So you ask, how did I get my hand on an iPad 2?
Actually, it’s simple.
I won it from Unionbank’s “Swipe and Win” promo. Thanks to my God-given clients who almost always pay on time, me and my wife can go to our weekly groceries and debit our purchases from our EON Card.
So if you’re thinking of trying your own fate at getting a free iPad 2, there’s still an opportunity. The last draw is set on the 6th of March, who knows, maybe you’ll be the next winner.

Here’s a few things you need to know about the promo mechanics.

Simply use your card to make a minimum single purchase of Php 500 at any retail or online store and you get a chance to win an iPad 2. Earn two (2) additional raffle entries upon making your first purchase.

To further increase your chances of winning:

Double your chances by making a single transaction purchase from Php 1,000 to 1,499.
Triple your chances by making a single transaction purchase from Php 1,500 and up

To read the full promo mechanics visit Unionbank’s Swipe and Win page.

Five dollars might not mean a lot these days, but to the phenomenal site, Fiverr.com, your $5 can go a long way. Well some of you may have already come across this micro gig site but to those who have not, this is something you should start checking.

Fiverr is actually a marketplace that gives people the opportunity to showcase what they can do and what they are willing to do for $5. These tasks or gigs, as it is called in the site can range into many different areas like social marketing, graphics, fun and bizarre, technology to name some of the common gig categories. And if you are looking for some great ideas, you’ll probably find the weirdest and some of the most creative gigs in this place.

So what does it take to get started with Fiverr? Once you have signed up, you have two options. If you have the talent, skill and the guts, you can earn an extra income by offering your own gigs. Otherwise you can request or pay for gigs that you want. Imagine getting a logo designed or a header for your site for only $5, well, that’s definitely a bargain. If you are concerned about the quality, Fiverr is as equally concerned with that too. Definitely they won’t be able to filter out all the good service providers just as oDesk or Elance can’t filter their freelancers. So you’re main help in ensuring that your gig is good quality are the feedbacks from other users. This is also reflected on a seller’s level.

There are 3 different levels of Fiverr sellers.

Definitely, there are top rated sellers who take things seriously even if you are thinking that it’s just $5. So if you are thinking that you are not going to make enough money from this site, think again.

If you just work hard and dedicate enough effort and skill on your gigs, you’ll definitely get repeat gigs that will result in volume sales. Which means you can have an additional source of income while doing your usual freelance work. So is Fiverr worth the effort? I say, yes.

Check out these top sellers:

Is it worth a try or it’s just a waste of time? Get those comments coming!

• Automatically uploads photos and videos in the background using Wi-Fi or data plan
• 500MB of free space on first photo uploaded automatically
• Upload files of any size (no more 180 MB limit!)
• Support for resuming file uploads when there are network issues
• Various performance improvements & bug fixes

According to a Dropbox post on their forum site,

“During this beta period, we are also offering additional free space to test automatic uploading of photos and videos. For every 500MB of photos and videos automatically uploaded, you’ll receive another 500MB space bonus, up to 5GB total (including the initial 500MB space).”

[Update: this space is not separate from 5GB given for uploading on our desktop clients. Uploading from either desktop clients or Android app will count towards the same 5GB free space.] If you haven’t tried this, the APK can be downloaded directly from here: http://db.tt/4ZL2gCdt or you can also scan this QR code: Personally, I have already received 500MB. And I look forward to the 5GB additional space.

Last year’s introduction of this site’s Instant Paypal Remittance was well received. I didn’t really realize that there are so many freelancers and online shoppers who are in need of their Paypal credits but are left with little to no option of withdrawing their earnings or credits without having to go through the hassle of coursing the money first to the bank.

This actually inspired me to create a more structured system with the instant Paypal transfer. Here are few things:

1. The fees, I understand fees are one of the many considerations for the service. And I have really made it as affordable as possible. Currently, the Service fee structure is:

2. Remittance Agency Options – There are a number of options you can see on the Paypal Remittance Form currently, we have LBC, MLhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier, Western Union, as well as banks that include, Unionbank, BDO, and BPI. Based on the previous transfers that I have made with clients, the top three on my list include:

BPI & Unionbank – The good thing with these two banks is the fact that they don’t charge you for any fee for inter-branch deposits.

BDO – Interbranch deposit fee is at Php 125.00 (if i remember it correctly)

LBC, MLhuillier & Cebuana – remittance fee is dependent on the amount of money to transfer.

