Send Affordable Flowers in the Philippines

"Make Me Blush" flowers. I got them at 50% OFF! 

It was my sister's 41st birthday last August and I wanted to give something special to her. Instead of buying a mug that she already has a large collection of, I decided to simply give her flowers instead. I remember from a movie that I saw on TV one time that people would send flowers to their departed loved ones, and then the narrator said:

"What good will the flowers do if they're already dead? 

They can no longer smell its fresh fragrance and you can no longer see the smile on their face as you give it to them." 

So that's when I started searching for some affordable yet good quality flowers to give to my sister who turned 41 years old. I figured it's best to give flowers to a person who's still healthy and at the prime of her life so she could appreciate it more. 

So when I started searching online, I found FlowerStore.ph. There were a lot of local flower stores online, but this is the only one that I found reasonably priced that also offers seasonal promos. They also offer same day delivery for your loved ones if you order before 5 PM (Manila time) from Monday to Friday or before 2 PM for Saturday and Sunday, and there's no additional cost for it! 

Here are some of the flowers I liked during last season's sale: 

A bouquet of flowers for P999 ($20) only! Wow!

Flowers, cake, and a balloon! Perfect for Valentines or simply sending your love to your special someone for P1,899 ($38)

There's still a lot of flowers to choose from. Go to FlowerStore.ph and use my code: SOUTHBOUNDMOM to get P50 OFF your purchase!

Discover What’s Standing Between You and Your Success in Preventing Hair Loss

There comes a time in your life that you have to stand up and say, “Enough is enough.” And that’s the day when you decide to change your life for the better. Who doesn’t want to become accomplished? Even the “gifted” and brilliant ones have to pay the price so as to realize their goals in life.

When we fail to eat on time, get enough exercise or sleep between seven to nine hours a day, we’re compromising our health and wellness as we reduce the maximum extent that our body must function. Consequently, the effects in our body may extend and manifest as early warning signs of hair loss.

Take it from celebrity beauty and salon expert Fanny “TF” Serrano, who once personally experienced such an ordeal.  For him, avoiding harsh synthetic solutions and choosing to use the right products with natural ingredients is a must and still the best way to deal with mane problems like losing or thinning of the hair. 

With this in mind, embracing natural healthy lifestyle is so important to achieve optimal health, best physical condition and healthy full head of hair. Health products made out of natural ingredients are way effective for better healing and maintaining our body’s lifelong function than those of synthetic ones. Rather than investing in those branded shampoos or other hair treatments, there’s a natural way to help arrest hair loss and help remedy its four early symptoms, namely, excessive hair shedding, thinning hair, receding hair line, and bald patches.This is none other than NOVUHAIR, nature’s answer to hair loss.

National Eye Awareness Month

Social responsibility is at the heart of the 2019
National Eye Care Awareness Month

Love Your Eyes

#EyeCAN - Join myREDvolution is the centerpiece of this year’s National Eye Care Awareness Month (NECAM), which encourages Filipinos to advocate for meaningful change in the society.

Spearheaded by Eye Mo, the leading eye drop brand in the country, #EyeCAN - JOIN myREDvolution inspires Filipino millennials to embrace their social responsibilities through a series of activities anchored on four pillars: education and health, environment, community and the arts, and charity. These activities complement Eye Mo’s advocacy for proper eye education and eye care, which are crucial to a person’s overall health.

#EyeCan or “I can Change A Nation” is part of its flagship campaign “Eyes Mo, Care Mo,” which is now running on its third year. “We launched the first eye care awareness campaign in 2017 to educate Filipinos on the importance of healthy eyesight. Every year, we want to build on what we have achieved, so that we can reach out to more people and educate them on proper eye care. This year, we are spreading the advocacy further by taking it to communities, through a series of CSR initiatives that can help push the message forward and inspire millennials to promote social awareness and positive change.” said Earl Jayona, Head of Marketing for Eye Mo Philippines.

The #EyeCan - Join myREDvolution campaign builds on the successes of the 2018 campaign called #REDVolution, which focused on the millennials and which encourages them to pay it forward through their active participation in community activities. The campaign kicks off this month and will run until the end of 2019.

