Andrew Mason is a 29-year-old music major from Northwestern and appears to be an average guy, save for one discernable feature: he has single-handedly managed to establish the fastest-growing company in Internet history.

Groupon is an online e-commerce website that is racking up astronomical sales making it the one of the most profitable portals for retailers to offer their wares. Mason combined the words “group” and “coupon” to come up with the aptly named Internet company “Groupon.” The website offers online customers attractive discounts for products and services.

Not only did Mason have the foresight to set up operations in an 85,000 square foot warehouse (previously owned by a Montgomery Ward) in the heart of Chicago, but he also took advantage of human resources outsourcing and tapped into a valuable commodity by utilizing a group of talented writers, many from the Chicago Improv scene, to help him take a unique concept and turn into reality.

The witty taglines and clever campaigns have helped the company effectively capture and dominate not only the public’s attention, but also a competitive share of the e-commerce marketplace. Despite its fledging status and the fact Groupon has only been in operation just shy of 2 years, it was recently valued at 1.35 billion.

The call to action used by this young entrepreneur “Act now” is nothing new in regards to advertising strategy in and of itself. However, coupled with the ingenious idea of making purchasing items a team effort by providing the stellar deals contingent on a number of online purchasers following suit by buying the same item on the same day and then executing the concept with upbeat advertising pitches has effectively turned his site into to a retailer’s dream and consumer-driven powerhouse.

The newly made millionaire shares profits with vendors of upwards to 50% of the take which would ordinarily make retailers scoff at such ridiculous profit-sharing strategy; but   selling in bulk is the name of the game and with the site’s over 13 million subscribers Groupon is hitting homeruns with the public as well as with its participating affiliates.

Investors like Digital Sky Technologies, (the group backing Facebook and Zynga) only add to the company’s cache and investors estimate Groupon will surpass 500 million in revenue this year alone. Groupon presently has expanded into 88 US cities and 22 countries including Turkey and Chile.

Pangea 3 is a legal outsourcing firm in Noida, India specializing in outsourcing young Indian lawyers eager to get assigned to lawyers in the United States. With most of the world’s legal outsourcing firms setting up shop in India and only a significantly smaller percentage establishing firms in other countries such as the Philippines, companies like Pangea 3 are actively recruiting Western lawyers who are willing to leave Wall Street for New Delhi.

They are relocating them in order to manage the growing population of English speaking lawyers who work for a fraction of what a law firm in the West would charge. Greg McPolin, managing director of Pangea 3’s litigation services group is one of these Western Lawyers who divides his time between India and New York. He says his company is “getting more resumés from United States lawyers than we know what to do with.”

Legal outsourcing in India has grown from a few tiny firms who were more of an experiment than a serious investment to becoming a mainstream addition and is currently how law is practiced around the world. Large multi-national corporations, Wall Street banks, Energy giants, Insurance companies and most other leading industries are using outsourced lawyers from India to do everything from research and constructing legal briefs to due diligence and contract law.

However, for the more sophisticated public relations aspect of the law business Indian firms are continuing to bring in more seasoned lawyers form Great Britain and the United States.

Christopher Wheeler, a former assistant attorney general for New York State, knows first hand that Western Lawyers are finding it very attractive to be a valuable commodity in India’s rapidly expanding legal outsourcing business sector. Mr. Wheeler took that leap and is now managing a team of 110 Indian lawyers who primarily work for law firms in the United States for pennies on the dollar.

By the end of 2009 there were more than 140 legal outsourcing companies in India. This was a remarkable jump from 2005 when there were no more than 40 in the entire country.

Forecasted revenue for India’s legal outsourcing firms are estimated at $440 million in 2010 and is rumored to surpass the billion dollar mark by 2014.

Making the decision to use human resource outsourcing can be a difficult one for any business to make. However, there are a few guidelines that can help any company to better understand the benefits of outsourcing to make an informed decision.

Lowered Costs: Outsourcing results in lowered operating costs when comparing them to the costs of hiring full time employees and providing them with long term benefits packages. Benefits outsourcing can save a company substantial amounts of money in both the paid hours it takes to process all of the administrative functions to hire and maintain a full time employee as well as the capital that can be reallocated to other interests.

Raised Productivity: The strategic advantage of HR outsourcing allows businesses to meet their growth demands with the skilled employees who can significantly improve a company’s output. It makes sense that relying on employees who are experienced and well-managed will produce larger quantities of  work at a higher quality.

Simplified Operation: Not enough can be said about reducing the burden of navigating the paperwork and logistical details it requires to sustain a full time employee. Small businesses in particular will be able to rely on an administrative services organization that will bring the experience and reliability to make running their business operations more efficient on a day to day basis.

Employee Satisfaction: When people are managed properly they not only feel that their needs are being met and but are more productive when their efforts are being adequately rewarded. This results in employees who are not only more satisfied with their jobs but will also increase their value to a company because their time and energy is focused on input rather than on employee/labor relations.

Expanded Selection of Qualified Talent: Outsourcing can provide the perfect solution for finding talent and qualified employees with the ability to meet the demands of an increasingly sophisticated marketplace.

Allows Focus Application of In-House Resources: Most employers spend time on personnel issues that could be better utilized with their core business pursuits. HR outsourcing simply allows businesses to focus on increasing output.

Reduced Risk: There are many assumed risks companies would benefit by turning over to a Professional Employer Organization (PEO). These include government compliance, safety and worker’s compensation and employee/labor relations.

