Blog Archive

Friday, September 20, 2013

FAQ - WORKING AT HOME

After so many years of not being able to update my blogsite and now I think this is the time,since so many have been asking me "How to Work At Home?", "Where to find work?", and "Is It really worth working Homebased?" I'll be answering those questions in a timely manner.

How to Work At Home? 
First thing you need to know is that, its not like buying something on the grocery store and instantly you find an Online Job. You need to be sure that you got the skills needed to do freelance work. I have here 101 checklist to become a Virtual Assistant. You don't need to be an expert of everything. Just a few skills that you think you are confident that you can handle without supervision is the key here. Also learning is continuous  in this kind of work. You always put in mind that there are millions out there whom you will consider as you competitors.




Email & Schedule Management Tasks
  • 1. Filtering Emails / Managing Spam
  • 2. Database Building / Updating Contacts or CRM
  • 3. Answering Customer Service Emails /Tickets / Chat Support
  • 4. Sending of Greetings eCards, Event Invitations, etc.
  • 5. Calendar Management
  • 6. Appointment Scheduling
  • 7. Travel Arrangement and Planning
  • 8. Reminder Services
File Storage & Organization Tasks
  • 9. Dropbox / Google Drive Organization
  • 10. Data Entry in Word, or Google Docs
  • 11. Creating / Managing Spreadsheets
  • 12. Preparing Powerpoint / keynote Presentations
  • 13. PDF Conversion, Splitting and Merging
Administrative & Blogging Tasks
  • 14. Transcription of Video and Audio Files
  • 15. Simple eBook Layout / Formatting
  • 16. Preparing Online Meeting Minutes
  • 17. Report Creation
  • 18. Forms Creation
  • 19. Document Template Creation
  • 20. Online Research
  • 21. Data Mining & Development / Lead Generation
  • 22. Blog Publishing Management
  • 23. Moderating Blog Comments
  • 24. Adding Tags & Images to Blog Posts
  • 25. Receptionist Duties
  • 26. Voicemail Checking
  • 27. Sending Client Invoices
  • 28. Basic Bookkeeping (MYOB, XERO & Quickbooks)
  • 29. Personal Errands (Purchasing Gifts Online, etc.)
  • 30. Project Management & Training Tasks
  • 31. Project Management Between You and Team members
  • 32. Preparation of Training Materials
  • 33. Training of New Virtual Staff
  • 34. Deadline / Deliverables Tracking
  • 35. Social Media Management Tasks
  • 36. Creating Facebook Fan Pages / Groups
  • 37. Posting and Scheduling Facebook Insights
  • 38. Promoting Facebook Pages
  • 39. Collating and Interpreting Facebook Insights
  • 40. Creating a Twitter Account
  • 41. Managing and Increasing Your Twitter Following
  • 42. Schedule Tweets and Track Mentions and Hashtags
  • 43. Create and Manage LinkedIn Account / Profile
  • 44. Create Pinnable Images on Pinterest
  • 45. Scheduling and Tracking Pins
  • 46. Create and Manage YouTube Account
  • 47. Upload Videos on YouTube
  • 48. Moderating YouTube Comments
  • 49. Uploading Videos to other Video Sharing Sites / Social Media
  • 50. Answer inquiries and Messages on All Channel & Profiles
  • 51. Create Slideshare Presentations
Email Marketing
  • 52. Creating a New List in Email Marketing Software
  • 53. Adding and Removing Subscribers from Lists
  • 54. Creating and Scheduling Broadcast Emails to Promote Content
  • 55. Editing Follow-up Emails and Auto-responders
  • 56. Creating Email Newsletters
  • 57. Editing / Proofreading Emails
ROLE: AUDIO / VIDEO EDITOR
  • 58. Basic Editing of Audio Files
  • 59. Removing Background Noise from Audio and Video
  • 60. Adding Intro’s and Outro’s to Videos
  • 61. Basic Photoshop / Image Editing (Not Graphic Design)
  • 62. Powerpress (Podcasting WP Plugin) Installation
  • 63. Podcast Setup on iTunes
  • 64. Podcast Insertion on Blogpost
  •  
ROLE: CONTENT WRITER
  • 65. Content / Blog Post Creation 66. Guest Blogging / Ghost Blogging
  • 67. SEO Writing
  • 68. Press Release Writing
  • 69. Newsletter Writing
  • 70. Copywriting (Don’t Suggest Sales Copy)
  • 71. Directory Submission
  • 72. Article Spinning
  • 73. Article Marketing
ROLE: SEO / WEB MARKETER
  • 74. Site Analysis
  • 75. Keyword Research for Blog Content
  • 76. Competitor Analysis
  • 77. Landing Page Set-up/Creation
  • 78. Web Master Submission
  • 79. Sitemap Submissions
  • 80. On-page optimization for a post / page (see below example)
  • 81. Off-page optimization for a post / page
  • 82. Social Bookmarking (Digg, Stumble Upon, Reddit, Digg, Delicious)
  • 83. Creating a Social Bookmarking Tracking Sheet
  • 84. Blog Commenting – Off Page Optimization
  • 85. Forum Participation / Moderation
  • 86. Creating Backlinks / Link Buidling
  • 87. Weekly / Monhtly Google Analytics & Traffic Reports
  • 88. Monthly Keyword Ranking Reports
ROLE: GRAPHIC / WEB DESIGNER
  • 89. Designing Logos, Banners, Icons, eBook Covers and Headers
  • 90. Designing Infographics Images (Content Provided)
  • 91. Designing Websites, Creating Mock-Ups
  • 92. Designing Landing / Sales / Opt-In Pages
  • 93. Basic Video Editing (Splicing Intros & Outros with Raw Footage)
ROLE: WEB DEVELOPER
  • 94. Support and Develop WordPress (PHP) Websites
  • 95. Install WordPress PlugIns and Themes
  • 96. WordPress Theme Customization
  • 97. WordPress Functionality and PlugIn Enhancement
  • 98. Site Maintenance / Security and Troubleshooting
  • 99. CRM Integration & Social Media Integration
  • 100. Payment Gateway Integration
  • 101. Install and Support an Email Ticketing System (eg. ZenDesk)
 The only advantage that I have is the experience and the skills being a Virtual Assistant for six years in a row and still counting. 



