Making Work Life Easier: How PayrollHero Helps Different Businesses with All-in-One Features

If you’re tired of juggling a bunch of tools to manage your team, PayrollHero might just be your new best friend. This all-in-one platform covers everything from timekeeping and scheduling to attendance, HR stuff, payroll, and even leave management. Let’s see how it can make life easier for different types of businesses:

  • Retail Shops:
    • Keep track of everyone’s hours easily, especially with different shifts.
    • Make sure you’ve got the right number of staff during busy times.
    • No more attendance headaches – it’s all sorted.
  • Hotels and Restaurants:
    • Handle those crazy schedules in the hospitality biz.
    • Keep tabs on who’s there when they should be.
    • Payroll and leave management that just makes sense for your industry.
  • Factories and Manufacturers:
    • Keep production running smoothly with accurate timekeeping.
    • Manage your workforce without breaking a sweat.
    • Easy peasy payroll and leave management for your hardworking team.
  • Healthcare Heroes:
    • Make sure you’ve got enough staff on hand when it matters most.
    • Stay compliant with all those healthcare rules.
    • Payroll and leave? Covered. So you can focus on taking care of others.
  • Tech Wizards:
    • Flexibility for your flexible workforce, including remote work.
    • All the HR info you need for your tech-savvy team.
    • Payroll and leave management that fits your agile style.
  • Schools and Colleges:
    • Keep track of who’s in class or on duty.
    • Organize classes and events without the headache.
    • Payroll and leave management that lets you focus on education, not paperwork.

No more piecing together different tools for every little thing. PayrollHero wraps it all up in one neat package, making work life simpler and more organized for everyone. So, whatever your business, give PayrollHero a spin and see how it can make your day-to-day a whole lot smoother!

Wanna see how PayrollHero works? Book a PayrollHero Demo!

Also, check us out on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/PayrollHero/

5 Legit Reasons Foreign CEOs Should Start a Business in the Philippines

5 Legit Reasons Foreign CEOs Should Start a Business in the PhilippinesTwo weeks ago, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda announced that the Philippines jumped five notches higher in the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Competitiveness Report for 2015. Lacierda attributed the economic boost to innovation, institutions, and macroeconomic environment.

Meanwhile, a Bloomberg report earlier this year indicated that the country’s economy in 2014 grew by 6.1 percent, making it the world’s second fastest growing economy, next to China’s who went up by 7 percent. These recent figures are proof that the country has tremendous potential for both foreign and local businesses who are looking into opening or expanding their operations.

In 2013, we asked David Elefant, owner of Dayanan Business Consultancy to share his thoughts about doing business in the Philippines. His contribution was a gem for foreign CEOs who wanted to do business in the country but found themselves at ground zero.

Why Choose the Philippines for Your Next Business Venture

This year, we compile a solid list of reasons why foreign CEOs should choose the Philippines for their next business venture!

Business registration is a breeze

Horror stories of bureaucratic red tape are fortunately dwindling in number! For non-locals, registration approval roughly takes fifteen (15) working days from acceptance of your documents. We suggest you bookmark this helpful list of requirements before you march your way into the appropriate offices. Or you can enlist the help of experienced business consultancy firms.

Locals speak excellent business English

In 2012, the Philippines was the world’s top country in business English proficiency. This is a result of reinforcing English as medium of instruction for both public and private schools in the the country. Furthermore, the newly-implemented Enhanced K to 12 Basic Education Program (K-12 Program) underlines the country’s commitment in advancing the nation’s education system. Additionally, the country’s literacy rate is currently at 97.5 percent.

A liberalized, trade-oriented economy

The Philippines allows for a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) investment scheme which most of its neighboring countries emulate. This guide by the Philippine Embassy in Netherlands explains the BOT scheme succinctly:

Government corporations are being privatized and the banking, insurance, shipping telecommunications and power industries have been deregulated. Incentive packages include the corporate income tax, reduced to a current 32%, with companies in the Special Economic Zones are subject to only 5% overall tax rates. Multinationals looking for regional headquarters are entitled to incentives such as tax exemptions and tax and duty-free importation of specific equipment and materials.

Young, educated, and globally competitive workforce

While Japan, Germany, and Italy are worried about their aging working class, the Philippines’ young workforce sustains the country’s attractiveness to foreign investors. 

