork for freelancing work.

With our competent workforce, we are serving countries like Japan, Australia, and Germany. When people hire us, businesses and companies can rely on our service.

Prepared and Skilled Workforce

In Bangladesh, we get different opportunities to grow our skills. As a result, we are both skilled and prepared to enter the job market. And there are a couple of contributing factors.

Firstly, the increased use of technology in the educational sector has led to a large improvement in Bangladesh's literacy rate of 74.66% in 2023. Secondly, NGO involvement and increased government funding are benefiting our educational system.

All these activities result in growth in skills and job readiness of our local workforce. Therefore, our demand has expanded globally.

Evidently, there are over 65,000 registered Bangladeshi freelancers on Upwork and over 1,500 Bangladeshi outsourcing firms. These figures say that in the outsourcing market, Bangladeshi talent is in high demand.

Learn: Freelancing websites in Bangladesh

Business-Friendly Policies and Training

The Bangladesh government has focused on making business-friendly policies. We have seen several changes in the policies to facilitate outsourcing possibilities. This is especially true for our Information and Communication Technology.

Some of the significant steps taken are-

• The National Economic Council Executive Committee (ECNEC) has this "Learning and Earning Development Project" and allotted $208,747 for providing outsourcing training.
• An initiation for preparing 55,000 freelancing professionals at the subdistrict level
• 4000+ UISC (Union Information Service Centers) – a government program to confirm access to ICT in our rural regions transformed into small outsourcing training centers.
• SMEs and enterprises providing IT-enabled services will be 100% tax-free till 2024.
• Women are urged to pursue freelancing through the "Learning and Earning Program." The objective is to encourage women to work in or as successful business owners in the BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) industry.
• Bangladesh Association for Software and Information Services (BASIS) and Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) are two organizations always trying to develop and expand the outsourcing business.

Modern Infrastructure

By 2030, the government wants the ICT sector to produce 5 billion USD in export earnings. The Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority is trying to promote employee skill-up facilities, policies, and technology throughout their investment path in order to meet this goal.

The Bangladeshi government approved a project to build 12 high-tech parks as part of this plan in Dhaka and other districts in 2017. These have been under construction since February 2023.

With state-of-the-art networking technologies, fiber optic connections, and smart building solutions, the project aims to boost further the "Digital Bangladesh" program and the local IT industry.

2.400 people will be trained in the use of robots, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other cutting-edge technologies thanks to these parks.

All these help people with outsourcing aim to do better. And that makes our nation an attractive outsourcing market on a global scale.

Learn More: Facebook Boost in BD: The Ultimate Guide

Outsourcing is a remarkable sector where you hardly need an academic degree or certificate. So you can take on tasks as per your expertise and proficiency level. That's another reason more and more people are choosing freelancing as their profession.

Besides, with fewer domestic jobs, people are increasingly driving towards outsourcing. So if you want to establish a career in outsourcing, here are some ways you can start your learning journey.

Choose Online Courses

There are countless online courses on learning platforms: Udemy, Skillshare, Fiverr, etc. All you need to do is visit the sites and enroll in an outsourcing course.

Even there are many free courses available you can choose from to get an initial idea. On the other hand, paid courses will offer you extra resources, so you will be better prepared.

The prices vary from platform to platform, and you will have to spend around $199 or less. You can choose accordingly.

However, check the course review while selecting an online course. Why should you check for reviews?

Well, all courses won't deliver a good result. Hence, before investing time in a course, ensure you learn what you should know. Note that reviews are essential for both free and paid courses. You can also compare reviews and prices on various learning platforms. Hopefully, you will find a suitable course.

Enroll in Offline Courses

As stated above, there are many government training available on outsourcing. You can gather information about those and get yourself admitted. Besides, countless private skill development and training institutes provide theoretical and practical knowledge. You can contact them for details.

Generally, the prices for offline courses at private institutions may vary. Research the courses and organizations and then pick an affordable and worthy one to enroll in.

Learn Through YouTube Videos

YouTube is a great source for various lessons for FREE! It's a free option for learning and hearing from professionals, as many experts enthusiastically parting knowledge on YouTube.

You will get tutorials on various subjects as well as your area of interest. Search for some videos for outsourcing on YouTube and develop essential knowledge from them.

Let's say you want to learn graphics design. You can search 'Learn graphics,' and many videos, including free courses, will pop up. Watch the video thoroughly and practice the task to master the skills.

Read Blogs

Some people prefer reading over watching videos. Reading articles and blogs from experts can help you in this regard. But the only difference is that you need to read a lot here.

Find articles containing elaborate and organized details. You can also subscribe to newsletters to keep yourself updated and learn new things daily.

Read more to learn about Digital Marketing In Bangladesh

Join Freelancing Forums

There are many freelancing forums available. Join your local freelancing forums or community across all digital platforms. They organize different seminars and training sessions from where you can learn.

Another benefit of learning from freelancing forums is that there will be other people interacting in the forum. You can learn about outsourcing and have fun talking to them.

Moreover, if you face any difficulty, you post questions or comments. It also helps you in networking and finding tasks for the future.

Read Books

Books are always an excellent choice to learn and educate yourself. You might find books written by successful freelancers on outsourcing. Those books can surely give you some insights on starting outsourcing.

Books, YouTube lessons, and Blogs can help you build skills even if you don't enroll in any course.

Learn More: What is High Ticket Digital Marketing?

There are a lot of industries, right? Look at the following sectors where you can get outsourcing jobs in Bangladesh, ranging from students and skilled persons.