Where To Find Work/Gig?

Below are the lists of outsourcing companies/providers that are 100% authentic.


  

Tips for finding work/getting hired:
  • 1. Pray...
  • 2. Spread the good news. Always share new ventures that you have cause you might not know that person is in need of a home base job that could save him/her from financial burden. It's a blessing to be shared and the reward is given back to you more abundantly.
  • 3.  Be persistent and consistent in looking for a job that adheres to your skills. 
  • 4. Have the guts/confidence that you have what it takes to carry the assignment well. (Education is the topmost key here. It really pays off when you come from a top caliber school. )
  • 5. Sell out your resume. Be sure that you laid all your cards well that can impress prospective employers. Be there on the interview schedule and always challenge yourself when a test is being given.
  • 6. Don't back out right away. It took me 4 years trying to figure out what to do and how to earn a decent income by being a work at home Mom.

Start browsing and believing that you can get a good paying work online. I hope this can help those who are just starting and be able to find refuge on real work at home issue.

I think I had laid all my cards on where I look for home based "racket". The pay is really good because of dollar-peso conversion, but its labeled cheap as compared to US based online workers. I am re-posting this whenever someone would ask how I got into this kind of work. I hope I was able to help.


Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Real Work AT Home Issue

I want to write about the real work at home issue because a lot of people who are into email marketing, pay per click, online marketing, etc. uses this keyword Work At Home most of the time to gain a few click and gain subscribers, and consumers. This really annoys me especially when what we are searching for is an authentic work at home job that really pays.

I got into online work because of my passion to look after my kids and be with them at home. I worked office base but then I just can't concentrate especially knowing that my daughter is at home. What if she will cry? What if she needs to be caress and hug? What if she is hungry? There are a lot of what if's?

They say it really pays off when you have good friends and you are nice to them. It was my supervisor in Medical transcription who gave me the break to work at home. I started way back 2007 until now I still work for her.She has a direct client in US and I was one of her transcriptionist.

Then follow oDesk. I found out about oDesk through my surfing prowess. I am such an internet jerky. I was like you who would browse on different work at home sites. It lead me to oDesk. After two months of continuously devoting my time on submitting applications I was hired as a junior SEO writer. I have no idea about the work but the employer assured me that she will guide me through it and she is positive that I can do it well. I was able to get a good feedback.

On the side I was working also as a part-time general transcriptionist. An online company that is located here in Cebu City. The pay is just okay and it really did help in our finances. How did I apply? Well you need to open some job sites like Craigslist. A lot of outsource work are being advertised there.

Finally I got hired by Quicktate a California base voicemail transcription company through oDesk. I worked fulltime with them for a year. Then my online prowess started. From Transcription, to content writing, to virtual administrative task, etc.

These are the sites that I go to when I need work that really pays:


                    
                  For now I worked as a Virtual Office Assistant - full-time at  Human Priority, Australia, part-time at DLI Travel - Poland, and part-time also for Embrace Organics, Australia. My employer (Human Priority) referred me to her friend and got me for part time work . Isn't it wonderful? As long as you do your job well and your employer find you brilliant. I think they will keep you for long. I've joined these companies this year 2011 and I was hoping that I'll stay with them till my senior citizen card arrives. Why? Because they're wonderful and the compensation had been a huge factor for being able to send my daughter to a private school and to Kumon Center for learning. My family did survive the hardships of being here in the Philippines. I've asked my husband to be with us (he was a former OFW) because we are able to managed our finances fairly well for now.

                  Tips for finding work/getting hired:
                  • 1. Pray...
                  • 2. Spread the good news. Always share new ventures that you have cause you might not know that person is in need of a home base job that could save him/her from financial burden. It's a blessing to be shared and the reward is given back to you more abundantly.
                  • 3.  Be persistent and consistent in looking for a job that adheres to your skills. 
                  • 4. Have the guts/confidence that you have what it takes to carry the assignment well. (Education is the topmost key here. It really pays off when you come from a top caliber school. )
                  • 5. Sell out your resume. Be sure that you laid all your cards well that can impress prospective employers. Be there on the interview schedule and always challenge yourself when a test is being given.
                  • 6. Don't back out right away. It took me 4 years trying to figure out what to do and how to earn a decent income by being a work at home Mom.

                  Start browsing and believing that you can get a good paying work online. I hope this can help those who are just starting and be able to find refuge on real work at home issue.

                  I think I had laid all my cards on where I look for home based "racket". The pay is really good because of dollar-peso conversion, but its labeled cheap as compared to US based online workers. I am re-posting this whenever someone would ask how I got into this kind of work. I hope I was able to help.