To spread greater awareness on the importance of eye health, a series of eye care lectures will be held, and free hygiene kits will be distributed. There will also be free eye checks. The nationwide campaign highlights Eye Mo’s strong commitment to spreading eye care awareness by combating the five signs of eye irritation, namely, sore, itchy, red, watery, and dry eyes. It also continues to advocate for proper eye education and eye care.

Eye Mo launches NECAM through school and university invasion

Recognizing the importance of proper eye care among the youth, NECAM will visit schools and universities via concert tours, latching onto the power of music to spread the importance of eye health, bringing it to thousands of students across the Philippines. As part of the NECAM campaign, a short documentary film will be launched featuring five outstanding millennials who have contributed positively to society. The short documentary film aims to open people’s eyes on what they can do so that they can contribute to changing the nation for the better.

CSR Activities: #EyeCan movement go into high gear

The #EyeCan - Join myREDvolution campaign also aims to address eyesores in the community by working with youth groups in cleaning these up. On August 31, executives and volunteers from Eye Mo with the support of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Barangay Health Workers from Barangay Baseco, and Pasig River Rehabilitation (PRRC) have done tree planting and clean-up drive at the Baseco Beach, Manila. It also partnered with TV5’s Alagang Kapatid Foundation and held a feeding program to kids at the Baseco Compound. Various NGOs such as Nestle Philippines and i2i New York also joined hands with Eye Mo Philippines through giving out protective sunglasses for adults and  packed milk to kids. A talk on proper eye care, free eye-check ups, consultations, and Eye Mo products were also given to adults in the community.

Eye Mo has also tied up with numerous communities in Metro Manila to effect visible change in the environment. As part of this, volunteers from school organizations and SK groups will also be tapped to do wall mural paintings to beautify the communities.

The #EyeCan - Join myREDvolution movement is a call out for millennials and Filipinos alike to learn and embrace their social responsibilities and bring visible change to their communities.

For more information, please visit www.eyemoph.com or check out @EyeMoPH on Facebook.

Customer Success and Its Importance to Business

Photo from Pexels

Businesses nowadays give importance to customer satisfaction because, to put it simply, if you have happy customers then customers will continue buying your product in the long term. Small businesses can easily see and check if their customers are satisfied. For example, if you have a food stand and people line up to buy your food on a daily basis, then it’s a clear image that you keep your customers happy. But what about medium to big businesses? How do they know that their customers are satisfied with the service or product that they purchased? This is where customer success software comes in. 

First of all, let's start with customer success. Customer success, in fact, is becoming one of the most important factors across all types business—the difference between a company going broke and achieving mega-growth. To explain further, according to Wikipedia, customer success is the business methodology of ensuring customers achieve their desired outcomes while using your product or service. Customer Success is relationship-focused client management, that aligns client and vendor goals for mutually beneficial outcomes. Effective Customer Success strategy typically results in decreased customer churn and increased up-sell opportunities.

To understand what that means, let me share this with you: I overheard once from a client I handled before that he accidentally poured coffee on this laptop. He took it to a service center where he was accommodated by a repair guy. The repair guy checked his laptop and explained what need to be fixed with the item. The repair guy further suggested that after they fix the laptop, they were also willing to give him a discount if he would purchase an accessory for the laptop such as headphones, wireless mouse, etc.  Since this old client of mine was happy with his laptop and thought he needs a keyboard for it, he gladly purchased a wireless keyboard because sometimes he would prefer to type using an external keyboard than on the laptop’s keyboard. So in the end, it was easy for the repair guy to up –sell to his customer because he was happy with his laptop’s performance and buying another product would further improve his satisfaction with the laptop. So that’s one example of customer success strategy thanks to the laptop’s performance that initially made the customer happy.

Now that you have a better picture of what customer success means, did you know that there is a software for it? You guessed it right. It’s called a customer success software. Customer success is every essential to business nowadays and they definitely need a program to check it. According to an article from the Customer Success Association , businesses are going to need a suite of effective tools that will power your Customer Success group and enable it to scale as your customer base grows.  This is not something you can do with your sales automation system and a few spreadsheets. 