National Competitiveness Council private sector co-chair Guillermo M. Luz considers this as a sign that the country will become, in his words, a very good investment site well beyond 2030. On the other hand, neighboring Asian countries such as China, South Korea, and Hong Kong, this report noted, will soon face a greying workforce which could potentially slow down the nations’ economic growth.

Last August, Oliver Segovia also pointed out in this Harvard Business Review article that a profound shift in the mindset of the younger workforce has pushed the country into steady economic growth.

“Traditionally, business process outsourcing was associated with high-volume, low-price work. Today, the mainstream appeal of Silicon Valley is turning young Filipino workers who might have been satisfied with a call center job a decade ago into a creative and entrepreneurial class seeking a deeper connection with innovation-driven and mission-focused companies. Working for a venture-backed start-up is the new status symbol,” Segovia wrote.  “As a startup founder, my biggest competitors in the talent market are no longer the local family conglomerates. They’re tech companies from the U.S., Germany, Singapore, and Japan coming to the Philippines.”

Low costs of living

Data collected between July 1, 2013 to Jan. 2, 2015 revealed that the Philippines is one of the world’s cheapest countries to live in.  The living costs for the countries surveyed were measured against that of New York City, touted as one of the most expensive in the world.

After Manila was recently considered as a costlier city for expats by Mercer’s 2015 Cost of Living Survey, several foreign entrepreneurs have opened operations  outside the nation’s capital.

Here’s an excerpt from a Tech in Asia article:

While Makati City, which is home to startup cluster Area 55, was identified as the most economically competitive region in the Philippines, cities outside Metro Manila had a very good showing. The CMCI ranked their economic competitiveness according to three equally weighted pillars, including economic dynamism, government efficiency, and infrastructure.

By these measures, five of the cities in the top ten most economically competitive were located outside the National Capital Region. These were Cagayan de Oro City in Northern Mindanao, Naga City in Bicol, Davao City in Davao, Iloilo City in Western Visayas, and Cebu City in Central Visayas.

Warm, Hospitable Locals

The country is globally known for its abundant supply of sun, sand, and sea! The warmth of the tropics also extends to its people who are equally open and hospitable to foreigners! As one of the happiest nations worldwide, foreign CEOs will find themselves working with accommodating, resilient, and endearingly kind locals. And who wouldn’t want a happy workforce? Happy employees are in fact more productive!

In conclusion, the Philippines has a perfect balance of happy, hardworking locals, low costs of living, and a competitive economy. All these elements can work to your favor as a foreign CEO who is looking into starting a business in the country.

Still curious about what it’s like to set up a business in the Philippines? Get in touch with the PayrollHero team for more insider info.

And if you’re looking into setting up a restaurant in the Philippines, this FREE starter kit was put together to give you high level information about the Philippines, share some thoughts from restaurant owners, and present relevant statistics from our market research.

You’re welcome!

PayrollHero’s First Twitter Contest!

As you know, we have been creating some handy guides for opening restaurants in Singapore and the Philippines. We call them the PayrollHero Knowledge Kits.

Since we’re so excited about them and want to share them with the world, we’re hosting our first ever Twitter contest! From now until July 17th (Hari Raya Puasa), all you need to do, is retweet the link below to as many people as you can on your network.

If you can reach out to the most number of restaurants, businesses or people, we will feature you on our own blog! 

Why is this a good idea for you? Well, we have been featuring famous actors and basketball players on our blog: celebrities like Rocco Nacino, Shawn Weinstein and Sean Anthony have shared their favorite restaurants with us. How awesome would it be to get in on the action! You know you’re thinking to yourself, “this would be a great PR opportunity…”

Make sure you’re following @PayrollHero so you’re in the loop because in the coming weeks, we will be coming up with some great opportunities like this for you.

So what are you waiting for? Get tweeting! Your 15 minutes of PayrollHero fame awaits.

Below, you can see an example of a Twitter post that retweets the Knowledge Kits:

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How do I open a restaurant in the Philippines? Presenting the PayrollHero Knowledge Kit!

The PayrollHero blog aims to be the knowledge repository for any restaurant owner or retailer in Southeast Asia. We have built our database with things you need to know while doing business in the Philippines.

With that in mind, we have been working on a little project. Presenting the PayrollHero Knowledge Kit for opening a restaurant in the Philippines!

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Download it now – free! 
This starter kit was put together to give you high level information about the Philippines, share some thoughts from restaurant owners, and present relevant statistics from our market research.

The information here includes research that will help you open a restaurant in the Philippines or expand into the country.

