By guest author Kathy Dobson, a free spirited Internet marketer with a passion for outsourcing… specifically outsourcing to the Philippines. Her blog “Dedicated to Freedom” is where she shares her thoughts, ideas and resources on the subject.

She is also the author of a new free report called “Empowered Outsourcing” which will educate anyone interested in learning to outsource their business or personal online tasks.

As a business owner, it matters not whether you hire online or offline there are certain traits/qualities that should always be considered before you hire your skilled worker. These can include…but are not exclusive to…

Intelligence: You want a creative thinker and problem solver
Integrity/honesty: These two go hand in hand.
Curiosity: Someone with a thirst to know and understand
Complimentary skills: Eliminate individual effort by hiring complimentary skill sets.
Enthusiasm: Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm…it is contagious…need I say more?

The above traits are all essential to the success of any business, but the explosion of online business owners as well as personal bloggers using outsourced online workers has presented us with new hiring challenges.

As an online blogger and business owner myself I’ve outsourced many projects as well as hiring permanent outsourced workers. Each time I learned something valuable about the online hiring process…(many of them hard learned lessons) and what you need to pay attention to if you choose to hire online.

The traits/qualities I look for when hiring an online worker:

• Availability: If you are hiring offshore you need to pay attention to the availability of your outsourced online worker. For example: I live in SW Florida and I’ve hired my outsourced workers from EasyOutsource and they all live in the Philippines. I am exactly 12 hours in time behind them so when it is daylight there…it is turning night here.  This is a double edged sword as it can be more difficult to connect because of the time differences…on the other hand, it allows your business to operate and move forward while you are sleeping Since everyone is in a different time zone, you must make the determination for yourself if this works for your business.
• Communication: This is extremely important to your business. If you cannot communicate properly with your online worker because of language differences you will move forward very slowly and waste a lot of valuable time. If you are paying by the hour…this obviously will impact how quickly your project gets completed and the cost to you.Communication can be in the form of written or spoken communication via channels such as Skype. I always interview my prospective candidates via Skype as it quickly reveals how easily it will be to communicate with this person. Some Filipino workers are a bit shy about their English language skills and prefer to type only. This can be acceptable if they are quick and accurate typists. Once again you must make the determination for your own business.Keep in mind that your online worker must have a microphone available if you are to verbally communicate. Not all of them do.
• Experience: Nothing replaces experience in the workplace. I try to avoid fresh college graduates…not that they are not qualified, but I prefer someone who has experience working online. You must also ask them for examples of any work that they have performed for others that may help you to determine their skill level in regards to the tasks you are hiring for. If they cannot supply you with any examples…then most likely they have no experience.There are so many valuable tools, scripts and software packages online that can help with your business. Finding someone who has been previously trained on an application you want to use can save time…which always equates to money.If you have a lot of time…you can hire fresh college graduates…but be aware that you will have to do more training if you do. The plus side to this is that generally those without much experience come cheaper.Most freelancers online keep a portfolio of their work so that potential clients can see firsthand what they have accomplished in the past.

• Promptness/Punctuality: How quickly have your online prospects returned your inquiry? Do they pay attention to their email and are they articulate when they respond? This can quickly reveal to you how serious they will be about your projects.
• Accuracy: If you have assigned them a project to test their skills, how accurately do they use the details you have provided for them? Details are the heart of any project, but in order to avoid wasting valuable time, it is imperative that your online worker is detail oriented and gets the details right the first time around. I believe this also reveals a lot about a person’s attention span.
• Age: I prefer hiring in the age group of 26 and above. There are many reasons for this, but the younger they are, the more uncertain they are about where they are headed. On the other hand, most people 26 and above have experienced enough of life situations to be emotionally mature and they are much more settled into their home lives.That’s not to imply that you cannot find quality workers under that age…if you are willing to risk the uncertainty and indecisiveness of the young.  ;)
• Self Motivation/Assertiveness…Since your virtual worker essentially works alone they must be self starters and self motivators.  There will be no one around to push them to get their work done. The best VA’s and outsourced workers are self-motivated go-getters.
• Organizational Skills…Your virtual worker must be willing to take the time and effort needed to stay extremely organized. Disorganization can cause major problems…leading to costly mistakes that could affect your business.
• Resourcefulness…Learning to be a vast resource of information (we are, after all working online…the information highway,) your online worker must be able to research and come up with information and any stats as needed.
• Work Station: It is imperative that you inquire about their tools. Do they have their own computer or do they have to share with family members? Do they have a quiet place in their home that they can work from? Is their Internet connection fast and strong? All of these need to be considered.
• Personality…Last but not least is personality. This may not be important to all business owners, but I find success comes easier if you enjoy the people you are working with. If you are an outsourced worker, don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through. This is what will get you personally connected to those who have hired you.

