Not everybody is open to the idea of outsourcing.
There are people who are critical of outsourcing, saying it takes jobs away from locals. In my experience though, this isn’t what it’s about at all.
Outsourcing changes lives—yours and the overseas employees working performing the tasks in your business.
Outsourcing isn’t just about going to India. It isn’t about a humongous corporation sending the work of an entire division to a third-world country. It’s about you hiring a person to do your work so you can focus on making more money. It’s about giving yourself more time, freedom and flexibility to do the things that are truly important to you.
And if you’re outsourcing to the Philippines, it’s about giving the Filipinos you hire a better life.
How it all started for me
I received a bachelor’s degree in computer science and worked the first few years of my career as a programmer. But my entrepreneurial spirit drove me to start my own online business. Early on, I began exploring the idea of outsourcing. After trying (and failing) numerous times with India and various freelancing websites, I had the chance to speak with John Bresee, founder of Backcountry.com. What John said to me changed my business and my life. He said,
“When you’re ready to start doing outsourcing, make sure you go to the Philippines with it.”
John also explained why I should outsource to the Philippines instead of India.
“Because in India, when you tell them something and they say ‘yes,’ that means, ‘Yes, I heard something come out of your mouth.’ But it doesn’t mean, ‘Yes, I understood what you said.’”
I always thought outsourcing in one country was the same as the next. What John said to me gave me hope that I might have a better experience with the Philippines compared to what I had in India.
Replacing myself
Shortly after I began outsourcing to the Philippines, my wife was seven months pregnant with our third child. A visit to my wife’s doctor revealed shocking news. She had pre-eclampsia and that if she didn’t go on strict bed rest, our baby and my wife could die. Those words scared me to death.
Nothing is more important to me than my family. At the same time, I had an online business to run. I had a family to provide for. I knew I couldn’t possibly work full time on my business during my wife’s bed rest. I had to focus on her and my family. That’s when I learned just how valuable outsourcing to the Philippines could be.
I called my two Filipino VAs—whom I had hired 18 months earlier—and explained my situation. I told them I needed them to handle all everything that needed to be done in my business. This included writing articles, creating videos, doing the marketing, managing the website, software and blog, and doing customer service, among other things. After that, they took care of EVERYTHING. My Filipino workers essentially replaced me in my own business.
My wife went on bed rest. Over the next weeks, I ran the show at home. And my OFSs kept my business going. I would check in every once in a while. On average, I spent one hour per week working on my business. And what was incredible was the fact that my business didn’t only survive during my absence; it thrived. This all happened because I had set up my business to succeed. I had trained my OFSs to do the things I needed.
It was the start of something special for me and thousands of other business owners.
David’s Story
One of the many business owners I’ve taught is David Solomon. David has built a successful business using OFSs. Not all of his Filipinos have worked out perfectly, but he had one experience that exemplifies just how outsourcing to the Philippines will transform the way you run your business.
David was once taking a much-needed vacation when he got a call from a client who wanted him to set up a website. Rather than work during his vacation or cut it short and come home, David got in touch with his OFS in the Philippines and gave him clear instructions on what he needed to do to satisfy the client’s request.
When he returned home, David was elated to find out that the entire site was nearly complete. The OFS did the job better than expected and had made more progress than David had hoped.
Doing nothing more than mapping out a plan, David’s work got done. In fact, during his three-week vacation with his granddaughters, tasks continued getting done despite his absence. His business flourished. He made money without even having to do a lot of the work. David said his income has tripled since getting an OFS.
How outsourcing will change your business and your life
At one point or another, you may have thought about heading over to Upwork to hire freelance or contract workers. For people who just need an occasional project or two completed, this is a good option.
But eventually, you’re going to need someone to work on long-term, ongoing tasks. That’s why hiring an OFS makes the most sense.
By hiring an OFS, you are building a relationship that will last for years. Filipinos are loyal and hardworking. They rarely quit and almost always go above and beyond. Plus, an Online Filipino Specialist costs a fraction of what you would pay a U.S. contractor or full-time employee. This all adds up to consistent, quality, long-term work at an affordable rate.
When you hire a full-time Online Filipino Specialist, not only do you get more things done—it also gets done better! Someone else is focusing on jobs you don’t have the time for while you work on being the CEO of the business.
Let me give you an example of how Filipinos can automate entire systems for you. I have a couple of Filipino girls who make posts on my personal Facebook account. I have asked them to come up with ways we could use it in our business.
