HUSBAND. FATHER. DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST.
ENTREPRENEUR. MEDIOCRE GOLFER.

I’m John Jonas. I live in Utah and I founded OnlineJobs.ph. My life is better because of my Filipino VAs.

I had a normal “job” for 8 months after college and my biggest goal at that time was to be able to quit that job. I managed to quit back in 2004 and worked from home for myself ever since then.

When I first hired someone from the Philippines in January of 2006, I knew I was onto something special. Since then I’ve learned that for most people, life is definitely better with Filipino workers on your team.

Yes, because of my Filipino workers I get to play a lot of golf, spend a lot of time with my wife and kids, and get out backpacking in the middle of the week. I work for about 17 hours a week because of the amazing work they do. However it’s not just better for us; it’s better for them too.

Learn why & how to hire
talented VA’s from the Philippines

Start finding
a VA using Onlinejobs.ph

Join the 7 Day
One VA Away Challenge

P.S.
I DON’T DO SOCIAL MEDIA…
MY VA’S DO IT FOR ME.

} My Latest Post

Case Study: Nurturing A Strong Virtual Work Community

Something different for this Friday.

If you want some ideas for how to unify your virtual team and inspire them to grow professionally, watch this case study with Bibi Raven from BibiBuzz.


https://youtu.be/EeqJSLgLJwA

Human beings thrive on personal connection, positive feedback and growth opportunities–these elements are especially critical to establish a healthy work environment.

Virtual work environments are no exception.

Bibi is the founder of a link-building agency where she leads a team of almost 30 virtual Filipino copywriters and link builders.

In this interview, she shares proven approaches for fostering community and nurturing a strong sense of belonging in a virtual work environment. She also shares the things she’s learned from her Online Filipino Specialists.

Bibi also reveals her secrets for hiring, training and managing her growing team in the Philippines.

https://youtu.be/EeqJSLgLJwA

She’s worth watching.

John

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My Newsletters

Follow Up On Disaster Proofing Your OFS

I got this really interesting email from Jared after I sent out the disaster-proofing email. Can you provide more details on your emergency fund? How is it set up? how they 'apply' for it? I also heard of some employers providing generators or other means of backup....

Typhoon Karding And Hurricane Ian

I’m sorry that this email is really late. I was out for an entire week and didn’t have internet. So I just found out about Typhoon Karding and how devastating it was when I got back. With it happening around the same time as Hurricane Ian, last week was a pretty bad...

Follow Up On Philippine Banking And Paying Your OFS

After last week's email about banking in the Philippines, I got comments on social media about how others handle payments. The great thing about these comments is they came from guys who have been outsourcing for years, so they know what they’re talking about. Reading...

What To Tell Your Friends About Your OFS

First, let me start with what NOT to tell your friends. Don't tell them the name of your OFS...unless you want your OFS to get another job. People are lazy. Nobody wants to do the work of finding an OFS. If you go raving about your OFS to your friends and then you...

What’s Holding You Back With OFS?

What's preventing you from hiring your first OFS?  Why haven't you taken the leap yet? I get an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from employers around the world working with OFS.  Every day someone says to me: I love my OFS... My OFS has worked for me for 3...

What Can Your OFS Get With Their SSS?

I've talked about SSS quite a few times recently because people keep asking. I want to reiterate that this benefit is OPTIONAL. It would be nice if you can give this to your Online Filipino Specialist, but you don’t have to. In this email, I’m going to list what your...

Frequently Asked Questions About 13th Month

The 13th month payment is coming up in December. Below are some of the most frequently asked questions. Is the 13th month required? For you, it is optional. You don’t have to give this. BUT it’s best if you do because it’s a really effective motivator for Filipino...

Is Your Online Filipino Specialist An Employee?

I get asked this question a lot. Recently, I got an email from Karen and I wanted to share my response for people who have the same question. My business partner is concerned about hiring an OFS directly instead of using an agency out of concerns that this is going to...

