Moneymakers

I was “plurk”ing today and had the chance to chat with some Work At Home Moms like me. Most of them were into blogging and blog hosting. 2 areas that I have not divulged in.. yet. Although I got some inspiration based on how to do these things, I have to get some education on it. After all, it won’t hurt to be a VA while at the same time have your blogs earning for you, right?

It finally hit me…

Yes, it did. My worst fear finally hit me. 

A couple of weeks ago, I’m officially out of work. Why? I can’t really pinpoint to just one reason. It’s a series of reasons. The business is not doing good, no money reserves, a bad day, office politics, you name it. And I’m only writing about it now because for the last few weeks, I haven’t been my sane self. Too preoccupied on how I can possibly budget what’s left of my money and how I can find another job that pays the same. 

A few days after that tragic moment, I was able to find work. Its another assistant position but pays just a fraction of what I used to earn. I can’t choose ’cause I need to bring food to the table. And this is another reason to be depressed. 

Today, I got a call from another prospect, who in the mean time, pays me little but could possibly be my main catch. Details to follow soon… (wink, wink)

Recession

The past few months have been somewhat like an abyss to me. I could not fully grasp what my future as a virtual assistant to this CEO in Dallas holds. It was such a roller coaster that I’ve always worried that it may not provide for us as long as I wanted to. When I first started, I was earning 4 times my usual office rate. So this is a really good opportunity for me. But when recession finally hit my boss’ company, it was decreased to 2x. Now after a few months, its now down to 1.5x.

This is definitely not good. 

My job description stayed the same, but I had a decrease in salary? No, actually the tasks were increased and expectations were higher but the salary decreased. I just can’t believe it!!! But I have to suck up on it. I have no choice. Its either thisor nothing at all right?

Oh recession, you give the headache!

Another job…

This past week, I’ve been contemplating whether my current stint as a Real Estate PA will even last til next month. And of course, being my only bread and butter, I am worried. But as I’ve always told my husband.. God provides. No matter how harassed I get at times and how bad the economy gets, He always provides for me and my family. A couple of weeks ago, I received an email and IM from one of my past “employers”. He wanted to get my services again as a Customer Service Rep (homebased of course!) for his Real Estate marketing company. A new endeavor for his endless websites and ventures. And he’s just 25!

When I got an email from him this morning, he was already giving me all these logins and procedures for the new gig. =) Yay! I mean, he may not pay me like this current one, but this is another opportunity. And by the way things are going, who am I to say no, right? Right!

Remithome : A Review

A few months ago, our Accounting department told me that Xoom doesn’t work for us anymore due to them asking documents from our Company. Then they found this service called Paystone. It would have been okay too since I just get them from SM Forex or BDO (but most BDO branches — except those in malls — do not know about Paystone) and it only takes a few hours or 1-2 days max. But they stopped doing remittances to the Philippines too. You can find the reason on their website www.paystone.com. So we had to find another service where I can get my weekly pay. 

 They found Remithome. Here are the pros and cons for remithome as I’ve experienced them :

PROS:

1. Fast service. Usually can be picked up on the same day. They also have an expedited service, where you can have it delivered to the beneficiary’s doorstep. Same day.

2. Trackable. Through the website of Asia United Bank (for pickup), you can track your reference number and see if its ready for pickup. Customer service hotlines are also readily available. Their agents know what they’re talking about and they’re very helpful.

3. No nonsense. When you get to the bank, they only ask for your name (they dont even need the reference number.. but it’s always better to bring it) and 2 IDs, and in a few minutes, you go out of the bank smiling.. with cash.

CONS:

1.  Pickup locations are limited. Since they’re partnered with AUB and DBP (both have very few branches), you have no other choice but to travel or have the remitter send it door-to-door. (Luckily, I’m only a few minutes away from one)

2.  Low exchange rate. Compared to the local exchange rate (based on BDO), remithome is usually lower by one peso to a dollar. If you’re getting hundreds of dollars, this will sum up to a big amount. 