When they sent me their ideas, I filtered through them. I modified the ones I thought were good and then asked them for an action plan to implement them. When they sent me their plans, I went through again. I modified and edited and then sent it back to them and told them to implement the plan.
The result: Today they actively run numerous Facebook campaigns for me. Recently, we had over 1,000 organic new “Likes” on our Facebook page from a campaign that my Filipinos thought up, made a plan for and implemented. Before I had them working for me, this never would have happened. I simply don’t have the time to come up with the plan, write out the posts and then carry out the execution of the plan.
I can have my OFs do the entire process; I’m the CEO guiding it all.
With well-trained Filipinos working hard on day-to-day tasks, you don’t need to worry about every facet of your business. This gives you the time and freedom to focus more on what’s most important to you.
The effect on Filipinos’ lives
To hear that I pay my Filipino workers $400 or $600 a month (and that I teach business owners to do the same) may sound like I’m ripping them off. Can you imagine living on $400 a month in the U.S.? Of course not! But in the Philippines, the cost of living is much lower than it is in the U.S. $600 a month is a pretty good wage.
Giving your OFS a long-term job with reliable pay at a wage that will help them live a more comfortable life. Plus, they’ll have the convenience of working from home, giving them more time with family.
There are numerous examples of Filipinos whose lives have been changed by working as an OFS for a U.S.-based business. One story I’d like to share comes from Joven.
Joven is a husband, a father and a virtual assistant. But before he worked for an American client from the comfort and convenience of his home, he did what many Filipinos do: worked six days a week at a low wage job. Life was complicated for Joven and his wife, as they struggled to find time together and with their young son.
Everything changed when Joven found Onlinejobs.ph.
Joven found work as an OFS earning a good salary. He works five days a week—all from a home office. This allows Joven to take care of his son while his wife is at work. The flexibility of working from home gives Joven something precious: time. He makes his son breakfast. He takes his son to school. He plays with his son when they’re at home together. It’s time he didn’t have before. Its time that most working parents don’t have.
Another benefit to working at home are the cost savings. Joven doesn’t have to spend money on transportation and other costs he would otherwise have if he commuted to work every day. He even picks his wife up from work and to spend more time with her. He even has more time for hobbies like badminton. His life is simply better—much better.
There are thousands of stories like Joven’s. Stories of Filipinos who once went from temporary job to temporary job, struggling to make ends meet. Men and women who now enjoy consistent, long-term work as an OFS. Clearly, outsourcing changes much more than just your business and your life.
Outsourcing changes outlooks
On my visit to the Philippines, I was talking to an employee at a grocery store who told me she would soon be leaving her job and moving to another city. When I asked why she was doing this, she told me it was because her job at the store would last only a few months. She would then move on to another city and take another temporary job, before going to yet another city for short-term work. What a difficult way to live!
An OFS doesn’t have to worry about hopping from place to place. They don’t have to worry about inconsistent pay and an uncertain future. That’s because an OFS knows that long term online work is something they can count on.
Gabby is another OFS who has an inspirational story. When Gabby and her boyfriend moved into their first place together, she had a grueling job at a hospital. After a few months, Gabby got pregnant. The couple was excited but worried about Gabby’s work situation. Her boyfriend wanted her to quit her job and stay home and rest, but Gabby knew they needed the income.
Gabby came across onlinejobs.ph, created a profile and was hired to write articles for a U.S. business. They’re no longer concerned about her grueling job where she’s exposed to sick people every day. Their outlook had completely changed. Now that she could work from home on her own schedule. Gabby continues to earn the money the couple needed without worrying about jeopardizing her baby’s health. She gets more rest because she doesn’t have to commute and her online job was far less physically taxing. Gabby was being paid a good salary and even got a raise and bonuses. Today, life is much different for Gabby than it was before she found Onlinejobs.ph.
Now it’s your turn
Outsourcing isn’t a magic bullet. It’s a system that works but you can’t wave your hand and make it work without effort. It takes time. You have work with your OFS. But if you look at outsourcing as a long-term relationship, you’ll be amazed with the results.
About John Jonas
John helps business owners learn to outsourcing to the Philippines and replace themselves with virtual assistants.
He founded and owns OnlineJobs.ph.
He currently employs 14 amazing Filipino workers full-time and loves every one of them. He lives in Utah, has a wonderful wife, 4 amazing kids, and golfs 4-5 times/week.
Find John at JohnJonas.com and Facebook.
If you liked this you’ll probably also like reading
– 17 Skills Filipinos Are Really Good At
– Philippines Cultural Differences Make Outsourcing Easier
Leave a Reply