It’s tax season once again, and if you’re a freelancer, business owner or even an employee earning from freelance gigs, you may be wondering: “How do I file my Annual Income Tax Return (ITR) with the BIR?” I actually have the same question, especially since I became an employee again last year (while at the same time earning on the side from my “rackets”). And so I asked for help from my friends at Taxumo — the online platform where Pinoy taxpayers can file and...

Want to know the easy-to-follow steps to become a Lazada seller? Learn more from MJ Gaan, top seller and certified trainer at Lazada.com, as she teaches us her 5 steps to become a Lazada seller. Online shopping is definitely booming this covid-19 season. I, myself, had been spending a lot ordering online because we’ve been locked down in our house since March, voluntarily self-quarantining to avoid catching the virus. Or listen to the episode here (CLICK...

In this episode of the Freelance Blend Podcast, I share with you the top productivity apps that I personally use to work from home this 2020 (a.k.a. The Year of the Pandemic). Or listen to the episode here (CLICK this link) >> Freelance Blend Podcast Ep. 193 From being a freelancer for 5 years then going back to corporate and working from home during this pandemic, I want to share with you the apps that I still use (you can listen to this episode where I share my...

I was fortunate to have been invited to this webinar called Qlitan by QBO Innovation Hub with the topic “Empowering the Gig Economy”. Or listen to the episode here (CLICK this link) >> Freelance Blend Podcast Ep. 192 In the first few 9:30 minutes of this episode, you will hear from Marella Ricketts of QBO who will talk about how QBO helps the startup community here in the Philippines. You’ll also get a chance to hear welcome remarks from QBO’s President himself,...

In the previous episode — The 30 Fast-Rising Freelance Gigs in The New Normal (FBP 190) — I talked about the freelance gigs that have emerged during this covid-19 pandemic. Or listen to the episode here (CLICK this link) >> Freelance Blend Podcast Ep. 191 However, I realized that I wasn’t able to tell you HOW to get those gigs, now that the game has changed. You don’t want to be putting salt on the wounds of those businesses that have gone bankrupt...

It’s already been about 4 months since the whole world has been hit by the covid-19 pandemic and it has not only been a health crisis, but an economic crisis as well. Businesses have been closing left and right, resulting in a scarcity of freelancing gigs available in the market. This is what we all now know as the new normal (sorry for using this already overused term). Or listen to the episode here (CLICK this link) >> Freelance Blend Podcast Ep. 190 But...

How are entrepreneurs, especially those with multiple business (a.k.a. serial entrepreneurs), are coping during this covid-19 pandemic? For this episode of Freelance Blend Podcast and Covid Break, we asked two of the most successful serial entrepreneurs I know talk about their current struggles and how they plan to bounce back — even if this pandemic is not yet over. (Watch out also for a special guest who “bombed” our Facebook Live!) Or listen to...

With the world still in a standstill, employee-driven customer service channels are unavailable and queries unanswered. But it seems there are quite several marketing and sales teams that are effective and successful with their chatbot strategies. However, we still see a lot of hesitation from a lot of brands; they are asking the same question, “ Can I entrust my customer communications to a computer?”. Leave your worries and join us at our Tutorial this June 26 as we take a deep dive...

We are all aware that schools are one of the hardest-hit industries by the covid-19 crisis and that’s why in this session of Covid Break inside the Samahan Group, we discuss how to pandemic-proof these institutions and invited representatives from Metro Manila-based preschools — Little Archers Learning Center and Mano Amiga Academy. Or listen to the episode here (CLICK this link) >> Freelance Blend Podcast Ep. 188 Our Guests Marianne...

Our guest for this episode is Mr. Jason dela Rosa, founder of the growing Facebook community called Bounce Back PH. As the founder of this fledgling group composed of business owners (from MSMEs to large corporations), NGOs, government units, media, professionals, freelancers, OFWs, employees and basically everyone affected by this Covid-19 pandemic, Jason’s shares with us his insights on how everyone can bounce back and thrive in the new normal. Or listen to the...

In this episode of Covid Break – an online discussion with entrepreneurs and freelancers on how to survive and thrive in the time of COVID — we talk about email marketing for small business owners. Or listen to the episode here (text link) >> http://traffic.libsyn.com/freelanceblend/Marketing_in_the_Time_of_COVID_-_Email_Marketing_Edition_FBP_186.mp3 Our guest, my friend and the country’s top email marketing expert — Allan Ngo of...

In this episode of Covid Break, we talk all about marketing for service-based businesses during the time of Covid-19. It is important for small business owners to remove the fear that they have during these times and start taking action! In this session, Marv de Leon talks about the different stages that entrepreneurs (and even freelancers) have to go through to attack the current situation and spot opportunities amidst the crisis. Marv also shares various case studies...

