Comments on: Local or Global Outsourcing – Knowing When to Go Global and When to Stay Local http://brianlinton.com/local-or-global-outsourcing-knowing-when-to-go-global-and-when-to-stay-local/ Entrepreneurial Lessons and Adventures of Brian Linton Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:13:56 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Brian http://brianlinton.com/local-or-global-outsourcing-knowing-when-to-go-global-and-when-to-stay-local/comment-page-1/#comment-1012 Brian Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:47:16 +0000 http://brianlinton.com/?p=1044#comment-1012 MrData, I really appreciate your thoughtful comment here. You make a lot of good points but in my belief, you are incorrect in stating that Chinese workers "in most cases" make no wages at all. I think the globalization of the world has helped countries like China rise out of poverty by providing jobs and a source of income. Yes, they are not making as much as western factories may pay, but their cost of living is much lower. I for one, am happy to support overseas manufacturers and know that, yes, some factory boss is making a killing (which is the case for any successful owner/entrepreneur running a business), but the workers ARE getting paid and many of their lives are better because of the jobs a factory provides. You are right in stating that manufacturing overseas is not completely eco-friendly because of the transportation of the product over long distance, but at the same time you have to realize that local manufacturers in the US do not even make many of the products we as a nation consume. And, if they do, they are not at the price that anyone wants to pay. This is probably the biggest problem with outsourcing...and one I don't have an answer to. Things you can do to assure you reduce your carbon footprint when manufacturing overseas is 1. control the packaging of your products to use the lease amount of plastic possible, or none at all 2. Make sure the factory you are using is in compliance to all environmental standards you choose to follow 3. Evaluate the pros and cons of overseas manufacturing...obviously if you can do it for the same cost locally, you won't outsource. MrData, I really appreciate your thoughtful comment here. You make a lot of good points but in my belief, you are incorrect in stating that Chinese workers “in most cases” make no wages at all. I think the globalization of the world has helped countries like China rise out of poverty by providing jobs and a source of income. Yes, they are not making as much as western factories may pay, but their cost of living is much lower. I for one, am happy to support overseas manufacturers and know that, yes, some factory boss is making a killing (which is the case for any successful owner/entrepreneur running a business), but the workers ARE getting paid and many of their lives are better because of the jobs a factory provides. You are right in stating that manufacturing overseas is not completely eco-friendly because of the transportation of the product over long distance, but at the same time you have to realize that local manufacturers in the US do not even make many of the products we as a nation consume. And, if they do, they are not at the price that anyone wants to pay. This is probably the biggest problem with outsourcing…and one I don’t have an answer to. Things you can do to assure you reduce your carbon footprint when manufacturing overseas is 1. control the packaging of your products to use the lease amount of plastic possible, or none at all 2. Make sure the factory you are using is in compliance to all environmental standards you choose to follow 3. Evaluate the pros and cons of overseas manufacturing…obviously if you can do it for the same cost locally, you won’t outsource.

]]> By: MrData http://brianlinton.com/local-or-global-outsourcing-knowing-when-to-go-global-and-when-to-stay-local/comment-page-1/#comment-1002 MrData Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:39:42 +0000 http://brianlinton.com/?p=1044#comment-1002 I also forgot to mention if the countries like China that are shipping us products ever have unstable wars/revolutions for more freedom/rights they will cease industry to all of us to serve THEIR PEOPLE first and that's the way it should be because it's their country and not ours. I also forgot to mention if the countries like China that are shipping us products ever have unstable wars/revolutions for more freedom/rights they will cease industry to all of us to serve THEIR PEOPLE first and that’s the way it should be because it’s their country and not ours.

]]> By: MrData http://brianlinton.com/local-or-global-outsourcing-knowing-when-to-go-global-and-when-to-stay-local/comment-page-1/#comment-1001 MrData Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:37:30 +0000 http://brianlinton.com/?p=1044#comment-1001 I am not into businesses talk very much but the *common sense* rules and from personal observation says that manufacturing overseas provides more harm then good to both consumers and the environment. For starters it's MUCH more environ friendly to manufacture from home because you do not need to transport you're products as large of a distance which leaves less *carbon footprints* as you put/stated it. I know it's not relevant but: If we drilled for oil here in America think of how less/little oil will be spilled in the ocean via transport as a result of no oversea accidents and the poor fishes wouldn't have to breath in that crap! But that's a different subject I won't/cannot get into here. I just want to say we have safety techniques for drilling oil here in America where we can drill deep and go SIDEWAYS underground for MILES and miles without leaving oil spills. Having manufacturing overseas provides less jobs here in America as all the local companies will go out of business putting/have put MILLIONS AND MILLIONS out of work which now they will have to flip burgers and ring cash registers in the service sector! If you go into any department store and look at the back label of something/anything you'd be surprised at how LITTLE things are made in America as in nothing! :o Here in America we have high-quality checking on how safe a product is compared and so does Japan which it's part of their culture to take a lot of pride on what they make. *long story short* Every product we have ever gotten from Japan has in most cases exceeded expectations of lifetime and I still wonder how they do it. You WON'T believe all the news stories in the last 5 years alone on how products are getting recalled because of lead poisoning due to a lack of quality control/inspection checks in places like China/Kora.etc Even *Thomas The Train toys* were recalled I heard once and I think it happened around one of the christmases causing frustration for many parents/children alike. Remember China they don't pay their works very high wages and in most cases NO WAGES AT ALL! Most just work for food/credit so they can get home to their family in one piece after working very long hours doing boring/tedious tasks. They don't really CHOOSE what they do/work unlike here in America which we are not becoming that much different either in the long run. I am done with my little rant as I absolutely HATE IT when people say such lies at how oversea businesses are good when that's a bunch of bull. I am not into businesses talk very much but the *common sense* rules and from personal observation says that manufacturing overseas provides more harm then good to both consumers and the environment.

For starters it’s MUCH more environ friendly to manufacture from home because you do not need to transport you’re products as large of a distance which leaves less *carbon footprints* as you put/stated it.

I know it’s not relevant but:

If we drilled for oil here in America think of how less/little oil will be spilled in the ocean via transport as a result of no oversea accidents and the poor fishes wouldn’t have to breath in that crap! But that’s a different subject I won’t/cannot get into here.

I just want to say we have safety techniques for drilling oil here in America where we can drill deep and go SIDEWAYS underground for MILES and miles without leaving oil spills.

Having manufacturing overseas provides less jobs here in America as all the local companies will go out of business putting/have put MILLIONS AND MILLIONS out of work which now they will have to flip burgers and ring cash registers in the service sector!

If you go into any department store and look at the back label of something/anything you’d be surprised at how LITTLE things are made in America as in nothing! :o

Here in America we have high-quality checking on how safe a product is compared and so does Japan which it’s part of their culture to take a lot of pride on what they make. *long story short*

Every product we have ever gotten from Japan has in most cases exceeded expectations of lifetime and I still wonder how they do it.

You WON’T believe all the news stories in the last 5 years alone on how products are getting recalled because of lead poisoning due to a lack of quality control/inspection checks in places like China/Kora.etc

Even *Thomas The Train toys* were recalled I heard once and I think it happened around one of the christmases causing frustration for many parents/children alike.

Remember China they don’t pay their works very high wages and in most cases NO WAGES AT ALL! Most just work for food/credit so they can get home to their family in one piece after working very long hours doing boring/tedious tasks.

They don’t really CHOOSE what they do/work unlike here in America which we are not becoming that much different either in the long run.

I am done with my little rant as I absolutely HATE IT when people say such lies at how oversea businesses are good when that’s a bunch of bull.

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