Aside from customer success software, there’s also customer success con events. Customer Success conferences are the best places for direct in-person networking with other Customer Success professionals.  The entire conference is designed to facilitate executive connections and knowledge-sharing both during and long after the day.

Switching from Employed to Self Employment

Are you tired of your current job in a company and thinking of having your own business? I’m definitely sure you’re not the first one thinking that. I myself underwent that road. I was a secretary in a real estate company , got burned out, switched to a home based job of transcribing files. Until now, I am still self-employed and never went back to corporate. I’ve been self-employed since 2007.

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

Before anything else, let’s define what self employment means. According to Investopedia, a self-employed individual does not work for a specific employer who pays them a consistent salary or wage. Self-employed individuals, or independent contractors, earn income by contracting with a trade or business directly.

The main thing that stopped me from going back to the corporate world is that I have complete power over my daily schedule. I can do my work any time I please as long as I follow the deadline. As a wife and mom of 2, that is very important because I can tend to my family first and my job second. I can even start working once my kids are already sleeping. My son, who was a toddler at the time, who suffers from allergic rhinitis needs to be tended most of the time. Thanks to allergists like Dr. Summit Shah who has a website about allergies, I can get some tidbits and information about it online.  Working at home does have its ups and downs, but having total control of my time is something I don’t want to let go of.

You do have options when you want to pursue self-employment. Like me, you can offer your services to people online be it consulting services, food, or other services. You also can opt to start your own business like what my old boss did. She used to be a tax lawyer in the same real estate company I worked in and then later on, she decided to start her own firm.

 Am I earning enough for myself? Well, currently, I am earning as much as the amount I was paid for during my starting years as a secretary so I guess I am earning just enough – enough to sustain my family’s every day needs. My husband also helps to pay other bills.

Being self-employed means you have also have to take care of your taxes and your insurance personally. When it comes to loans, I haven’t yet personally applied for any self-employment loans, but I did apply for one when I was still employed. All it took was to open a checking account, an employment certificate, and a photocopy of our company’s ID. For self employed loans, I think it’s not that too hard also nowadays because one of my closest relatives was able to apply for a self-employment loan with minimal requirements (2 Valid IDs), but this isn’t from a bank, but from Home Credit, a local lending app. I’m just happy to know that there are plenty of lending institutions that are easy to talk to when you are in need of cash regardless of your reason.

I can talk forever about being self-employed, but I have to end this article right here. If you still have doubts about your current working situation, reflect on this question: Do you see yourself working in the same company in 5 or 10 years later?

For questions/comments, please feel free to ask them at the comment section below.    

When To File A Personal Injury Claim

Photo by Takahiro Taguchi on Unsplash 

One of the worst things that can happen to you or to someone you love is having an accident, and to be specific, personal injury. Thankfully, I haven't yet experienced this and hopefully will never will. But whenever I hear this topic, the movie, "Erin Brockovich" comes to mind because the movie basically starts with the protagonist (Erin) having involved in a road accident and then a law suit followed. 

So since I used Erin Brockovich's road accident as an example, let's focus on that topic. Before you go to court, what do you do when you get a personal injury? 

First of all, you have to ask yourself, "Am I hurt? Is someone else hurt after the accident?" If there was no one hurt, or there was no damage to you (no broken bones or potentially lingering injuries that cause you to miss more than a couple days of work), then it may not be worthwhile pursuing a personal injury claim. But if you are inside the vehicle at the time of accident, be sure to go to the doctor to have you checked up and hear from the doctor himself/herself that you are fine and clear of any risk. 

On the other hand, if one or more of the following happens to you, then it's time to look for an attorney: 

Broken bones/hospital stay/long-term health affected

Someone died in the accident

Expensive medical treatment costing more than a couple thousand dollars

Missing more than a couple days work, school, or normal activities due to the accident

Non-economic losses like emotional trauma, pain and suffering, loss of companionship

There is dispute over whose fault the accident was (which what happened in the EB movie)

Multiple people were harmed in the accident

The accident took place in a construction zone or other questionable areas

The paperwork does not look accurate (police report, insurance communications, etc.)

