A Tidal Wave of Help, Support & Prayers for Japan
Let’s send another tidal wave to the shores of Japan, stronger and mightier than the one that wreaked havoc to the country. Let this be a tidal wave of support and prayers that will help them overcome the tragedy that has befallen them, and rebuild the lives and...
The Work-Life Balancing Act
Work-Life balance - the phrase was first heard in the late 1970s, describing the balance between an individual's work and personal life. Now, almost half a century has passed, and just when the world started believing that the conveniences of modern technology would...
2011 List of Official Philippine Holidays
Happy new year! We're two months late, you say? Not quite. In the early Roman Calendar, March 1 was designated as the start of the new year, and the calendar had only ten months. Then around 700 B.C., the months of January and February were added, but it wasn't until...
The Morning Rush
QUIT THE MORNING RUSH There was a time when my rush hour would start even before I hit the road - when all I had time for was a quick shower and two sips out of my coffee mug. For over a year, my mornings seemed like that of a tazmanian devil running in and out the...
How to Manage Stress
Have you ever read a job post which says “must be able to handle stress or can cope up with stress” as one of the traitsbeing looked for? This only shows how society perceives stress. It has already become a part of our lives, a given, an inevitable that must be dealt...
Quarter Life Crisis
This is the time during your mid-twenties to late thirties when you feel as if you are still waiting for your life to unfold despite having finished school for years. When you were younger, you have set your personal goals, and now, you begin to question if you have...
Clients Visit Pepper Virtual Assistants
We're a team of virtual assistants, but that doesn't mean you can't meet us in the real world. In fact, a few of our clients have visited Pepper HQ already. Russ Meuchel of Ember Recording Studios Our first client visit was in February when Russ Meuchel of Ember...
How to Stop Wasting Time at Work
If only all of us know how to maximize the hours that we have in a day, we would all be rich—in accomplishments! Being able to produce more output in a day will not only entitle you to a possible promotion (if an office employee) or extra revenue (if working from home...
Pepper Official Holidays
Another holiday coming up? Yes, that’s right. The Philippines has a lot of holidays. But don’t worry, these holidays help us rejuvenate so that when we come back to work, we can attack your projects with a lot of vigor and energy! To help you maximize our service and...
How to Jack Up Your Productivity
When you think about it, man’s constant desire for better, faster, more has never seemed to die down or change. Back when we all lived in caves, we invented the wheel to go places, carry heavier loads, basically do things faster, better, and more. Today, the “wheels”...
How To Extract your Creative Juice
The Internet seems to shrink the ground for creativity. As the world gets bombarded with countless innovations, you are left with little to nothing new to offer in the marketplace. Due to the fast pace of modernization, creativity somehow changes from “it takes time”...
Working with a Virtual Assistant
It is true that you can explore more activities you’ve been craving to do if you have a Virtual Assistant (VA) working at your back. From filtering your mails, updating your twitter, writing your blogs, editing your manuscripts, drafting letters to your clients, fast...
Happy Holidays from Pepper Virtual Assistants!
'Tis the season for laughter and cheer, To our clients, thank you for such a good year. Now’s the time for some joyous merrymaking, To celebrate and enjoy, a short leave we’re taking. We’ll close shop for a bit on the following dates: December 24, 25, 31 January 1 But...
The 12 Days of Christmas with my Virtual Assistant
On the days before Christmas, my VA (Virtual Assistant) gave to me… 12 months of meetings It’s never too early to get started on getting next year’s calendar filled up with your red letter days. Ask for your VA’s help to get your reminders set-up, whether it be for...
13 Ways To Green Up Your Workplace
"Paperless office" is a term that’s been around awhile. Plenty have adapted it, but some are still skeptical or daunted by the idea. “No paper? But how do we keep track of important documents?” “How do we let go of the old ways?” “How much would that cost me?” “How do...
Rethinking Your Spending Habits During Recession
You’ve probably been spending freely like me before the global economic crisis hit us. Compulsively shopping, frequently going out for dinner, regularly watching movies, getting hour-long massages at spas, drinking designer coffee… I used to do these things a lot...
Typhoon Ketsana: The Aftermath
No one was prepared for the wrath that typhoon Ketsana (local name Ondoy) released when it hit the Philippines last September 26, 2009. That was the day when Metro Manila experienced the worst rainfall in its history. Imagine getting 341 mm or 13.4 inches of rainfall...
Top Five Stress Busters
Do you feel easily irritated or annoyed recently? Is there a significant change in your eating or sleeping habits? Are you feeling listless or having trouble concentrating? Hopefully, you haven’t answered “yes” to all of these questions or else you would be on the...
20 Most Useful Vista Sidebar Gadgets
If you are a Windows Vista user, you’re probably enjoying all the fancy features that are designed for better security and easier use, not to mention the sleek interface, making computer use more enjoyable. One of its best features is the Windows Sidebar. The Sidebar...
5 Powerful Google Services That Can Build Your Business
If you’re a freelancer or a small business owner, it is important to know what business-building resources are available to you with little or no budget at all. Besides the homepage gadgets, Google offers free services that can help boost your company’s productivity...
5 Cool iGoogle Gadgets to Maximize Your Homepage Use
It doesn’t matter whether you’re an employee, a business owner, a student or a stay at home parent, life just has too many demands and we all struggle to accomplish as much as we can throughout the day. When you go online you would want to get as much done in as...
Are You Making These 5 Work-at-Home Mistakes?
A home business offers the ultimate in a flexible lifestyle where you can pursue your dreams and passions while balancing a happy home life. For all the merits of a work-at-home arrangement, it has its challenges, too. It's important to steer clear of these five...
Don’t Believe What They Say… YOU Can Have It ALL!
White sands, clear blue water, softly muted sounds of birds along the cliffs, ice cold fruit drink on one hand and the sea breeze on your face… AND then your phone rings with your client asking why the shipment hasn’t arrived yet. AND your 50 new emails from...
The Peppered Customer of the Year is…
I know you’re all excited to find out who won. And I’ll tell you in a bit. But first, let me tell you about our choosing process. It was a tough decision for us, having all of you as great clients and each judge having her (and his!) own say. In the end, it boiled...