Category: Perspective

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Employee, Freelancer, Homepreneur, Entrepreneur- Comparative study series; Part 1

CosyEmployeeDisclaimer: This analysis/ study is personal opinion based on the experiences I have had as a freelancer. This is not in any way an authoritative document. However, you are free to discuss your perspective with me. Will be glad to know what you think.
Transitioning from a working professional, to a stay at home home-maker, to freelancer consultant, to a homepreneur has been an exciting journey for me(.. with all the ups and downs…) for the past 3 yrs. Freelancing in India is a highly untapped market. Though many are aware of its presence, no one is ready to “try” for the various “real and perceived” fears that come with the freelancing domain.
We all have our share of manias and phobias. But, it takes a conscious effort to react for / against these manias and phobias, so that we can see tangible measurable results that would in someway reflect in the things that we do every day for ourselves and family. During my early freelancing years, I had a hard time getting to know the concept and how things work. It was “Information Overload” with every Google search, and took atleast a year for me to put things to perspective. Now that I have gained ground, this is my way of giving back to the community, what a stay at home mom / homemaker can achieve with a little bit of discipline and perseverance.
T​o be honest, I was introduced to the term “Freelancer” in some movie (.. forgot which movie ), wherein the protagonist is a freelance journalist who gets caught up in the things that make up the plot of the movie. Then, dutifully like any other ‘movie goer’ I forgot all about this (…until a couple of years ago….)
I believe its safe to assume that we all know what freelancing means. For the uninitiated,

Freelancer is a person who gets paid-by-the-job, or paid-by-the-hour-for the services rendered. In short, Freelancers typically do not have steady income which we commonly know as ​Salary.

Hard hitting differences between an Employee and Freelancer,

Employee Freelancer
Financial Security
  • Absolutely YES.
  • Regular income, SALARY Cheque
  • Perks and other performance based commissions.
  • Paid vacations for self / Family.
  • Reimbursement of bills (fuel, medical etc)
  • Barely, for starters.
  • Established freelancers have steady stream of work.
  • Payment for work / services rendered.
  • No perks
  • No work –> means no payment.
  • so, vacations are financially dry days.
Starter’s Jitters
  • Company provides induction programmes.
  • Team / Mentor acts as support system.
  • Has to be a self starter & self motivator.
  • Freelance community and forums , tread with caution.
Dispute claims and settlements
  • Company takes care of most of the issues.
  • Elicit the help of the operating-freelance-marketplace, in event of a dispute
  • With private clients, be on gaurd.

I agree, this table is kinda scary. Being an employee is nice and cosy, and Freelancer’s realm seems to appear to be chaotic, uncertain, and with a serious margin for con.
But, being a freelancer has its own share of benefits. Here are my top picks

  1. I truly get to pick the days & time to work on.
  2. I get to pick and choose my clients
  3. Any appreciation or blame for my work comes directly to me ( No one is going to steal my credits, and impose their blame on me)

Transition to Freelancer brings up the all important questions,

  • When does one become a freelancer?

Typical answer: “You can become a freelancer any time you want”.

This is the most deceiving and dishonest answer I found to be. You just can’t wake up on a fine sunny day and decide to be a freelancer. Becoming a Freelancer is a transition, and not a title in your business card.

What do we do when a germ of an idea hits us? We ruminate on it, think about it, try to gather as much information as we can about it , so that finally we can make an informed decision… don’t you agree?..

Freelancing is no way different than this. The moment this thought takes seat in your consciousness, take time to research the idea.

  • What should I freelance on?

Typical answer : “You can freelance on absolutely anything”

This is a “grey area”. This is half true, and half false. Let me exemplify.

As human beings, we all are capable of doing all kinds of works. Yet, we need a painter to paint our house … we can as well hold the brush, dip in paint, and run it up and down the wall.. why do we need a painter to do that? …
The simplest reason being, he (painter) has the knowledge and skill that is needed for painting a house.

The trick is to distinguish between, “What you are capable of doing” AND “What you are best doing at ?” AND “What interests you the most? ” (…. which you would be doing anyway, even if no one was paying you…)

These are the hardest times one would face, while transitioning to a freelancer.

  1. Research on the things that you do KNOW.
  2. Explore the ideas that INTERESTS you.
  3. Take time to test and try ; this is a direct measure of your discipline.
  4. Do not feel afraid to ask about things that you don’t know.

A friendly advice :

  1. Get friendly with Google.
  2. Have a sensible email & use it to register at sites you come across during research. (Do not use your personal email)
  3. Spend at least 2 hrs a day (Monday – Friday),on research, documenting your findings.
  4. Reserve weekend for family, refrain from “working”

So, that’s pretty much for starting the series. In the next post, I will be sharing on how freelancers and Homepreneurs are same or different. After all, this is a comparative analysis.. isn’t it?