  • We talk about what BIR, SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG are all about.The pages are linked to relevant tax forms and websites that offer more detailed information if you want it.
  • There is an industry overview and analysis on the latest consumption trends in the country. For example, did you know that the Home delivery and takeaway sector grew at a staggering 10.3%. It’s closest competitor was the fast food industry at 8.1%.

But we don’t want to give you simple hard facts that you could just Google anyway. The Knowledge Kit has a wealth of information in the form of personal stories and experiences in these countries. We interviewed the owner of the Advent Manila Hospitality Group, Mr. Andrew Masigan, and asked him about how he runs his business in this part of the world. We see it as a way to help the community because there is no better way to learn than from people who have gone through the same roadblocks as your are facing right now.

We hope this information is useful to you. We would love to hear back from you with what you think about the Knowledge Kit, how we can make things better and how you use this Kit for your own research into the restaurant industry.

Lastly, we are releasing more of these for the retail and BPO industry. Watch out for more information about these industries and countries.

So go ahead and click on the image above to access the Knowledge Kit. Let us know what you think. And good luck with your new business!

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Executive Interview: Horst von Wendorff from VKWInc.com

Horst of VKWIncHorst von Wendorff founded Virtual Knowledge Workers Inc. in 2009. VKW Inc helps companies outsource scheduling, customer service, telemarketing, social media management and more. We asked Horst about his experiences while operating a BPO in the Philippines.

 

1. Tell me more about VKWinc.com
VKW was an academic pet project of mine during my MBA studies – more of a learning tool than a company that I actually intended to launch. It was 2010 when I graduated during the financial crisis in the US. I applied for jobs but there were simply none. VKW became Plan B. If nobody gives you a job, you employ yourself. I would hire myself, certainly; and so I did! VKW started signing clients and with that Plan B became Plan A. I became an Entrepreneur more out of necessity than inspired choice. And with that VKW was born.

 

2. Why did you choose to setup in the Philippines? What are the benefits of the Philippines?
I looked at various countries including India, China, and Eastern Europe. Philippines stood out for the US-Market. With a little training, workers can become accent neutral, in-tune with US culture, and, above all, there’s strong pool of quality talent. It’s an HR dreamland.

 

3. Who is your target customer?
We’re very friendly to early stage companies. We have client friendly cancellation terms, no minimum headcount, and no setup fee. We are invested in the client as much as the client is invested in us. In fact, many of our clients started with just one agent and now they employ teams of 5 or 10+ just a year or two later. We’re here to earn mutual trust and with that grow with our clients, together.

 

4. What services do you offer customers?
Our core competencies are customer service, content moderation and sales-support. We have interesting case studies posted on our website. We’re happy to let you look over our shoulders. All our agents are equipped with a webcam. Come talk to us. We’re open.

 

5. What pitfalls should be avoided when operating in the Philippines?
During my MBA studies, I learned that there’s a disconnect in the BPO market. BPO providers sell on price, but the market is asking for Quality & Trust. The trend in outsourcing is to find reliable quality labor. Buyers of BPO services don’t want to buy employees or time-sheets, they want to buy results and key performance indicators for their business processes. Yet, the BPO market sells on price as if contact center agents are a commodity item. $6/hour, $5/hour, $3/hour. Offering an ever lower price does not breed Quality & Trust.

VKW is not a discount provider nor do we aim to be one. We’re good at attracting and retaining quality workers and make them available to our clients.

6. For other foreigners coming to setup a BPO in the Philippines, what advice would you give them?
While Filipinos have a good understanding of US culture, that doesn’t mean you don’t need a good understanding of Filipino culture.

 

7. Regarding PayrollHero, why did you choose it for your BPO?
PayrollHero was built by a BPO company to solve their own payroll problem. We simply have the same problem. PayrollHero is a perfect fit for us.

 

8. What is your favorite feature or benefit of PayrollHero for you?
Great customer service!

VKWinc

Celebrity Interview: Shawn G Weinstein from Fox Sports Asia

Our next feature for the Celebrity Interview segment is former PBA player for the Meralco Bolts: Shawn Weinstein. Shawn also co-founded the PR firm WJG Asia and is currently a television host for Fox Sports Asia. We asked him about his experiences in the Philippines as an American Filipino.

1. What do you love about living in the Philippines?

The Philippines is a country with warm, friendly people and amazing natural resources. The flexibility and emphasis on family and social activities makes the country unique. The country’s passion for basketball is among the highest in the world. From a business perspective there are many and varied opportunities as the economy continues to grow and modernize.