The SSS Benefit For Your OFS Explained

JANUARY 2023 UPDATE: We have updated this to reflect the slight increase in the monthly contributions as issued by the SSS Every time I mention SSS I get tons of questions. Here we go. First,  this is completely optional. You don’t have to pay for it. But if you can...

Your OFS And Taxes

Let me preface this by saying I am not an accountant or a tax attorney. I’m simply sharing how we’ve been dealing with taxes and our OFS for years. This is how 5 different accountants have dealt with it for us. Also, my OFS Jamie is not an accountant. What she shared...

Internet Is So Much Better Now In The Philippines

When I first started outsourcing to the Philippines, their internet wasn’t really good. Like, 256Kbps wasn't uncommon. That's "K" - Kilobits.  Not "M" - Megabits. 5Mbps was really fast! For years, the Philippines had the dubious reputation of having the slowest...

4 Ways To Disaster-Proof Your OFS

In my newsletter, I post regular updates on typhoons and earthquakes in the Philippines. Some of you might be worried if outsourcing to the Philippines is worth it, given that they go through 30-something typhoons, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes every year. Yes!...

Why Do So Many Filipinos Live In Manila?

When hiring an Online Filipino Specialist, there’s a big chance you’ve had applicants from Manila. If you know any Filipinos, it’s also likely that they’re from Manila as well. Is Manila that big? Why do so many Filipinos live there? First, let me correct some...

Back To School Shopping In The Philippines

School’s back. For some, it's the first time in 2 years. For others, it's back after summer vacation again. It’s the same in the Philippines. Their kids are going back to school. They haven't been in person for 2 years and they're in the back-to-school shopping rush....

2023 Philippine Holiday Calendar Now Online

The Philippine government just released the official list of holidays for 2023, so we just updated the Philippine Holiday Calendar to include them. If you haven’t subscribed to that calendar yet, you’ll see them below: For PC:...

The Charming Filipino Banig

We all have little things in our house to make it homey and comfortable. It can be pictures on the wall or a nice comfy rug. In the Philippines, one of those things is the banig. The banig is a traditional handwoven mat. It’s usually made from dried palm leaves or...

Hiring An OFS Who’s Already Working For Someone Else

You found an Online Filipino Specialist who’s really good. You like their work. You’re getting along great. You’re just about to hire them when they tell you, “By the way, I have another job. Is that okay?” It's not ideal, but sometimes hiring someone already working...

How Hiring Full-Time Changes Your Mindset

When I hired my first full-time Filipino worker, it scared me a little, not going to lie. Can I afford this? Can they actually do good work for me? Can I keep them busy full-time? How will I create tasks for them to do? How will I have the time to train them? I'm...

My Filipino Worker Just Disappeared!

"My Filipino worker just disappeared!" I've heard this quite a few times from other business owners, especially those just starting out. This usually happens in these 3 situations: 1. You just hired a new person, gave them their first task, and then they tell you they...

Philippine Geography Basics: Luzon, Visayas And Mindanao

Here’s a quick lesson on Philippine Geography to make it easier for you to identify what part of the country your OFS is located in. The Philippines is subdivided into 17 political regions, Regions 1 to 13, plus four regions that don’t have numbers in their name....

Pay Attention To The Exchange Rate

I mentioned briefly about paying attention to the exchange rate when I talked about inflation a few weeks back. When I first started outsourcing to the Philippines in 2005, I had no idea what the exchange rate was.  I just paid this agency $750/month and I had a...

How I Outsource Writing To My OFS

One of the things I regularly outsource to my OFS is writing. It’s not that I can’t write. It's that I hate it. And it's super time consuming. When I started my online business, one of the things I did was regularly write articles and submit them to article...

How To Use A Project Management System With Your OFS

I started using Basecamp to manage projects in like 2005. It was just me. I didn't have anyone working for me.  It was my organization and task list. Things to get done soon and ideas for later. Since then I've gotten super comfortable with how project management...

