I knew I needed to get others to do work, but it just didn’t work for me.

• I tried India…disaster
• I tried US based workers…too expensive, and they quit too quickly
• I tried Elance, Odesk…too frustrating, it’s not automation and still depends on me

Then I found the Philippines.

The day I hired my first Filipino worker was the most liberating day of my life (thanks Kates!).
All of a sudden I was free to focus on things that actually matter in my business.

I never looked back.

I now have 11 people Filipinos for me. I love them. They’re amazing.

This ebook is the story of how I’ve done it and how you can too.

It’s the story of how I’ve replaced myself in my business and how I work the 17 hour work week.

The book is 134 pages (with lots of screenshots).

If 134 pages to change your life is too much of a commitment for you
read this introduction: Outsourcing To The Philippines: What’s it really about?
It’s only 18 pages, but reads a lot shorter than that.

In the books I teach:

• Why outsource to the Philippines and NO WHERE ELSE!
• How to find the best talent.
• How to find great people for $250/month FULL-TIME!!!
• How to have them do the work you’re currently doing.
• How to best leverage your time and money for maximum efficiency
• How to pay people
• What the difficult first task is
• The #1 problem in outsourcing to the Philippines
• The #2 problem in outsourcing to the Philipppins
• How To overcome #1 and #2 problems
• What to have them do for you
• How to find GREAT programmers for $400/month
• How to find GREAT content writers for $250/month
• How to find a project manager for $500/month
• Why you need to become the CEO of your business, and how to do it with Filipino labor
• Use Jing – it will become your best friend
• 22 tips on hiring/managing Filipinos
• What sites to use to search through talent
• Cultural differences to expect
• …I could just go on and on…but you’re wasting time already deciding, when you could be reading the book already

No opt-in required.

Just download it and read it.

It has already changed hundreds of people’s lives.

I Just Hired Another Filipino...

The crazier part was that Nathan actually spent money JUST to thank me for teaching him how to properly outsource!

(I bet his Filipinos created the card for him!)

Here’s the inside of the card:

"I couldn't imagine where my business would be these last years had I not had your help"

Are you going to be next?

It changed Nathan’s business.
It changed Nathan’s family life.
It changed Nathan’s free time.

(Here’s the full scan of the front cover)

"I Just Hired Another Filipino..."

Imagine where your business will
be 2 years from now when you’re
outsourcing like Nathan is.

Let me teach you how to outsource!

In the part 3 of R’s post, he talks about another common problem with outsourcing to the Philippines: Filipino employees who have lost their motivation to work.

This is something that some of you may have experienced. The first few weeks or months with your Filipino were great. He did great work and you received regular updates and emails. Then, slowly, his work started to deteriorate. He’s working less and he’s not updating you as often as he should.

There are a lot of people out there who say Filipino workers are lazy. In most cases, this is completely untrue. A lot of Filipinos are willing to work hard because they want to keep their jobs. They become lazy when they lose motivation to do the work that needs to be done.

Fortunately, we now have insider info on how to fix that problem.

Problem 3: Demotivated Employees

There are times that you hired a Filipino employee and in the first few months they are very productive and after that, their productivity declined. These employees don’t work for other people. They don’t disappear. They keep on working but the difference is their productivity is not the same as the first time you hired them.

Causes:
One thing that can cause this is that they feel they are not doing well in the tasked assigned to them. Maybe they are good at first and for some reasons; they felt they everything they do is a disaster. They become demotivated and fall short in their performance.

Another thing that can cause this is they become bored of what they are doing. When someone gets bored on a certain task, their performance level decreases. This is true to all of us.

Solution:
You need to motivate your employees. They need a little push from you. You can offer incentives when they reached a required goal and see to it that they are really interested on the task they are working on to reach that goal.

You can talk to them about other things, not just work; to know their plans, goals in life, etc. and make them feel that you can help them if they will help you reach a certain goal. I believe only a few employers talk to their employees about personal life. And I don’t know if you are also willing to help your employees improve their way of living. If both of you can talk about other things aside from work, I believe that it is a start of a good relationship. And with a good relationship as a foundation of all these things, the above problems could be avoided.