Shawn_Weinstein2. What are you top 5 favourite restaurants and why?

1. Antonio’s Tagaytay– Fresh Ingredients, Robust Flavors, Scenic backdrop… Best restaurant in the Philippines…Steak! Steak! Steak!

2. Ark Café– Located in Makati’s, Manila’s business district, Great for Meetings and the chicken tacos are stellar.

3. Charlie’s Grind and Grill– No better burger in Manila!

4. Fely J’s– Filipino Cuisine at it’s finest. A Kare Kare which would make any Lola proud.

5. Wildflour Café and Bakery– Modern fusion menu, social setting is trendy…Kimchi brisket fried rice is outstanding and addictive.

3. You are from the US, is the fact that Applebee’s is making an entrance to the Philippines a big deal for you?

Applebee’s is a popular food chain in the United States and it is nice to see the addition to the Philippine market.

4. What other North American brand do you miss and would like to see in the Philippines?

In n Out burger would be at the top of my list. Fresh burgers made to order while you wait and hand cut french fries is a delicious choice that most of the Philippines would enjoy.

5. What is your favourite Philippine brand restaurant that should expand overseas?

I would love to see Antonio’s Tagaytay make its way overseas. Growing up in Los Angeles, California. I am sure it fits the profile of quality establishments that seasoned food lovers would appreciate.

Shawn_Weinstein Continue reading

Celebrity Interview: Sean Anthony from the Meralco Bolts

We interviewed Sean Anthony, the famous Filipino Canadian basketball player who currently plays for the (PBA) Philippine Basketball Association’s Meralco Bolts. We asked him for his favourite restaurants and what he wants to see in the restaurant industry in the Philippines.

1. What do you love about living in the Philippines?

I have been living in the Philippines for 5 years now and have enjoyed every moment. I love the upbeat and positive personalities that Filipino’s have. I like their community and family based culture. But most of all I love being a quick flight or drive away from some of the nicest beaches in the world.

2. What are your top 5 favourite restaurants and why?

I live a healthy lifestyle as an athlete so the restaurant I frequent the most would be Wholesome Table Salcedo. They have healthy organic food from sustainable farms and the food tastes great as well. The other 4 in my top 5 would be: Elbert’s Steak Room: Great little spot in Salcedo with the best steak in Manila. Love coming here when I have family and friends visiting from out of town. Wildflour: Perfect place for weekend brunch. Walter Manzke has done a great job in bringing over his LA brunch scene to Manila. Hai Shin Lou: Our family favourite for Chinese food. Love the peking duck, fresh seafood, and, other amazing dishes. Antonio’s Tagaytay: A trip out of Manila but the setting and food is definitely worth it. Many blogs and websites rate it the best restaurant in the Philippines. Hole in the Wall: Not a restaurant but a great food court in Century City Mall. My wife and I love dinner and movie date night and always choose from their great selections before heading down to watch a movie.

Sean Anthony3. You are from Vancouver, was White Spot making an entrance to the Philippines a big deal for you?

White Spot definitely is a throwback to childhood especially when biting into a burger with their famous triple-o sauce. I liked that they are in the Philippines but hope they set up more locations for easier access.

4. What other North American brand do you miss and would like to see in the Philippines?

The food selection in Manila is actually great. We have a vast range of food from all over the world. But chains that I miss from North America would be Chipotle, Nektar juice bar, tender greens, and In and Out burger.

5. What is your favourite Philippine brand restaurant that should expand overseas?

There are Filipino Communities all over the world with our large network of overseas Filipinos. I’m sure they would love a taste of home which is why Jollibee is working on global franchising. Other filipino franchises that may do well overseas are Gerry’s Grill or Mesa.

Your Employees Are Asking 3rd Parties to Check Their Payroll Calculations

Have you ever heard of Glassdoor.com? It is a US based website that “is the world’s most transparent career community that is changing the way people find jobs, and companies recruit top talent.” Founded by Rich Barton who is no stranger to startups. Rich is the founder of Expedia and Zillow with a history at Microsoft. “Glassdoor holds a growing database of 6 million company reviews, CEO approval ratings, salary reports, interview reviews and questions, benefits reviews, office photos and more.”

Basically Glassdoor lets you check on positions salaries, company feedback and much more. While it is growing rapidly in North America it has not seemed to have taken off in Southeast Asia.