Western Union – Unfortunately, I do not recommend this option as the fees are very expensive. Take for example a Php5000 remittance. This would only cost 220-240 using ML or Cebuana, but Western Union eats up Php410.

3. Turnaround Time – I strive to make the transfer as quick as possible. They can range from an hour or 2 for Cebuana or MLhuillier or a quick 30 minute with BPI since it’s just a stone’s throw away. There are also other factors to consider as I also work, so there may be times when it will take a little longer (around 3-4 hours) before I can make the transfer.

Now for the example:

I know there are instances when workloads seem to be at the peak and working alone is not practical. You need to duplicate yourself. And subcontracting is one way to do it.

One good thing about having a network of fellow freelancer is the opportunity to be a blessing to them by handing a few blocks of your work and at the same helping yourself rid of the unnecessary exhaustion from too much labor.

The truth is, subcontracting some of the work is not as easy as it may seem. It can make or break your relationship with your client and it can also build or ruin the partnership you have with a fellow freelancer if you don’t plan and execute it properly.

If you ask, should my client know that I also work with other freelancers? I say yes. It is essential that your client knows or has a prior knowledge that you work with other people or can recommend other freelancers if the need arises and that you will ultimately still be the one responsible for the quality of the final output. There is definitely a risk involved so be careful in your decisions.

Now to start with your search for a collaborator, here are a few things you should consider before pursuing this area.

1. Reliability

Subcontract a work with someone you have known for reliability. If the person is in oDesk or Elance, try to search for his profile and see how he’s been rated. Although this is not conclusive, it will at least give you a bit of a background of his previous dealings.

2. Price

if you subcontract, you have to consider how much you will receive from your client and how much you are willing to pay your subcontractor that will still be beneficial for both parties.

3. Availability

Try to check on their personal commitments with their existing clients and if it will fit in your timeframe to accomplish the job.

4. Experience

As the main person responsible for the outcome of the collaboration, you have to put yourself in the shoes of a recruiter. Don’t let your emotion decide. Let the person’s experience and work credential help you in your decision. Don’t get the service of another freelancer if you know that in the end you will still be the doing the job because you have to edit or revise his work. Make sure that the person you will subcontract meets or exceeds your standards of quality.

5. Communication

When you collaborate with other people, communication is the main ingredient to success. Without it, your project is bound to delays and ultimately, to failure. Be very stern about this. The very hint of alibis and unreasonable reasons should ring a bell that the person is not fit.

These are just five tips that I have shared with you. I know there are many other areas to consider. So feel free to share your thoughts.

Have you subcontracted a project before? Tell us your experience.

When I first started out with my freelance job, my first computer monitor was a 14 inch AOC LCD monitor. It satisfied pretty much of what I need it for, ie. writing articles, link building work like blog commenting and directory submissions. But as new opportunities have come my way especially with data entry and shopping cart management, the need for a bigger screen becomes imminent. As you probably have experienced, data entry jobs would require copy pasting of data from a source to a destination database (in most cases) and working on a 14 inch screen presents a big limitation on what you can do and how much space you can allocate for the source and for the destination window. You simply couldn’t move as freely as you wish and the Alt Tab short cut to open a previously opened window is becoming too straining to the eyes. Thus productivity is hindered by a big margin.

In a study conducted by John Peddie results show a staggering 42% improvement on productivity with the use of dual monitors. Another study, this time by an NEC commissioned research team at the University of Utah found that people who used two 20-inch monitors were 44 percent more productive at certain text-editing operations compared with people using a single 18-inch monitor.

No less than Bill Gates himself advocates the use of multiple monitors. (I wonder if all Microsoft employees get the benefit of multiple monitors in their workstations) In a CNN Money article “How I work: Bill Gates” disclosed,

“On my desk I have three screens, synchronized to form a single desktop. I can drag items from one screen to the next. Once you have that large display area, you’ll never go back, because it has a direct impact on productivity.”

So if you think you are ready t jump in, here are a few things you need to get you started with a dual screen setup.

Video Card

If your current computer setup doesn’t support another slot for the second monitor you will have to invest on a Video card. I got mine for less than Php 3000 or roughly $60-70 for a Palit Daytona. I won’t go into the detail of installing a video card but you can check out this link on how to install a PCI Card

Monitor

VGA/HDMI Adapter

One thing that I didn’t like with the Samsung monitor is the fact that it has an HDMI port but it doesn’t come with an HDMI cable. You will have to shell out again for the adapter. You can easily find an adapter for VGA output that cost less than a hundred pesos. I bought mine from PC Express.

