"When everyone else is running for the lifeboats, that's precisely when you should be looking for opportunities to expand," says Ong, with the calm demeanor of someone who has discovered an umbrella factory just as the first raindrops begin to fall.


The Inflation Challenge

Economic pressures are creating a financial vise grip tightening around businesses already struggling with post-pandemic recovery and supply chain disruptions. For many companies, labor costs represent their largest expense category, and these costs are rising faster than any other expenditure.

BruntWork's business model connects companies with skilled overseas talent in the Philippines, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. This model has set up the company to weather economic storms and sail through them with billowing sails. Where others see disaster, Ong sees opportunity.


The Great Cost Recalibration

"Most businesses are approaching inflation all wrong," Ong explains, leaning forward as if sharing a state secret. "They're trying to pass costs onto consumers who are themselves feeling the pinch, or they're cutting corners on quality. Both strategies are short-sighted."

Ong advocates for what he calls strategic cost recalibration, his fancy way of saying "find high-quality talent at a fraction of the price." BruntWork's clients typically see significant cost reductions when they shift certain operations overseas without sacrificing quality.

Today's outsourcing companies have changed beyond frustrating language barriers and questionable work quality. Sophisticated talent hubs now feature highly educated, English-fluent professionals who can handle everything from customer service to software development.

"We're not talking about cutting corners," Ong insists. "We're talking about cutting costs while maintaining or even improving quality. It's like finding out your favorite designer brand is having an 80% off sale. It’s the same product, just dramatically lower price."


The Remote Revolution Accelerant

Economic pressures have become the gasoline poured on the flames of the remote work revolution that the pandemic initially sparked. Companies that were hesitant to embrace remote work now see it as a lifestyle accommodation and a financial imperative.

"The pandemic taught us that work is something you do, not somewhere you go," says Ong. "Inflation is now teaching us that talent is something you access. And it doesn’t necessarily mean premium prices."

BruntWork has placed itself at the intersection of these two trends, offering companies a way to tap into global talent pools without the overhead costs of traditional employment


The Resilience Factor

Cost savings initially draw most companies to explore outsourcing, but Ong points out that the benefits go beyond immediate financial relief.

"What we're offering is business resilience," he explains. "When your operational costs are 40-70% lower than your competitors, you have options they don't have. You can invest in innovation, expand your marketing, or just maintain healthier profit margins during economic downturns."

This resilience factor has become attractive as economic uncertainty looms. Companies that diversify their workforce geographically also diversify their economic risk exposure. When one region faces economic challenges, others may remain stable or even thrive.


Talent Without Borders

Critics of outsourcing often point to concerns about job losses in developed economies, but Ong sees the situation differently.

"We're not eliminating jobs, we're redistributing them to create more sustainable business models," he argues. "The alternative for many companies is going out of business entirely."

Outsourcing customer service and other functions often allows companies to reallocate local talent to higher-value activities that can't be easily outsourced. This creates what economists call a skill upgrade cycle that can enhance domestic employment opportunities over time.


The New Global Workforce Model

BruntWork is betting on a shift in how companies think about their workforce. The old model of hiring locally by default is giving way to a more nuanced approach that asks: "Where is the best place in the world to perform this function?"

Highly specialized roles requiring face-to-face interaction might still be best kept in-house. But, a growing number of positions, from administrative support to digital marketing to software development, point overseas.

"We're moving toward a world where your company address and your employee addresses might be on different continents, and that's okay," predicts Ong.


Inflation-Proof Your Business

Ong offers a final thought that encapsulates his philosophy on navigating inflationary pressures: "Inflation is like gravity, it's a force of nature that affects everyone. But as humans built airplanes to defy gravity, smart businesses are using global talent strategies to defy inflation."

Companies facing the crushing weight of rising costs should consider this perspective. Finding ways to reduce costs without sacrificing quality is smart business, one that would spell the difference between bankruptcy and survival in an economy where every percentage point eats away at your bottom line.

Winston Ong would likely point out with his characteristic confidence that the view from the global talent cloud looks remarkably sunny, even when the economic forecast calls for storms.