Which brings me to the topic of this post;

Your Employees Are Checking Their Payroll Calculations

Every month we get random inquiries from employees we don’t have a relationship with asking about their personal situation. Questions about their taxes, their payroll dates, deductions, allowances, etc.

Are your employees asking around?

For example, here is an inquiry we received recently asking about income tax for an employee of a Philippine retailer. We have no idea who the employee is or what company they work for but they are asking around.

hi.gud afternoon..im working at [retail] store as asst.supervisor..my rate was 513.62 per day..i have 1 dependent..but my tax was 1789 ..its is correct for my salary

Are your employees double checking their payroll calculations?

Feel free to reach out to us for more information about our Philippine payroll software, Singapore payroll software or our daily time record tools for your business.

Executive Interview: Rob Nixon, CEO & Founder of PANALITIX

Rob NixonRob Nixon is the CEO and Founder of PANALITIX, a software as a service (SaaS) platform that provides analytical accounting data from small businesses to accountants around the world. Rob does a lot of education work in Australia and New Zealand with accountants and showing them how/why to outsource to the Philippines. We did a question and answer with Rob about his experience with the Philippines.

1. Can you tell me a bit more about yourself and your business? 
  • PANALITIX is a software as a service (SaaS) that provides analytical accounting data from small businesses to Accountants around the world
  • I have been working with Accountants for 21 years yet I m not one – I left school when I was 16
  • This is my 8th company and by far the most exciting
  • I educate Accountants on how to run a better business and how they can help their clients run better businesses
  • I constantly tell accountants they need to outsource repetitive tasks to lower cost labour in developing countries
  • I have been outsourcing to India for 4 years and the Philippines for 2 years.
2. Why do Aussie’s outsource to the Philippines?
  • We love the time zone difference – 2 hours
  • We love the English speaking abilities
  • We love the abundance of labour
  • We love the cost benefit – Australia is 5 times more expensive for the same task when all costs are added
3. What are the benefits? 
  • Definitely cost – 5 times difference
  • Eagerness to work – the Philippine team member wants to work and they work hard
  • easy to get along with
  • The service culture means they want to serve and please their customers
4. What are some of the downsides you have seen with outsourcing?
  • if you don’t train the new team or give them clear instructions if will not work
  • you have to initially travel to get the team up and running*

(*Note: Check out our other post about Mike O’Hagan’s Manila tours)

5. What are some of the best practices others should follow?
  • create good systems so the worker knows what to do
  • have good quality IT so solid communication can take place quickly
  • have 100% of systems cloud based – no transfer of files.
6. Do you suggest your clients start outsourcing to a company? or setup their own Philippine company?
  • Not initially. Go through a BPO and get the hang of working with a remote team.
  • Then when the team is 20+ think about incorporating.
  • If you’re going to have a team over 10 people there needs to be management in place to keep them working
7. You talk about “future proofing” – how can more people learn about future proofing their businesses?  
  • My latest seminar tour is in Australia and New Zealand in July & August. Covering 12 cities.
  • It is designed for Accounting firms and their team members
  • Full day workshop on how to to future proof the accounting firm and remain relevant.

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Executive Interview: Russell Yu, IKI Concepts

I had the opportunity to meet up with Russell Yu, the Director of IKI Concepts in Singapore. Russell is in the process of bringing his successful restaurant concepts from Singapore to the Philippines.

IKI ConceptsIn Singapore, Russell operates Kaiseki Yoshiyuki, Horse’s Mouth Bar and Uma Uma! Original Hakata Ramen. They are very popular spots on Orchard Road. Russell is in the process of bringing Uma Uma! Original Hakata Ramen to the Philippines with the first location opening in November 2015 at the SM Mall of Asia.

Interestingly, one of Russell’s ideas to attract talent in Singapore is to rotate the team through Manila. We know something about this as we do the same thing with our #AdventureEngineering program. We rotate our team through our Whistler, Manila and Singapore offices and use that adventure as a core part of our recruiting effort – and it works. Russell’s take on this is interesting and I think has legs. Singapore’s restaurant and retail businesses have a big challenge when it comes to recruiting. The Singapore unemployment rate is 1.9% [2014 (Q4)] and it is difficult to bring in non-Singaporeans for the roles. So many restaurants and retailers go understaffed. The concept of rotating team members from Singapore through to Manila could be that added benefit to not only attract A players but keeps them around. Interested in learning more about the opportunities at IKI Concepts, reach out to their HR team.