Last week I read in the business section of the New Indian Express about DTP BPO opportunities. This article brought back the memories of a DTP operator that I had met in New Delhi. Last year I visited New Delhi to get my visa renewed. I did not have a passport size photograph to attach with my visa application form. So, I went to a small photo studio cum DTP center that was just opposite to the hotel where I was staying in.
The owner of the photo studio was sleeping in his seat. There was only one assistant and she was playing several roles including that of photographer, DTP operator, cashier and scavenger.
I asked Manimala - that was her name, "What is your qualification? What is the exact nature of your work here?" She replied, "I am a B.A. (Economics) graduate. After completing my education, I tried to get a job. Fifteen years of education did not give me employable skills. So, I could not get even a low paid job. Then I borrowed a few books on desk top publishing from a local library and acquired the DTP skills through self-learning process. Now I am working here for Rs.5,000 a month."
She requested me to wait for thirty minutes so that she could attend to other customers, work on the negative of my photograph and then give me copies of my photograph. Within fifteen minutes I realized that she had extraordinary talent in working on Desk top publishing software programs such as QuarkXpress, InDesign and PageMaker. She was an adept in PhotoShop too.
"How did you manage to learn how to use so many programs?" I asked her. She said, "Initially I learnt how to use InDesign well. As all DTP programs use more or less same concepts, later, I was able to gain knowledge in all popular DTP programs easily."
I said, "You are like Hanuman, It is said that Hanuman never understands the power and the strength of his tail. You have not understood that you have wonderful income opportunities because you have an excellent working knowledge in sophisticated DTP programs. If you make use of those opportunities, you will be able to earn in five digits in stead of four digits." Manimala said, "That sounds great. But I am not an engineer or a professional. Who will hire me and pay me well? I think what I am getting now is the maximum I could ever get in my present circumstance."
I was not happy with her attitude. I said, "All our financial difficulties have their roots in such limiting thoughts and silly ideas. If you give them up, you will prosper. I am sure you have heard about BPO. The businesses in the developed countries hire workers in developing countries to execute business processes that can be done remotely. Though the remuneration they pay is low in developed countries, it is high by the income standards in developing countries. Desk top publishing is a process that can be done from a remote workstation. At present you are working 10 hours a day and are earning Rs.20 per hour. However if you take up DTP BPO work you can earn $5 an hour, more than Rs.200 per hour."
"That means I can earn Rs.50,000 a month!" exclaimed Manimala. "Don't be excited. You can achieve it only if you get work regularly from big customers. Otherwise you will make only a few hundreds. If you think practically and work hard, you can earn Rs. 5,000 more. That should be your immediate goal," I tried to cut short her wild imagination.
"How do I get such work?" I was expecting that question from her. "Use search engines such as Google and find out how others get work. Advertise your services in forums and auction websites. Follow their methods. If you have friends in the United States or the United Kingdom, seek their help to market your services," I said.
After three months Manimala wrote to me: 'I advertised my services in many forums without reading the rules and I got banned promptly. Then I advertised through auction websites and the response was poor. One of my cousins is working as a doctor in the United Kingdom. When I told her about my new venture, she asked me to prepare her research paper in InDesign and paid me Rs.2,000 for 5 hours work. It was just 25 Euros for her. Her recommendation has brought 6 new clients - all of them are doctors - to me. I am sure that these new clients and their references will work wonders for my business.'