What is Bookkeeping?
What is bookkeeping?Bookkeeping refers to the process of recording transactions to general and special journals and posting these transactions to their respective ledgers. Bookkeeping is an important record-keeping function of financial accounting that is essential in a duly-registered business of any kind.
This should be done by applying generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) for US companies.
The bookkeeping function consists of the first three steps of the accounting cycle: analyzing transactions, recording transactions in the general journal, and posting the transactions to the ledger. Most businesses outsource bookkeeping because hiring bookkeepers is expensive and most small-medium businesses don’t do large volumes of transactions per day.
Outsourcing bookkeepingThe bookkeeping function is best outsourced in order to keep administrative costs low while helping small businesses grow and become stable. Another advantage is that you are assured that you are working with a skilled and competent professional that has the appropriate experience and educational background for the job.
Outsource Accelerator provides you with the best bookkeeping outsourcing companies in the Philippines, where you can save up to 70% on staffing costs.
What are some of bookkeeping’s best practices?Bookkeeping is one of the most important processes in a company. Here are some of the best practices in bookkeeping that you might want to consider:
Use the services of an expertIf you don't want to perform your own bookkeeping for any reason, you don't have to worry about it. There are a lot of vendors who can provide you with bookkeeping services.
If you choose to outsource your bookkeeping, you should look for a reliable and reputable freelancer or a company. Professional accountants can save you a significant amount of money in taxes because of their extensive knowledge of tax regulations.
Monitor expenses with accounting softwareYour business budgeting should be thoroughly tracked down. Many companies document their expenses daily or weekly. They also save receipts to keep track of expenses.
Daily bookkeeping duties will take a lot of time if you don't have good core accounting software. As your firm grows, this load will only get heavier if you don't use technology.
There is a lot of time involved in daily bookkeeping tasks if you don't have suitable accounting software. If you don't employ technology, this burden will only rise as your company expands.
Get your finances under controlYou may monitor your business's cash balances by comparing your bank account balance to the register in your accounting software. Use the software's reconciliation feature each month to ensure that you don't miss any duplications, circular reference transfers, or other irregularities.
Make preparations for taxesThe end of the financial year is a critical time to pay attention to your tax obligations. Your firm could be in serious tax trouble if you overlook business's expenses.
Preparing taxes in advance avoids any unpleasant surprises during the tax payment period. Use an accounting system that properly tracks all loans and revenue streams to ensure that your company is paying taxes on time.
What is Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT)?
What is Build-Operate-Transfer?Build-Operate-Transfer is an arrangement found in the outsourcing industry and across other sectors in a technical sense, is a type of concession arrangement wherein ‘Entity A’ delegates the right to build and operate a particular project ‘Entity B’ within a certain period.
This timeframe allows Entity B to recuperate their investment and profits while Entity A gets a more established business after the turnover.
The BOT setup is typical for government projects such as infrastructure. A common example would be the construction of expressways where the government gives the right to build and operate the expressway in favor of a private business.
In return, the private entity shall finance the project and enjoy the revenues they can derive within the contract frame. After the given period, the private entity shall be obliged to transfer the ownership back to the government.
How Build-Operate-Transfer contracts work?A private business is granted a concession by a government to finance, develop, and run a project under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract. Once the corporation has recouped its investment, the government assumes management of the project and runs it for a set amount of time.
In general, BOT contractors are organizations founded for a specific project and only for that reason. A single offtake purchaser often provides all of a contractor's revenue during the project period, when the project is being operated.
This may be a state-run or government-owned business.
Build-Operate-Transfer in outsourcingA Build-Operate-Transfer arrangement enables entities with limited capital and financing to implement their projects with the help of another entity who is willing to start the project.
This type of outsourcing gives way to a broader range of resources and talent, which could contribute to a better and well-thought-out project - read our full BOT article for more information.
A BOT arrangement can take on many forms, but in its simplest and most common form, it is the mutual understanding that a BPO will help build a team and operations for a client and that one day, the client might take that team out on their own and incorporate, or become a 'captive'.
Outsource Accelerator can help set up your BOT arrangement with the outsourcing supplier to ensure that the best terms and prices are provided for your business.
What is Automated Clearing House (ACH)?
What is the Automated Clearing House (ACH)Automated Clearing House (ACH) refers to a network of financial transactions that specializes in coordinating and clearing electronic payments and transfers. This is popularly known as direct deposit, direct pay, or electronic check. With this, high-volume payments or transfers can be processed easily.
The National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) currently handles this network in the United States since 1974 and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is its counterpart in the Philippines.
ACH payments in businessesACH payments in businesses are done through bank transfers from one’s business checking account to another. Payments are usually sent and received within three days. ACH fees may also apply, depending on the volume of transactions done.
Outsource Accelerator provides you the best outsourcing companies in the Philippines, where you can save up to 70% on staffing costs. We have over 3,000 articles, 200+ podcast episodes, and a comprehensive directory with 700+ BPOs… all designed to make it easier for clients to learn about, and engage with, outsourcing.
What is What is business process outsourcing??