Global Human Resources Outsourcing will provide viable business solutions that will lower your operating costs, protect your assets and reduce your risks. Whether you have a small, mid-size or large business HR outsourcing will meet your human resourcing needs and allow your company to stay competitive in the marketplace.

Many organizations are restructuring to include outsourcing human resources. Businesses have found that they can not only cut cost and raise efficiency by outsourcing, but they can also improve the accuracy and speed at which a project is completed while having greater access to advanced technological expertise.

Cutting cost is only one of the benefits outsourcing offers both large and small businesses. Outsourcing allows companies to convert fixed costs into variable costs and reduces expenditures which release investment capital and raise profit margins, making them more interesting to investors.

Companies that do not take advantage of outsourcing human resources find they pay more for marketing, development and research, distribution and other operating costs. Outsourcing a contractor also allows companies to focus more on their core business by freeing up their in house employees.

Other reasons companies are choosing to outsource include:

Lowers labor costs – Finding temporary employees for short-term projects can be expensive and time consuming. Attracting qualified and reliable candidates without offering employee benefits can be difficult without the incentives usually involved in the hiring process.

Reduces risk – Outsourcing providers assume many of the HR risk management that face business in regards to HR audits, HR consulting, lawsuits, payroll services, regulations and government compliance, safety and worker’s compensation, short term/long term disability and employee/labor relations.

Increases Efficiency – An outsourcing firm will usually provide experienced individuals who do not require lengthy and expensive training.

Outsourcing human resources can provide businesses with the options they need to stay competitive in current economic climate. Outsourcing has become so commonly incorporated into business strategies that companies are beginning to outsource entire departments rather than individual positions such as billing or payroll.

Companies are able to devote more of their resources to their core businesses and bring products to market faster when they utilize outsourcing. As a result they are bringing in larger numbers of outsourced employees and still find they are lowering costs.

Global Human Resources Outsourcing Total Solutions provides integrated HR management, employee benefits, payroll and worker’s compensation services through an effective co-employment model that provides the benefits of a highly-staffed HR team without the overhead costs.

GHRO understands that in today’s changing marketplace that is continually incorporating advancing technologies, one of the most important resources a company has is the qualified people who are made available through outsourcing.

Hiring human resources consultants is a great way to lift the burden from your current administrative staff.  A HRO (Human Resources Outsourcing) firm can supply experienced professionals to handle your company’s staff management needs from payroll and employee recruitment to benefits and policy manuals. They also ensure that you stay compliant with all relevant federal and state labor laws.

Human resources consultants offer many services to complement your existing HR policies or develop new ones:

• Payroll services are at the top of a human resource consultant’s offerings. It includes paycheck processing, tax filings, direct deposits, and year-end tax form processing.
• They can also obtain competitive rates for comprehensive benefits packages.
• A human resources consultant ensures 100% compliance with all federal and state laws.
• They create documentation for such policies as sexual harassment and minimum wage.
• To ensure the safety of the workplace and your employees, human resources consultants can develop risk management policies in accordance with OSHA regulations.

Human resources consultants: pros & cons
There are some pros and cons to hiring human resources consultants for your business. HRO firms offer consultants with years of experience, something a small or new business could benefit from. But some of the policies they implement can cost money and may only work for larger companies. You can make up some of those savings by bringing in consultants in lieu of a full-time HR director. However, you lose the personal attention in-house HR directors provide.

Also, when your organization anticipates big changes, a human resources consultant can help ease the process by detailing how it benefits the company. But they often need the help of in-house staff to directly respond to employee concerns and to gauge reaction throughout the company.

If you feel hiring a human resources consultant can benefit your HR processes, contact GHRO to receive a free quote, and learn how you can outsource you business.

By Susan M. Heathfield, About.com Guide

Looking for ways to potentially cut costs and unburden your shrinking Human Resources staff members? Do you have staff working until six and seven at night? Are you going home each day feeling as if you will never catch up? If so, join the crowd – or choose not to join. Outsource instead.

“The current economic climate is forcing organizations to explore tactics to remain competitive. Business process outsourcing of certain functions is an increasingly popular way to improve basic services while allowing HR professionals time to play a more strategic role in their organizations.”

In a recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), HR professionals were asked if they outsource any HR functions. Additionally, if they do outsource, they were asked what functions they outsource. HR professionals were asked to select all that apply.

“Reason for Outsourcing

• 26 percent – Save money
• 23 percent – Focus on strategy
• 22 percent – Improve compliance
• 18 percent – Improve accuracy
• 18 percent – Lack experience in house
• 18 percent – Take advantage of technological advances
• 17 percent – Offer services we otherwise could not
• 15 percent – Focus on core business
• 5 percent – Other
• 47 percent – Do not outsource[/li[

Functions Outsourced

• 84 percent – 401 (k) administration
• 84 percent – Employee assistance/counseling
• 74 percent – Retirement planning help
• 73 percent – Pension administration
• 72 percent – Temporary staffing
• 68 percent – Background checks
• 57 percent – Training and management development programs
• 54 percent – Executive development and coaching
• 53 percent – Health care benefits administration
• 49 percent – Employee benefit administration
• 49 percent – Payroll
• 46 percent – Risk management
• 44 percent – Executive staffing
• 41 percent – Employee relocation
• 40 percent – HRIS selection, training implementation
• 32 percent – Recruitment
• 17 percent – Executive compensation and incentive plans
• 15 percent – Policy writing
• 14 percent – Administration of compensation/incentive plans
• 11 percent – Wage and salary administration”