Post: #1

My Filipina wife is newly arrived in the U.S., and the Filipino ex-pats she's meeting here are already encouraging her to get a job. Her original intention had been to start a small business, and I would still like her to do that, since it would be good for her to have flexible hours in which to spend time with our kids, and hopefully we could involve the kids in the family business at some point.

Overseas, she was a mining negotiator and seller of appliances, real estate, cars, shoes, etc. So I'm thinking some kind of sales work would be good. She hasn't figured out what exactly to get involved in, though.

It tends to be an uphill struggle for Filipinos trying to start businesses in the U.S., since they usually don't arrive with a lot of capital, and there isn't a big Filipino business community already established in the U.S. that could help them get started, plus they tend to be more family-oriented than business-oriented and to feel complacent about the boost in quality of life they get just from moving from the Phils to the U.S. (See Filipino and Korean Immigrants in Small Business: A Comparative Analysis) I'm hoping we can find a way to start a business that will be compatible with raising a large family. She's already pregnant, so we have about eight months left before there will be a new baby taking a lot of her attention.

Meanwhile, I'll probably continue being a breadwinner in the corporate world until/unless it seems like there's more money to be made by my helping with the business.

Post: #2

There are niches online that pay well with freelancing. You're not going to immediately walk in and make bank but you can progress to a level where you do get big projects. Doesn't get much better than that.

I know copywriters are often praised as making a lot of money, but sadly you don't makemuch until you have quite a bit of exp.

Post: #3

I always considered raising a baby to be a full time endeavor.

But, aren't they fairly famous for massages in that part of the world?





On a more serious note, a lot of people in your situation do small time import/export and build from there.

Post: #4

If she Vietnamese I would have said nail salon

Post: #5

If she has the skills to properly value items, i.e what they are worth, she could buy and sell on ebay. Or work craigslist to buy and sell. Based on the selling of real estate and cars, she may have those skills.

Post: #6

Cupping requires no license and can pay 50-100 an h

Post: #7

Tell her to teach american women how to become traditional women.

Post: #8

Dude, you have a lovely, submissive wife that is not westernized, you do NOT want her to get a traditional job and be exposed to the western business world. Unless you NEED the money, that discussion should be a non-starter.

Starting a business, with the hope of making actual money, is NOT an easy thing to do. Many, many more small businesses lose money every year than make money. For now, since neither of you seems to have a burning desire to be in a particular business, why not have her freelance online (as was suggested above). It won't pay much but that's really not the point (or am I misreading that?). My biggest problem with having a PA in the Phills are the timezone limitations. I can't get anything done immediately (except in the afternoon). Your wife would have a clear advantage with any kind of work that needed on-going interaction.

Upwork and freelancer are two great sites. She'll face significant competition until she's established a reputation. TBH, you may want to hire her to do a couple of small jobs yourself, then give her 5 star ratings just to get her going. Range of opportunities is huge! Copywriting (has been mentioned), SEO/SEM. translation, design, programming, etc.

A final thought, what about her going back to school? She could spend a couple years getting her nursing, radiology tech,... health care diploma then be in serious demand for the rest of her life. Short of that, my mother (before she herself got too old) was providing in-home care/assistance for a elderly couple for a few years and making pretty good bank. Google Eldercare in your city and you'll see there is a lot of demand for reliable providers. Not glamorous, but dependable, flexible work.

a bit of a ramble there.... take it for what its worth...

Post: #9

(04-03-2016 04:24 PM)kinnikinik Wrote:  Dude, you have a lovely, submissive wife that is not westernized, you do NOT want her to get a traditional job and be exposed to the western business world. Unless you NEED the money, that discussion should be a non-starter.

Starting a business, with the hope of making actual money, is NOT an easy thing to do. Many, many more small businesses lose money every year than make money. For now, since neither of you seems to have a burning desire to be in a particular business, why not have her freelance online (as was suggested above). It won't pay much but that's really not the point (or am I misreading that?). My biggest problem with having a PA in the Phills are the timezone limitations. I can't get anything done immediately (except in the afternoon). Your wife would have a clear advantage with any kind of work that needed on-going interaction.

Upwork and freelancer are two great sites. She'll face significant competition until she's established a reputation. TBH, you may want to hire her to do a couple of small jobs yourself, then give her 5 star ratings just to get her going. Range of opportunities is huge! Copywriting (has been mentioned), SEO/SEM. translation, design, programming, etc.

A final thought, what about her going back to school? She could spend a couple years getting her nursing, radiology tech,... health care diploma then be in serious demand for the rest of her life. Short of that, my mother (before she herself got too old) was providing in-home care/assistance for a elderly couple for a few years and making pretty good bank. Google Eldercare in your city and you'll see there is a lot of demand for reliable providers. Not glamorous, but dependable, flexible work.

a bit of a ramble there.... take it for what its worth...

She has a computer engineering degree, but has no desire to do computer engineering. The degree did help her get a job as a logistics coordinator in the Philippines, though.

Yeah, I don't really want her to work either. I would rather supply all of her needs and allow her to stay at home doing a few chores and getting all rested up for when I get home after work. I figure, if she gets a job, it's not only going to make her more tired in the evening, it's going to take away some of my incentive (or sense of urgency) to make more money, because of diffusion of responsibility. I like when she shows love by having sex with me, and she likes when I show her love by buying her stuff. I feel like the situation will get out of balance if she takes on the masculine role of breadwinner. It's going to affect both of our self-images and probably lead to relationship dysfunction.