Third Party Software

If you have kids to send to school, a mortgage or loan to pay, a sickly family member, then those are just the tip of the iceberg that you have to deal with and make sure that are carefully addressed. It’s good to be filled with enthusiasm when you are starting on freelancing but the fire of enthusiasm can be doused if you take things for granted.

1. Savings

There is actually no exact figure or amount that you should have in your savings to start a freelance homebased work. But as a rule of thumb, it is advised that you have funds that can sustain your needs for a 6month period. That is considering unexpected end of work, low income flow, or a sudden sickness which means no earnings for you. This is also to buffer the transition period of your 9-5 work to the freelance home based work.

2. Health Insurance

Health is wealth. I think that is something that we can all agree on. And if you do agree, you ought to agree as well that getting a reliable health insurance is a must if you will be hopping on the freelancer’s wagon. If you are enjoying free medical and dental benefits, hospitalization for you and your dependents, then you “must” (emphasis added) also ensure that you and your family enjoy the same benefits after you resign from your 9-5 work. It will make you feel more secure and confident that your funds will not be depleted in cases of sickness in the family.

3. Skills and Education

At this point, your resume and experiences, as well as the skills acquired will be your key in securing a job. Your marketability to employers will depend on how well you have established your skills and your proven track record will mean a lot. But the more well rounded you are, the more opportunities will be available for you. If you know just the basic, try to at least advance your knowledge. Take as much relevant training and certifications that you can and make sure that you brush up on your English communication skills. Make sure that you can effectively communicate not only on your line of expertise but also on a personal level. Remember that you are not only selling your service, you are selling yourself.

4. Materials and Equipment

Many online opportunities are available today and one of them is online tutorials. And if you would consider applying for such a position you must take into consideration the material requirements of the job. Do you have a reliable internet connection? Is your office conjucive for classroom type of environment, no noise, no distractions? Do you have a noise cancelling microphone? etc. etc. This may not be true in your case but it would also be a good thing to consider. Whether it is just plain writing that you do, or coding and other programming jobs, your clients may call you from time to time and may bring a bad impression if your room is noisy, your internet connection disconnects. It would be a wise investment if you can purchase the following:

UPS or uninterrupted power supply
printer, scanner, and copier
mic & headset
back up wireless internet subscription
portable HD drive

5. Network and Resources

Working online as a home based freelancer doesn’t mean that you have to alienate yourself from the outside world. It is even more advisable that you create a bigger network now, whether online or offline, than ever before. Why? Because your network can be a good source of referral projects. Word of mouth can travel at lightning speed and creating a good network that can help you spread the word about your work. It can bring countless potentials at your doorstep. Join likeminded people. There are freelancer forums and discussion boards, as well as websites that cater to online freelance works. And remember, always maintain a good reputation with the people you deal with, both client and colleague because a bad reputation is a devourer of your income.

Create a list of where you will get your clients. Evaluate the Terms of Service and check for user feedbacks.

NOTE: This post was originally posted on my blog: DrEy’s CaLl CeNtEr WeBlOg under the title: Cheklist for Online Homebased Freelancer

Here are a few things I’d like to highlight why you should consider getting Thunderbird.

• It’s Fast

• Tab Feature

Thunderbird’s tab capability is one of my favorite feature. The ability to switch from one tab to the other with different email account on each is a big time saver.

• Easy switching of SMTP servers

If your internet provider or webhost provider’s smtp is not very reliable you may need to re-setup your email with the working SMTP. With Thunderbird, you can input as many SMTP accounts then just switch them over as needed.

Wondering what STMP or POP3 is?

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, aprotocol for sending e-mail messages between servers. Most e-mail systems that send mail over the Internet use SMTP to send messages from one server to another; the messages can then be retrieved with an e-mail client using either POP or IMAP. In addition, SMTP is generally used to send messages from a mail client to a mail server. This is why you need to specify both the POP or IMAP server and the SMTP server when you configure your e-mail application.

Before I divulge my plans for 2012 let me share a few things I’ve learned as a full time freelancer. These are practical things that helped me survive the year, from family life, to work ethics, and social life which I hope will help you too.