Freel free to share your thoughts. Your thoughts may prove valuable to an aspiring freelancer.


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NASSCOM product conclave 2010 – Lessons learnt by a Homepreneur

At this NASSCOM conclave, I have had people asking me, what does ‘Homepreneur’ mean?So, here is my definition of it.
HOME – I work from home as an independent consultant / freelancer &
(Entre)preneur – I manage this ‘business’ (of freelancing) on my own.
so, I guess that qualifies to call myself a ‘Homepreneur’ isn’t it.
A couple of years back, I didn’t even care what NASSCOM meant/ did. I had just about begun freelancing and was having a hard time convincing people about could apps as it is, forget convincing them that one-woman-working-from-home could answer their needs as well.
On one such regular (busy/chaotic) day, I had someone fwd me an email about the NASSCOM product conclave 2010 because they saw a mention of “Zoho” in the newsletter and it seems my name popped up in their head. God bless that kind heart…. (psst… thats me being humble.. okay !!).
Now, that caught my attention. I have been working on Zoho Apps since 2008, and here is an event where Mr.Shridar Vembu from ZohoCorp is going to deliver his speech at 3 different sessions. I couldn’t miss this for the life of me. I had to reserve a seat for myself, & I did…. btw, this busted another idea which I had, that “Only Companies” can attend events at NASSCOM. I signed up citing myself as a Freelance Consultant & it felt good too.
The D-Day had arrived, and I was not sure what to expect. But then, that’s the good thing. You go in with a clean slate (… and by the end of the day, I came out with a feeling of so many post-its-stuck-all-over-inside-my-head… Need to get these organized as soon as I finish this blog post…).
I sat through each one of these sessions, (barring a couple as there were parallel sessions happening), and here are some snippets that I found to be inspiring, and some of the things make better sense when we ruminate on them…
Vivek Wadhwa: “Selling is the SINGLE most important skill for entrepreneurs. And selling is a SCIENCE!”
Freelance consultants know this only too well. We work hard at selling the skills, before we comprehend the solution to the client’s problems. Homepreneurs have the added responsibility to sell the idea that, in spite of ‘being home’, we are disciplined about the work that we do.
Mukund : “I gave 1046 demos and closed 2 sales.”
The trick is to ask “qualifying questions” to your potential clients, says Mukund. Every wannabe freelancer (who is more attracted to the prospect of working in pyjamas.. I personally don’t consider them as homepreneur(s)…), jumps in and says “I can do this – I can do that”. Being all over the place, cannot help either of you. So, Stop-ask-evaluate, before committing on one’s services… &… timeline too.
Harsh Manglik: “Innovation is purposeful discovery of solution”
We have heard “Necessity is the mother of Invention”, Now, we must try to remember this alongside as well. I mean.. folks, this says it all.. what’s more to add here ??
Shridhar Vembu : “Not all Eyeballs are equal”
The context being, Unless all of the eyeballs (site visitors) convert into your paying subscriber base, it does not makes sense in “attracting eyeballs”.. the focus should be on “attracting the right-kind of eyeballs”.
As a homepreneur, It is essential that I see my client’s projects to completion on time, and then scout for another client to work for. This leaves me very little time left with to consider “advertising” my skills. Its for this very reason, I have a blog. But would “having a blog” suffice? No, absolutely not.
I guess its time to throw all the “SEO mantras” out of the window and find one’s specific site / forums / boards where the eyeballs really matter. If Homepreneur’s can harness those eyeballs into visiting their sites, it could as well translate into a potential client, or establish our presence in the chosen niche…. worst comes to worst… we still get visitors eh !
I guess this would have intriqued some of the eyeballs on who actually missed out on the Conclave. Fret not!.. NASSCOM_EMERGE has promised to upload it for all of us in a week or so

(btw, NASSCOM means National Association of Software and Services Companies, here is the Wikipedia link ).

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Want to become the person you once loathed? Get nostalgic && talk about it incessantly!!

