In businesses, support roles typically are expected to stay invisible. When they function well, they disappear into the background, quietly holding operations together. But over the last few years, as companies leaned more heavily on remote teams and navigated unpredictable staffing gaps, the importance of these roles began to stand out.

What businesses needed wasn’t just outsourcing; it was consistency. A team that could work across time zones without losing context. People who weren’t just skilled but trained to stay.

Zimworx was built in response to that need, providing remote staffing solutions to businesses across the U.S. and the UK, with full-time teams operating from Zimbabwe, Zambia and Costa Rica. The model isn’t centered around volume or quick deployment. It’s designed to integrate, grow, and last.

The idea behind these two leading firms came from J.W. Oliver Jr, the Managing Partner who spent years running businesses of his own before designing one that others could rely on.

Learning Through Work

J.W. didn’t begin his career in outsourcing. His first ventures were local, hands-on, and mostly built from scratch. He sold snacks in elementary school, opened a skatepark, and even a gym. Each venture looked different, but they had one thing in common: the need to figure things out as they happened.

“There was no grand plan,” he says. “I just paid attention to what worked and why.”

The outcomes weren’t always perfect, but the learning was constant. He picked up what it meant to handle risk, how to manage people with limited resources, and what to let go of when systems stopped serving the work. Those instincts, built over time, are what shaped how Zimworx were eventually designed—not as businesses that needed him in the middle of everything, but as ones that could stand on their own.

Designed to Last

The first thing that sets the model apart is what’s missing. There are no freelancers, no temporary contracts and no rotating pool of anonymous workers. Every team member at Zimworx is a full-time “Taam Member”, hired with a long-term view in mind.

“This wasn’t a branding decision. It was operationa.”  He saw early on that businesses needed more than just help. They needed people who understood their systems, stayed long enough to improve them, and required minimal handholding over time.

The large majority of the team is based in Zimbabwe, where the companies have established a steady recruitment pipeline and internal training programs. Employees are placed with clients only after they’ve completed a rigorous onboarding process tailored to match the culture and workflow of the businesses they’ll be supporting.

That consistency on the backend is what allows clients to treat these teams not as external resources but as extensions of their own.

The 51: More Than a Number

At the core of the business structure is something called “The 51”. It is a principle that directs 51 percent of company profits toward employee support, education initiatives, and community development. It’s not a campaign or a quarterly program. It is built into the financial model.

The idea came from a simple belief. If people are central to how a business works, then their growth and well-being should be part of how the business measures success.

“There was no reason it had to be separate,” says J.W., “If it matters, it should be in the system.”

The funds go toward a range of initiatives, from internal leadership development and continuing education to external partnerships with nonprofits and service-focused organizations. Employees are encouraged to grow beyond their roles and to contribute to decisions that shape the direction of their teams.

Local Teams, Global Consistency

With delivery teams based in Zimbabwe and clients based in the U.S. and the UK, Zimworx operates across time zones, languages, and expectations. But rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach, the companies have built their systems to reflect both consistency and context.

While operations follow clear standards, the day-to-day work leaves room for local ownership. Team leads are developed internally, communication flows are kept lean, and clients have direct access to their assigned teams. The goal is not just alignment but trust.

When it comes to recruitment, it happens on the ground, through partnerships with local institutions and networks. New hires are trained in both technical skills and workplace expectations, helping them navigate not just the work but the culture of the clients they support. That detail makes a difference.

The model is still evolving. But its results have been steady. Clients tend to stay as do Team Members. Teams tend to grow. And the lines between where a company ends and where its support team begins are getting less visible.

A Leadership Style That Steps Back

J.W.’s presence in the company is deliberate but never centralised. He sets the direction, builds the structure, and creates the space for others to lead. His focus isn’t on the daily details. It’s on making sure that others have the tools to manage those details themselves. A true visionary!

There are routines, of course. From journaling, reading to staying in touch with his team, he has a list of things to stay abreast. His leadership style is shaped by early experiences in running small teams, where trust wasn’t a value on a poster. It was the only way to make things work.

“You can’t build anything sustainable and growing rapidly, if you’re in the middle of every decision,” he says.

The same philosophy guides how roles are designed within the company. Managers are encouraged to take ownership, set expectations, and learn from outcomes. There are systems in place, but they are not rigid. The structure holds, and the people inside it are expected to move with it.

Built for Stability

Growth has never been the sole driver behind every decision at Zimworx. While the company has expanded steadily now to over 1,500 Team Members, the pace has remained deliberate. New clients are brought in when the infrastructure is ready. Teams are scaled only when the right training and leadership are already in place. That kind of discipline is part of what keeps the model consistent.

It also reflects a broader view of success. For J.W., stability carries more weight than visibility and service consistency matter more than volume. That mindset has helped the teams avoid the usual trade-offs that come with scaling too quickly, like high turnover or unpredictable service quality.

Instead of relying on large leaps, the companies focus on small, continuous improvements. Better onboarding, smarter internal feedback loops, and training programs that grow with each team- these are not dramatic shifts, but they create momentum that lasts.

The Road Ahead

Looking ahead, the direction is clear. There is room to enter new verticals, explore more specialized roles, and expand partnerships, but the foundation will not be adjusted to move faster. The priority will continue to be building a structure that works long term, for both clients and employees.

J.W. prefers not to frame it as a vision. He sees it more as a commitment. If something works, it is because the right systems support it. If people stay, it is because they are part of a structure that respects their time and role.

“You do not have to complicate growth,” he says. “You just have to build something people want to be part of.”

That belief continues to shape how Zimworx grows. Quietly, consistently, and without stepping away from the principles that shaped them in the first place.