mom by choice

One thing I learned while I was an employee is this… workers stay loyal for a reason, and it’s not just about the money. When I started freelancing, and “outsourcing” (subcontracting work), this knowledge became useful to me and my business. Usually, employees stay on because of several things…

1. The Boss’ Charisma and How He Plays Up the Authority

Sure, you can be as strict as you want. After all, you’re running a business, not a camping trip with your buddies. But being “all-business” shouldn’t stop you from greeting your employees cordially, making them feel great about working for you, and making them feel that they’d rather work for someone like you at the current rate you’re paying them than some jerk who’s willing to pay higher.

Sure, you may have personal issues like paying for your mortgage, your auto insurance or your family problems, but your employees need not see that. What they see in you as their boss and your persona outside the office are two different things. That’s why most employees would describe you differently according to the role you play (e.g. “As a boss, he’s confident and bossy. As a person, he’s rather quiet and reserved.)

2. The Grand Picture

I know most employees stay on because they feel that they’re a part of a bigger scheme, and that they form an integral part of that scheme so they have to work harder. It’s all about a purpose, and I can tell you that there’s always a noble reason for staying, even though it seems that a person is in it for pure cash. Restless employees usually don’t see beyond what’s there (the paycheck, the working hours), but the really loyal ones are in it because they feel that they have a purpose somewhat, no matter how trivially they contribute to the grand scheme of things.

3. The perks of the job

Maybe you can’t afford to pay for dance classes for your subordinates, but the occasional dinner out and weekend breaks go a long way in terms of making your staff loyal. If you’re starting out small, offer free coffee or drinks at least. If you’re a bigger company, you can offer paid lunches.

Summer time means harvest time, and this means community fairs are all around. If you’re an entrepreneurial mom, you probably have a few ideas on what to sell in trade fairs. Here, we call these bazaars or “tiangge”, and almost anything can be sold here. The stalls are extremely small, due to the fact that most of the organizers want to make the most of the space they have allotted for the bazaar. Shops, stalls or tables are the portable variety, which means you don’t have to worry about paying for permanent fixtures in your small space.

These events usually last a few days to one week, so you had better come up with a few items that people would want to grab as soon as they see them.

What to Sell in a Trade Fair – Three Ideas

1. Your Business and Services

Yes, that’s right. You don’t have to sell something if you already have a business set up and all you need from the time you spend on there is exposure. For instance, you’re a wedding planner and you want to promote your services to the community. You can set up a booth with your portfolio and photos of successful events on display. You should have a marketing rep around ready to accommodate takers who want to book your services on the spot. You need to prepare calling cards and corporate giveaways for those who book early, like organizers, custom shot glasses and mobile phone covers, all of which must have your logo on them.

2. Scented Candles

The thing about scented candles is that they’re easy to make and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to buy the ingredients. For summer, you can create scented candles shaped like fruits, particularly watermelon and tomatoes. The only thing you have to spend on is the printing of labels. Always make sure you have a “how to use this item” sticker under each candle as a warning to those who might find the candles too realistic (that they try to eat them).

3. Crocheted Items

Mufflers, bibs, bonnets…. all the crocheted items you can produce before the trade fair dates can be sold! Hobbyist moms will never run out of entrepreneurial ideas, because they find it easy to come up with products. If you’re not handy with crochet needles, try cross stitch designs. The thing is that you can increase the price of “handmade” items more easily compared to factory-bought ones.

Vacation time came early in the Philippines this year. Last year (and every year for the past thirty something years I’ve been alive), February was the time for thick blankets and almost-fresh strawberries from Baguio city. It was the time that the last of the cold winds float during the early mornings to chill our bones. But not this year.

I guess this may be global warming at its earliest stages, which means there’s more torture to come, eh?

However, there’s no denying that it’s vacation time again. With school closing soon, people will start flocking to the provinces to experience the Lent season in more rural areas. And, who can miss the beaches full of tourists? There are even families coming in with their whole clan in tow to visit sights and churches. If you’re thinking of doing this, however, you must always have a few emergency stuff on your car because the traffic jams are going to wear you out. Since it’s so hot, your vehicle might break down and you have to deal with repairs in the middle of the road. It’s a shame that we don’t have quick on-the-road emergency assistance like in NA (check out goodsamers.com for more info on RV assistance on the road).

So why do families travel to the more rural areas during summer? In Manila, everything was business as usual, but in the provinces, it’s like the whole world changes when Lent draws near. You’ll start seeing people walking half naked and hitting themselves with homemade S&M devices (did I just say “S&M”?!?). Then, you’ll see people getting crucified. Well, this is the extreme version. Some merely sit down with others and sing songs that tell of Jesus’ suffering.

Whatever you plan to do this Lent, be careful and have fun.

I’m sure you already know that Filipinos are all over the world working in various industries to support their family back home. I knew this even during college, but this fact has been emphasized to me when I went to study a foreign language (Francais) in a school nearby.

It was weird for me to hesitate before telling people the main reason why I wanted to study French, which is “I just feel like it”, because everyone else has a more noble reason (in my point of view) for doing so. Some want to work in the French speaking districts in Canada, some wanted employment in Toronto hotels, some want to marry a European and kiss under the Eiffel tower in Paris.

Without a doubt, Filipinos can’t wait to go out of the country because life here isn’t as good for them as they imagined. I understand the feeling. The good thing is that there are a lot of factors that make Filipinos suitable for any type of job, anywhere in the world.

1. We know our place, most of the time.

In the Philippines, teeners and kids are always being reminded to act accordingly when in a specific place. Like our parents tell us that “home behavior” is not accepted anywhere else because it makes other people feel affronted. This “eager to please” attitude translates well when we go to other countries to work. It’s rare for Filipino employees to complain when there’s work to be done (and money to be had), and this is mostly because we know and understand our place in the scheme of things.

2. Work is work

Unless the workplace is really shoddy that a rat will not dare live in it, Filipinos will not complain about work. Work is work, and while some rankle at having to do work that’s “beneath them”, most filipinos who go abroad don’t feel this way. I found out the reason when I talked to a friend who is a doctor. He told me he took on menial jobs abroad for five years and he feels great about it despite his many diplomas because he kept himself focused on the BIGGER picture, which is of course, the welfare of his family and his future career.

Work shouldn’t consume you, the over-all goal should always be in place. And taking pride in what you do means being happy with the fact that you’re working, no matter what kind of work it is.

One of the things I know for a fact is that most moms want to work online and try different ways to make money online because just a bit more spending cash will make a difference in the family budget. Cmon, you know what I’m talking about. Even the smallest toys cost a lot if your child keeps accumulating stuff like mine does. It’s not to early to talk to him about self-control when it comes to whims and impulsive buying, but you as a parent will have to develop a steel heart to really keep yourself from not giving in to his demands when you’re in a toy store.

So, yeah, blogging is one of the ways to earn online, but only if you’re doing it a bit more shrewdly than most. First thing you need to look for are the places on the web where you can promote your blog, like a web directory list that allows you to promote for free. You can also guest post at another mom blogger’s blog, join forums, find a social niche and exchange ideas, and advertise your blog to your friends on face book and twitter.

Of course, you are going to have to find time to write on your blog. What can you write about? At first, I thought blogging was all about creative writing, but I was wrong. It’s a way to add useful info and opinion online for people to find. With that said, your content must be centered around useful topics that anyone would be glad to read about. Since you know something about a certain subject, there’s always a way to share this to other people, and one of those ways is by building a blog.