Sidestepping the regional talent shortage

Equally, he values his staff relationships and the culture they’ve created with the whole team. So, adopting offshoring wasn’t just about work; it was also about forming genuine connections, "What set The Back Room apart was their approach…encouraging us to treat offshored staff as an extension of our local team." Where some offshore models are focused purely on job-by-job task completion without clients knowing who is doing the work, The Back Room’s model is based on building an extension of your team, that just happens to be in another country. It can help firms change the way they do business, fast.

This suits Peter and the Sidekick team down to the ground. They’ve grown to five offshore team members to support their on-ground team and the benefits have been significant. Peter explained, "With The Back Room's team handling a substantial portion of our accounting workload, our local staff could focus more on client-facing roles." This shift allowed Sidekick Wanaka's onshore team to play to their strengths, focusing on the personal touch they’re known for. Peter sees this partnership as a key component in Sidekick Wanaka’s growth and cost management while maintaining their work-life balance.

Sidekick Wanaka’s story with The Back Room is a testament to how outsourcing when embraced in the right spirit, can do wonders. It’s not just about expanding the team; it’s about enriching the whole work culture. And, focusing on the human connection side of the business enhances productivity as it lifts motivation and loyalty. As Peter attests, ‘we find that being human-centric [versus production resource focused] also enhances the production side.’