As well as looking for the qualities listed above, use your innate intuition and read between the lines. Search for people with lots of energy…energy that will be funneled into their work. Seek to understand what motivates them as well.

The Internet has changed the way we do business in the 21^st Century and with the ready availability of websites such as EasyOutsource, hiring outsourced online help is here to stay. Not only does this benefit the business owner, but it benefits the outsourced/home worker as well. It truly is a win-win situation.

We are very fortunate to be living in this day and age and have business advantages that were not available just a few short years ago. For those of you ready to take advantage of hiring online, understanding some of the complications that may arise ahead of time will help make your hiring process go smoother and be more productive.

There are a lot of common mistakes and pitfalls that online workers commit.  I am guilty of committing a few of them myself.  In order for you to succeed as an online worker, you should be careful to avoid these mistakes now that you are already aware of them.

• Not knowing the going rates of other online workers in the same field of expertise – One of the first things you should do when starting to do online work is to research on the going rates of other online workers.  Say, you want to offer SEO services, go to freelancing sites and look at the rates posted by other freelancers that do SEO.  Look for the rates of workers in the same geographical location as you.  That way, you can charge a competitive rate and you up your chances of being hired for a job.
• Not having a clear agreement with your employer - Before you commit to work for an employer, make sure that you iron out all the important details first – the scope of work, deadlines, reports required from you, number of hours you need to spend on the project, rate, payment schedule, etc.  If you can, get all of these details in writing.  If it is in an email, then this would suffice.  If you chatted about it, get a transcript of your chat and save if for future reference.  Take of note of reports that the employer may require from you.  I have encountered a lot of workers complaining of non-payment from their employers only to find out that they didn’t get paid because they failed to send in daily reports required from them.
• Over-committing – Before you commit with an employer, make sure that you can deliver.  Check that you can do everything that the project entails and that you can submit it within the deadline stipulated.  If you just commit mindlessly without thinking about these things, you run the risk of not being able to deliver what the employer expects.
• Missing deadlines – In online work, as with any other work, meeting deadlines is very important.  Before you commit to a deadline, make sure you can meet it.  If you committed to a deadline and are unable to make it because of some unforeseen circumstances, make sure you let your employer know.
• Not showing up for work – In the Philippines, there are a lot of power and service interruptions.  If you are a victim of one or the other and are unable to work certain days, make sure that you inform your employers instead of leaving them to wonder about what happened with you.  No power or no connection?  You can always go to an internet cafe.  While you cannot do work in a cafe, you can always send an email to your employer informing them about the situation.  You can also take advantage of the GPRS capabilities of your cellphone.  You can either send an email if your cellphone has this feature or use it as a modem and connect it to your laptop using a usb.

All the mistakes mentioned above have been committed by online workers at one time or another in their careers.  If you try and avoid these common mistakes, you increase your chances of succeeding as an online worker.

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By guest author West Loh, who teaches business automation and outsourcing strategies at his blog on Success Strategies.

At WestLoh.com you’ll find useable strategies and proven ideas you can implement in your business right now.

He’s also author of a new free report called The Money Mindset Report teaching people how to identify and remove any subconscious blocks that are holding them back from financial success. You can get it free at WestLoh.com.

I’ve decided to write this article to help all the workers at EasyOutsource. I see so many good people with lots of potential, but very few who present themselves in the best possible way in order to get shortlisted. In my experiences of hiring, I’ve always had to probe and ask about key information that wasn’t present when I read the initial profile.

So pay very close attention and read every word in this training article, and you’ll give yourself the best chance of getting a job and that steady monthly income you deserve.

Tip #1: Have a professional Photo. You’re here on a professional site so don’t be putting pics of you on the beach half naked. If it was a dating site great but you want to be professional from the start. Find a picture of you in business attire or at the very least, crop a headshot so we can actually see your face. Don’t wear glasses, hats or anything that would cover your facial features. One more thing – SMILE! If it looks like an inmate mugshot where you aren’t giving a good energy, don’t expect to get that interview.

Tip #2: Don’t claim to be an expert in everything. I read profiles where a person claims to have 1 year experience yet they are experts in 47 different areas. Immediate write off! Isolate your 2-3 STRENGTHS and write a detailed description of why those strengths will help the person who hires you. For example if you are looking for a VA position and you have better English than most, then really highlight that. Tell employers what your rating is, what topics you’ve written on and what positions you might have worked in or study you’ve done that would separate you from the other thousands of VA’s out there.