This is the 2nd episode of COVID Break, a new show that we started to help small business owners affected by the lockdown due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Thousands and thousand of businesses across the world have been forced to shutdown, not only stressing out many entrepreneurs — but their employees too. And that’s why I decided to create these online discussions — with both freelancers and small business owners — so that together, we can support each other as we go...

In this round-up discussion, we call COVID Break, an online conversion with people from various industries, we take a break from all the stressful COVID news and focus on how we can thrive as business owners during this lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Co-hosting this show with me is Dennis “Shoden” Abad – Guide and Video Strategist at DennisAbad.com. OUR GUESTS * Herlene Somook – Co-founder and Marketing Director for Creative Labs, Blogger, and Domestic...

In this episode of the Freelance Blend Podcast, Marv de Leon shares his 13 tips for first-time remote workers, particularly employees who are being asked by their companies to work from home because of the spread of the coronavirus, forcing the government to impose the enhanced community quarantine (a.k.a lockdown). The lockdown has caused thousands (maybe even tens of thousands) of Filipinos to adjust to this “new normal”. Employees, who are used to the office environment, are now...

It’s a common story. Day One: You get paid. Day Two: All your money is gone due to payments made for bills and debt. It’s a problem for both employees and freelancers. We all can’t seem to save, let alone enjoy, the fruits of our labor. This creates even more stress to the freelancer whose income is already irregular and fluctuating. Is there a better way? Serial entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz says, there is, and it involves a behavioral shift. He said that instead...

Do you have things you barely use lying around your house? Perhaps an old pair of rubber shoes your son outgrew or a brand-new bike you didn’t get to use because you just got a lot busy. If you have this unpleasant feeling of regret and waste when you see these items, fear not. There is a way to make cash out of your trash. Enter Facebook Marketplace. In this episode of the Freelance Blend podcast, I’ll be talking about how you can sell your old or barely-used stuff on Facebook’s very...

Five years ago, I started this podcast. Today, as I publish its 179th episode, a lot of things have already happened. In the past few months, avid listeners of the show may have noticed a decline in the episodes I published. So, many are asking, “What happened?” The reason behind my short hiatus is this: I became part of the online tax-filing service company, Taxumo, two months ago as an independent consultant. Those who learned about this recent change in my career asked a...

A large chunk of clients served by Filipino freelancers is coming from the United States. In fact, according to a 2018 survey conducted by Paypal in 2018, 60% of their clients come from the U.S. For us Pinoy freelancers, the main advantage of working with American clients is financial — the US dollar exchange rate is quite competitive compared to that of other currencies. However, with this advantage comes a challenging tradeoff. And the tradeoff is our most valuable...

A high-paying job, a beautiful house, and a wonderful family — Ricky Shetty had all of these. He was living the “suburban dream” in Vancouver, Canada with his wife and three kids. His was a life that many people around the world would envy. But he was missing one thing, the most important thing: happiness. “Figure out your purpose, your vision, your values, and then figure out if your life is fitting that. If it’s not, time for change.” These are Ricky’s words, and he...

When I was given the book “Shoe Dog,” an autobiography written by Nike’s founder Phil Knight, as a Christmas gift, I knew I had to read it. Nike is one of my favorite brands and I love sports, especially basketball. So, I read the book in two months and it is the only book that made me cry—if you want to know why, read on and watch the video. In this episode, I will be sharing with you my key takeaways from this great book. Phil Knight’s success story is a must-read, especially for...

While working as the Head of B2B Sales and Growth at STORM, a Philippine tech startup, Cindy Burdette noticed a huge pain point experienced by the contractors and freelancers hired by these large multinational companies that she worked with at STORM. The problem: They didn’t have health insurance. “We would see people who were basically doing similar tasks, but one would have benefits and one would not.” Thus, began a new chapter in Cindy Burdette’s already accomplished...

Delayed na naman ba ang pag-transfer ng freelance payments mo? Hanap ka ulit ng encasher?‍  You may not know this, but there IS a FASTER way for you to withdraw your funds! ‍‍Did you know that with EON, you can get your payments in real time? ‍‍No need to wait for DAYS just to get your shopping money. PLUS, if you sign up starting today until January 31, 2019, you get FREE P100 EON credits. Simply download the EON PH app in the App Store or Google...

Sometime ago, I asked this question from our freelancer community: “What’s your biggest challenge in starting a freelance side gig? And here are the common answers that I got: “How to juggle my 9-hour work shift + 2 hrs travel and raising my 2yr old daughter and 1yr old son. I barely have time left to start a freelancing career.” “Since I have zero skills, how can I get clients?” “It might work for others, but I’m not sure if freelancing will work for...