Ever listened to those haunting Kishore Kumar tunes on a starry night? Did your lips hint at a smile along the corner, while you watch the tiny tots strut off in their school uniforms? Did you just shift your position at the cafe / train so that you can catch some titbits off the self-engrossed-high pitched-conversations of college kids near you?
Oh! Boy! .. isn’t that nostalgic? Taking us back to those years when we lived those moments, so that we can remember them now. The entire span of those moments flashes before our eyes, in slow motion. Sometime, we even tend to remember the colour of the tie, feel the fragrance of the canteen chai, and the thud-thud of our professor on the steps. And, consider yourself super lucky if you have a friend who shared the same moments is with you at this moment in time, to share the memory as well. Nostalgia just became contagious and addictive.
But, do you discuss (read – you talk, and others just nod) your nostalgic moments with anyone who is there to listen (read – earphones not plugged into their ears)? , especially, to those audience ( huh !) , who are at least a decade younger to you?. Finally, does your conversation typically tend to start with “In those days”? Mate, time to wake up from your nostalgic trance. You might end up like the chacha-who-scared-the-kids-the-moment-he-said-“In those days”.
C’mon guys, don’t you remember how we used to detest that I-have-seen-it-all-uncle/aunt. Each family has one or two. That is the law of the universe, and, how much ever we try ( or tried), its impossible to escape an encounter with them. Do you realise that you are slowly (but steadily) metamorphosising into the very same person you used to loathe?… did you feel as if you have been hit by a lightning? This is a good sign. This means, your reputation amongst the younger member of the family can still be salvaged.
Every generation thinks “ we are better informed”. …(Get over it, you and me cannot beat this)….. But our experience have taught us that “ they need direction” …. again .. so did we, .. but we loathed anyone who came to us with advice… So.. what kind of reaction do you expect when you approach these young kids with ammunition called advice. Youngsters are like oyster clams. They do not open up easily. But when they do, be ready to be marvelled by their brilliance, making the wait worthy in every physical-spiritual-aesthetic sense.
Instead of advice, try relating with an experience of your own. Let them unravel the moral-of-your-experience. Believe me, this will give them a better sense of direction than google map. They will eventually find a counsel in you, and, you might probably get a fan page in facebook.

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Working from home – A realizable dream after all !!

Some dreams are meant to be dreamt,
Some are meant to be worked upon,
Some are meant to be chanced upon, while
Some just hit you between the eyes, and leaves sparks flying all over the place.

In my case, it was purely a chanced upon opportunity. Never even dreamt in my wildest dreams that I would work from home, and yet make a decent amount of money out of this venture. Today, 3 years after my first paid freelancing gig, I have a domain name to call my own, the design, development, and associated costs all paid out my freelancing income over this time. I will not disclose how much, but it is “pretty much”.
May be starting this topic from the monetary aspect is not the right way to start after all. But, it is for those, who ask me “Do you earn enough?”, whilst trying to be polite by not asking “How much do you earn?”.
We have been witness to the changes around us over the past couple of decades. Especially, those coming from the typical Indian middle class family would agree that, for working women and the perspective around them have evolved at a remarkable pace during this time. This was the period wherein, the gender discrimination was beginning to fade away at home, and “higher education” for the daughter of the family was approached with reverence (.. and not worry about finding a groom for over-educated daughter…)We saw girls getting into “professional courses” ( read, Medical, Engineering…. still private tuition for IIT’s was reserved for male child). The girl had to secure a seat truly out of her own merit…. “As parents, we will enrol and pay the school/college fees, you are expected to prove that you are worth it”.. was the underlying message to the daughter from the family. Today, we KNOW, she is indeed worth every penny that was spent on her education. We now have females in almost all aspects of life, ranging from our neighbourhood lady-auto-driver – ISRO – UN – and many more to come..
The point I am trying to make is, there is no substitute to hard work, persistence and perseverance. If not for the efforts put in by those women ( who lived by every word in the previous paragraph), I will not be in a position to write/ comprehend this, you wouldn’t be here either reading this. We are born with the gene that drives us to “prove beyond what we are endowed with”. So, anthropologically, that gives an added advantage for females, don’t you think so?
Miracles do not happen overnight, and earning a decent income via work from home is definitely nothing less than a miracle. So, establishing yourself in the freelancing market is going to take all the perseverance you can muster. Though, this is holds true irrespective of gender, non-freelancing-regular job as well, the stakes are high for males for whom freelancing is the only source of income for the family. For this, and for this reason alone, I would recommend this to females. Especially to those, who have had the fortune of “good education”, but forced to “be at home”, due to family constraints…. could be children, out in the foreign soil, ageing/ailing members in the family… etc etc.
My English teacher used to say “Well begun is half done”. Today, I understand the true meaning of these words of wisdom. Freelancing is not a “walk-in” interview that one would do, with a couple of copies of CV. It really doesn’t matter what degree one holds, or how many high profile companies one had worked with in the past. These details will add credibility, but will definitely NOT land you at the first paid freelancing job.
If you have had the experience of giving seminars as a part of your college curriculum, you would understand the role of research that goes before you sit to write the title on a piece of paper. That is an over simplified version of what is to come on your freelancing future. Research – research – research. Then, its consolidate and present yourself to potential clients.
I want to become a successful freelancer. What should I do?

