A Few Important Things You Need To Know…

Share This Post: “…this video will blow your mind!” –Renzie Baluyut

Seriously it will.

Not too long ago, I posted an article, pretty much evangelizing the importance of having a continuing desire for learning and discovery.  I go online and try to learn something new everyday, on top of reading a book, or immersing myself in some of the latest songs.

That last one was probably a habit I picked up from my days in radio.

In any case, I actually got a few friends into the same idea, and so we’ve been actively sharing all kinds of useful (as well as some not-too-useful) things with each other: links, blog posts and articles, ebooks, webinars and webcasts, podcasts and video.

One of the most interesting videos I’ve seen lately was this one posted by the good people of TeacherTube, which they shared over their YouTube channel.  Particularly of interest to business-folk and internet professionals, entrepreneurs and small business owners, as well as all sorts of marketing and media professionals.

That highly informative video, along with so much more great stuff, is available on TeacherTube.com’s official channel on YouTube.

Almost totally useless trivia: You were watching that video to the tune of Fatboy Slim’s “Right Here, Right Now”. The song was released in 1999, from Fatboy Slim’s second studio album, You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby.

A similar video and blog post can be found here on Keyboard Monkeys | Tips, Tricks and Advice for the Digital Entrepreneur.

Cheers, everyone.

Does Renzie Make Money Blogging?

Share This Post: advice on blogging and internet marketing, with Renzie Baluyut.

A friend of mine asked me if I actually made money out of my blogging efforts.

The answer is: yes, I do, but not as much as I would want to. At least not yet.

It is not uncommon for new bloggers to get into the blogging lifestyle for the sole purpose of making money. So let me make one thing clear to all of you: there is no get-rich-quick-formula to blogging, contrary to what you might see in ads, or hear about from some friend of yours, or a friend of a friend of a friend, etc. You get the idea.

But yes, you can make money from your blog. However, just like any serious venture, you have to be willing to put in all the hard work that comes with it. You need to do things the right way, you need diligence, and above all, you need to have a real passion for discovering and sharing.

Yes, there are bloggers out there who make a substantial passive income from their blogs. Now you have to imagine the kind of work they must have put in to get to that point. It’s going to take patience and time. And a whole lot of effort.

Do I make money from blogging? A bit, yes. But mostly I get to land blogging gigs, or consultation gigs for clients, as well as get lots of free stuff.

As for me personally, I do make some money with my blogs. But nowhere near the kind of passive income some of my more successful blogging colleagues are making though. My main source of income really is from projects I get when the occasional client likes the way I write, so they ask me to develop content for their sites. Others ask for my help in getting a blog started. Still others enlist my aid on marketing ventures, or for projects that require a great deal of promotion, advertising or events management.

So while I don’t make that much money blogging, I do make cash from all sorts of gigs, projects and business ventures as a result of my efforts. I’d say I make enough. I’ve finally left the corporate world in early 2008, and no, I have no plans of heading back. I love the freedom and flexibility of being a digital entrepreneur, online freelancer and marketing consultant.

Then again, I’m not completely contented with my achievements so far. In fact, my long-term goal is to generate a substantial passive income from my blogs.

As far as making more money for yourself is concerned, there are many ways to go about this with your blog. Plug in all the Adsense/Chitika/Widgetbucks modules all you want, or go ahead and put up an Amazon A-Store or two, sign up for all kinds of affiliate marketing programs– the internet is full of all these make-money-from-your-blog strategies.

For me, I believe it’s still about content. Real stuff. Doesn’t have to be popular stuff, but at least something that appeals to a niche enough audience who are about as passionate as you are with the same things.

And you know what would help as well? A whole deal of internet marketing, search engine optimization, and a great deal of networking.

Tell you what, there are a couple of online talks going down that can really help you out if you’re serious about making money off your blogs.

