life in freelance

pillars of paypal

noreply@blogger.com (darkspark) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 11:21:00 +0000

still uncertain about paypal? then here are some things that might yet change your mind:

paypal provides unparalleled privacy for online money transfers. all it needs is your email to complete transactions either way. once you have signed in for an account, there is no more need to disclose any personal information to another party.
paypal mediates in the settlement of disputes and provides a way to recover wrong transactions. since every action is documented, you can make corrective actions whenever appropriate.
you can connect several email addresses to one paypal account. that means you can use aliases and land more freelance, online writing gigs.
you can withdraw paypal funds to your philippine bank account. more on this here.
most, if not all the reputable companies that provide online, freelance jobs use paypal.

there is just no getting around the system.
so you can either have it paypal's way or start loving that desk job that ain't so loveable.

paypal demystified

noreply@blogger.com (darkspark) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:10:00 +0000

when i first started working at home as a freelance writer some few years back, paypal was initially available in the philippines only as a payment option for ebay and other online stores. i cannot receive money through the account. needless to say, many opportunities passed me by because a lot of companies accepting work-at-home projects sent payment only through paypal. luckily for me, write4pesos also used bank transfer.

perhaps realizing that filipinos are among the best source of freelance, online writers because of their facility with the english language (and cheaper labor), paypal philippines became fully functional within a few months of its launch here. this decision is an economic symbiosis of course. for me and for a lot of my kababayans it meant the opening of more work-at-home and freelance online opportunities, and for paypal, more source of earnings.

sadly, most are still wary, if not downright scared paypal. since this site is not technical, i will not go into the nitty gritties. i have been using paypal for over a year now. and while there are some downside: (transaction fees and lower currency conversion rates) the benefits (instant transfers, secure transactions) are worth it.

scenario: you have just received an email telling you that your paypal account has received funds. you breathe a sigh of relief because the few weeks that you have been working online as a freelance, crossing your fingers and praying while fending off the doubts of everyone around you, has paid off. so you sign in and see the figures, the question is how to get those virtual numbers into money you can actually touch and put inside your pockets?

when you have funds in paypal, you can withdraw them provided that you have an existing account with a decent bank that you can connect with paypal. to do that, all that paypal needs is your account information as well as your paypal bank code.

paypal bank code? this is the proprietary number that paypal assigns every bank here in the philippines. this is different from the bank's bic or swift code.

don't even bother calling the bank for it. most tellers have not been briefed on paypal or if they have been, did not bother to understand it (except for unionbank). they will tell you that their bank does not work with paypal - end of conversation. if you believe them, there goes your hope that that online money will ever get to your hands at all. there goes your hopes for a freelance life.

do not believe them. you can withdraw your paypal funds into your bank account, where it matters. it takes about a week, but it does arrive. my family and i have been living on this process for almost a year now.

get your paypal bank codes here.

paypal philippines bank codes

noreply@blogger.com (darkspark) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:36:00 +0000

here is the official list of paypal philippines' bank codes. i only included the major banks. if your bank is not here, perhaps it is a good idea to just open an account among any of them.

Allied Bank: 010320013
Asia United Bank: 011020011
Bank of America: 010120019
Bank of China: 011140014
Banco de Oro (BDO): 010530667
Equitable PCI: 010530667
Bank of Commerce: 010440016
BPI: 010040018
China Bank: 010100013
Citibank: 010070017
DBP: 010590018
Deutsche Bank: 010650013
East West Bank: 010620014
Export & Industry: 010860010
HSBC: 010060014
JP Morgan Chase: 010720011
Landbank: 010350025
Maybank: 010220016
Metrobank: 010269996
PNB: 010080010
Prudential Bank: 010150018
Phil Veteran's Bank: 010330016
RCBC: 010280014
Security Bank: 010140015
Standard Chartered: 010050011
UCPB: 010299995
UnionBank: 010419995

happy freelancing!

of banks & swift codes

noreply@blogger.com (darkspark) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:57:00 +0000

A friend interested in writing for write4pesos wrote to ask me about swift codes and BIC codes because it is needed for her payment information. Wire transfer is write4pesos' payment method of choice for their Philippine writers.

A swift code or BIC code is a bank's unique identification tag when making international dealings. BIC stands for Bank Identifier Code. BIC/swift code distinguishes banks from one another and makes transactions faster, thus BIC is also called the swift code. You need it not only for write4pesos but for all other international bank transfers.