  • Conventional CV’s do not hold water in freelancing. So don’t get your hopes high about that very impressive CV.
  • Freelancing is all about the details. (… the devil is indeed in the details…)
  • Think hard, about those aspects in your CV, where you can break down those degrees into workable-detail-oriented-solutions.
  • This is the hardest part, and this is where you should be investing your time, intelligence, and analytical skills.
  • Insider tip: Document every thought that crosses your mind, while you are at it. This might seem unimportant now, but will miss for not having done this when you re-visit the thought after 3 months flat.

I can confidently outline the specific details oriented projects I am capable of handling, Now what?

  • Admit shamelessly that you (we) are slaves to Google.
  • Try to identify “spam work from home with no skills needed” type jobs from genuine ones. Focus on the jobs that match the details you have come up in the first phase.
  • Research on freelancing sites. What works for me, may not be the best for you. I have found oDesk, Elance, Scriptance, iFreelance, to offer genuine jobs. They too have their share of “con”. So for every job that remotely matches your-type, double check, triple check, or even quadruple check if needed.
  • Insider Tip: It is okay to go ahead and create profiles in freelancing sites. But be sure not to give you personal email / phone number/ photograph in them until you are totally convinced. When in doubt, visit the community forum at these sites, and observe, enquire, and continue to ask until the responses are reasonably satisfactory.

I have found a job that I am capable of doing. How much should I charge for my services.

  • Ah!, the all important (million $$) question.
  • First timers, visit various community portals to get an idea about remuneration for “this kind” of projects. … Thanks to google.
  • Try to bid around the average, to start with.
  • Insider tip: The focus should be on proving your expertise on doing the job, stick to delivery schedule, and match the standards expected by the client. The more you are picky about nickels and dimes, you give the impression that money drives your attitude, and gives an impression that you are susceptible to drop an ongoing project, when you have a more-paying-offer.

Whatever freelancing site you choose, whatever job you choose to do,

  1. Follow the Terms and Conditions of the site.
  2. Be truthful about performing at the project.
  3. Provide realistic delivery dates, and adhere to it all costs.

Insider tip: It is always better to overestimate the delivery date, and deliver the product at least 24 hrs before the proposed date.

Image Source

Thank you: Brain Scott from
http://creativefreelancing.blogspot.com/2010/10/working-from-home-realizable-dream.html

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Do a Nano This Recession – Yes you can !

All of us have been tracking the Nasdaq & BSE for the past several months. For some, it could be for investment / book profit-loss & for some, this could be just to keep oneself abreast with the economic situation at large. Few months back, when the wall street collapsed, every other market was anticipating a butterfly effect & it did happen too… to some extent. The Mumbai terror attacks & Satyam fiasco scared most of our investors away, Uncertainty looms over our NRI friends , People are being asked take either a “huge salary cut” or resign with dignity . Those who still hold a job can feel the Damocles sword.

It is not just the corporate environment; this recession has hit homes too. Those who would not bat an eyelid to take an auto, now patiently wait for the BMTC bus to come by. Students have discovered that carbon papers work out cheaper than Xerox. The Bhelpuri and Panipuri stalls gain crowd while the Pizza-Huts and McDonalds give a deserted look. Suddenly water seems to be tastier than Pepsi and Coke. Your local cable-guy seems to have better collection of movies than the neighborhood multiplex. Malls are for free AC & parks are for public interaction seem to be the new mantra.

When things were good, we did not mind spending few extra bucks, and when things are not so good, no one is shy to admit that they have to put certain luxuries on hold. This “Face it head on – Attitude” is something that I admire in the present generation. Once we are able to relate to the reality around us on a more personal level, then it’s easy to weigh our options and take the best route. Loosing ones job is bad (– this is reality). If the person continues to sulk about it, he is disconnected from his life (— how long can one afford sulking , figuratively and literally). Instead, if he can find the courage to at least make and attempt to lookup & look ahead, then that would be the best thing to do, given the circumstances.

I agree, it’s easier said than done. But, today, we have someone in flesh and blood to draw inspiration from. The story of Nano – the small car is no small feat. Keep your Mechanical & Automotive engineering degrees aside and take a look at Nano –the big concept. When Mr.Ratan Tata proposed this idea, he faced ridicule & scorn which was more than enough to send anyone’s confidence to the dumps. Yet, with persistence and perseverance he delivered the first Nano in Jan 2008. The “others” were not done yet with Mr.Tata. They forgot that Mr.Tata has converted a concept to reality. Instead they got busy speculating the financial – impossibilities. Exactly 14 months later, he put all those speculations to rest. The Standard Model still costs 1.Lakh – Dealer’s price.