You can read his other posts here:
1. Problem 1: Employees suddenly disappeared
2. Problem 2: Dishonest Employees
3. Problem 4: Really Bad Employees (this is my favorite, wait until you read his “Causes”)

I can’t guarantee that all the Filipino employees that you’ll encounter are honest and hardworking. There will be bad apples in every bunch. But that shouldn’t discourage you from outsourcing. If you want to be the CEO of your own business and live the 4 hour work week (or the 17 hour work week like me) you need to be able walk away from your business. You need to delegate tasks and hand over the reins to people you can trust.

The problem that R talks about here is probably (and hopefully) the worst that you will encounter. Fortunately, there are ways you can prevent this problem and solutions if you do encounter them. Remember that lasting success doesn’t come easily. And with outsourcing; just like in a fairy tale, you may need to kiss a few frogs before you find your outsourcing prince (or princess).

You can read his other posts here:
1. Problem 1: Employees suddenly disappeared
2. Problem 2: Dishonest Employees
3. Problem 3: Demotivated Employees
4. Problem 4: Really Bad Employees (this is my favorite, wait until you read his “Causes”)

R. [name omitted] has worked for me for about 6 years.
He’ll tell you that when I hired him HE KNEW NOTHING!

R. Vacationing in Bohol, Philippines

• He’s not the smartest guy ever.
• His english isn’t the best ever.
• He’s not a designer (although he’s taken it on himself to learn)
• He’s not a programmer (although…he did learn some PHP so he could be a better employee)
• BUT…HE’S ALWAYS THERE!

He’s consistent. He’ll try anything. Fail or succeed, he’ll try it.
He always replies to my emails.
He always sends me daily reports.
He always shows up to work (ok…not ALWAYS…but pretty close).
I love him for what he’s taught me (not to mention what he’s done for my business).

Problems With Outsourcing And How To Deal With Them

I have read many comments about the problems encountered in outsourcing to the Philippines. In this article, I will talk about the major problems and give suggestions and possible solution to them. I want to share my opinion as one of the Filipino workers who have worked in the online industry for 6 years.

Problem 1: Employees suddenly disappeared
This is a very common problem that employers want to deal with. You hire an employee and after a week or so that employee never communicates and suddenly disappeared without warning. This is very frustrating on the employer’s side.

Causes

One thing that may cause this problem is the lack of communication in both employer and employee. This may result to an unclear instructions, lack of training materials, or lack of understanding of training materials on the part of the employee. Most employers would chose employees with good English without any experience in SEO or online task. And if an employer would only send an email and tell that employee to build backlinks to a certain site without explaining what backlinks are and why they are important, that employee will surely be stuck on work. And when that happened, that employee will just leave because of lack of understanding. The most difficult task to do is the task that we don’t even understand how to do it. Some of us are afraid to ask because of the expectations the employers set. Most of us are afraid to tell you that WE DON’T KNOW how to do a certain task. That is why some employees just leave and disappear.

Another thing that can cause this problem is the employee doesn’t want to do a certain task.

R's new baby

I have a co-employee that we want to work on a different task aside from writing. After a few weeks of trying, she never sent us any updates and when I asked her why, she said she wants to resign. The reason is that she does not want the assigned task. She is not good at it. So I convinced her to stay and we will give her the task she wants and that is writing articles. She stayed working with us because she is happy with what she is doing. This is only one example of this kind of situation.

Solution:

If you hire an employee, try to talk to them often. They need you. Try to chat with them (not just email). Talk to them so that you will know their weakness and strength. Don’t just rely on training materials. Training materials are very good references, but you need reach out to your employees and let them feel that they are not left behind.
By trying to talk to them, you will determine what task would be appropriate for their skills. And because you know their strength, you can give them the task they wanted to do. Don’t give a linkbuilding task to a web designer. Know your employees well and set up a good relationship with them.

Coming Soon (his guest post was so long I had to split it up):

1. Problem 1: Employees suddenly disappeared
2. Problem 2: Dishonest Employees
3. Problem 3: Demotivated Employees
4. Problem 4: Really Bad Employees (this is my favorite, wait until you read his “Causes”)

This post is part of a series on outsourcing from a Filipino perspective.

S. (no names will be used) has worked for me for exactly 3 years.
I initially hired her to write an ebook for me. Trial work. Temporary.
Her writing was so good I asked her to come on full time.
Her writing then become so good I made her the dedicated writer for my team.
As a standard, she can write about 3000 words per day. And it’s GREAT writing.
That’s probably 3x what I’ve ever seen anyone else do. She’s amazing.

