I was on a bus going to work and was stuck in traffic. For a moment, I stared in the window, watched, and observed people on the road and street. Some were buying foods for dinner, others were rushing to get home, and I was traveling to get my day started for my 8:00 pm shift. Yes, I was a full-time corporate employee back then working in a BPO or Business Process Outsourcing or in our layman's term "Call Center".
Working in the industry allowed me to enjoy several things in life. I was able to earn, buy things I want, eat foods I love, and somehow support my family. It also boosted my confidence working with people of different personalities, from different walks of life, and even with different business profiles, I mean, with the Big Bosses. At first, it was really tough and challenging for me as I graduated BS Secondary Education major in Biological Sciences. Not just that, but also the mere fact that I came from the province of Romblon that I can say technologically late from trends, communication, and all other stuff back then in 2014. I remember with my first company, my trainer would always ask me to stay for half an hour after the training shift and would make assessments on my daily learning. I must admit, I had a culture shock on my first job in the outsourcing industry. But, I didn't quit. I pursued, enjoyed, and excelled in my chosen field - Customer Service.
Getting 5-star survey feedback from a customer is fulfilling and motivated me to do more each day. For me, making the customer happy and satisfied every single call is more than just hitting your stats every day or every end of the month for you to get a bonus. It's the major part of the business operation. Good customer service equals customer satisfaction and retention, hence, service patronization. And the business will keep on rolling. That's how I see it. However, let's not forget that in every organization there will always be this "office culture" or on a more defined meaning, "office politics". In my own perspective of business, it's okay to have a "culture" inside the office so long as everyone benefits and enjoys it. That everyone is heard and not left behind. That everyone is not an employee but a member of a family. As time went by, I got burned out of the monotonous office set-up. I worked in the BPO for 5 years where I joined three big companies in the outsourcing industry. I stayed on the one that gives Noche Buena package and ham during the year-end party. Kidding.
So there. At that very moment inside the bus, something has sparked in my mind. I need work that offers me a lot of freedom, that will give me more time for myself and my family, and also would pay me more digits. A work that has one boss, not a management with "organizational bosses". A work that will make you excel in different tasks, not the one that will make you sit and take in calls the whole day. A work that you're excited to do each day because you love and like it, not because it's needed and as part of compliance. And that is Virtual Assistance.
On Virtual Assistance
When I first heard about Virtual Assistance I wasn't really sure how this work works. I googled it, did some research on Facebook, and read blogs about it. It drew my ideal life as an adult and I know this will give me a lot of freedom, time and help me become financially stable. Stable in all terms, to be exact. But one of my challenges, when I was deciding to do the major career move, was that I didn't know how to start from scratch. I cannot just simply do an immediate resignation in the office but instead, I need to switch slowly. I read and read a lot about virtual assistance, I joined groups on Facebook until I met the FVA or the Filipino Virtual Assistance under the mentorship of Coach Grace Locsin. The FVA itself gave me a clearer view of how to start-up, flourish, and grow as a professional virtual assistant.
Several key points to become an effective virtual assistant includes:
Keen To Details - one must have deep attention to the details of the task given by the client, what needs to be done, the tools to be used, and the right way to do the task.
Highly Organized - making and keeping things in the right places will make you an effective virtual assistant. Creating folders, safekeeping of files for the client, taking notes on meetings, and making follow-ups.
Reliability - being on top of everything for the client is really a huge plus. From schedules, email and calendar management, special notes to be taken, and even managing finances, being reliable to these tasks will make you an asset in the organization.
Transparency - being open to the client is always important. Honesty is transparency. If you can't make it to the deadline, tell the client. If you don't know how to do the task, go and ask. Let the client know of your progress on each given task.
Communication - building strong communication with the client is more than just regular sending of an e-mail or being able to converse well in English, both oral and written, though the latter is really necessary, it's more of building trust. You should also have the same mindset as the client. You may have different opinion at times, but having a strong foundation of communication between you and the client will turn everything into success.
Always remember, as virtual assistants, we are not just typical employees. We are diverse, independent, and strong individuals. We are entrepreneurs. We offer services. We have a business. We help the businesses.
Building The Network
While listing down the task of what a virtual assistant can do, I got overwhelmed. There's actually a lot. And Virtual Assistance as a job itself is really broad. There are tasks that I can do and I can't that really requires in-depth training and prior knowledge like a bachelor's degree. And so, I focused on the things that I can confidently do and accomplish such as Administrative Tasks, E-mail Management, Data Entry, Social Media Marketing and Management, and Customer Service. Now that I have target niches, the next step would be building a network. I need to build connections, showcase my talent, and tell the world what I can do.