My point is, there is no better time than now to take stock of your endurance and perseverance. Boldly hope against all hopes towards a better tomorrow. Don’t just sit and sulk, get up and face your (to)day ahead with conviction, tomorrow will take care of itself. If you are apprehensive about your family, friends and “relatives”, Have Some Faith. You will be pleasantly surprised.

PS:- I don’t know Mr.Ratan Tata on a personal level.
PS2:- I am not a Nano- Dealer
PS3:- Image Source Pic1 & Pic 2

Deepa’s
Virtual Assistance
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Freedom Of Speech and the Damocles Sword

Okay, India got its independence on 15th Aug 1947, so what? As citizens of free -India we exercise the fundamental right of free speech, so what? As law-abiding citizens, we add a footnote to all our thought process saying “It is my opinion”, so what? Being reasonably social towards fellow citizen, we say, “hmm.. so that’s what you say”, so what ?Wondering why I am so angry? Read along, you will see my reason.

It is my assumption that, if you are reading this post, then it only means one of the two things. You are either a blogger, or well aware of blogs ( ie to say, you exactly know the difference between website and a blog.. please don’t make me get into the definition of blogs and stuff. I neither have the time nor the temperament now). In such case, it goes without saying that, we use blogs to voice our opinion to connect with like minded people who share similar concerns / interests. Whether we totally agree to what others say at their blogs is at the discretion of the individuals. Earlier, we used to speak our mind amidst friends and peers over a drink or smoke. Since blogging entered the mainstream internet, they take the position of “opinion” boards. After all, every person is entitled to his / her opinion, and blogs just gives just that opportunity. Well, that’s what you ( we all) thought … hmmm…

Going by the recent Supreme Court judgment, as on Times Of India – 24 Feb 09, Bloggers can be penalised for what they say in their blogs. This judgment has come in effect because,

19 year old guy started a community in Orkut against Shiv-Sena. One thing led to another and “voicing opinion” became abusive and defamatory on personal level.ie.. someone commented on this guy’s community/

Again.. i am not a member of this community, but this is what i gather from what i read about this over the internet. May be that sparked off the big and mighty party-enthusiasts to file against this teenager, as to “hurting public sentiments”, rest is history, read the link.

From my own twisted sense of interpretation of free-speech,

  1. The fundamental right of “free-speech” comes with a social responsibility. We are rightly entitled to our opinion, but how we put it across is the vital part of this social responsibility. Are we operating within this paradigm in your blog posts ( or community / network.. whatever)?
  2. Haven’t we witnessed a situation in the real world, wherein we say something, and sooner or later it comes and hits us right in the eye. Why is this any different in the virtual world? Can we put a disclaimer (“All content are personal opinion of writer”) and blissfully wash our hands off consequences of our words?
  3. When an argument gets out of hand, don’t we all amicably agree to disagree? Again, this is in adhering to the norms of decency and decorum of the situation. From whatI have seen in the blogosphere, most bloggers are doing just that. This is respecting free-speech even if the content does not please you. But strangely though, it’s the non-blogging population against the blogging population when this scenario comes up on the virtual world.
  4. Every time a “sentiment is hurt”, can one call upon the clause of “hurting public / private/ personal/ religious / communal sentiments” and file a case on the court of law? Wherever there is a disagreement, there is bound to be “hurt sentiments”. But using “only this”, be THE valid reason for such a complaint?
  5. Every person derives his / her opinion from what he sees, reads & listens to what is happening around. His ability to frame his thoughts into an opinion makes him a better citizen as he is now socially aware. If so, how right is it to expect a socially aware citizen to keep this thoughts to himself?. Doesn’t this defeat the purpose of free speech?


Thats not all , I am very much interested to know how this judgement was arrived at. Again, please don’t get me wrong, I am not questioning the judgement, but merely requesting the sequence that was seen thorough, to arrive at this. My curiosity stems from the fact that I am an average blogger, I blogs in my free time, I have an opinion and I would like to know others too, I try my best to adhere to social norms of “agree to disagree”. No lengthy legal jargons, just giving us some pointers will shed light for us allm to see the Honourable Judge’s perspective as well.

Dear Sirs,

  • Did you visit blogs prior to hearing this case (or, any case on blogs) ?
  • Do you remember the concept of the very first blog you visited ? ( movies , books, personal.. etc etc).
  • Do you personally read blogs, or depend on your secretary to give you the information from blogs ?
  • Does this mean, “Freedom of speech” comes with a Damocles sword?, at the bloggers own discretion ?