Information Technology

Bangladesh has become the top choice for outsourcing software development in South Asia, and software development is one of the services Bangladesh receives the most outsourcing requests.

Besides that, web design and development, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Data analysis, Graphics design, Photo, and Video editing are some of the service areas we hold pride. Hence anyone can get hired by improving those skills in this fast-forwarding IT world.

Virtual Assistant

You will provide administrative assistance to your clients as a freelance virtual assistant. And businesses want virtual assistance at a low labor cost.

On average, Bangladeshis charge $8.65 hourly, whereas Americans ask for $29.52 and British counterparts $23.41. Besides, our neutral English accent makes us more suitable than freelancers from India, Srilanka, the Philippines, and other competitors from South Asia.

So if you have good communication skills and control over English, you can work as a virtual assistant.

Graphics Design and Multimedia

This is one of the most popular freelancing niches among Bangladeshis as it requires comparatively less learning time. Bangladesh has over 1,000,000 graphic designers working on different platforms.

And let's not forget the people who do web designing. So it can easily be assumed the demand for this job is still on the rise and will increase in the near future.

Learn More: Best SEO Agencies in Bangladesh 2023

Once you have properly learned a skill, you now start seeking freelancing opportunities. Here are the two most popular ways to outsource work as a freelancer.

Open a Profile on a Freelancing Platform

Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer.com are three leading freelancing platforms. You can open an account on these platforms. Initially, you may find it hard to get a job or may avail a less-paid job, but once you get good reviews from the client/s, you can get more work from them.

However, the process of finding clients/ jobs are not the same for all the platform. You can take help from the website, YouTube, or blogs to learn how to find work on these sites. There are several videos; follow the instructions to learn to navigate these sites.

Check Social Media

Yes, you will also have freelancing jobs on social media, especially on Facebook. You can get connected with several 'Freelancing groups.'

Keep checking posts daily related to jobs, tasks, or anything. You can reach them and talk about the task of working with them.

However, be vigilant from frauds and scams and verify whether the account or jobs are real.

In the past ten years, Bangladesh's Outsourcing industry has experienced an amazing number of expansions. In 2018, it was estimated that the ICT sector would generate more than $1 billion in annual revenue, to reach $5 billion by 2021. Bangladesh will develop into an even larger center as an outsourcing destination as costs grow in countries like China, India, and the Philippines, where outsourcing is mostly done.

List of outsourcing companies in Bangladesh:

1. Aamra Outsourcing.
2. ASL BPO.
3. AtomAP.
4. Bangladesh IT & Outsourcing
5. Solutions BIOS.
6. Bangladesh Outsource 
7. Software Services (BOSS)
8. Bording Vista Ltd.
9. Business Consulting Services.
10. The Databiz Software Limited.

The number of Outsourcing companies in Bangladesh will increase as the industry develops, so this list is by no means complete of all the Outsourcing companies operating there.

Online outsourcing income sources to change your life's landscape. You are aware that one of the largest sources of money is the online earning sector.

So you are free to select one or more from the online income sector. We'll outline some of the most well-known, reputable sectors of the market where the majority of people work. I can't solve your problem with just a PC or laptop and an internet connection.

All you have to do to succeed is put in the time, effort, and knowledge necessary.

1. Upwork – website design, programming, and brand marketing
2. Fiverr – social media, web development, and digital marketing
3. Freelancer – web development, social media marketing, and content translation
4. Toptal – software development, financial advice, and interim management
5. SEOClerks – social media, web development, and digital marketing
6. SimplyHired – data entry, finance, and human resources
7. Guru – marketing, administration, and programming
8. PeoplePerHour – social media, web development, and digital marketing
9. 99Designs – graphic, web, and logo design
10. Designhill – website, brand, and merchandise designs
11. Envato – graphic, web, and logo design
12. DesignCrowd – graphic, web, and logo design
13. Behance – photography, illustration, and web design
14. Hireable – web development, social media marketing, and content marketing
15. Nexxt – website design, programming, and brand marketing

Outsourcing in Bangladesh has become a smart choice, especially for young people due to the flexibility and freedom of work. More and more people are pursuing this career.

If you want to start a freelancing career, follow the instructions above. But make sure whatever you do, try to do it skillfully because all clients emphasize quality.

Good luck with starting a career as an outsourced employee.

Look over the following questions for some additional information about outsourcing in Bangladesh.

What is the Position of Bangladesh in Outsourcing?

Bangladesh is the second largest supplier of outsourcing tasks. There are 500,000 active freelancers out of 650,000 registered freelancers from various industries. And the total annual earnings are as high as $100 million.

Is Outsourcing Good for Bangladesh?

Yes. With more people getting involved in freelancing, there will be lesser unemployment issues. On top of that, Bangladesh is a developing country. Since Bangladesh has a growing number of freelancers, there will be a boost in Bangladesh's economy. Eventually, it will contribute to improving economic infrastructure.

How Do I Start Outsourcing?

You can start developing a specific skill in high demand, such as – data entry, copywriting, graphics design, web development, software, mobile app development, etc.

After that, make a profile on online platforms like – Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer.com, etc. Also, you can look for clients on social media platforms as well.

How Do I Get Clients for My Outsourcing Business?

The outsourcing market is pretty stiff, and you need to put effort into direct clients. That includes becoming an expert in a particular niche, telling people how your service is different, and understanding your buyers' needs.

Besides, you can promote your service on social media to keep the clients coming.