Tip #3 Nurture Your Profile. Please, please, please pay very close attention to your profile. It’s the only thing we have to judge you on so if it’s riddled with spelling errors, bad English, grammatical atrocities or even lack of information, you are going to get the boot instantly. Have your profile proof read by an English speaker if needed. Use up most of the space – it’s prime real estate and you need to use it to promote yourself! Provide links to your portfolio, links to past employers references and sample articles you’ve written. Make it EASY for an employer to find out about you! One more thing – it would be really helpful if you gave a MONTHLY expectation of salary. These days, most people are looking to hire per month, not by hour.

Tip #4 (Advanced). This tip I think is a great one but it does require some equipment and a little knowledge of how to use free software. I’m always looking for that personal touch in profiles and rarely see them. So, if you could link to an AUDIO message or even a personalised VIDEO of you in your profile that would immediately tell the employer you are versed in social media and you would build rapport faster than you ever could compared to email. You could talk a bit about who you are, your skills and why employing you is a good decision.

Tip #5 Be Proactive. Keep an eye on new members at the site and start contacting people who are employers. Tell them a bit about yourself in a private message and offer to work for them at a lowered cost or even free for the first week to see if you are a fit. Everyone else is waiting for opportunities to come to them, why don’t you go out and take control of your own path?

I sincerely hope you’ve gotten at least 1 great tip from this article. For more fantastic tips on outsourcing please visit my personal page where I share all my best content absolutely free of charge.

www.westloh.com

See you there!

West

Why, you ask?  Well, have you ever applied for a day job without presenting an application letter?  An online job is very much like a day job, only it is done online.  In any job application process, a cover letter is recommended.

However, you should not send in just any cover letter.  Never send in the same one to all of the jobs you applied for.  Doing so would be a reflection of bad taste.  You should write a new one for each job you apply for.  You should tailor-fit it to the job description.  Doing so will show that you pay close attention to detail and will set you apart from other freelancers who send in a generic one.

A good cover letter is also a display of your English communication skills and will give the employer a preview of your writing skills.  So make sure to read through it and edit it for spelling, grammar, and syntax.

Your cover letter is also evidence of how well you read through the job post.  Some employers pose questions for you to answer and some even give code words that they require you to integrate into the letter.  It helps them weed out those that clearly didn’t pay attention to what was written in the post and narrow down their choice of applicants.  Writing a well thought out letter will increase your chances of making it into the short list.

However, only send in a cover letter if you are really serious about a applying for a job post.  You don’t want to flood the employer’s inbox only to disappear when you are contacted for an interview.  In fact, do not apply for a job if you’re not serious about seeing it through.  So, whenever you want to seriously apply for an online job, know that clicking the “apply to job” button is sometimes not enough.

	The demanding client – This client gives you a project and gives you a very tight deadline.  He nitpicks everything that you submit to him, demanding revision after revision until he is satisfied with your work.  He rarely gives any positive comment about your work, but is very quick to criticize.  This type is very hard, if not impossible, to please. Sounds familiar?  There are a lot of this type of client out there.  This is the type that will give you negative feedback without batting an eyelash should you get on his bad side.  Dealing with this type of client requires patience, lots of it.  Should you encounter one, it is best that you just bite your tongue as reasoning with them will get you nowhere.  If this client gets too demanding to handle, it may be best to let them go before you go bald from tearing your hair out from frustration.
	The passive client – This client gives you a project, gives you a deadline and you never hear anything from them in between.  They rarely give feedback and you will only know if they approve of your output if they give you another project.  You rarely find them online.  It takes them days to answer your emails and when they do, you don’t always get the answer you expect. This type expects you to figure things out on your own.  They are not interested in the process, only the output.  They don’t like to get too involved in the project and are only interested in results. If you encounter this type of client, you will feel less frustrated if you ask all of your questions in one go.  This type doesn’t want to go back and forth with questions, clarifications, and the like.  If you are confused about one part of the project, go over everything, anticipate the potential problems you may encounter, and present all of your concerns in one email.  This way, you avoid the risk of annoying them by sending them multiple emails.  The less you involve them in the process of completing the project, the more they like it.
	The micromanager – A complete opposite of the passive client, the micromanager wants to get involved in every process of the project completion.  They send you multiple emails everyday asking you how the project is going and giving you additional instructions that they just “thought” of.  They want to know everything that’s going on and want to be kept in the loop. While feedback from a client is always nice, getting too much feedback, too often, within the course of a single project can be annoying.  It takes time to answer their multiple emails and instant messages – time, that you could’ve otherwise spent in completing the project. When you encounter a client such as this, it is always best to assure them that you are on top of things.  It helps that you show them that you are confident and in control of what you are doing.  Most of the time these clients ease up once they know that they can trust you to do the right thing on your own.
	The miser - Need I say more?  This type of client will almost ask for your services for free.  They will claim that they can get a lower rate from someone else in the hopes that you will match the rate they mentioned. If you encounter such a client, explain to them politely why you charge such a rate.  These clients want value for their money, so explaining to them what you can offer that they won’t get from those charging lower rates will probably get them to approve of your asking price; or at the very least, not haggle your rate too much.
	The freeloader –  This type is the worst of the bunch.  They ask you to submit “sample” article(s) about a specific topic that they choose.  They ask you to participate in a “sample” project to prove your skills.  And when you have submitted your “samples”, you never hear from them again or worse, they claim that they are not satisfied with your work and would like you to do another one, again as a sample. When you feel that the client you are dealing with is of this kind, run like hell towards the opposite direction.  Asking for sample work is commonplace when doing online work.  However, when asked for them, always submit something that you have already done in the past.  It should be enough to prove your skills.
	The gem of a client - While there will always be bad bananas in a bunch, the good ones are thankfully the most common.  This type of client gives you fair compensation, gives constructive criticism for your work, are not afraid to compliment you for a job well done, and most importantly, make you feel that they truly appreciate the help that you give them. These clients are keepers.  If you get hired by one, make sure that you take care of them so as not to lose them to a more worthy freelancer.  While these clients appear complacent, do not make this a license to submit lousy work.  Do know that no matter how good these clients are, they will not hesitate to replace you should you abuse their kindness.

