Earn from Home: Teaching English Online

I’ve been seeing a lot of ads online offering various opportunities to earn from home but have never attempted to check any of them out because I’m quite wary of internet scams. However, last October, I found out that Mommy Mitch of When Silence Speaks started working as an online English teacher at ABC360. After chatting with her, I was keen on giving it a try. And since I’ve already updated my resume, I decided to apply to two other companies as well – 51Talk and RareJob. The application process and job requirements of all three companies were basically the same. For those who are considering teaching English online, here’s a rundown of their requirements and salary range.

What does an online teacher do?

Teach, of course. 🙂 As an online English teacher, you will conduct one-on-one lessons thru Skype, QQ, or other similar platforms. All three companies provide all the lesson materials that will be used in each class. You just need to download and review the materials before conducting the class. During class, you go through the materials and ensure that the student understands the lesson. Class duration varies in each company.

TE duration

What are the requirements for teaching English online?

For all three companies, a good command of English is imperative. You must be able to work with minimal supervision and be able to manage your working schedule. They do not usually require any previous experience teaching online but having online teaching and BPO experience gives you an edge. You also do not need to have a degree in college. Those who are working their way through college may find this a good opportunity to earn while studying.

Aside from being proficient in English, you must also have a decent and reliable home office. This doesn’t have to be really fancy. Mine is just a desk tucked in the corner of our bedroom. I also think that having any sort of degree in English could be useful too so you have a better understanding of the materials that you’d be teaching. My friend told me about the most affordable online colleges list by Education Reference Desk which you could take part in without having to travel, which is great if you have children. This is not essential but it could help you in the long run. Such certifications can improve the chances of getting short-listed during a job application. Certifications and degrees are not essential for an online job, but having high-speed internet connectivity is a matter of necessity. You should therefore try to contact one of your local fiber optic internet providers to get your internet speed sorted. Additionally, you’ll need the following:

  • a dual core processor or above
  • Windows 7 or above
  • at least 2GB of RAM
  • a headset with noise cancelling feature
  • an HD webcam

TE requirements

How much do I earn?

Personally, I don’t earn that much because I only work around 2 to 4 hours per day. But if you will work for 8 hours a day for 5 days a week, you can earn around 20– 25 thousand pesos a month. I’ve seen advertisements that claim 70-80K a month but I hardly think that is possible unless you’re working 24/7 or have been working for them for several years. Still, the much more reasonable range of 20-25K a month is already decent enough to cover basic living expenses. Consider also that you save on transportation, food, and clothing expenses when you work from home.

Your salary will also depend on your booked classes. When you start, you may not have as many bookings yet. If you have exceptional teaching skills, you’ll soon have students regularly booking your classes. Peak hours are during the afternoon and evening, so if you want to have more classes booked, open slots from 5pm – 12mn.

TW salary range

The Salary Range above is the starting salary for new teachers and does not include incentives. On an average, incentives amount to 1K – 5K/month depending on your performance. Again, your salary will depend on the number of classes booked.

What is the application process?

Generally, there will be an online English proficiency test that you will have to pass. After passing this test, you will be scheduled for an interview both through phone and Skype. After passing the interview and the technical requirements, you will then have to conduct a demo lesson.

TE application

For more information about the requirements and application process, you may check their websites:

Which one did I choose?

Among those three companies, I opted to work for ABC360 which is where Mommy Mitch works and which also offered me the highest basic hourly rate. I’ve been working for them since October and have been having a great time. As I mentioned though, I don’t earn much because I only work a few hours each day but I greatly enjoy my time talking with my students. Teaching English online has become my way of de-stressing after running the household all day. 🙂 If you also intend to apply at ABC360, kindly put 5407 in the referral tab. I’d get a referral bonus if you do and would be grateful for that! 🙂

You can read more about my experience at ABC360 in my next post. 🙂

ABC360 with kids

Business Strategies For Busy Moms

These days, many mothers have decided to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams so they can attain economic security, personal fulfillment, and/or professional progress. Often, many will start their own business with very little prior experience or knowledge of the world of business and may find blogs like ronensimantov.com to be useful for information, tips, and advice along the way. Irrespective of your motive for developing your own business, you will likely have to divide time between building your company and caring for your children. However, there are several fairly simple business strategies you can implement to optimize your company’s efficacy in a manner that will still leave plenty of time for you to be with your kids. Here are three such strategies you should try:

1. Invest In Professional Powerpoint Services.

There are a lot of things you can do to build your company, but giving absolutely incredible presentations is one of the best ways to make it happen. When you put together information-packed, highly engaging sales presentations, you’re much more likely to build your client base and optimize conversion. Moreover, getting professional custom Powerpoint presentations services helps your company develop a competitive edge that can enable you to emerge as the industry leader. Companies like eSlide are pleased to devise high quality presentations that help you show off your business’s products and services in a savvy, sophisticated way. Working in a corporate setting, you will likely rely on quality presentations and perhaps distributing them to colleagues, or potential clients or customers. It’s important, in our mobile society, that we understand how to create online presentations in order to do precisely this.

2. Invest In Growth Hacking Strategies.

Growth hacking strategies are perfect for small business owners because they are cost-effective yet can help you build your customer base with relative speed. Growth hacking is all about using various digital marketing strategies to appeal to your target audience, extend your sphere of influence, and develop a positive presence online. If you’re not sure how to do this, you may want to contact some Digital Marketing services for some help. There are multiple strategies available to you, including content marketing, social media optimization, and online reputation management. Any business will benefit from getting a good online reputation. So, even if you are opening up a new dentist for example, you should still learn about marketing strategies for dentists to make sure that your business is as successful as it can be.

3. Network, Network, Network.

Networking is one of the most valuable business strategies available, especially if you’ve just started your company. To really build your brand’s reputation and develop steady clients, you have to “get out there” and inform others about your products and services in an engaging manner. Luckily, moms can use events like their kid’s soccer game or a baby shower for networking purposes. Just make sure you bring your business card!

4. Consider Using A Contract Management Software with a Contract Repository.

What is a contract repository, you ask? As stated in its name, it is a location where you can store and manage business contracts between you and your suppliers, who are vital to the overall success of every company.

Digital contract repositories, in particular, are useful in optimising your company’s efficacy as it solves the logistic, accuracy and security issues that traditional contract repositories like filing cabinets often fail to address. A digital contract repository also allows companies to monitor if all contract provisions are met, thus helping them identify which business-supplier relationships they should focus on maintaining and strengthening.

Conclusion

If you’re a busy mom who has recently begun a business, you probably want your company to excel while still finding time to spend with your children. To accomplish these important objectives, start implementing the business tips outlined above. In so doing, you’ll likely attain the professional success you want while simultaneously remaining an excellent parent!

Owning Your Own Kid-Oriented Business

When you have a passion for fostering learning in children, you may look beyond teaching and instead consider what kind of business you can run that will cater to kids. If you want to buy into a well-established enterprise like kids franchises and other children-centered ventures, you may choose one that allows kids to come into the business and learn through playing. Discovery centers throughout the country perform well because, despite all of the available technology, children still want to encounter learning through a literal hands-on approach. You can tune into this proclivity for learning through playing by opening your own location that offers kids a chance to discover at their own pace.

Image by kdshutterman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image by kdshutterman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Buying into a franchise, however, takes a certain number of requirements. You can find out what the financial and credit requirements are online. You can also find out what kind of educational and professional background you need to be considered as a valid franchisee. You also need to find out how to maintain Hr Compliance with anyone else you may employ – many companies use software to help with this, and the franchise may or may not provide these along with their other benefits.

Along with checking out the franchise possibilities, you can likewise check out what kinds of services are available to children and their parents through this corporation. When you find out what kinds of services you will be offering at your location, you can get excited about the idea of helping kids grow and learn. Also, once you kickstart the business, you might want to ensure visibility. These days, social media apps like Instagram and Facebook are trending across all domains. Most business owners tend to market their services and products on these platforms by keeping with the growing trends and earning a significant fan base. As a budding owner, if you are opting to market the services on these platforms, you might want to check out growth service tools like Combin and similar ones. They might be of help for you in gaining followers at the starting stage. But, remember to do the necessary research before finalizing with any service.

That said, as you may read online, these locations can be ideal for hosting children’s birthday parties. Many kids grow tired of going to the zoo or the skating rink for their birthdays. They would rather host their friends at a place that is fun and gives them the chance to play at their leisure. When you open one of these locations, your business could become the most popular place in town for parties and gatherings. In order to ensure your business becomes popular with children, giving out small pieces of merchandise (like silicone wristbands for example) can be a good way of getting your brand out there. It also might encourage more children to want to come to your discovery center.