What is business process outsourcing (BPO)?Business process outsourcing (BPO) is the practice of contracting a third-party provider to run a defined business function such as customer support, payroll, accounting, or IT helpdesk. The provider takes ownership of the people, process, and technology, and bills you on a per-seat, per-transaction, or fixed-fee basis.
BPO sits at the intersection of labour arbitrage and operational focus. You hand off a non-core function to a specialist that can run it cheaper, faster, or better, and your in-house team gets to concentrate on what actually moves the business.
The category covers everything from a 4-seat phone team in Cebu answering after-hours calls for a US plumbing firm, to a 5,000-seat captive in Manila handling global claims processing for a Fortune 500 insurer. Same idea, very different scale.
If you've used Apple support, ordered from Amazon, or paid with Wells Fargo, you've talked to a BPO provider — you just didn't know it.
How it worksA BPO engagement runs in three layers: contract, transition, and steady state. You scope the function, sign a service level agreement that locks in response times, quality thresholds, and pricing, then transition the work through documented playbooks and parallel runs before the provider takes the keys.
Pricing usually falls into one of four shapes:
Model
How you pay
Best for Per FTE (seat)
Fixed monthly rate per agent
Steady-volume work like inbound support Per transaction
Set fee per call, ticket, or invoice
Variable-volume back-office tasks Outcome-based
Tied to a KPI like CSAT or collections
Mature processes with clean metrics Hybrid
Base FTE rate plus variable bonus
Long-term partnershipsLocation choice drives most of the savings. Sending work to the Philippines or India (offshoring) typically cuts loaded labour cost by 50–70% versus a US in-house team. Sending it to Mexico or Colombia (nearshoring) trims 30–50% while keeping you in roughly the same timezone. Keeping it domestic (onshoring) protects timezone and language fit but barely moves the cost needle.
The provider absorbs the recruiting, training, real estate, tech stack, and compliance burden. You absorb the vendor-management overhead and the risk that comes with handing a function to an outsider.
ExamplesThe global BPO market hit roughly USD 347.95 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow at a 10.05% CAGR through 2035, according to Precedence Research. That growth is concentrated in a handful of hubs and a handful of named buyers.
Google has used Philippine and Indian BPO partners since 2016 for content moderation, ads review, and customer support — a quiet workforce that scales with each product launch. Meta contracts Accenture and TaskUs in Manila for content moderation; the work pulled enough scrutiny in the early 2020s that Meta eventually broadened its provider base across multiple regions. Wells Fargo has operated a Manila back-office hub since 2011, handling mortgage processing, AML checks, and treasury operations for the US parent. JPMorgan Chase runs large captive and outsourced operations in India and the Philippines for KYC, trade settlement, and analytics.The Philippines remains the standout English-language hub. According to the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines, the country's IT-BPM sector generates roughly USD 40 billion in revenue and employs about 1.9 million people, with growth targets pushing past 2.5 million by 2028.
Related terms Outsourcing: the umbrella term; BPO is the back-office and front-office slice that runs whole processes rather than one-off projects. Offshoring: moving work to a distant country (e.g. US to Philippines). A location choice, not a contracting choice. Nearshoring: moving work to a nearby country (e.g. US to Mexico) to keep timezone and culture closer. Knowledge process outsourcing: KPO handles judgment-heavy work like legal research or equity analysis, not transactional tasks. Call center: one delivery format inside BPO, focused on inbound or outbound voice. Back office: the non-customer-facing operations layer that BPO most commonly absorbs. Service level agreement: the contract clause that defines what "good" looks like in a BPO deal. FAQ What is business process outsourcing in simple terms?BPO is paying another company to run a piece of your business for you, usually a repeatable function like answering support calls, processing invoices, or managing payroll. You keep the brand and the strategy; they run the operation.
What is the difference between BPO and outsourcing?Outsourcing is the broad category — anything you contract out, including one-off projects. BPO is the subset where a provider runs an ongoing, defined business process end-to-end, typically with its own staff, systems, and SLAs.
Is BPO only about cost savings?No. Cost is the entry argument, but mature buyers cite access to specialist talent, 24/7 coverage, faster scaling, and freeing in-house leaders to focus on growth as bigger long-term wins. See the directory of vetted providers on Clutch for how the market positions itself today.
What functions do companies outsource most often?Customer support, IT helpdesk, finance and accounting, payroll, HR administration, content moderation, and data entry top the list. Higher-judgment work like legal research, equity analysis, and medical coding has shifted to KPO providers over the last decade.
Which countries dominate the BPO industry?The Philippines leads voice and customer experience, India leads IT and analytics, and Latin America (Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica) leads nearshore work for North American buyers. Eastern Europe serves Western European clients on similar terms.
How do I choose a BPO provider?Match scale to your volume, check for relevant compliance (ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC 2), ask for two reference clients in your industry, and pilot a small scope before committing to a multi-year contract. Walk away from any provider that won't share agent attrition data.
Ready to scope a BPO partner? Outsource Accelerator lists 4,000+ vetted providers across the top global hubs — use the directory to shortlist, compare pricing, and book intro calls without paying a referral fee.
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