How to Become a Virtual Professional
A Beginner's Guide - Volume 1
Arlene Estrella Afalla-Dela Cruz
Self Publication
Copyright August 2020 Arlene Estrella Afalla-Dela Cruz
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
ISBN-13: 9781234567890
ISBN-10: 1477123456
Cover design by: Art Painter
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309
Printed in the United States of America
Contents
A Prayer
Father God, I just want to lift you up today!
You are so good Father and your love endures forever.
Thank you, for the opportunity to share this eBook to those who really need it.
Thank you for your love, grace, and mercy.
Thank you that despite the pandemic, we can still connect with each other through technology. Thank you for the gifts and talents that you have given us.
Today, I pray you will use this talents and gifts for your kingdom and glory.
It is not our wisdom or understanding but Your power working in us.
Please bless this eBook that for those who bought this
may go out and spread what they have learned, in the spirit of your love and generosity.
Let everything we do bring glory to Your mighty name, Father.
Thank you, I ask this in Jesus name I pray,
Amen.
Acknowledgements
I n line with the current pandemic, a lot of our brothers and sisters lost their jobs. In order to help each other be part of the solution and not a problem, I created these eBooks for those who can't afford to pay for expensive lessons, especially at these trying times.
I would like to express my gratitude to my husband for his unending love and support and for encouraging me to start sharing my knowledge to others.
Thank you to my family whose love never fails and the support of my friends who believed in my ability.
Thank you for the love!
Chapter 1
Introduction to Freelancing
~Life during the pandemic 2020~
A s COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread worldwide, for the first time in history, freelancing has become the new normal.
Currently, we are into transition from the community quarantine to the new normal. Economy is down. A lot of employees lost their day jobs. The present workforce have a "no-work, no-pay" status. Employees are being retrenched around the world. Public transport is down in both urban and rural areas due to several lockdowns. People are getting anxious. They are asking a lot of questions. What should I do? Where should I work? What will happen to my family?
Many freelancers and remote workers share the same concerns for job security and financial stability, leaving them to wonder what is in store for the future of freelancing? Will the future of work shift remotely especially now that work can be done at home? Will there be more outsourcing, or will businesses need to cut costs and reduce the amount of outsourced work?
A sad realization indeed, but there is no need to worry because in every problem, there is always a solution.
In this eBook, you will learn how to become a virtual professional and be equipped to work as one.
What is Freelancing?
F reelancing is working as a Self-employed Professional for multiple clients (Executives, Professionals, Business Owners, Any Individual) without a formal agreement from different countries like USA, Australia, Europe, and Canada .
It involves taking project-based jobs completed within a specific period (1-6 months project).
This work arrangement is the most flexible because freelancers are not tied to a long-term contract. They can choose to work any time they are available. Thus, freelancing suits people who want to make money on top of running a business or having an office job.
In freelancing, one of the most important things to do is to market yourself. With a regular day job, you know you will get your paycheck every 15 days or monthly depending upon your salary schedule.
A s a freelancer, you only get paid when you actually have clients and you complete the project. So you need to keep on marketing yourself 24/7.
What Is Work-From-Home?
W ork from home (or Working from home) is a modern work approach enabled through internet and mobility wherein irrespective of the physical location of an individual work can be done. Work from Home is also known as Working Remotely or telecommuting which implies that the employee is working from a remote location usually home.
People who work from home offer their services as independent contractors or consultants.
What is the difference with freelancing? The biggest difference is that working from home involves part-time or full-time instead of project-based jobs. Job contracts are also longer, with some remote workers rendering their services on a permanent basis. This setup is ideal for those who want to become self-employed and to fully enjoy the perks of working from home. They earn regular income as opposed to freelancers who receive payments per completed project. (FREEDOM to choose and pick clients).
FLEXIBLE working hours.
Can be Voice (Mostly, Teaching ESL, Cold calling, Inbound/ Outbound calls), Or Non-voice (Email support, data entry, virtual assistant, SEO, Social Media Marketing) or Mixed.
SALARY SCHEDULE can be per project, per hour, per week.
Basically, this means, you do not have a physical employer. So, since there is no employer, benefits such as Philhealth, Pag-ibig, Social Security System, HMO, taxes and so on (Philippine setting) are not included. Hence, you need to apply for these benefits as a self-employed individual, or voluntary pay it on your own.
Some people thought that this is a disadvantage, but I dont think it is. Personally, it is an advantage for me as I get to see, supervise, and take care of my kids 24/7.
What are the Benefits of Work-From-Home?
Freedom to choose clients and projects.
Immense flexibility of location. Freedom to work anytime, from anywhere in the world if the job is done and on time.
Opportunity to earn more.
A chance to experiment with your niche. If writing is your forte, you do not get to just write articles and features, but you can learn blogging from your clients and so on. It opens endless possibilities for everyone.
No need to travel to and from work every day. Cost effective.
You can spend more time with your family. For those who have kids, you get to see your child's growth, development, and milestones. There is no need to hire a nanny to take care of them. Personally, I am a breastfeeding and hands-on-mom ever since, working from home allows me to live my life to the fullest without being guilty of not seeing my children grow.