Likewise, schools today tend to favor places for field trips that foster learning rather than just providing an amusement opportunity. Teachers want to connect the classroom learning with the community and world in which the kids live. Your business could become a popular field trip location because it allows kids to learn and apply their science and math lessons to the building blocks found at the facility. Teachers will take satisfaction in seeing their students use the lessons they learned in school. You, in turn, will make money and become a financially successful franchisee. To get started, however, you should go online and check out the company’s website and information and when you start considering your social media plan is a good idea to start working on building a customer base. I’ve heard that link in bio provide useful services to improve cohesive social media platforms so I hear so consider it.

The Heart of 51Talk

We Filipinos have always been regarded as the best English speakers in Asia.  We are also naturally pleasant, friendly, and patient. There are many different types of online English learning sites such as this one provided by AJ Hoge. However, there are many other sites which are predominately Filipinos based. Thus, it is not surprising to find that many online English teaching sites have Filipinos in their roster of teachers.  This is also why several such sites have already set base here in the Philippines.

Among those is 51Talk.  Pronounced as FIVE-ONE-TALK, 51Talk may be read as “I want TALK” in Mandarin. Since it was established in China in 2011, 51Talk is not the number 1 online English platform in China.  It also continues to be the fastest growing online English Language Teaching (ELT) platform n the Philippines since it began operations here in 2012.

At the heart of 51talk are the e-Educators and all the people who strive to make 51talk the premier online ELT platform in the country.  Knowing the importance of their teachers, 51Talk paid tribute to them during the National Teachers’ Month the #51TalkTeacherStory contest.

[Read more…]

5 Ways to Get Followers on Twitter for Your Vending Business

Online marketing can be beneficial for just about any business. Although your vending cart may be small, using sites like Twitter can be advantageous to drive interest. You can easily connect to those in your local area on the social media hub and possibly boost your sales. However, if you have a bigger business, you may find that using something similar to Enterprise SEO (learn more here http://victoriousseo.com/markets/enterprise-seo/) could be a more intimate way of building your business as long with social media.

Social media is a free method that can get people interested about your business. Whether this means checking out sites like https://getfans.io/buy-youtube-subscribers to help increase the ranking of a YouTube channel, buy Instagram likes, or send out customized messages to Twitter followers to promote products/services, these steps could help to improve social media presence for businesses.

While you can pay for advertising, the initial development of your profile doesn’t cost a dime on most of these sites. Just because you have a small mobile cart, it doesn’t mean you don’t need some kind of marketing plan to boost income.

Regular Tweets

Many professionals attest to regular social engagement being one of the keys to developing a following. Tweeting about your current locations not only informs people of where you are, but it can be one of those regular occurrences that drive interest to your account. Some of the most popular and active accounts on Twitter will post something at least five to ten times a day.

Hashtags

When posting your current vending position, use hashtags. This can help get your comments placed in certain conversations. Twitter will often post what is trending in your area. If you can use that to your advantage to engage local consumers, you can spark interest in your small business. Using an automated social media tool – such as KENJI.AI – could help reach your audience, if you are interested in expanding to Instagram.

If Instagram is a social media site that you want to expand to then you may want some help to get more instagram followers in order to grow your platform and bring more people to your profile. It can be quite difficult starting up a new profile and getting some help from experts will make building a new profile so much easier!

Graphic Appeal

On the side of your beverage cart or mall kiosk, have a large print-out of your Twitter account for everyone to see. Many people will take to their phones and follow the account, which may lead to additional sales at a later date. The more people that are following the account, the more likely those individuals will share your post with their own friends and family.

Respond to Comments

It’s not enough to merely have an account where you post your current position on Twitter. Responding to comments from others can show the account as being live and engaging. This can improve your online reputation while keeping potential customers interested in your product. You need to socialize if you want social marketing to work properly.

Images

According to statistics, tweets that have images are more likely to be engaged than just mere text. Taking a picture of key points of interested near your vending business can be engaging as well as descriptive about where your cart is currently located. This can all be done within 60 seconds while using your smartphone or tablet.