Wacky And Wonderful Filipino Superheroes

I'm not a big movie guy. I'm also not a big superhero guy or superhero movie guy.  I haven't seen the latest [insert any superhero movie name here] movie. But Julia (and most of the world it seems) is.  So here are some Filipino superheros according to Julia my OFS:...

August 29 Is National Heroes Day In The Philippines

Just giving you guys a head’s up that Aug 29, 2022 (Monday) is a regular holiday in the Philippines. A "regular" holiday is like a bank holiday in the US. The holiday is National Heroes Day in the Philippines. It’s celebrated every last Monday of August and was...

Tropical Storm Florita Hits The Philippines

Tropical storm Florita is the 6th typhoon that entered the Philippines this year. I'm letting you know about this storm because it’s really strong. It’s causing a lot of rainfall in most of Luzon, increasing the risk for landslides and flooding. In case you don't know...

How My OFS Team Does FB Ads

I hate FB...but you already know that.  I've said it multiple times. I don't have it on my phone. I don't login to the website. I didn't see the news that blah blah blah... So how do we run so many FB ads? To be completely honest, I don’t know. I mean, I know in...

What’s The Ballpark Cost For OFS Benefits

Many of you have been asking how much I pay in benefits per year per person to my team. I did some back-of-the-napkin math, and here’s what it looks like. Your OFS can pay more to their SSS (since they are paying as voluntary members, not under a company). The bigger...

What About The Tasks You DON’T KNOW How To Do?

The best (and fastest) way to succeed with outsourcing is to get stuff off your plate and outsource the things you know how to do. That way, you know what to look for. You know what looks good and what looks terrible. If your OFS needs help, you know how to help them....

My OFS Only Takes PayPal But I Want To Pay Through Bank Transfer

Jonathan emailed me an interesting question that I think is relevant to everyone hiring OFS. It will give us some good insight into what banking is like in the Philippines. Hey - do you have a post on banking? One my OFS doesn’t have a bank account and says there...

What Are Houses Like In The Philippines

I’ve mentioned how Filipino homes are small, how they clean their homes, and how they use tsinelas. All these topics revolve around Filipino homes, and I just realized I haven’t talked about the actual houses yet. I will fix that today. The most iconic architectural...

6 Ways To Fail When Hiring An OFS

When it comes to outsourcing your business (or yourself!) to the Philippines, there’s definitely a learning curve. Here are 6 ways you can guarantee failure for yourself : (Hint: Don’t do these things!) 1. Try To Hire Someone To Do Everything Here’s an example of an...

Superstitions Some Filipinos Still Believe

We have superstitions here in the US. - Don't walk past a black cat - The number 13 is bad luck (Friday the 13th, most high rise buildings don't have a 13th floor...) - Don't walk under a ladder There's more of this in the Philippines. Julia (my content OFS) writes:...

Can Your OFS Recruit For You?

You’re ready to hire another OFS for your team. Should you delegate that process to your OFS? That’s the question Corey asked in his email. John, Gotta confess - most of the time I can't stand people's weekly emails and usually unsubscribe. Your emails haven't met...

Reimbursing Your OFS PhilHealth And SSS Payments

What I'm about to say is totally optional for you. But it's also really good. I give my workers at Onlinejobs.ph additional pay for insurance premiums. I pay for their PhilHealth, health insurance, and SSS. Because I don’t have a business entity in the Philippines, I...

How Filipinos Beat The Heat: Food Edition

I have a friend who lives in Chile. The other day he sent me a photo of his kids: Everywhere else in the world it's HOT! (at least...it seems that way) Here are a few typical Filipino cold desserts according to Julia: Halo-halo. This beloved dessert is now known...

The Case For Hiring Newbie Workers

Everyone wants to hire experienced workers. I get it. An experienced OFS can get to work right away. They require less training and onboarding, giving you a faster investment return. ...in theory. But you know what? Some of the best people I've hired were newbies....