Details are complicated (technical, legal, medical, etc.)

The insurance company is making life difficult for you or not playing nice.

So you've decided to hire an attorney for your personal injury claim, what will happen next?

According to an article from Kinney, Fernandez & Boire's website, once the client finds the right lawyer, they should meet to discuss their case, after which it will be time to file the lawsuit. Doing so involves submitting paperwork and paying specific court fees. Additionally, the client will work with their attorney to determine the compensation that they are pursuing in their lawsuit. Establishing a number should be based on the facts of the case, and help set realistic expectations. For instance, suing someone for $1 million in damages due to a personal injury caused by another person’s negligence is sensible if the facts support such an estimate.

Are there other instances where personal injury claim falls under?

Yes and another instance would be allergies, which covers the food and beverage industry (e.g. restaurants). For example, you are allergic to peanuts. You decided to eat in a restaurant and you ordered a tuna sandwich because the menu didn't say that it has peanuts in it or there weren't any allergen warnings.  If you had an allergic reaction after eating the sandwich you ordered, then it's time to look for an attorney to help you with the case. In some cases, you may also need an allergy specialist for a consult and Dr. Summit Shah is a well-known allergist in the Ohio state. You may also check ACAAI's website to look for an allergist near your area. 

Drinking Beer Can Be Good For You

Photo by Paloma A. on Unsplash

Back in the early days, whenever I hear the word, beer, or any alcoholic beverages, it was always marked in my mind that "beer" is always associated with something negative like gambling, smoking, and the like. But as I grew older (like at the age of 23) and started working in the office, workmates would invite me to after-office gatherings where beer was present. Then I realized beer wasn't as bad as I thought. It's only bad when you had too much of it. As long as you drink it in moderation, the party can be fun and the conversation can be more interesting. 

According to Wikipedia, beer is one of the oldest drinks humans have produced, dating back to at least the 5th millennium BC in Iraq, and was recorded in the written history of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia and spread throughout the world. Throughout the years, it has evolved into different types and different flavors, which is probably why it's still existent today. 

Benefits of Beer

Not only did I realize that drinking moderately can do no harm to you, but beer can also be good for you according to recent studies. According to an article from Everydayhealth.com, here some benefits of beer: 

1. Beer helps fight inflammation. Inflammation in the body is the underlying cause behind many diseases, and hops (an essential ingredient in beer) has anti-inflammatory properties. The researchers (Molecular Nutrition and Food Research.) compared the anti-inflammatory effect of different hops and found that the consumption of hops in beer form interfered with inflammation causing compounds. I personally am not sure if this is true because I get skin flushing whenever I drink beer, but my husband apparently is totally fine so I guess it just depends on people's alcohol tolerance. 
   
   
2. Beer Aids Digestion. Bitter acids in beer may also improve digestion.  The more bitter acids a brew contained, the greater the response. Gastric acid is key for both digesting food in the stomach and controlling the growth of dangerous gut bacteria. To my personal experience, my stomach does feel a little lighter whenever I drink beer after eating a heavy meal, usually during gatherings or parties. It also comes with frequent visits to the restroom to pee. 
   
   
3. Beer is Good for the Heart. Many studies have found a 25 percent lower risk of heart disease in people who drink from one-half to two drinks daily, compared to abstainers. And alcoholic beverages that are rich in polyphenols (like beer)  may be especially good for the heart. I did try drinking a bottle of beer before sleeping and it does help me relax and gives me a good night's sleep. When I wake up, I literally feel like I slept like a baby.

Due to the benefits of beer and how it makes its consumers happy, the beer industry continues to boom over time. Thanks to social awareness, beer giants like Asia Brewery and Melvin Brewing, just to name a few, also gives back to society by offering scholarships to students who need financial assistance. So I guess another benefit of drinking beer if you purchase from the mentioned companies is that you also help students with their financing. It's a win-win for all of us! 

Just remember, beer does have its benefits, but it also has its cons, so the best way to solve it is to drink moderately, and don't drink and drive!