To get the ball rolling, I signed up with the different talent and service marketplaces such as Upwork, Onlinejobs.ph, Hubstaff, and Outsourcely. These are the major platforms for virtual job seekers offering millions of jobs across the world. Since we are entrepreneurs of our own skillset, we need to have at least one client for us to have a business. Having a strong, appealing, and outstanding profile on the abovementioned platforms is a major turn-on to clients and will give you a high chance to get noticed.
Here are some tips on making your account profile professional:
Profile Photo - provide a neat, clean background, and formal attire when uploading your picture on the platform. Avoid using emojis, clip arts, or even a wacky face. This will give an impression to the client that you are professional.
Be honest with your skills - detail all your skillset that you can confidently accomplish, you are knowledgeable about, or have already experienced doing it. For an instance, do not include Graphic Design in your skillset if you cannot even remove a background of a photo using Microsoft Word or PowerPoint.
Be specific on what you can do - highlight all your strengths. On sending proposals, make the client feel that you really understand the problem, that you know the solution, and you know exactly what you can do.
Grammar - since English is the universal language we need to make sure that our client/s understands us well, that we communicate, and express our thought in a professional manner. Thus, checking your grammar must be practiced from time to time. Proofread, if needed, to ensure no mistakes. In creating your profile and introducing yourself, having a good command of English makes an impression.
Add an updated resume - always attach your updated resume to every platform you signed up for. Having this uploaded will be the arm of your professional identity and will be easy for the clients to know you more.
This is the very first step and the hardest part of building your network. One must take this seriously and by heart. You need to spend precious resources on networking: time, effort, your well-being. Stress will just be around the corner and we should live with it. Time will come that you will feel tired and exhausted but always remember why you are doing this. Bounce back, hold your head high, and back to work.
Creating a Team
As I mentioned earlier, I came from the beautiful island of Romblon. It's a scenic place. Peaceful, people are nice, and it has become a popular tourist destination. Thanks to social media. But one thing that still bothered me is that there are a lot of Romblomanons who would leave the island and go to the city, looking for a greener pasture, hoping for the betterment of life, yet getting underpaid. I'm one of the lucky few to experience corporate life. I have nothing against being a minimum or below-minimum wage earner but I don't get the idea of doing the same work and yet get underpaid. Shoutout to the Department of Labor and Employment. This is the very reason why I've always dreamed of making my own team. There's this eagerness in me and since I see Virtual Assistance from a higher-level perspective, I wanted to create my own team. This thought has paved the way for the creation of SGV Solutions, an outsourcing and staffing business service.
I know I'm being ambitious and having this thought ignites fear in me. The outsourcing industry itself is like a vast ocean, I'll be swimming with the sharks. This is a challenge for me to pioneer such business in the province. And for me, it's not just an income-generating opportunity but a very platform of how Romblomanons can showcase and contend to the ever-demanding 21st-century marketplaces. It offers the locals of Romblon a break to unveil their talents, abilities, and competencies. With the vision, mission, and goal I know the organization will greatly help the Romblomanons and the province itself for any unemployment undertakings. With this chance, one can grow while working near his or her family while enjoying the gift of life. I believe that to be able to build a strong community, quality traits and deep understanding must be honed within the individual level in any approach of endeavor.
Shaping an Identity
In today's market, being online and going digital is not just an edge nor an advantage. It's now a necessity. Bringing your business to several online platforms will help you amplify your very goal and objectives to a broader audience. Audiences that can turn into leads. And leads that can turn into SALES. Also, having an online presence today portrays the credibility, trustworthiness, and legitimacy of your business identity. SGV has profiles on major social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn as part of our brand awareness.
Here are some major points that you need to do on setting up your business account profiles:
Sign up as a business brand or create a page - use your account profile on major social media sites. The very purpose of this is that you already have lots of friends on your personal profile and inviting them would be easier for you and for your business page to be followed and liked.
Make contents - regular posting of relevant, trendy, and interesting topics on your business pages will generate reach and will draw attention to a wider audience.
Be interactive - always respond to inquiries and comments on your pages. This shows interactions, availability, and social presence to your readers and audiences.
We have gone this far that the power to reach out, extend help and be of service is just one click away. The online and digital market has been around the corner for quite some time now. A lot of people have been shifting careers to be in this industry and have been living the luxury of working online: more time, flexible schedule, and more money! The pandemic, in addition, has also triggered a lot of people to shift careers and consider online jobs to be a major source of income. Business owners to leverage and promote their businesses online and consider remote operations across the globe through business outsourcing, therefore, generating more jobs especially here in the Philippines who offers top-notch virtual assistance at a competitive cost. Work-from-home will now dominate a reputable amount of the global workforce. And so, SGV Solutions and Services sees that opportunity to grow, give back to the community, extend help, and will be THE ARM OF YOUR BUSINESS.
Service is our product. Goal is our strength. Vision is our leader.
Junzon Garcia Villarin
Founder & Owner
SGV Solutions
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