Don’t Hire a VA, Hire an OFS! (Online Filipino Specialist)

Six months ago, I started using online Filipino specialists when I talk about my team. Sometimes I still call them my VAs out of habit but I haven’t been comfortable with that term for a long time now. I’ve called my Filipino workers ‘virtual assistants’ for years. But lately, the title doesn’t seem to fit […]

What Can Virtual Assistants Do For You? – Practical Advice

It’s time for another practical outsourcing advice! This is one of the many installments for this series of tips and advice where I share what I know about outsourcing, particularly, outsourcing to the Philippines. So, what can Virtual Assistants do for you? I think a better question is: what can’t a VA do for you? […]

Determining an OFS’ English Skills – Practical Advice

It’s time for another practical outsourcing advice! This is one of the many installments for this series of tips and advice where I share what I know about outsourcing, particularly, outsourcing to the Philippines. Let’s talk about English skills. Over the years, I’ve learned a lot from my OFSs. One of them is a trick […]

Case Study: Design and Marketing OFS – A Case Study with Vincent Aguirre

Vincent Aguirre is the owner of Distinct, a marketing and web design company based in Greencastle, Indiana. The bulk of Distinct’s creative work is done in the Philippines by Vince’s capable team of Online Filipino Specialists. Vince shares his experiences of building trust and systems with his team that have contributed to their success. Tell […]

Should You Help Your OFS Financially? – Practical Advice

It’s time for another practical outsourcing advice! This is one of the many installments for this series of tips and advice where I share what I know about outsourcing, particularly, outsourcing to the Philippines. Somebody asked me, “How do you judge when to help someone?” This question stemmed from him being asked by his OFS […]

How Do Pay Raises Work? – Practical Advice

Like any other employee, Online Filipino Specialists have money on their minds. Personally, I want to keep my OFSs so I try to keep them happy. I want to avoid losing my loyal OFSs just because they can make more money elsewhere, so I regularly offer them pay raises. So, how do pay raises work […]

Podcast (Strategy Sprints)

I started outsourcing in 2005. I’ve done it all — hired through Elance, hired contract workers, hire per-project workers, hired people in India — but it just wasn’t working.  Not until I followed a good friend’s advice — outsource to the Philippines. It was the most liberating decision I made.  My first Filipino worker made […]

Should I Pay Hourly or Salary? – Practical Advice

It’s time for another practical outsourcing advice! This is one of the many installments for this series of tips and advice where I share what I know about outsourcing, particularly, outsourcing to the Philippines. One of the most asked questions in outsourcing is: “Do I pay my OFS (Online Filipino Specialist) hourly, or should I […]

Maternity Leave for an Online Filipino Specialist – Practical Advice

It’s time for another practical outsourcing advice! This is one of the many installments for this series of tips and advice where I share what I know about outsourcing, particularly, outsourcing to the Philippines. Let’s talk about maternity leave. Do you know that women in the Philippines are entitled to 105 days of paid maternity […]

Case Study: Virtual Assistants for Ecommerce with Brenda Albano

Brenda Albano is the owner of WholeFamilyProducts.com, WholeFamilyProducts.asia and BeyondFertility.com. She started back in 1998, when Ecommerce was still in its infant stages. Brenda grew her businesses from the ground up while raising and homeschooling five children. Today, Whole Family Products and Beyond Fertility continue to thrive with help from a dedicated team in the […]