Wandergirl Speaks

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NMEDA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Every time I see elderly people in wheelchairs or walking with the help of a single-point cane, I can’t help but remember my grandfather who was in the same discomforting situation before he died last year. For days since his arrival from Canada we’ve witnessed how difficult it was for him to move around the house with his cane. And being one of his “caregivers” I had always wished there’d be something that would’ve made things easier for him, especially whenever he’d asked any one of us to take him to and from my aunt’s house in the same neighborhood. Looking back, I knew it wasn’t only me whose heart bleeds at those memories, and if only we had known NMEDA a little earlier, things would’ve been a lot different.

Originally formed as an association of mobility equipment dealer, NMEDA, is a non-profit association of mobility equipment dealers, driver rehabilitation specialists, and other professionals whose aim is to provide safe and reliable vehicles to people with disabilities.

Moreover, NMEDA (National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association) targets to educate consumers with valuable information that they can rely when they decide to purchase products from NMEDA qualified dealers.

This organization does not sell anything; rather they are at the forefront of promoting safe driving and equipment for disabled people. They are non-profit and their members are required to adhere to the safety standards of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Their dealers are the only qualified members to sell handicap vans and vehicle modifications for disabled people.

NMEDA has both Dealers and Quality Assurance Program (QAP) dealers under its turf. Quality Assurance Program (QAP) is the only nationally recognized accreditation program for the Adaptive Mobility Equipment Industry. They comply on the principle that in order to satisfy customers consistently, companies must have a systematic and documented approach to quality.

Another great thing about NMEDA is that they have a very convenient way of helping you find a dealer close to your location. You may visit NMEDA.org and type in your zip code to find a qualified dealer that could help you get back onto the road of independence.

Scoring a job in Odesk may seem impossible at first, but once you learn the tricks you'd be happy to realize there's indeed money in working from home.

Like I mentioned in my previous blog entry, I’d be sharing a lot about my Odesk experience in the coming days and how I am beginning to find comfort in doing what I do now. It’s been over a month since I started working actively on Odesk and while there are times I’d feel too lazy to continue the advantages of staying at home, working, and earning  far exceeds the lost time commuting to and from work, budgeting on food and transportation allowance, enduring heavy traffic, worrying about tardiness and absences, etc.

But are all people signing up for Odesk achieve success? How does one manage to get as many clients and projects while another simply wait in vain for another more months until about ready to give up before s/he scores a project?

Believe it or not, just like any other jobs, working on Odesk comes with a lot of patience, good negotiation and communication skills, a valuable profile, and tons of hard work and discipline. Here I’d like to share what I learned so far and how it helped me get more projects on hand:

1. Create a marketable profile. Simply saying “I am a good writer and can write original content on various topics” is not the best you can do to get clients’ attention. Odesk is very much well known these days and the competition has become tougher than it was two years ago. Highlight specific skills. Saying “I am a seasoned writer with 6+ years experience in writing original content, re-writing, article spinning, and SEO copywriting” is a much better way to grab a buyer’s attention and decision to message you their interest in getting your service.

2. Start on a lower rate. Believe it or not, but when I created my profile back in April of this year with a starting rate of $3/hr, no buyer dared to hire me amidst the sea of job applications I’ve done. One by one my application were rejected until I decide to lower it to $2/hr. Sadly, none of the buyers were still interested, until I decided to go for $0.90/hr. The logic is quite simple, if you are just starting and no previous projects to show off just yet, humbly take down your rate.Your goal is to pin a project and do well with it so that your first client gives you good feedback and continue working with you. As soon as you have shown buyers that you are a reliable contractor, you’d be surprised to see how many of them will start noticing and hiring you. The more in demand you become the more reason you can raise your rate per hour.

3. Deal with clients courteously. Remember, they are the one giving you work so make sure to deal with them appropriately from the moment you write your cover letter up to the time you completed the project. Listen to their instructions and ask questions. They’ll respect you more for that.

4. Complete your projects on time. Most clients will start by giving you trial projects to see how you work and if everything goes they can increase your weekly work hours and pour in some more assignments. Commit to their deadline. However, if you feel they are giving unreasonable time limit, politely air your opinion and give suggestions. A lot of the buyers I’ve worked with and are still working with value their workers’ opinions especially if it’s going to benefit their business.

5. Keep updating your skills and profile. Just because you are already getting a lot of buyers doesn’t mean you have to stop there. As you work with many buyers you learn more and it adds up on your portfolio. See what skills many buyers are looking for. If it’s SEO then learn how to do it. Many tutorials are now available online that will help you become an expert about something. Take advantage of these materials. The more updated your skills and profiles are the more in demand you become. And that means the more income you generate.

So there, I hope that works for your, too. Goodluck

An hour ago I was lingering in my room and looking around for some things I can fix when my attention shifted to my closet. As I rummaged through it, I realized I had kept so many things I didn’t need such as clothes I never wore, clothes I only wore once, swimwear I was hoping to still wear, concert tickets I thought would last a lifetime, accessories I no longer feel fit to wear, wallets I kept for years, bank statements of more than six months, and pictures I can live without.

