The Secret Sauce of Outsourcing

The SSS benefit is optional, but it's a good benefit to give because it can have a big effect on your OFS (Online Filipino Specialist) life. I'll explain what your OFS can get from it and how we deal with SSS with our team in this episode.

I want to start this episode with a  disclaimer. I am not an accountant or a lawyer. You shouldn't listen to me. Always consult your accountant or attorney. I just want to share how I deal with taxes concerning my OFS team. We've been dealing with taxes on our Filipino team for years.  It's not that complicated.  You're hiring an independent contractor. There's no tax liability on y...

When I first started outsourcing in the Philippines, their internet was not good. For years, the Philippines had a bad reputation for having the slowest internet in South East Asia.  But in recent years, their internet speed has gotten better. Some of my OFS even use mobile data regularly for work. Let's talk about that in this episode.

Once you hire the right Online Filipino Specialist (OFS), it can change your life. That's why hiring a worker there is still worth it despite all the natural disasters in the Philippines.  There are ways to mitigate the impact of disasters on your OFS. In this episode, I'll show you the four ways you can "disaster-proof" your OFS.

If you know a Filipino or you're tried hiring an Online Filipino Specialist, chances are you have encountered someone who lives or has lived in Manila. It gives you the impression that Manila is a massive place covering most of the Philippines.  In reality, Manila isn't that big. There's also a good reason why so many people work and live in Metro Manila. Let's talk about that. If you wanna s...

It's back-to-school season in the Philippines. After 2 years of online classes, they're back in the classroom, and back-to-school shopping is now more of a challenge. Let's talk about that in this episode.

The Philippine government just released the list of 2023 holidays. We're going to talk about that in this episode. To integrate that list into your calendar, click on the link below. https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/lcvk4qcjgj299mlqs7b02b7pmk%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics You should also check out how we deal with paid time off and holiday pay here: onlinejobs.ph/holidays

One thing you'll find in a lot of Filipino homes is the banig. It's a colorful woven mat that's traditionally used for sitting and sleeping. Now they use it for a lot of other things too. Let's talk about it. If you want to see what a banig looks like, check out my blog post: https://johnjonas.com/the-charming-filipino-banig/

Hiring an Online Filipino Worker that already has another job is not ideal but sometimes it's your only option. But if this person is a good fit for you and your business, there are ways to make it work. Let's talk about it.

When I hired my first Filipino worker, I was scared. I didn't know if I had enough work to keep them busy. I didn't know if I'd be able to afford to pay them. Years later, I realized that hiring my first worker and having those first changed how I thought about things. That's what made me a better business owner and boss. It's that change in mindset that allowed me to enjoy the lifestyle that I ha...

Let's talk about the disappearing Filipino. This is what happens when your Filipino worker just ghosts you or disappears. Stops responding to messages completely.  It usually happens in specific situations, and there are ways you can avoid this. I'll explain in detail in this episode.

Knowing the basics of Philippine geography can help you when you're outsourcing. You'll know if your OFS is affected by a natural disaster. It makes it easier for you to relate to them because you can find where they live on a map. Let's talk about that in this episode. To learn more about Philippine work culture, check out my book at OutsourcingLever.com.

Every once in a while, I monitor the USD/PHP exchange rate. Major fluctuations in the exchange rate can affect how much your OFS receives. If the US dollar is strong, they get a lot more. If the dollar's weak, they could lose a significant portion of their income. Let's talk about that.

One of the things I consistently outsource is writing. It's not that I can't do it; I just hate doing it. It wears me out mentally and physically. It was a relief when I finally got to outsource writing, but I knew it could be better. I'll share my process with you in this episode. If you're interested in learning how I hire writers, check out my course at https://www.onevaaway.com/.

I started using Basecamp in 2005 to organize my work. This was before I even started outsourcing. When I hired my first Filipino worker, I taught him how to use Basecamp for work. Now, my team uses it for everything. Today, I will talk about how we use Basecamp and how you can use any project management system with your Online Filipino Specialist. Here's a link to the video: https://www.youtube.co...

I'm not a big movie guy, but I know a lot of people are really into superhero movies. I know a lot of Filipinos are into it. It's a big part of their culture, and it's really interesting. let's talk about that in this episode.

I know this episode is late, but it's an integral part of Philippine history and culture, so we're talking about it in this episode. If you want to be up to date on Philippine holidays, you can subscribe to our Google calendar. We just updated it to include the 2023 holidays! https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=lcvk4qcjgj299mlqs7b02b7pmk%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=Asia%2FManila

This news is a little outdated, but I want to take this opportunity to talk about typhoons in the Philippines and how they can affect your OFS. Do typhoons affect the entire country? How bad can it be? Let's talk about that.

I don't like Facebook. I don't log into Facebook. But I do a lot of Facebook ads. My OFS team does most of the work for me.  Want to know how we do it? I'll talk about our process in this episode.

I get a lot of questions about benefits and how much I pay for them per year. I'm going to answer that question in this episode. But it would be good if you also check out how I did the math in my blog post: https://johnjonas.com/whats-the-ballpark-cost-for-ofs-benefits/ . We have another blog post that talks about these benefits in greater detail. https://blog.onlinejobs.ph/how-to-compute-for-fil...

You've outsourced tasks you know how to do and it's off your plate. Now, you want to outsource something you don't know how to do. Want to know how to do it? Let's talk about that in this episode.

Jonathan emailed me an interesting question that I think is relevant to everyone hiring OFS. I'm going to answer that question in this episode because I think it'll provide us with some good insight into what banking is like in the Philippines.

Most houses in the Philippines nowadays are cookie cutter. They live in townhouses and condos. But back then, houses had character and were built to work with the climate. Want to know more about it? That's what we'll be talking about in this episode.

Are you having a hard time hiring an Online Filipino Specialist? You may be making these six mistakes. Know what these are and how you can avoid them in this episode. Want to be better at hiring an OFS? Find out how you can make hiring easier with OneVAAway.com

Every culture has its superstitions. When I lived in Brazil for two years as a missionary, they used to put a 2-liter bottle full of water on top of their home's power meter to lower their electricity bill. The Philippines have superstitions, and it's interesting to hear about them. Let's talk about that in this episode.