Business outsourcing: Hype versus reality

A Harvard Business Review paper titled ‘KenCall – Can Nick Nesbitt’s Venture Succeed in Kenya?’ notes that these were just a few of the challenges – Mr Nesbitt had experienced dozens more obstacles in setting up his business process outsourcing (BPO) centre.PHOTO: COURTESY

By the time KenCall launched in Kenya in 2004, Nick Nesbitt could be said to have seen it all.

He had been ripped off by consultants that were supposed to help set up the call centre, had dealt with a government that vaguely understood his business, spent a hefty amount of cash that left him broke, and all this took a toll on relations with his family.