I strongly recommend that you also read the following. Feel free to give me a link to add to this list.

  1. Reader’s Resonse at Times Of India
  2. TOI’s report on blogger’s reaction.
  3. Anu’s worry on keeping her free thinking atitude
  4. Dhananjay’s Burden of Accountablity

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Freelancing & Tax Laws in India

Freelancing in India is highly untapped market. With the advent of affordable broadband services, working from home is close to becoming a reality. Sites like oDesk, Get A Freelancer, Scriptlance & scores of other sites offer more than enough opportunities one can handle. Today, I have reason to believe, freelancing does pay. All it takes is a little bit of patience and lots of perseverance.

With all the dictionary definitions on one side, the term freelancing is normally associated with extra income. More fondly known as “parallel income”, something that you would do during your “non-office”hours and get paid for it too. If you are the type who would still do the same thing, even if no one pays you, then you just got yourself a hobby.

If you have had the experience of being associated with a startup, then I am sure you will be able to relate to the following scenario. First you burn your eyes out by making the right contacts & clinching the right kind of deals. Then you work your butt out at keeping the deadlines, and finally you wait with bated breath for the payment to get credited. Then its the same cycle all over again. Amidst all this frenzy you need to keep track of all administrative work, do the accounts, pay the salaries and last but not the least, file your taxes as well.

Things tend to approach this frenzy in freelancing once your clientele begin to grow. But, as freelancers we tend to forget that “we earn”, albeit marginally, it is still an income. Tell me, how many of us knew that “Any income derived by way of freelancing job is taxable under the provisions of Income Tax Act. 1961.” ( — there, now you know)

I tired searching for over 8 months all over the internet for some pointers in tax laws that might provide some insight from a freelancer’s point of view ( note :- freelancer from India). http://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/ did not give me any relevant results & http://indiankanoon.org threw some case references at me. Not to be surprised, everything bounced off my head even before I knew it. Then I did what I knew best I could do. I began looking for lawyers in the blogosphere. And that did it for me.

I came across Mr.Ranjith Xavier’s blog at http://indianlawyer.blogspot.com/, where he blogs about various legal topics. He is an Independent Legal Services Professional, and practicing in the High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam. All I had to do was ask and after few emails, Ranjith was hard at work compiling this extensive information about the various tax laws and the terminologies involved. He can be contacted at ranjithxavier(AT)gmail.com & has agreed to help to the best of his knowledge. Thanks! Ranjith.

He puts things under perspective as Tax Laws & FOREX laws ( i.e. Foreign exchange laws) Please click on the image to download the pdf document

If your annual income derived out of freelancing job alone; or if added to your other income(s), adds up to exceed the annual limit mentioned in the Income TaxAct, you are duty bound to apply for and obtain a Permanent Account Number (PAN).
Under the provisions of the THE FOREIGN TRADE (DEVELOPMENT AND REGULATION) ACT,1992, anyone doing import or export is expected to apply for and obtain an Importer-Exporter Code Number (IEC Number).

Strangely though, he also put forth this query to us, before answering it for us

“Import” and “export” means respectively bringing into, or taking out of, India any goods by land, sea or air;” In common parlance, “Goods” means merchandise or movable property in physical form.Now the question to be considered is whether a person who transmits digital files over internet is exporting “goods” from India to abroad.
Once “services” too are brought into the ambit (ie scope) of the said Section 7 of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992,every freelancer who performs services to a foreign client would be exporting it and thus attracting the provisions of the said Act. In such a case, he/she should apply for and obtain the IEC Number.

These are snippets from the compilation that Mr.Ranjith Xavier has put forth for us. Honestly, I am getting intimidated by looking at the links listed in this document from where the relevant information has been handpicked by Ranjith. Few months back, I was all lost, be it the search phrase or which site to look. Now, Thanks to Ranjith, at least now I know where to start. From what I understand , the information within this document is only the tip of an iceberg.

Deepa’s
Virtual Assistance
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Happy Holidays – Holidays does not mean you have to be incommunicado.

EzineApprovedIts holiday season and I believe an extended break is a welcome change. But many of my friends are wary of going in for a break for the fear of loosing out on new clients, or not being able to provide timely response during this break. We all have a schedule to follow and deadlines to meet. Holiday season is definitely not an excuse to extend the deadline. But, this also does not mean you have to put in a double shift.

It is at times such as these, I get to hear, “it is good to work at an office, coz you clearly know when the work stops, and when your response is expected. With the work from home scenario, the dividing line tends to get blurred over time.” Some often remark, ” when I am not doing chores , or helping my kids with their study”, I instinctively reach out for the pending tasks at my project desk”.