I can’t believe I kept so much more than I needed. And no wonder I get stressed all the time just by the moment I’d open my closet.

So without a tinge of hesitation I placed them all in a paper bag, very much ready and willing to throw away. And while I was doing the entire cleaning I fee freer and great. Then it occurred to me:  sometimes all it really takes to free yourself from all the stress is to just let go. No need to spend on a grand vacation or go on a shopping spree which a lot of women do when they are feeling bad or stressed. I’ve done that, too, and I always ended buying things I never really needed or would only wear once. I did think about the many times it happened as I saw those clothes in my closet which I never wore even once and  had now ended up in the paper bag waiting to be given or thrown away.

Less is more, so they say. And I now understand what that really meant

It’s been almost a month already since I started working from home. After 6 long years of my life in the “real world” I decided to call it quits and looked for a home-based job, dismissing all facts and possibilities how the decision is going to affect me in the long run. And not very long, as if some good luck was on my side, I got hired by an employer for a 40-week project in Odesk with a rate that was higher than my profile bid. The job was content writing for various blogs.

Of course, aside from writing and research skills, this job also requires a quiet place to get me to write, much more finish a 500-word article. And I must admit, I was quite unprepared for the latter necessity. The question is: how do you work when your home is in chaos?

Because I couldn’t afford the extravagant way of buying or renting an apartment (at least for now), I thought about a few things that will keep me sane while I make sure I get the job done and get paid for it…with no delays:

1. Schedule the time of work. And go for those times when everyone is either sleeping or out of the house. In my case, it’s usually in the afternoon and in the evening when I can have the quiet space all to myself.

2. Select a place in your home that’s not frequented by everyone most of the time. Usually your bedroom is the best place to get your work done, well and quick, because of less distraction from the rest of your household members.

3. Invest on a good table and chair for your home office room. The worst you can do while working is slouching and hurting your back and neck. The advantage of working from home should far exceed that of an office building set up, at least when it comes to your health.

4. Stay away from kids when working. Oh dear, it’s just so hard to concentrate when you have the kids playing and running around while you think of the best word to describe what you’re writing about.

5. Never ever decide on having your office room near your living room. Because it’s just so easy to get distracted by the thought of watching your newly-bought DVD movie or getting a glimpse of your favorite TV show. And this always makes you end up delaying your work.

Yipee it’s Odesk payday once again and today I withdraw my earnings for last week. I know my first Odesk earnings was not as good as last week but now I am reaping the fruits of hard work and I am just sooooo loving Odesk now :0)

The previous week made me really busy doing a lot of blogging for clients. I spent about 40 hours for the entire week and hopefully I’d be able to earn more the succeeding weeks, but I also hope to get other jobs that’s not only about blogging so I could learn new skill and increase my market value with Odesk.

Yesterday, I was able to withdraw my first-ever Odesk earning. It wasn’t much, but certainly satisfying for a 10-hour work in one week. It only made me feel even more encouraged to work so well. Gladly my client gave a full-time 40-hour a week.

So who says work-from-home jobs can only leave you broke?

The last three weeks had been an ultimate challenge for me. I was hired for a Team Lead post in one of the biggest call center, not just in the Philippines, but also in the US. The compensation offer was not bad, and the promise for career growth is hugely tempting. Two days in the leadership training, I was confirmed by the program’s senior manager that I will be flying to the US for further product training since I already have a multiple visa. The said training is necessary in the migration process of the account since it’s going to be a pioneer program in the center’s site.

On the other hand, at the same time I started with the company, I was also hired to work full-time by one of the buyers in Odesk. The job requires 8 hours to work from home. And if by doing the math, it appears I am gonna be earning exactly the same—if not more—than what the contact center offered me. Another thing, with the work-from-home job I got, not only will I conveniently breathe, eat, and work at home, I will also be doing exactly what I am good at doing, which is writing.

Because I couldn’t give up any, I decided to still report in the training class during the evening, and then work with my home-based client in the morning as soon as I get home. The first four days proved very tiring, and while four days may not be enough reason to give up one promising job, I made the decision—and that is to go for some Odesk work.

Some people may be quick to say how stupid I’d been to give up a guaranteed employment with a physical office. A company that offers opportunities envied by many contact center slaves. A company that almost everyone I know would do everything just to get their feet in their recruitment facility. Nonetheless, those were not enough reasons for me to just let go of something I have waited for years.

I have worked in the call center for more than 6 years. I’ve worked in an office with years of grave yard shifts, answering volumes of contacts, dealing with irate individuals, working with easy to difficult bosses, and nice to demanding clients. I know the numbers and what they represent, and how to achieve the ones that will make you keep your job. Those were all extremely challenging, but I never have done the kind of work I have been so passionate about that I’d be more than willing to give up a fat paycheck.

