How To Work For Yourself In The Philippines

How To Work For Yourself In The Philippines: Written by Belle Hernandez from Shoppable.ph

Years of sleepless nights and endless coffee have finally paid off. You’re now working a 9 to 5 job and ripping its stable income and benefits.

Certainly, you’ll be receiving lemons, but as the line goes, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” But you want to think ahead. What does your future look like? You’re probably experiencing an internal conflict on whether to work for a big corp and be in the cut-throat corporate world forever, or you might be thinking, is there any other option for me?

Table of Contents

How to work for yourself in the Philippines

1. Become A Freelancer In The Philippines

For those unfamiliar with the term, “freelancing” is an unconventional occupation where you work out of the regular. You are self-employed, and you offer your services to different clients without being under their contract.

If you are a freelancer, you are your boss. You set the deadlines, gather your own line of clientele, and work on marketing your business to reach more individuals.

Freelancing has its perks if you think about it. If you’re somebody who doesn’t like being bound with rules and procedures to follow, freelancing might be your route. You can work on anything you’re passionate about.

It could be photography, writing, graphic design, website development, literally anything! It’s exciting to imagine that you can choose from a pool of ideas, and you don’t have to feel limited with your options.

If flying solo isn’t something you’re used to either, you can form a team of like-minded individuals and work together in achieving your goals on your freelance work.

To begin your freelance route, you need to prepare a couple of things. Don’t worry. This isn’t some grand hurrah you need to accomplish. It’s pretty simple.

Portfolio

You can create this by simply combining your previous works in a manner that is already curated and relevantly labeled. Your portfolio will present your “first look” and impression on your future clients.

This can come in physical form, as book-bound prints or inside an online drive presented in the form of an e-magazine. So instead of thinking out of the box, think like there is no box!

Curriculum Vitae

You probably know this by now, as you would have needed to create one back in college. Otherwise, a Curriculum Vitae is a short and organized written summary of your education, qualifications (certifications, academic awards, conferences attended, extracurriculars), and career achievements (if any).

Know that your Curriculum Vitae isn’t supposed to be more than three pages long; stick with a concise and effective layout orientation that covers your education, qualifications, and achievements.

Deck

This is where you present your reasonably priced services. Please do your homework, research how other freelancers and commercialized brands offer their services, and try to provide a matching value that takes your service in the same boat.

Observe how others conduct their businesses and be cautious in valuing your work; you might be undervaluing your service and offering it way cheaper, which will only leave you at a loss.

On the other hand, be keen on offering your services at skyrocketing prices too, as you might scare away potential clients. Understand the waters and take a balance step in endorsing your services to different clients.

Client Tracker and List

It takes hard work and research. It’s wonderful that we’re now presented with the beautiful benefits of technology.

Information is just about a few searches away, and you’re immediately directed towards companies, brands, and private individuals who are seeking to obtain the same service you offer.

Make a list of the contact information you believe could be handy when you reach out and conduct business-to-business deals.

Roll-up your sleeves attitude

Freelancers are people who are their own bosses. You are not under anybody’s supervision and brand, which is why your discipline must be at par with the goals you have set for yourself and your team if you happen to have one.

You must also conduct yourself responsibly as you accomplish the responsibilities you have lined up for your freelance work, like responding to emails, gathering clients, and accomplishing projects.

2. Start A Startup Or Small Business In The Philippines

Let’s compare and contrast the difference between a Startup and a Small Business. A Startup is a company that is at its prime stages of development. Startup founders usually provide the finances for the company they are building to attract other investors who can fund their business.

You’d be glad to know that the Philippine startup scene is scaling up the charts as unique businesses rise from scratch to dreams turned into reality. One example of a successful and growing startup is a Coworking Space.

The company helps fellow startups, entrepreneurs, and students expand their business and academic opportunities.

On the other hand, A Small Business is a privately owned business that can be in the structure of sole-proprietorship, partnership, or corporation. In the emergence of the ongoing health hazard, countless individuals have launched their small businesses online.

Various projects of creativeness and inventive characteristics have shaped the online stream of quarantine weeks and have placed an image of resilience amidst a great obstacle.

If you’re interested in creating things from scratch and enjoy their growth and struggles, you might want to explore the route of entrepreneurship. So steer the wheel and take your team on a ride that is new and inventive.

Redefine the standards of “work” and give a new face to the spectrum opportunities by building your business that is centered on a goal of growth, inclusivity, and originality.

Finally, decided to start a business or go on the freelancing route? Excellent! We mentioned one prominent startup earlier called “Weremote,” wonderful enough; they offer business registration services at entirely accessible and affordable means.

Some people would be lining up for 5 hours to run a permit and again for another 5 hours to run another permit as they bake under the afternoon sun. If you’ve got common sense, you’d know that it would be a lot cheaper and easier for you to register your business with the help of an appropriate provider.

Whatever new venture you start, it is vital to follow the legit route; registering your business not only saves you taxes and legal trouble but is also great for your branding and will help you acquire clients and customers in the long run.

Working For Yourself In The Philippines

Once you take the first step, you’ll feel the adrenaline of establishing a business you are passionate about.

“Dream, Focus, Hustle,” let that be your mantra. As you grow your team and build the business, you are dedicated to doing. You’ll never have to work a day in your life. Getting out of the rat race is a big step, and it comes with its risks, but the rewards are great; being your boss, being in charge of your time and, where you work are just a few perks that come with it.

The joys of success are within the merits of your learnings. So don’t box your mindset within numbers and profits alone; you grow when and you triumph when you gracefully work and balance your priorities according to the goals you have set for yourself. So take it away, and enjoy the journey.