People with jobs also tend to waste more money, I think, compared to if they had to ask someone to buy them stuff. There are all the expenses of commuting, buying work clothes, probably going to restaurants more instead of preparing food at home, etc.

There's a Filipina at my workplace who spent a day talking to my wife and was encouraging her to get a job, put off having kids, cut her hair short, etc. I'd rather she babysit, since she loves kids. When we go to a party, she ignores the adults and plays with the kids, and she used to spend a lot of time playing with relatives' kids when she was in the Philippines. We're posted a flyer at the post office and we'll post an ad on Craigslist too.

Post: #10

(04-03-2016 06:30 AM)RaymondKertezc Wrote:  She's already pregnant, so we have about eight months left before there will be a new baby taking a lot of her attention.

I'm gonna assume this is the same wife from your other thread?

What language does she speak?

OK. I don't think you have much experience with Filipino culture at all. I also don't think you have much experience with pregnant women.

A pregnant woman is a ticking emotional time bomb. There is very little rational thought running through their heads after about four months of it. After the baby is born, they are still gonna be a psycho for at a minimum of four months after the baby is born.

Any business she starts is going to be a disaster. Face it. Let's not waste any more of each others time. Since you have the ability to cover costs make sure that's handled, and may your first child be a masculine one.

Here's what scares me, and I mean this with all due respect, you are wearing your wife down with sex, now talking about her starting a business while she's pregnant.

I'm absolutely sure your wife is the exception, but have you heard the term ANCHOR BABY?

Have you ever heard of Filipinas marrying Americans, having their babies, then hosing their successful corporate husbands for 18 years?

Like I said, and like every other guy who I've heard this same story from, I'm sure your specific wife would never do this.

My Filipino neighbors granddaughter just met a guy that moved her over here to Hawaii, now she's having a baby. I can tell you of ten similar situations within a one mile radius of me. And my house is on a beach.

Aloha!

Post: #11

This is a bad idea.

But if you want to start a business and allow her to be involved in it (notice how I'm phrasing this,) make sure you have complete control.
Start an Limited Liability Company (LLC) or corporation and have her as an employee. Maybe an important employee, but still only an employee.
The liability that you'd be limiting, in this case, would be divorce rape. Don't let this business be merely a wealth transfer - keep the investment separate from her.
Retain your leverage over her, salt the earth before the weeds even begin to grow.

Post: #12

My mom runs a business and doesn't make shit. There's lawyers in my family that have it set up so my dad doesn't take a hit so it's not an issue but it leaves her with less time with him. She never worked much before, I feel bad for my dad because he grew up when beta was an option but the culture got to her a bit. He wouldn't tell her to cut the shit and I'm not going to step in unless the issue is forced (such as borrowing off my dad's retirement.) He's quite busy himself though and I'm not living very far away so I catch games with him.

Keep her at home probably, if I was married wife wouldn't work barring finances.

Post: #13

Food services, catering is a good one. If she hangs out with people and cook well enough she can book events, and those make cash. I worked for a lady who's husband was a big trades foreman, she ran a catering business and a small niche restaurant and made a killing off of it. She basically used her husbands social circle and booked events and also through her friends. I was pretty shocked the cash she was pulling in, she did company lunches everyday and was bringing in 300$+ a client a day.

Post: #14

(04-03-2016 06:30 AM)RaymondKertezc Wrote:  My Filipina wife is newly arrived in the U.S., and the Filipino ex-pats she's meeting here are already encouraging her to get a job. Her original intention had been to start a small business, and I would still like her to do that, since it would be good for her to have flexible hours in which to spend time with our kids, and hopefully we could involve the kids in the family business at some point.

(04-03-2016 06:30 AM)RaymondKertezc Wrote:  Overseas, she was a mining negotiator and seller of appliances, real estate, cars, shoes, etc. So I'm thinking some kind of sales work would be good. She hasn't figured out what exactly to get involved in, though.

kinnikinik is spot on in his reply. Freelance would be a great starting business, US citizens can demand a premium here because sometimes there are legal obligations to not contract work out of country. Supply and demand 101.

What you should do is figure out right now what sort of business you (yes you not her) want to start 2-3 years down the line (or whenever your exit point is) and get her started in a direction which will be complimentary.

How do you do this? Look at your skillset, look at your industry, and see where you can relieve a pain point in your industry with your skills.

Some resources (from WSP):
Money Making Machine
$1 Million, 10 Years, Zero Excuses

Post: #15

If she work or decide to do a business make sure it is one that keeps her away from American woman. Your sweet, nice, feminine wife will be turned into American shit within only a few months. Those American women will be jealous/envious/hateful that your wife shows so much affection and respect for you. In their minds you are a traitor for marrying a foreign woman and they want to plant bullshit lies into your wife's head to get even for you going off the plantation.

Filipinas are extremely good at adapting to the culture of their new country, be very careful.

I would hate to hear in a few months how your wife is now parroting the same bullshit that American women say. Bullshit like pay gap, shouldn't have children until 40, men are evil, social justice crap, irresponsible spending, why massive debt is a good thing, and other garbage.