So far, these are the types that I can think of.  Should you have suggestions on types that I failed to include in the list, don’t hesitate to put them in your comments.

If faced with the same question, my answer would be an obvious “no”.  I don’t think lowering your rates is the solution.  I believe in putting a premium on your work.  If you feel that you deserve to be given a particular rate, then by all means quote that.  However, we should do this within reason.  Your rate should be backed up with the proper skills and experience.  Without the two, you can never hope to charge more than the minimum.  You can check out my other post on reasonable rates to give Filipino freelancers and use that as a guide in determining your rates.

You might be asking “But, what about those of us who are new in the business?”  For new freelancers, hope is not lost.  You can still charge a competitive rate if you do your research in advance.  Read up on the necessary skills that are needed by an online freelancer.  Invest in training materials.  You can even find free basic courses online.  The bottom line is, if you prepare yourself, you would have armed yourself with the skills already.  Experience will come in due course.

The problem with lowering your rates is that you would need to work twice as much, twice as hard, to earn the amount that you desire.  This will eventually wear you out and your productivity will suffer.  It will be counter-productive for you to do so.  The quality of your output will be compromised.  If you set your desired rate, you won’t have to work for multiple clients at a time.  This lowers your stress levels and lessens the number of projects that you will need to do at the same time.

Another bad thing about lowering your rates is that you will attract clients who are not willing to pay a higher rate.  If this happens, there is a very big possibility that you will be stuck with the same rate for a very long time.  This will eventually create resentment on your part and there will come a time when you will feel the need to move on to greener pastures and you would have to go through the application process all over again.

Another reason not to set unreasonably low rates is that you will inevitably affect other freelancers’ rates.  If a lot of freelancers quote a low rate, employers will think that this is the standard and will stop hiring the services of those that quote a higher rate, never mind that they deserve it, in favor of those that get paid lower.  We should think about the entire freelance community when we set out rates.

This is not to say that your rates should never be negotiable.  You can set different rates for different types of online work.  If you are hired for a long-term job, you can adjust your rates a little in exchange for a guaranteed paycheck, milestone bonuses, and other benefits.  Just make sure that when you do adjust your rates, it is to an amount that you will be happy to receive.

No doubt about it, freelancing is stressful.  Sure, it is rewarding and pays more than a regular day job; but the stress that comes along with it is also arguably more than you would encounter in a 9-5 job.

It doesn’t have to be that way, though.  There are steps that you can do in order for you to avoid stress.  Let’s identify the stressors and how we can overcome them.