In all this, we are constantly “at work”, completely forgetting the fact that we need some “ME-Time” too, eventually all this translates into the double shift that I had mentioned earlier. Going on holidays or taking a break does not necessarily mean that you are incommunicado, or you “have to be” incommunicado. However, if you choose to be completely cut-off, then set up an auto responder with a message as to when the sender can expect your response.

So, what can you do ( or not do) to avoid coming across as inaccessible during holidays?

  1. Spend only 1 hr to check & respond to mails. For mails that require more than “this or that”, provide a quick reply that you will get back with a detailed response after [date].
  2. DONOT get tempted to “let me do one little thing” with your project. This is like quick sand, you never know when you will get sucked into your work-mode.
  3. Try not to connect to the internet via your palmtop, mobile etc. Learn to disconnect at least during this holiday season.
  4. If there is nothing else to do, stretch yourself, don’t reach out to your laptop.
  5. Have a wallpaper that says you are on vacation if that helps.

Of late, I have been busy hectic with a Custom Application at Zoho Creator, writing tutorial posts and helping my parents in law to “learn computer”. Christmas holidays have begun and new year is not that far. So, eventually I have decided to take the long awaited vacation along with my family. Though we haven’t decided what to do this holiday season, I guess discussing this over dinner is where the mood of holiday really sets in.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to all of you.

Deepa’s
Virtual Assistance
Posted on

Work From Home – Booby Traps That Kill Your Time

“Work From Home” has somehow become associated with women who are unable to attend office for personal reasons (child care tops the list). When this idea is pitched into our actual corporate environment, it gets highlighted as “telecommuting”. Well.. it all means the same eventually, work from home!

Tell me, how many times you have come across classifieds that say “Work from Home” in print & over internet. Very tempting isn’t it? Especially, when fuel prices, traffic woes & road rage, flash across our minds. But is it really all that sugar and honey? Does “work from home” truly translate into bliss and feeling of gratification?

The fact that we work from home, on one hand saves up on office setup & installation costs, drastically cuts down our fuel bills, & for some wardrobe bills too. While on the other hand, we fail to consider the frequent interruptions & distractions that arise purely based on the fact that we are at home. This could be a unannounced guests, neighbour who shows no sign of leaving, unsolicited sales representatives etc. Not to mention the temptation to succumb to “I will do it later” –syndrome.

The greatest strength and also the greatest drawback of working from home is that, “there is no one watching over you”. Sometimes, we do need someone over our shoulders to tell us when we are drifting away. Working at home is not a wonder therapy and one-size-does-not-fit-all. It requires some amount of grit and determination to get it work for you, just right. Watch out for the

  • Booby traps listed below. Discover what works for you best.

    1. Booby Trap 1 : – Time Factor

      • Have strict timings to “attend work” & allocate time to “do other things” in your computer. Need I say more???
      • If it is neither your “working time” nor your “other time”, stay away from your system. At the end of the day, it is still a machine.
    2. Booby Trap 2 : – Space Factor

      • Separate physical space will trigger the “serious mood” required to work.
      • Eventually, this will tune the family “not to interrupt while at work”.
    3. Booby Trap 3:- Phone calls & Visitors.

      • Make a note of phone calls & visitors.
      • Return the calls when you are “not at work” & gently explain your routine.
      • After a couple of similar calls, they too will begin to respect your time.
    4. Booby Trap 4- Emails & Social Networking

      • These are the silent time stealers. Unless you lock them up completely it is impossible to “be at work”.
      • I respond to official mails before I begin work & after I complete work. (any mails that arrive later is responded the next day). Perhaps you can come up with your own routine.
    5. Booby Trap 5- Commit things to writing

      • Our memory is not a dumping yard & there is no overload indicator.
      • I use a 200 page notebook with separators to write down tasks associated with my ongoing projects. May be you can try and get to know what works for you.
      • I also use sticky notes for meetings & project delivery, a new set every week.
    6. Booby Trap 6: – Family time is truly for family

      • Churning codes in your head while helping your kids with homework is something I would not recommend.
      • Isn’t it for the sake for family you decided to work from home? So what is the point if you are mentally glued to work even while with family.
    7. Booby Trap 7: – Take a walk

      • Working from home could lead to isolation in your neighbourhood.
      • You mind & body needs sunshine and human interaction for a healthy well-being.
      • Walk the dog, or take a stroll… what is important is to “stay disconnected”.

    Wile working from home, it is indeed a challenge to draw the line between work & non work hours. It is even a greater challenge to get this message across to friends and family. You work from home does not mean that you are at everybody else’s disposal, and, you time cannot be taken for granted. But before you can explain this to someone else, YOU need to respect YOUR TIME and not stray from your routine.