Here is a rundown of some of the most popular banks in the Philippines (Manila branches) and their corresponding swift/BIC codes:

Allied: ABCMPHMM
BDO: BNORPHMM
Bank of Commerce: PABIPHMM
BPI: BOPIPHMM
China Bank: CHBKPHMM
DBP: DBPHPHMM
East West Bank: EWBCPHMM
Equitable PCI: PCIBPHMM
Land Bank: TLBPPHMM
Maybank Philippines: MBBEPHMM
Metrobank: MBTCPHMM
PNB: PNBMPHMM
RCBC: RCBCPHMM
Security Bank: SETCPHMM
Standard Chartered Bank: SCBLPHMM
Union Bank: UBPHPHMM
UCPB: UCPBPHMM

If you cannot find your bank here, just let me know and i will try to source it for you.

untangling write4pesos

noreply@blogger.com (darkspark) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 07:35:00 +0000

I was surprised that this online job working for write4pesos came easy for me, I had no problems getting my articles approved on the first submission. It gets especially easier with time, as soon as you get a rhythm going and you become familiarized with the system and their rules. The learning curve is not that steep. The key is writing a coherent article using as much keywords as possible.

This is how write4pesos works:

To apply, you will be required to write a piece about a given topic. Once approved, it will be counted as your first article and your writer’s account will then be activated.
The writer’s panel is where you are given access to a long list of topics to choose from. Topics are very trite, ranging from insurance to loans, to all types of programs and devices. You can only work on one topic at a time. Once you have submitted the piece then you can get another one. Depending on your pace, you can accomplish anywhere from 3 to 10 articles a day.
Your articles will either be approved outright or you will be asked to rewrite, based on its quality and compliance with guidelines. Feedback will be given anywhere from 12-24 hours. If the articles are approved then you will see a counter in the payment section of your account.
If asked to rewrite, they will provide you specific instructions on what should be changed with the article. The most common issues are grammar, low keyword density (more on this here), non-compliance with rules, and similarities with other articles on the web. Once you hit 100 articles, the company will automatically activate the request for payment link in your profile. You send the invoice and request for payment via email. Write4pesos sends payment through bank transfer and paypal and the money takes about a week to arrive.
The actual pay is 250 Euros, or roughly 15K through bank transfer. Of course the actual amount varies depending on foreign exchange. In my time when the peso was at its lowest, it actually ran to about 16 to 17k. But with the strengthening of the peso, it may be a bit lower now. While the pay is lower than my previous jobs, that pay is decent for an online job, compared with how much entry-level professionals are being paid. Write4pesos is easy work and there is enough variety to keep it interesting. It was certainly good enough for me given all the advantages of working at home.

Do not be daunted by all the rules and guidelines that you see in write4pesos. They are actually just your standard rules about good writing, adapted for the web. In my case, I just expounded on the topic and wrote using basic grammar. If you have been writing your whole life, then this should be a walk in the park. Write4pesos is a good place to jump start your work-at-home career. If you have other work or a business, it is a good way to earn on the side. Because there is no deadline or quota, you can write during your idle hours or pursue it full time.

I worked for write4pesos for almost a year and I have about a thousand articles approved. If you need some samples to guide you, I can send you some. Of course you can no longer use them because they have been approved and published somewhere and are already stored in the company’s database. But it can still be useful to frame your writing. Just let me know if you need them.

Good luck!

post write4pesos

noreply@blogger.com (darkspark) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:14:00 +0000

As with all other online writing companies, all the articles you send to write4pesos become the company’s property. You never really get to see where in the world wide web it gets published.

For the first few months, I was churning out articles for write4pesos without ever really knowing their purpose or destination. Later, as I got to know more about web content writing, I realized that I was actually writing articles that have been optimized for search engines. Write4pesos is actually a company that provides SEO articles. That is why the company requires that the topic and keyword be used often in the body of the article. Some other related key phrases should also be included, but one or two instances should be fine.

For almost a year I was working as an SEO expert for write4pesos without even knowing it, a skill that is highly valued in the web. I was trained to write and optimize articles in such a way that would make them more visible on search engines. When a certain article about a company or product ranks high on search engines, they will be visited by more people, thus making the site more profitable either through direct sales of their products and services or through the sheer volume of traffic that attracts advertisers to their site.

It has been more than a year since I last wrote for write4pesos. While my status as a writer is still active, I have since gone on to write for other companies, where the pay is better and can be sent upon request (not after 100 approved articles). On hindsight, I can say with certainty that my experience with write4pesos has been a necessary training. All the skills and competencies I have acquired from the company I have been able to leverage for better work and better pay.

