Growth, One Desk at a Time: How Flexibility Shaped Direction’s Succes

When David Ross decided to move his business from Australia to the Philippines, he wasn’t just opening

a new office, he was shaping a new kind of offshoring company.

“I’m originally from Australia and I’ve run an accounting firm in Australia for about 25 years and for the

last 10 years, we have been doing offshoring in the Philippines with another BPO,” Ross shares. “It was

kind of time for us to branch out and do it ourselves.”

That decision led to the creation of Direction, a BPO company that combines experience, trust, and a

people-first approach. “I moved over here from Australia and set up our own local corporation and

kicked off as Direction, which is our offshoring arm now in the Philippines,” he adds.

A People-First Approach

Ross envisioned something different from the traditional outsourcing setup. “We’re only a small BPO,”

he explains. “So what we’re about is bringing a little bit of a different aspect to that and really honing in

on client service and training as well.”

For him, it wasn’t about growing fast, it was about growing right. Direction’s goal was to create long-

term value for clients and career growth for its people, proving that even small teams can make a big

impact when flexibility and care guide the way.

From a Spare Room to a Thriving Team

Every business begins somewhere. For Direction, it started simply. “I was actually working from home

when I first came to the Philippines… just in a second bedroom in my condo. So that’s where we’ve

started here,” Ross recalls.

What began as a one-person operation quickly expanded. “We started with one employee and that was

me, and then we very quickly added another team member and then within a month there was another

team member,” he shares.

With each new hire, Direction’s vision became clearer and so did the need for a more professional

space. “We needed the ability to grow by one, grow by two, grow by six and then grow from there,”

Ross says. Flexibility wasn’t just convenient, it was essential to keeping momentum without losing focus.

Finding the Right Space to Grow

As the company grew, Ross began searching for a space that could reflect Direction’s professionalism

while supporting its evolving needs. That’s when they found their way to GreatWork, a space that could

grow with them. “I’d really recommend anybody who’s either looking for the casual cowork style of thing or that flexible need in terms of a dedicated space, I’d really have a look at the guys at GreatWork,” he shares. “It’s a kind of little bit more of a friendly experience.”

“One of the things we do is once we go past the initial interview of team members, we try to get those

team members to then attend their second interview with the client in the office,” he explains.

That physical presence became part of Direction’s identity. “When the team member turns up here,

they’ve got a quality venue that they’re turning up to and they feel like they’re part of something

important.”

The right workspace didn’t just provide desks, it built confidence. “They practically enjoy working in the

office and they really like the proximity to the commuting so being very close to the MRT, on EDSA, it

makes it really easy for them to get to and from,” Ross says.

Growing Forward

Today, Direction continues to expand while staying true to its people-first approach. “We’ve grown to a

nice small team now. Our next step is probably now we’ll be, by this time next year, hopefully around

about four to five times the size we are now,” Ross shares.

And as Direction grows, it’s clear that flexibility will remain a cornerstone of its success. With

GreatWork’s flexible office options, the company is confident it can continue to adapt, expand, and

support its people wherever growth takes them next.

From one desk to many, Direction’s journey shows how growth takes shape through flexibility: one

decision, one opportunity, and one team member at a time.