    The moment you are able to discipline your mind & actions towards this, then its only a matter of time, practice & patience, others get the message.

    Deepa’s
    Virtual Assistance
    • Posted on

    Custom Branding – The soft nudge

    Every business-idea is the seed of a concept. It is only after careful deliberation by the founder(s), does this germinate into a business venture. So, it is only understandable that they put their heart and soul into this venture to make this a success. Successful ventures already have a “Brand identity” in place , while the upcoming ventures strive to achieve the a certain level of excellence with their “Brand identity”. So, what’s with custom branding and success of a business venture? Well, it is so much and so less.

    As a business owner, I would guess that you want that your organization be remembered amongst your clientele and most definitely, your business process would be steering towards excellence in the chosen field. But, if you ( or your business) is just a “Name”, then it is only wishful thinking that the client remembers you when a similar project comes along. The fact is, you are one of the many business associates from the client’s perspective. He (the client ) is most likely to remember the details of those with whom he has a project in progress, or those who have made a remarkable difference to his (client’s) business.

    There is nothing to loose heart about here. Face it! ..that’s just how the human mind works. But like everything else, there is a work around. There are subtle ways of reminding the client, that you are well in business, grown wiser over the years, and have acquired new levels of competency without having to shout from rooftops. Make good use of “Custom Branding Solutions”, both online and offline. It is likely that you are already familiar with this, but just didn’t realise the term up until now.

    What is Custom Branding?

    Ever noticed those “Company Mails”, that land in your mail box both in paper & paperless offices?. Even before you take a second look, you are able to recognise the sender, from the unique stationary that is being used. Such correspondences usually have a water mark with their company logo, accompanied by their contact address and the actual message printed over this stationery. Well, simply put, it is the company’s “Letter Head”. See!, you already knew it.

    Why Custom Branding?

    The company could have printed ( or emailed) the actual content in a plain sheet of paper ( or a word / pdf document). Instead they have chosen to “Customise” for the fact that , this customisation is expected to trigger an offshoot of thought reflecting your association with the said company. Well, it worked .. didn’t it ?, Hence Custom Branding.

    Corporate Identity – A Pre-requisite.

    In order to begin with Custom Branding, it is essential that you ( your company) have a “Corporate Identity” to customise. By “Corporate Identity, I am referring to your Company Name, Company Logo & Unique Marketing Tagline , if applicable. Your company ceases to be “just another Name “, once you have these three entities in place. Rest is just a matter of affordability in time and money.

    You might already have your “Company Name” registered. Perhaps you already have your tagline in place, just did not realise it. Go ahead! call a General Body meeting and conceptualise on the look and feel of the logo, rest the Graphic Designer will do it for you. An experienced Graphic designer should be able to provide you with a Logo (Graphic) that looks great in Print , Web , Colour , Greyscale ,and Completely Scalable Vectorised format.

    Best Practices in Custom Branding.

    As I mentioned at the start of the post, the idea is to provide that little nudge to jog the memory, not push him (client) overboard. So, subtle the better.

    1. Office Documents :-
      • The header should include company logo, address, phone & email of the executive in charge , and url to company website.
      • The footer should include things like “Private , confidential , page numbers ” etc.
      • An unobtrusive logo as watermark is welcomed, but if this hinders with the viewablity of the text, then it’s a strict “No”.

    2. Shared Applications
      • With the strides in technology, geographical boundaries have shrunk tremendously. This can be attributed to the hoards of web applications made available for multiple users.
      • If you are using any of these applications, take a second look. There might be a chance that you have missed out on customising the look and feel of this application to match that of your website, such as upload company Logo, update company profile , Customise signature etc.

    3. Printed Stationery
      • Items such as envelopes, scribble pads , pens , pencils can be embossed / engraved / printed with your company logo.
      • Very effective during client meetings, where a set of stationery is provided to the client.
      • Printed mugs, Tee-shirts, Daily Planner, are costlier stuffs, which are usually “gifted” during Christmas and other occasions.

    Think about it, you have a Word Template in place for business correspondences with the header, watermark and footer in place. All that need be done is to reuse it , instead of having to include every item separately for every document. Same goes for official presentations ( ppt slides). The graphic, and color schema is all in place, except to add content.

    Custom Branding is a bit of “extra work” to start off with, but nevertheless, pays dividend in the long run.
    PJ – 🙂 Do you think I can apply for “Trademark”ing the term “Custom Branding ” :-).. what do you say ?

    Deepa’s
    Virtual Assistance

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