The Best Way To Keep Your Data Secure When Working With An OFS

Security is one of the biggest concerns people have when working with an OFS. What if my OFS gets hacked? How secure is the internet in the Philippines? I understand these concerns. We often see it in the news and in movies about how hackers can steal your...

Why Your OFS Doesn’t Want To Take A Vacation

Vacation!!! Such a happy topic. But not so much in the Philippines. It comes with stress there. We’re pretty generous when it comes to giving paid time off here at Onlinejobs.ph. We tell our people they can take as much time off as they want. But I have always felt...

How My OFS Help With Lead Generation

Our lead generation isn't the same as your lead gen. My business is different than yours. But lead generation is still critical to almost all businesses, so here are some ideas for you from ways my team does it for me. - participating in forums - they regularly make...

Magnitude 7 Earthquake Hits Northern Luzon

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake hit Luzon, with Abra, a province in Northern Luzon, as its epicenter, last Tuesday (July 26). This earthquake was so strong that the effects were felt all the way in Manila, which is 270 miles away. This has reminded a lot of people of the...

Mistakes Happen And That’s Okay

Mistakes are a part of life. There are a lot of things in my life that I wish I could change. But the one thing I’ve never regretted is doing something and failing at it. Most of my regrets are things that I didn’t do or started too late. Like with my business, I made...

Philippines To Use Plastic Polymer Banknotes

I've always found foreign currencies interesting. I'm so used to the green USD that when I first saw other money I thought it was strange. Now I often use foreign currency as a bookmark souvenir of where I've been. Most of the world uses paper and linen for their...

Current Covid Situation In The Philippines

Remember back when we used to think that in the future, we’d finally be rid of COVID and get back to normal? Those were the good old days. Now, we look at COVID like it’s the flu or the common cold. You don’t want to get it, but you’ll get it sooner or later. When you...

How We Overcomplicate OFS

I'm the type of person who asks for forgiveness rather than for permission. I tend to jump in, before I know exactly how to make it work. I rarely read instructions. These were all good things helping me figure out how to outsource to OFS. There was no manual when I...

The Naming System In The Philippines

A few of you will remember this photo: It's from when my 3rd baby was born.  The baby who gave my wife pre-eclampsia and caused "strict bedrest" for my wife. The baby who set me on a path to work 17 hours/week for the past 12 years. The baby who forced me to really...

How We Deal With Holidays And Paid Time Off

I'm all about family time. And, if I can include family time with friend time, even better. That's one of the reasons I love Lake Powell. I just got back from a week at Lake Powell, where we taught a bunch of little girls how to braid hair, and how to surf: Including...

Follow Up On Traditional Filipino Breakfast

Wow, I didn’t really expect a lot of people to respond to a newsletter about breakfast. I’m not super passionate about food. For me, food is fuel. I eat to keep myself healthy. My wife says I don't have a "relationship with food".  It's just something necessary for...

House Cleaning In The Philippines

One of the hardest things to do when you get back from vacation is putting away everything that you brought with you. There’s also the cleaning and the organizing. It’s so much work that sometimes you feel like you need a vacation after coming home from vacation. We...

My OFS Living In Cebu

Late last year, a typhoon hit Cebu, which affected several of my OFS, mostly our developers. One of the OFS who was affected is Mark, who works as a web designer and front-end developer for us. Cebu is 2nd largest IT hub in the Philippines. A lot of people move there...

I love reading your emails! Thank you for creating OnlineJobs.Ph I have a great experience with the training and the VAs.
Amanda Vang

Real Estate Expert

I cannot tell you how much I appreciate these emails you send out John. Since I have been reading them, I have developed such great relationships with 2 my VA’s and soon to hire a third. So grateful that you created this!
Melody Johnson

I can’t tell you how helpful updates like these and your blog posts are for working with my OFS – THANK YOU!
Harrison Thornhill

thornhillresidential.com

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