1. It’s a family business

I’ve learned that working as a freelancer is not a “you mentality” but it is and should be a family business. You are just working as the main character but in essence, your wife, your son or daughter has a big part to your success as supporting roles. They need to understand what you are doing in order to support you in little ways. My 2 kids know that when I put on my headset, they have to keep quiet because “George” is on the line. My wife knows that when I am slumping on my chair, I badly need a back massage.

2. Full time doesn’t apply to job only but to family as well.

It was a challenge for me to get over being an overtime father and switch to full time family man. But when you get hold of the balance you will surely be more satisfied with your work, be more happy with your family and live a healthier life. My usual line when my wife tells me that I no longer have time for them is to say that all that i’m doing is for them (which is true). But of course it’s not all about the money. Spending a few hours with the kids, teaching them their alphabet, putting them to bed and playing with them have become my goal to keep me sane and family oriented.

3. It pays to socialize

Social media like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, as well as blogs are essential parts of freelancing. The first few jobs that I took were courtesy of my defunct blog “pinoyfusion”. My current work as a research person was because of comment I made to a blog. So you can see how this little things can mean really big in making yourself visible in the radar. Let the world know that you exist and that you have a special service that you can offer. Word of mouth can do wonders for your career. But as a word of caution, make sure that you know what reputation management is as well.

4. Be In the Know

I’ve learned that in order to thrive in this fast paced environment, you need to be able to cope with the influx of information, explore new things and enhance what you already possess. What I like the most about this is discovering new tools so that I can work more efficiently and more productively. It’s almost futile to reason out and say that we don’t know, because with just a simple click on Google search almost everything is at your fingertips.

5. Spend Your Money Wisely

Work can sometimes be so unpredictable and so is the income. As a freelancer, i’ve learned that our focus should not just be on the earning but also on managing those finances. It didn’t become freelancer’s top concern for no reason. If we like to master our craft, budgeting will be the one of the most important lesson we should master next to time management.

6. No is sometimes yes.

This is the best freelance lesson that I’ve learned this year. Freelancing thought me that an opportunity to work with a prospect doesn’t end when you fail an interview or your proposal was rejected. It actually ends when you think that business is only “TODAY” and there is no point in exerting effort to communicate with someone who rejected you. It thought me that business starts the very moment you decided to apply. Whether your prospect accepts or rejects at the first meeting, tomorrow is business as usual because you’ll never know when the need arises that you will become the perfect peg for the hole.

I hope you’ve learned something from what I’ve learned. I’d be glad to hear your thoughts too!

Steve Jobs shared his candid opinion about rewards systems when he said: “The only way employees will fulfill your dream is to share in the dream. Reward systems are the mechanisms that make this happen. “However, reward systems are much more than just bonus plans and stock options. While they often include both of these incentives, they can also include awards and other recognition, promotions, reassignment, non-monetary bonuses (e.g., vacations), or a simple thank-you.”

But now that you are working as freelancer who will reward you for a good performance? Well, that’s a good question. I actually thought of that too. Let’s see.

Your Client

As a freelancer, you will definitely come across different types of clients. Some would probably arrange a reward system but in many occasions, this may not be the case, specially monetary based incentives. And therefore you should not expect for it to be the same as the call centers you have worked for in the past. Do not frustrate for the monetary incentives or rewards. Consider that some of you client’s may just be starting his business and may therefore have limited resources to fund a reward system.

Now that you are aware that the freelance environment is not the same as the call center, get into the mindset that reward should start from you.

You?

Pat yourself in the back if all you have is the project fee or hourly rate that you charge for your client. Now get into the drawing board and start learning how to reward yourself instead of relying on outside sources. This is particularly important to ensure that you don’t get burned out at work nor lose the enthusiasm in your new found career.

So how should you exactly reward yourself?
It is best to start your personal reward scheme by setting goals or milestones. This way, you not only reward yourself for the sake of it, but you are at the same time exerting an effort that will benefit your client and increase your productivity. You may include rewards which are long term or short term basis and are primarily budget friendly. You can also read a good step by step guide on creating a reward system by eHow contributor Jas Ireland

Consider a few things I’ve included in my personal reward scheme.

-Get a foot spa, a massage or whatever pampering you want together with my wife when we close a new deal for the week.
-Get a new laptop or DSLR Camera after we reach our savings goal
-A short vacation trip to Boracay next year.
-A guilt free sleep after doing overtime work.

Once you’ve setup a system, then you’ve just stepped up in the freelance game as a self motivated freelancer.

Now it’s your turn, how do you reward yourself? How do you motivate yourself?