First up, there is a webinar on how you can make money writing blog reviews and news articles on Sept. 17, 2009 at 7pm, Philippine time (GMT +8:00). It’s an online talk, so you can conveniently plug in from anywhere, as long as you have a decent PC or laptop and a stable internet connection. If you want to make some money blogging, or at least want to find out how, then go ahead and register right here, and attend the workshop once you get the confirmation. This particular webinar is free, so all you have to do really is register for it and attend it.

Next, you have slightly more intensive series of webinars– a certificate course where you can learn some real tips on how to optimize your site and make it more discoverable and search-friendly. I’m attending it myself, as I feel I have a serious need for it. You have a certificate course on Search Optimization Techniques, on October 6 (Tuesday), 8 (Thursday) and 10 (Saturday), 2009. All three classes are scheduled from 6:00PM to 8:00PM Philippine time (GMT +8:00). For that 3-day course, you can register for the series, and know more about payment details here.

Lastly, there is another online certificate course, but this one is all about link-building techniques, and is also spread out over 3 days: October 13 (Tuesday), 15 (Thursday) and 17 (Saturday), from 6 to 8pm. It is a direct continuation of the SEO certificate course, and for this set of webinars, you can register and know more about payment details here.

All of these courses are being conducted by Janette Toral, one of the Philippines’ foremost authorities in e-commerce and internet marketing. So yes, you will be in very capable hands.

So there you have it, if you want to make money from blogging, you’ve got three venues to learn how. I’ll be there myself, so I’ll see you then.

Cheers, everyone.

Renzie Celebrates One Internet Day 2009

Share This Post:  advocating the internet as a means of empowerment, with Renzie Baluyut.

The following post originally came out on my other blog, Keyboard Monkeys | Tips, Tricks and Advice for the Digital Entrepreneur.  I think One Internet Day 2009 is a cause well worth supporting, which is why I decided to put it on this blog as well.

It’s called One Internet Day, a day to celebrate the power of the Internet to bring people together. It’s about connectivity, empowerment, and synergy. One Internet Day encourages us to step back a bit to appreciate all the things we can now do online- whether for business, learning, discovering and sharing, or for recreation.

Janette Toral of Digital Filipino first came up with the idea in 2000, reaching out to around 300 people in Manila, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Davao City to celebrate One Internet Day by providing updates on the development of e-commerce in the Philippines.

One Internet Day 2009: Empowering Filipinos Globally with the Internet

Incidentally, Digital Filipino celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and once again, Filipinos are encouraged to continue the legacy of One Internet Day 2009. According to Janette of Digital Filipino:

To celebrate that milestone, I—in partnership with ProFora Media—will conduct a series of free webinars that will cover the state of e-commerce in the Philippines, website best practices, Internet as a research medium for children, software process improvement and making money from blogging, among other topics.

From the ProFora Media website:

The webinars for the day feature an interesting selection of topics: e-commerce, outsourcing, internet marketing, training, even video production, web development and blogging. The series is a must-attend for entrepreneurs, professionals and business-folk, as well as for new media enthusiasts, students, and members of the academe.

If you’d like to show your support for One Internet Day 2009, it would be appreciated if you could help spread the word and encourage folks to check out the webinars lined up for September 17. In fact, with the availability, convenience and cost-effectiveness of webinars, more speakers have been encouraged to share their expertise and connect with an online audience.
Also, it can be expected every year hereon and we will call on more individuals to share their knowledge online during this day.

Here are the webinars lined up for One Internet Day 2009:

• “Introduction to Software Process Improvement” by Janette Toral of Digital Filipino PH-SPIN | 9:00am to 10:00am, Sept. 17, 2009.
• “State of E-Commerce in the Philippines” by Janette Toral of Digital Filipino | 11:00am to 12:00nn, Sept. 17, 2009.
• “Website Development Best Practices: A Briefing on the 3rd Digital Filipino Web Awards (2009)” by Janette Toral of Digital Filipino | 2:00pm to 3:00pm, Sept. 17, 2009.
• “Managing Training Effectively and True ROI” by Karthik Subburaman, Country Manager of The ECC International | 3:00pm to 4:00pm, Sept. 17, 2009.
• “Internet as a Research Medium For Children in Elementary and High School: A Briefing on the Philippine Schools Cyberfair 2010″ by Janette Toral of Digital Filipino | 4:00pm to 5:00pm, Sept. 17, 2009.
• “Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) Outsourcing in the Philippines” by Gio Carino of Prodigy AE | 5:00pm to 6:00pm, Sept. 17, 2009.
• “Video Editing For Profit” by Mary Tolentino of Client First | 6:00pm to 7:00pm, Sept. 17, 2009.
• “Blogging For Money: How To Make Money Writing Reviews and News Articles” by Janette Toral of Blog4Reviews | 7:00pm to 8:00pm, Sept. 17, 2009.

About The One Internet Day 2009 Webinar Series:

Attending the Digital Filipino One Internet Day webinars are easy and convenient- anyone with a decent PC or laptop can register online, and then plug in from anywhere with a stable internet connection, and join the sessions from the comfort of home, office, or even at a coffee shop or a wi-fi-enabled resort.

You may want to check out the One Internet Day 2009 event page on Facebook right here, so you can reserve your slot for the webinar series on Sept.17.

For details and registration, you might want to check out the official websites of Digital Filipino and ProFora Media.

Cheers, everyone.

Living Solo: Spending Money The Right Way, part 1 of 2

managing money for bachelors and entrepreneurs, with Renzie Baluyut.

It used to be a lot simple.  You make some money, you spend it, maybe set aside some for savings, or for whatever big ticket item you’re eyeing for yourself in the future.

If my spending goes up, I would be the kind of guy who would probably try to look for more side projects or gigs to cover the added expenditures.

That was when I was still working for a radio station and all that.

These past few years, I had to take a good hard look at how I spent my money.  A few months back, I wrote about the expected cost of living is in Metro Manila.  I also had a post on How To Make More Money, also from a few months back.  A good start, but now I feel we need to write a follow-up to that post in the very near future.

Fix Your Money Blueprint

The way we see money, our spending patterns, how we’re serious about our savings- all those are manifestations of what is called our Money Blueprint.

This was all the idea of T. Harv Eker, author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth.  Which, if I may point out, is a good read for anyone who needs a little more guidance on managing money.  And I mean, anyone; not just entrepreneurs and businessmen.

In fact, had I known about this a lot earlier in my life, I probably would be a lot better off now.  But hey, it’s never too late to start anything, so here I go.

In his book, Eker recommends a fairly simple money management technique: separating our income into a number of different accounts, with each account created for a specific purpose.

There are six different accounts that he recommend we create, each with a corresponding percentage value:

• Ten percent (10%) goes to an account to accumulate money for the purpose of investing and building more passive income; never to be used (withdrawn) for any other purpose.  He called this the Financial Freedom Fund, or FFF.

• Another ten percent (10%) goes to an account for Long-Term Savings for Spending, or LTSS.  This is what you use for whatever big-ticket items you have in mind for yourself: renovating your kitchen, that big new plasma TV, or that brand new PC you always wanted.

• Still another ten percent (10%) goes into our Education (EDUC) account: which we should spend on books, seminars and workshops, anything that allows us to keep on learning new things, which in turn, encourages our personal growth.

• Necessities (NEC) will account for fifty- to fifty-five percent (50-55%) of our income.  It’s not as easy as you think; if anything, limiting your bills and day-to-day expenditures (food, transportation, phone bills, internet, etc.) challenges you to live a simpler lifestyle.  A real eye-opener for me, on a personal note.

• You will definitely need to enjoy the fruits of your labor- which is where ten percent (10%) of your money goes: to the Play (PLAY) account.  Anything for the purpose of rest and recreation.  For best effect, spend your entire PLAY account monthly, or at least every 3-4 months (if you’re saving up for that Singapore vacation you’ve always wanted, for example).