Now, I am hoping to be able to use what I have learned working for write4pesos in ways that can make meaningful contribution to the lives of others who want to become freelancers and work@homies themselves. I want to talk about online jobs and other freelance opportunities, but focus mainly on those that I can vouch for based on personal experience.

This blog is a product of that intention.
May you find something here that makes a difference in your life, freelance or otherwise.

my first work@home job

noreply@blogger.com (darkspark) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 06:08:00 +0000

Writing for write4pesos was my first job as a freelancer and work@homie.

I took on my first work-at-home job purely on blind faith. You cannot take it any other way. While the owner of write4pesos was kind enough to personally address all of my concerns, I really had no way of knowing if they would pay me until I had those 100 articles in, and then request for payment.

It is actually very easy (rote) writing; about travel, credit cards, loans, insurance, etc. No need for much churning of mental juices. And they were short, just 300 words or about a page, double-spaced.

Still, 100 articles can seem insurmountable. Especially if you are starting from 0.

However I had a plan for write4pesos. I figured if I could write 5 articles a day, then I have 100 in twenty days. Then I can work-at-home and still receive consistent and respectable income. There is no deadline, you work-at-home your own pace, so how much you earn depends entirely on you. In my case, I planned to earn that 15k every month at least, or even every three weeks, depending on my mood. Steadily I saw my numbers rise from 0 to 100 in less than a month. I requested for pay through bank transfer and a week after, the money arrived as promised. The pay from write4pesos has been consistent. I could vouch for that. I have ten paid invoices from write4pesos as proof.

Thus at write4pesos, I began my work-at-home career as a freelance writer, and I have not regretted one single day of it.

life in freelance: how it all started

noreply@blogger.com (darkspark) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 06:07:00 +0000

Let me tell you how i became a ronin.

It was almost three years ago when I suddenly decided to leave my lucrative but meaningless job. It was a spur of the moment thing; I just did not want to work there anymore. It is so typical of me. I get so restless with structures. The drifter in me seems to be the only thing that constantly wants to stay put.

I had some money left, which I figured should tide us for about a month or so, while I am processing the paperwork to claim my salary for my last month of work. My last paycheck should be good for another two months. I had a 7-month old daughter, was pregnant with another, and a husband who was still studying. All the money I had was good only for 8 weeks. And I did not have any plans.

The days passed, and with a baby to take care of and one still on the way, the money was running out fast. You’d think I would be desperate for work, but I was not. I had an calm and eerie sense that everything would be fine somehow.

One day, while reading the classifieds in the Inquirer, I saw a decent-sized ad for freelance, work-at-home writers with a guaranteed a salary of 15,000 pesos. No other information was provided, except for a website where those interested can go and apply. Since I had nothing better to do, I checked the site out: write4pesos. Seems legitimate enough. No joining fees were being asked and the site was simple and straight-forward. With nothing to lose, I followed the prompts and applied.

The rest, as they say, is history. And I have never looked back ever since. I have since gone on to writing for other companies, but write4pesos started it all for me. Fate? I believe so. Everything that has happened seems to take me down this road. While this career is not for everyone, it has worked out great for me. I earn good money and I am not missing out on the precious growing years of my beloved daughters.

And that alone is reason enough for me to stay at home and just keep working here.

work@home must haves too

noreply@blogger.com (darkspark) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 06:05:00 +0000

In the first part of work@home must-haves, I tackled the hardware requirements that every work@homies should invest in, depending on the nature of their work. For this post, other requirements for various work-at-home jobs will be discussed.

Internet Access
When I started my career as an online writer for write4pesos three years ago, I was getting by with pre-paid dial-up Internet cards because I was not sure if the work can cover the costs of a monthly Internet subscription. I did that for about ten months, even writing during the unholy hours from midnight to dawn so I can avail of the free access and maximize my card.

When I realized that this freelance career at write4pesos can actually work for me and the potential for earnings was way better than regular employment, I took the plunge and subscribed to a provider. Thankfully by that time, DSL services have considerably gone down in prices and I have never regretted my decision. The faster DSL has given me more productive hours because I am able to surf and do research using less time. Dial-up and DSL are worlds apart, and on hindsight, I do not know how I have survived on pre-paid dial-up.

Still, I believe that the experience has made me a better online writer. I became more patient and learned to maximize my limited resources. You will never know how resourceful and flexible you can be until circumstances force you to do so.

So the bottom line is this: The Internet is the platform for web content and academic writing and for most other work-at-home gigs. However which way you get it, access to the web is a must for freelancers and work-at-homies.