A Peek at the Work From Home Mom’s Diary

 

Call me A[name omitted]. I’m a full time mom to a feisty toddler by day and full time writer by night. I’ve been doing this for more than two years now and won’t trade it for anything else. But let me tell you this: life as an outsourced employee is no bed of roses.Cultural Differences
For one, there’s the cultural differences that one needs to adjust to when you have an American boss. Unlike working 9 to 5 for a local company or agency in the Philippines, doing online work is very different. Think of yourself as one of Charlie’s Angels – you receive instructions via email, an mp3 file or a video, and you’re expected to carry out those instructions and accomplish your task for the day.

Learn To Speak Up
American bosses naturally assume that you follow what they’re saying or that you know exactly what they’re talking about. If you don’t send an email or a skype message to clarify or ask questions– you’re toast! They’re not going to be sympathetic that you weren’t able to finish your assignment because you did not understand the instructions. The lesson here is to speak up and ask relevant questions, or you’ll never get any work done.

Difficulties Of The Virtual Workplace
Second major area of adjusment is the virtual workplace. I’m not sure if foreign employers are aware that Filipinos are “pack workers”. They thrive on the office atmosphere and camaraderie with fellow workers. They take their lunch break and coffee breaks together and send each other silly messages via messenger during work hours. Some people may say that this hampers productivity, but this is one of the things that I had to adjust to when I started working for John. The rest of the team worked their own schedules and I found myself the only one online late at night when I do most of my writing. The team is dispersed in different parts of the archipelago, so it was not easy to set up a team building session or ask one of the girls to have coffee.

Fortunately, John set up occasions for all of us to meet and get to know each other. These several days off are blissful (yes, no work), fun and very fruitful in terms of building camaraderie and team spirit.

Maintaining Productivity For Virtual Employees
The third major area of adjustment for virtual employees is productivity. Since there is no physical office and no hands on managers and supervisors to check your work, it’s up to you to make sure that you work your full eight hours. There are no quotas or number of words to be met in my case, but I had to take the initiative and set one for myself. For example, I know I’m slacking if I don’t even manage to finish one product review or article in one day. My target is at least three, and that’s something that I try to meet day in and day out.

The good thing about John though, is that he won’t berate you for not working. However, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t notice. When work is slow or productivity is low, there will be a reminder email sent to all members of the team. He won’t single anyone out, but as a professional, you should own up and send a reply.

Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone
Fourth and most important thing to remember when you’re on John Jonas’ team is be prepared to step out of your comfort zone. You won’t be doing one task over and over again for years. Instead, brace yourself for challenging tasks and varying assignments that will push your creativity and determination. The company is growing, the clients’ demands are ever changing, and each team member must grow as well.

I start my work day around 4 or 5 in the afternoon and I log off at around 2 or 3 in the morning. I see my daughter every day – I get to hold her, play with her and teach her to count and read. If I was working a regular office job I would miss out on all of these things and still not earn as much.

Raise Children, Work Virtually
I am grateful for the opportunity to work in John’s team and I encourage other Moms to give outsourced work a try. We can work hard and earn money the smart way without sacrificing our primary role – raising our children well.

Any Filipinos reading this should look for work at OnlineJobs.ph.

PS. Her email to me about this post said:

Hi John,

Sending in my guest blog post and a goofy family photo. Working for you has allowed me to enjoy life with my family =) and that’s what I want your readers to see. However if I need to send a more formal picture please let me know.

Best regards,

S.

This post is part of a series on outsourcing from a Filipino perspective.

A. (no names will be used) has worked for us for about 3 years.
We initially hired him as a programmer. After having him work for a few months, A’s skills weren’t what we (or he) thought they were. Rather than letting him go, we gave him other tasks. He’s been an invaluable member of our team ever since. We couldn’t do what we do without him.

I asked each of them to write a post. In the email I asked them to:

Write about what’s good/bad about your job. Write what’s hard/easy.
Write about what I do good/bad.
Write whatever you think would be helpful to people. Things they don’t
know about, things they need to consider, things they need to
remember.