• Lastly is the Gift (GIFT) account, which takes the remainder- five to ten percent (5-10%) of your income.  This is what you use for any and all your charitable endeavors, whatever makes you happy.  Remember, there are always people out there worse off than you.  Giving back, therefore, is important (and is therefore a topic worthy of another post).

So now you know how to divide your money up.  Eker even had gone so far as to recommend we use jars- actual, physical glass containers- to put money into, accordingly.

I say, whatever works best for you.  It can be as simple as doing an electronic funds transfer from one main account into all your other accounts, maybe a bunch of envelopes you keep on hand.  The point of the exercise is to get you in the habit of divvying up your income this way.  Something we’ll be talking about in the next post, Spending The Money The Right Way, part 2 of 2.

Cheers, everyone.

The Philippine Culture of Dependence

Here’s what I think: the reason why we have so many poor people in the Philippines is that our society has a pervasive culture of dependence and patronage.

It is uncommon for Filipinos, I believe, to take an active part in challenging the status quo, and be more involved in carving out a fortune for themselves- to be the master of their own fates, to be the architects of their own success.

It all starts at home: children don’t make an effort to leave the comforts of the household at age 18 to find work and carry their own weight.  In fact, the opposite is true- children will try to stay with their parents for as long as they can, even if they have their own family, and start to have their own kids.  On the flipside, elder adults don’t always plan for their retirement, and so many count on their kids to take care of them once they’ve grown old.

The concept of work for a regular Pinoy is hoping to find a company that would employ them for the rest of their lives- depending on a monthly, regular salary, which really is hardly enough for a comfortable lifestyle, and hoping that they also get all kinds of benefits and allowances, and that all their hard work would pay off- and lead to a lifelong stint with their employer.

Many Filipinos even depend on richer, more financially capable- often political- families to take care of them- which is why you have so many poor families sucking up to politicians to spring for anything from burial expenses to baptismal favors.

And it’s that twisted kind of mutally beneficial arrangement that forms the basis of Philippine politics, society and culture:  a patronage system where the rich and powerful keep the loyalty and support of the poor, who continually work for them, and the cycle just goes on and on.

It’s like the poor expect the rich- the ones with power and influence- to take care of their needs and provide for them

I believe it is precisely that kind of mindset that keeps 85% of Filipinos poor- the way of thinking that comes from a pervasive culture of dependence and patronage.

The same way of thinking that makes noontime variety shows so popular among the masses.  The exact same way of thinking that bloats up the Philippine bureaucracy.  The very same way of thinking that makes people think they can get away with breaking laws and simple ordinances.  The mindset that some higher power has their back, and that same higher power will take care of them.

It’s what this blog is all about- a life of self-reliance, and breaking free from a pervasive Philippine culture of patronage and dependence.

How else can we change our country and make things better?

1.  Make your own money.  Getting a job will serve that purpose for now, but your ultimate goal will be to come up with multiple income streams so you don’t have to be too dependent on any one source of cash.

2.  Live on your own.  Teach yourself to manage your own life and make your own decisions.  Break away from depending on your family.

3.  Get a life.  Remember there is life outside work.  Don’t allow your work to consume you.  Spend time with friends and loved ones.  Do the things you want to do.  Have some personal time.

4.  Expect no special treatment.  Show you’re a better person by not calling on your influential family connections.  Do things the right way.  Avoid getting yourself into trouble so you don’t get the temptation to call in favors.

5.  Build up your market value.  Keep learning new skills so you can secure yourself a more lucrative career.  Invest in books.  Network.  Turn your hobbies into money-making ventures.

Remember: change starts with us.  We have to take charge of our own lives and stop depending on others. We can make it our choice to break free from the Philippine culture of dependence and patronage.

And as we take care of our own needs, we shall then teach others to be just as self-reliant and independent.  It’s gonna take a while, I know.  So let’s get to it.

Cheers, everyone.

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