So far, these are the things I found out about them. If you have an experience to share, don’t hesitate to leave me message. Cheers! =)

Xoom.com

For the past 2 years (or more), I’ve been using Xoom.com for my remittances/payment. And they work perfectly for me. Why? Here are some good and bad points for this payment mode:

GOOD:

1.) Easy to use. Your client just needs to register (free) on their website and put in his/her info. Their payment portal is Paypal so its pretty secure (in case your clientsask about this) and clients can use their credit card to pay you. No hassle of going to banks or offices.

2.) Accessible local partners. You can get your money through 7-day banking like BDO (mall branches are open on weekends too) or a nearby pawnshop (Cebuana Lhuiller). I prefer the first since I usually invoice my client on Saturday morning (Friday night their time), and having an open bank during weekends is a big convenience for me. Another plus is that they’re open until 7pm (some branches require that you submit remittance slips by 5pm though). You only need 2 Primary ID’s. You can also get your money from SM department store Foreign Exchange or BDO On Site stalls. Some of them takes time especially if a particular branch is new on this type of service. Again, you can go for Cebuana Lhuiller if you don’t like to go the mall anymore. The downside would be their use of dial-up system and usual downtimes. So goodluck.

3.) Low transfer fees. Unlike Paypal, Xoom lets your client pay for the transfer, for a minimal fee, as compared with Western Union.

4.) Fast turnaround. If your client sends his payment today, most likely Xoom will transfer the amount to your local, on the same day. It only takes a few hours. They need some time to verify the card holder and if this is not in any way, a fraud transaction.

Mind you, even if this looks simple, there are still things that would make your head ache. Slow bank service (up to an hour of waiting), stupid personnel (verifies a hundred times your Drivers License WITH OR! or ask if you still work for the company stated on your COMPANY ID), impolite and tactless bankers and customers (think of it this way, you get stuck in the middle of a bank hiatus, with all people inside growling at each other, as if they’re about to eat one another), sloooow system (I’m not sure if this is because of their still-on-dial-up surplus computers or maybe they just want people to wait)

It’s not an easy trade, this virtual assistance thing, I tell ya.

For question, requests or other concers, please contact me. Thanks!

Start Up Virtual Assistant

So now that you have decided to become a virtual assistant yourself, you ask what steps to follow in order to be a  successful one.

Here are some of the things I’ve learned:

1.) You need a really good PC specs if you want this kind of job. Pentium 4 at least. And lots of RAM. And HDD.

2.) You got to have a fast and reliable internet connection. If you still use dial-up, forget it.

3.) Invest on a good headset. I’ve found that Logitech is one of the best ones we have here in Manila.

4.) Find a quiet place inside your house where you can setup your home office. No annoying noise from outside too.

5.)  You have to have a bit of experience. Either working for a US company, or something close to the industry of outsourcing.

6.) You need to speak and write good English, possibly neutral or no accent.

7.) Find out the best way to get your salary. There are institutions like Xoom or Remit2Home for online remittances. Xoom is established in several banks here in the Metro. And there’s always Western Union. Although most employers would not opt for this since the transfer fees are high. They would usually ask if you have a Paypal account. You can set that up by going here and register for free. You need to have a bank account and/or credit card for verification and withdrawal purposes.

8.) Don’t be a fool. Make sure the company you’re working for is legitimate. So many scams on the internet nowadays.

For questions, suggestions and comments, please contact me =)

Joining Technorati

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Being a Virtual Assistant

I have been a Virtual Assistant full time for the past year now, though I have had numerous experience as a customer service representative, sales manager, consultant, trainer, HR and whatnots for different call centers or BPOs found in the metro. I’ve also had a chance to be a homebased transcriptionist (was promoted to Quality Assurance Manager in less than a month) and an English Tutor for call center agent aspirants. 

You can say that I’ve been around.

Now, having this blog is my own means of helping others who would like to become a virtual assistant but don’t know where to start or how. I plan to gather a community of virtual assistants who would share what they know about this budding industry.

So if you feel that you would like to know more or share more, please don’t hesitate to email me and tell me about your own experiences.