Through this series I hope to show

• What kinds of people work for me. You’ll see wildly differing english skills.
• What’s important to them.
• Some of my management style (I don’t claim it’s great…but it seems to be working)

If you’ll pay attention to what they write, you’ll find out how your outsourced workers in the Philippines feel.

1. “I Gambled To Work For The Company” – A Filipino Guest Post
2. A Peek at the Work From Home Mom’s Diary – A Filipino Guest Post
3. Problems with Outsourcing and How to Deal With Them – Part 1 – A Filipino Guest Post
4. Problems with Outsourcing and How to Deal With Them – Part 2 – A Filipino Guest Post
5. Problems with Outsourcing and How to Deal With Them – Part 3 – A Filipino Guest Post
6. Next post coming next week

• How to tell if a programmer is good
• How to avoid bad workers
• How to train your workers
• What skills to look for when hiring
• How to free yourself from work (David’s income has tripled while working less!)

Summary of Success Story with David Solomon

• 1:00 – David’s Business: Internet Marketing for clients
• 1:40 – David’s hiring process
  1. 2:00 – Used ReplaceMyself.com to learn what they’ll learn
  2. 2:11 – Used OnlineJobs.ph to find and contact people
  3. 2:30 – Emailed people. Was too specific. Scared people off.
  4. 3:03 – Hired someone who quit to help her Aunt <--- Chances are pretty good she gave this as an excuse because she didn't think she could do the job.
  5. 4:20 – Chose the person who followed instructions
• 6:10 – Filipinos are often very sensitive to the embarassment problem
• 7:15 – Give detailed instructions!
• 9:00 – Be careful of who you’re hiring.
• 11:00 – They set up everything for wordpress (cpanel, uploading, template, plugins, content, settings, …)
• 11:20 – Making money on vacation through outsourcing
• 12:15 – Skills he looks for
  1. english
  2. wordpress
  3. PHP
• 13:00 – How to tell if a programmer is good
• 14:00 – How to keep someone productive
• 14:58 – Some people need more training from you than others
• 14:50 – Find what works for you! Try ReplaceMyself first. If it doesn’t work for you, try something else!
• 17:20 – Thinking through a project from beginning to end before starting
• 18:30 – Realizing that you can free yourself to do more important things
• 20:00 – Getting better work done than what you asked for
• 21:05 – DON’T SCARE AWAY POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES!
• 22:15 – Be prepared to have a lot of free time!
• 23:25 – Being the CEO of the business
• 24:15 – How I deal with giving raises
• 25:30 – Watch the exchange rate

There’s a lot to be learned from this (even the parts where he’s not doing it right…and he KNOWS he’s not doing it right!).

Summary of Success Story with Scott Smith: Managing Filipinos The Right Way

• 0:45 – Scotts team
• 1:15 – Scott does local business marketing for churches
• 2:05 – what scotts team does for him (wordpress, plugins, graphics, video design, research, looking for JV partners, …)
• 3:30 – finding people for specific skills, not necessarily for wordpress
• 5:05 – tools become an excuse to procrastinate
• 5:35 – understand wordpress yourself – get someone else to implement it for you
• 6:33 – help someone get good at things, on your team, so the future gets better
• 8:20 – learn it yourself, then hire someone else to implement it for you
• 10:06 – hiring a full-time graphic designer
• 12:10 – Scott created a full side business just based on the skills of his team!
• 14:30 – don’t hire someone to do everything! Hire someone to do 1 thing.
• 17:45 – Scott has a programmer in the UK. He could find the same skill set from someone in the Philippines!
• 20:35 – Hiring “by-the-hour”. A conversation for and against.
• 24:45 – Potential consequences of hiring on a per-project basis.
• 26:05 – Doing affiliate marketing in your teams downtime
• 29:30 – Getting local clients
• 30:40 – Advice from Scott: be detailed in your instructions <-- this is a big deal. It's the biggest feedback I've gotten from my team is that they like detailed instructions.
• 32:10 – “A lot of time it’s the boss’ problem”
• 33:05 – Put the onus on yourself – assume it was your fault first, that you weren’t clear enough <-- THIS IS HUGE!!!
• 33:40 – show your gratitude (verbally), then give bonuses
• 35:30 – foster their feeling of community
• 36:35 – Scotts testimonial for me about his success with the Philippines