Word Processing Software / Productivity Suites
An absolute must, not just for freelancers and work@homies, (ronins) but for anyone who has a computer. Word is the most popular word processing software, but the open-source Open Office Writer is slowly gaining popularity because of its free licensing. Open Office, also known as OOo is a suite of productivity applications, akin to Microsoft’s Office. Aside from being a freeware, Open Office can handle proprietary Microsoft Office documents such as .doc, .ppt, and .xls. OpenOffice also features a free vector graphics editor called Draw, similar to Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw. Get your free OOo here.

For online writers, web content providers, blogger, ghostwriters, data processors, and virtual assistants who work at home, the choice between OOo or Microsoft Office is not as important as the individual’s own input. The program is only as valuable as what we put into it. For writers working at home or otherwise, do well to remember that indeed, Content is King.

Skype
The program that launched a thousand online English tutorial jobs. Or is it the other way around? Just another case of the egg or the chicken. In any case, since its launch, Skype has been the program of choice for home-based English tutors because of its user-friendly interface and good sound handling. Tutors and students are able communicate for free either though PC calls or chat. Get your free Skype here.

PDF Reader
I work as an academic researcher/writer as well as a web content provider. The nature of my work requires me to do a lot of researching and scanning through scholarly documents for proper referencing. Most books and scholarly journals online come in the form of .pdf formats so you need a free reader that will allow you to navigate through these documents.

In my experience, the best among the lot is Foxit Reader. It is a free PDF document viewer and printer that is packed with features that enhances your interactivity with .pdf files. The great thing about Foxit, aside from being free, is its small file size and its optimal use of PC memory. Unlike Acrobat which is a resource hog, Foxit has a small imprint and does not drain precious memory resource which frees your PC to use other programs and allows you to do more multi-tasking.

Try it and see the difference yourself. Get your free Foxit Reader here.

Other Programs

The nature of your work will dictate the programs that you need. Some companies have specific requirements and may provide their own proprieary applications. However, the programs mentioned above will find meaningful use across all types of work-at-home and freelance jobs.

work@home must haves

noreply@blogger.com (darkspark) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 06:03:00 +0000

If you are bent on becoming a work@homie, either for on-the-side earnings or as a full time endeavor, there are some initial investments that should be made.The following are hardware must-haves for work@homies:

Computer of Decent Specs
It does not have to be the most expensive, but if you plan on making a purchase anyway, then get the best that you can afford. A good pc can last many years, so buy one that can keep pace with developments over the years.

Unless you are a graphic designer, video editor, or web developer, most work at home jobs are not resource-intensive. If you already have a pc, it should probably be good enough to jumpstart your work-at-home career. Once you have found your niche, a powerful pc is a sound investment to make simply because you can get more productive years out of it.

Optical Disk Burner
I believe a burner is one of the most important things to have when you work at home. You need to be able to make a back-up of your work files. Flash drives will not work as permanent backups mainly because it is used as a mobile data drive to transfer files from pc to pc. What you need is to be able to permanently burn copies of your work to an optical disk and have it stored away somewhere safe. This is true for all types of work at home jobs.

Headset
This is a must for work at home transcriptionists and online tutors. For web content providers and ghost writers/researchers, it is not required. As for me, while I do not need it for my online job, I use it to listen to music which makes my online job feel a little less like work.

If you need a headset for your work at home gig, you should be willing to pay more for good cushioning. Having a headset on your ear for prolonged periods of time can become uncomfortable, and that piece of foam may just be the only thing to get you through the day.

Foot Pedal
Only for work at home transcriptionists, especially MT’s (medical transcriptionists). Foot pedals allow efficient start-stop control of voice files. A foot-operated device connected to the pc or to a stand alone media player is used to control the flow of the record, leaving your hands free to type the transcription. While it is possible to transcribe voice files without a foot pedal (I did that a couple of times), your work is slowed down considerably, and you end up earning less than you could.

Good Sound Card
Necessary for home-based transcriptionists. A good sound card can process audio files at higher bit rates, thereby producing clearer sound. The accuracy of a transcription depends upon the quality of recording and clarity of playback, as well as the ability of the transcriptionist to predict words in proper context. A stand-alone soundcard is a necessary investment for a work at home transcriptionist. It might also be helpful for home-based online tutors who provide tutorials through online conversations or voice chat.