Now is the time and I got that with Odesk. I am only working for 3 weeks and so far quite satisfied with what I am earning. Hard to believe yes, but I’m gonna be sure to blog more about my Odesk experience in the coming days.

For now, I just want to give myself the kind of KUDOS I didn’t receive despite all the hard work I’ve had as a Customer Service Agent and eventually the Program Supervisor during my call center experience. And to be honest, it feels damn great!

When Nel and I were still busy preparing for our wedding, I didn’t have enough time to properly blog about every experience I’ve had dealing with our vendors, much to my frustration. At one point I even created a separate blog for wedding entries alone, but after only a dozen of arduous writings, I decided to delete it permanently for the simple reason that I cannot maintain it anymore.

But now that the wedding has been successfully celebrated, you’ll probably catch me blogging more about our wedding vendors. And I’m gonna start off with Nice Print.

Before them, we considered Smart Shot, Mimi + Karl, Ariel Javelosa, Digital Picman, and B.A. Studio for our photo and video coverage. If money wasn’t an issue, we would have gotten either Smart Shot or Mimi + Karl. But because we wanted to stick to a certain budget without compromising the output, we narrowed down our choices to include Nice Print Studio, which I found thru Femalenetwork’s Girl Talk wedding forum.

If it was only me to decide, I could go with any cheaper choices. Yes, Nice Print rates are way competitive, too. But my husband who’s more technically knowledgeable about photography stuff wouldn’t simply go for the most accessible option. He was looking for some more, and gladly he somehow found that with Nice Print.

The thing with Nice Print is that they responded to our emails promptly. And I mean, within a 24-hour turnaround time. So, this is a good trait to consider, of course. The only downside I experienced were, two things:

1.) We requested for Bernie and Rupert to be our photographers, and it took them 3 days to get back to us. And when they did, we were told that we need to make 20% downpayment first for booking. And this leads to my next complain.

2.) We have paid 50% downpayment prior requesting a team and I had to ask whether we need to pay for another 20% just by confirming our team. At that point, we were told that we need not since they have verified that we have paid more than the required amount anyway.

I was about to think they didn’t have coordinated record files to reference to, but hubby said to just let it pass, and so I did. I was ok with that already, until we came across another forum in Girl Talk about Nice Print, which posted a lot of negative feedback. And at that point, we only had 3 months left before the wedding. Which means, it was too late to back out, plus, we cannot refund any from what we have paid already.

Threatened by those posts, I decided to email Charisse, owner of Nice Print, telling her about the forum. But at the same time assuring her that we trust their company and that we are looking forward to see how their team works on our event. Of course, this is also a subtle way of getting positive assurance from them, which they did not fail to give.

We have not seen our photo layouts yet, but seeing the on site video they created for us, which I posted on a previous entry, I knew my husband made the right reasoning, that in the end the pictures and video are all that’s left for us to smile at every once in a while.

Finally, the long wait was over. On July 10, hubby and I walked down the aisle of Paco Park church at 5 PM, as witnessed by our dear friends and family. It was by far the most memorable event in the last two decades of my life.

And what with all the stress and dilemma of the 6-month preparation, I thought they were all worth it. Below are some of the pictures taken on the day of our wedding, including our on site video courtesy of Nice Print Studio:

hair and make-up with Kris Bacani

my lovely wedding gown by Amonn Velasco

hubby and I

w/our parents

the kiss and the doves

And here’s our on site video which garnered a loud applause from our guests during the reception. I’m just so happy with how Nice Print worked on this.

In one of our first ocular visits of City Garden Suites Manila, hubby and I were lucky enough to take a peek of their function rooms being set up for a wedding. It was the Lilac and Lavander rooms that were being dolled up then to accommodate a hundred guests.

sneak peek of the Lavander Room

And because guests may almost  always balloon on the last minute of your RSVP, the Lilac and Lavander rooms were also the same venues we were eying for to accommodate our guests on our event when we decided to book with them.

staged couple's table

The couple’s table on the other hand can only be set up in two ways. One facing the reception entrance door, while the other one is at the far end of the venue. We decided to go with the first set up to give everyone a better view of us, and an illusion of a fully-maximized spaces in between table set up.

3-tiered cake you get for free if you book 100 guests

buffet table

Part of CGS’s wedding package freebies if you book for a 100 guests are bridal car, 3-layered fondant cake, chocolate fountain, bubble machine, etc. On our end though, this part has been miscommunicated to us when we booked for our reception, and they had to remove the 3-layered fondant cake and bridal car by the time we were ready to pay for the 50% downpayment.

I think I have blogged about this on a previous entry. And just last week, before we paid for the remaining balance we had to make sure the free bubble machine and chocolate fountain initially offered to us are still intact with our package.

Bottom line is, we should have had everything well documented since the first time we had pre-booking. This is to avoid last minute changes on the vendor’s side and to make sure couples are well covered with their claims.