• You don’t have enough clients or projects – One of the most stressful part of freelancing involves finances.  Specifically, tight finances.  If you are a freelancer who works for clients on a per project basis, there will be times when you will have no work and you will find the need to apply and bid for new jobs every few weeks.  This is very stressful because one, you are not earning any income and two, having to go through the application process every so often will take its toll on you.
  What you need to do is to try and find a long-term job online.  There are a lot of them posted here on EasyOutsource.  While a long-term job pays a little bit lower than a project-based one, the security of having a regular paycheck is a worthy trade off.
• You have too many projects going on at the same time – I have said this before: with freelancing, do not bite off more than you can chew.  The prospect of earning a lot by working for a lot of clients may be very tempting, but you have to consider that there are only 24 hours in a day of which only about half of that can be spent working.  You are not superman.  You cannot defy nature just for the sake of earning money.  If you do, you will only be able to sustain it for a while.
  You should only take in enough clients that you know you can handle effectively.  Divide your time equally among them and according to what is expected of you.  If you constantly deliver outstanding work, you will surely get a pay increase and in time, you will reach your target income that you were aiming for.  Always remember: patience is a virtue.
• You work in an environment that constantly interferes with your work -  Most freelancers work from home.  When you work at home there are a lot of distractions.  Your kids could be home and they are screaming for you or trying to hoard your attention in whatever way they can, and you also have household chores to attend to.  This is a difficult situation to be in an one that is not conducive for work.
  What you can do is to try and organize your schedule.  Set aside time to do the chores and be with your kids.  Talk to them and explain to them that when it is time for you to work, they shouldn’t disturb you unless it is very important.  When it is time for their nap, do as much work as you can.  Set aside weekends for your family.  Do not work on these days as much as possible.  Make this a time to unwind and recover from the week’s stress.
• Deadlines set by your clients is too close for comfort – Sometimes, clients may set unreasonable deadlines and demand that you meet them.  If you are not careful and do not think ahead, you may find yourself losing sleep just to complete a project.  When a client gives you a deadline for a project, plan your workflow before accepting and committing to it.  Make sure that you can meet them, without sacrificing the quality of your output.  If you feel that the deadline given is too close, you can always politely decline the project or request for a deadline extension.
• You have a difficult client – There are a wide variety of clients and some are very difficult to handle.  If you encounter one that gives you too much stress, you have to assess if the income you’re earning from him is worth your trouble.
• You are sick – With freelancing, you don’t automatically get paid sick days in a calendar year.  But, we are just people and we do get sick once in a while.  If you are, don’t hesitate to inform your clients and ask for a day off to rest or a deadline extension.  The most important thing is that you inform them.  If you are too sick to get out of bed and on to your work station to send an email to your clients, or too weak to power up your laptops, use your cellphone.  Send an instant message or a short email informing them of your sickness or text a colleague and ask them to inform your client for you.

Stress is never good for us.  You may not realize it now, but stress does take a toll on your health.  So, as much as possible make it such that you anticipate stressors and try to avoid them even before they happen to you.

We check the forums everyday for new posts that may require our answer or attention.  See you there!

If you are ever faced with an interview invitation, here’s what you should do:

1. Know the employer’s time zone - Check the employer’s profile and find out what country and city/state they live in.  Do your research and know their time zone and the time equivalent to the  Philippine time zone.  Determine a time that seems convenient for both you and the employer and take note of that time, in the employer’s time zone.
2. Prepare your method of contact – Different employers interview differently.  Some interview via email, some via chat, and some via voice chat.  Typically, employers like to conduct interviews via YM, Google Talk, MSN, and Skype.  You should try and get accounts with one or all of these.  The more, the better.  Prepare a headset with a microphone should the employer wish to conduct a voice interview.  This is especially true if the employer would like to assess your speaking skills and English proficiency.
3. Reply to the interview invitation – Whether you are interested in the interview invitation or not, it is always wise to reply to the message you received.  If you are not interested with the invitation, send a reply anyway.  Politely decline the invitation.  If you would like to accept, thank the employer for their interest in your services and suggest a time for the interview, in the employer’s time zone.  Include your contact details.
4. Prepare yourself for the interview proper – As with any endeavor, you should always prepare yourself.  Being unprepared is like going to battle without any ammo – you are sure to get killed.  Prepare answers for the more common interview questions and the not so common ones.  Common questions include: “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”, “How can you help me and my company?”, “What can you do?”, “Why should I hire you over all other applicants?”.  You get the picture.  Of course, do not can your answers. Canned answers are very obvious and almost always sound fake, even if you really mean them.  Prepare answers, but never memorize them.
5. Go for it! – After all your preparation, the inevitable has arrived.  It’s time for the interview proper.  Take a deep breath and relax!  Take on a friendly and conversational tone.  You’ll only be nervous at the start.  Trust me, you’ll warm up eventually.  Just answer the questions honestly and you’ll be fine.

Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?  The first is always the hardest.  The more interviews you have, the better you’ll get at it.  If you don’t get the job, don’t berate yourself for it.  Don’t lose hope.  Just move on and apply for another job.  There will always be new jobs posted.  If you persist, you are bound to find the perfect one for you.