Comfortable Keyboard and Mouse
You will not be able to appreciate ergonomics until you have been working at home for some time and that carpal tunnel syndrome and RSI (repetitive strain injury) creep up on you. In my case, I work as a research assistant and ghostwriter so I type and surf for most of the day. All of the home-based jobs that I have had since I became a work@homie more two years ago have involved word processing and research. Needless to say the chronic, repetitive typing and clicking motions have taken its toll. Two months ago I began to feel some discomfort on my right wrist which I was able to solve by taking a few minutes of rest and stretching. It also helps to slightly change the position of my mouse and the orientation of my right hand.

Personally, I do not subscribe to the idea of buying an ergonomic keyboard and mouse set simply because anything that forces your hand to stay at a certain positions and make repetitiuos movements for prolonged periods of time can eventually cause strain. Moreover, ergonomics is very relative, some are more comfortable in a certain position while others prefer something else. So to buy one just because it says “ergonomic” may not be a good idea.

What I would suggest is to buy a mouse and keypad that feels right for you (ergonomic or not) and make sure to slightly change their angles periodically so there is slight variation in your hand positioning. Also make sure to rest from time to time and do some wrist exercises. Just listen to what your hand is telling you and react accordingly. That is good enough ergonomics for me.

Microphone
Necessary for online tutors and counselors. Fortunately most headsets already come with microphones, so a separate purchase is not required.

why work@home

noreply@blogger.com (darkspark) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 06:01:00 +0000

The plain housewife is a vanishing breed.

The realities of modern living have made it necessary for wives and mothers to work in order to keep a decent living. Such realities have made fundamental structural changes to the basic institution of the family. As a result, most young, contemporary families have both parents working; and the children, often at very young ages, are left to the care of relatives, nannies, and daycare centers.

The tragedy is that we sacrifice precious and irretrievable time with our daughters and sons because we have been misled to believe that material comforts matter more to our children than our presence in their daily lives.Alas, the plain housewife, a specie that has existed for thousands of years, is on the brink of extinction.

However they are not going without a fight. The laws of nature require us to evolve, mutate even, in order to survive. Some sacrifices must be made. In the new jungle, there are new dangers as well as opportunities, and those who flourish are the ones willing to take on both.

If giving up work is not an option, then instead of going to work, let work come to you. The advent of high-speed Internet has created a wide range of online jobs that allow us to work at home and earn good money

Welcome to the world of ronins.
Freelancers and work@homies who find opportunities to earn through the internet.

Mothers and fathers looking for ways to earn online without sacrificing the seminal duties of parenting; single people looking for viable web-based earning opportunities that will not tie them to an 8-hour shift; individuals on the precipice of an online revolution. A new breed of professionals. Pioneers changing the face of work as we know it.

If you are a parent wishing that you could stay at home and tend to your beloved children, if you want more time for yourself, if you seek more creative control of your talents and resources, if you simply want balance, then together let’s explore the web and discover the still largely uncharted and untapped terrain of the work at home world. Among these pages you will find online job opportunities, fundaments of web-based work, tips and tricks on how to get online gigs, and anything and everything that intersects and involves the unique life of a work at homie.

Why work@home? Because you can really have your cake and eat it too. It is not too much to ask. For those who truly want a meaningful family life and a rewarding career, it is possible to have both.

Be the boss. Be a proud work@homie in the house.

of privacies and policies

noreply@blogger.com (darkspark) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:56:00 +0000

At life in freelance, I hold in utmost respect my visitors’ right to privacy of personal information. I do not sell your personal information to third parties, or use your private information for anything other than what is disclosed herewith.

The following is a disclosure on the types of personal information I receive and collect when you use visit my site, work-at-homies.com, and how I use and safeguard such information.

Log Files
As with most other websites, I collect and use the data contained in log files. The information in the log files include your IP (internet protocol) address, your ISP (internet service provider, such as AOL or Shaw Cable), the browser you use to visit my site (such as Internet Explorer or Firefox), the time you visited my site and which pages you have been to.

Cookies and Web Beacons
My site uses cookies to store information, such as your personal preferences when you visit blogs. This could include a pop-up that appears once during your visit or the login access to some of my features, such as posting comments and joining forums.

I also use third party advertisements on work-at-homies.com to support the site. Some of these advertisers may use technology such as cookies and web beacons when they advertise on my site. This is generally used for geotargeting purposes (showing Philippine-based to a visitor from the Philippines, for example) or showing certain ads based on specific sites visited (such as showing cooking ads to someone who frequents cooking sites).

You can choose to disable or selectively turn off our cookies or third-party cookies in your browser settings, or by managing preferences in programs such as Norton Internet Security. However, this can affect the level of interaction that you can get from my blog as well as with other websites. This could include the inability to login to services or programs, such as forums or accounts.

You can always visit my site assured that your privacy is in safe hands.