As Rural America Onshore Outsourcing (Rural America), prepares for its annual Strategic Planning Meeting (fancy phrase for the meeting where we set big hairy audacious company goals for 2011), I've been contemplating the future of the USA rural onshoring outsourcing industry.

Here are my top five predictions for 2011:

Prediction 1: 2011 will be a banner year for bringing technology jobs back to rural USA.
As market awareness of the rural onshoring alternative to offshoring continues to grow, greater volume of contracts are flowing to the industry leaders. There is a pent-up demand. Using Rural America as an example, the agreements we've signed in the past 45 days are equal to 40% of our 2010's total revenue. This is good news for rural America. This means we will continue to be hiring Talent nationwide.

Prediction 2: Numerous start-ups competitors will launch.
We are seeing numerous early stage companies endeavoring to capture market share. Most will not survive the competitive learning curve leading to profitability. Onshoring outsourcing may sound like a simple business model, but mastering the details to gain customers - trust and repeat business is extremely difficult.

Prediction 3: Onshoring vs. offshoring will be used by state and national politicians in their election campaigns.
This was done in 2010 by Ohio's outgoing governor who mandated that state agencies could not send work overseas. An easy issue to sell to voters that jobs will not go overseas once the candidate is elected.

Prediction 4: Thus, offshoring companies will continue to establish operations in USA either from scratch or by acquiring an existing onshoring company.
The lure of health care and government contracts is also driving this interest. I receive, on average, an inquiry once a month asking if Rural America is interesting in being acquired, merge, or partnership.

Prediction 5: Availability of USA skilled talent will increase.
Just as customer's "C" level executives are becoming aware of USA onshoring, skilled IT, marketing, design, etc. talent is learning about the rural onshoring employment opportunity. Rural America receives over 100 resumes a week and the volume is increasing. We have far more talent available than we can put to work. Rural broadband is enabling rural talent to enter the job market, thus fueling American global competitiveness.

Prediction Bonus for 2012:
"Brick and Mortar" development centers are slowly dying.to be replaced by cost effective mix of micro-centers and telecommuters.