Most Filipino maids in Hong Kong would prefer Western employers over Chinese employers. Whenever they inquire from our employment agency for job opportunities, they are more likely to ask, “Do you have Western employers available?”

As an employment agency catering to both local and international market, we often receive inquiries from Western employers who are in need of domestic help from time to time as a result of our internet marketing using Google Adwords campaign.

Out of my curiousity, I often ask why filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong prefer to work with Western employers rather than Chinese employers. It is interesting to note that the former tends to be more understanding and are willing to pay higher than the minimum salary set by the Hong Kong government.

There are four major areas where Western employers show an edge over the Chinese employers in terms of their treatment of Filipina domestic helpers. They are atmosphere of work environment, consideration, socio-psychological distance and personal space. This study has been conducted by Chinese University of Hong Kong on how maids in Hong Kong are treated by their employers.

The data were based on in-depth and structured interviews of Filipino helpers who have served both types of employers. A few Western and Chinese employers were also interviewed.

The results of the study indicate that the Filipino maids, in general, are more satisfied with their Western employers, who tend to provide them with easier and more comfortable work environment, over their Chinese employers. Their Western employers are also more considerate and are more likely to treat them equally, allowing them more personal space.

Lastly, in terms of variations in treatment of maids, Western employers are more homogeneous and they tend to concentrate on the positive side. On the other hand, Chinese employers are more diversified. There is no single pattern on how they treat their Filipino maids. This is a basis why Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong prefer Western employers.

Live-in housekeepers are sprouting in many homes. This is because more and more people are coming to realize the convenience of having a full time help at home. Besides that, there are many other reasons why it becomes a practical need to employ the services of live-in housekeepers.

The sad truth, though, is that only a select group of people can afford to hire live-in housekeepers. For a great many of people, having a full time made is, indeed, a luxury. In fact, in plenty of countries abroad, particularly the United States, having a live-in housekeeper is very expensive.

In the event that you would also like to experience what it’s like to have housekeepers living in your home, it is necessary that you conduct a thorough interview and background check. Certainly, you would not want to let just anybody living in your house twenty fours a day; thus, you should be able to find out if you can trust your housekeeper with your life.

Basic interview questions should deal with the following: number of years they have served in the housekeeping business, the names of their employers, the reasons why they left their work, and so on. It is also important that you let them know of your expectations of them, including the salary and the benefits that they will be receiving from you.

Another thing you should be asking your potential candidates is how they feel about cleaning, cooking, taking care of the children, and so on. Then listen intently to their answers; look them in the eye, so you will know if they are sincere or if they are, indeed, telling the truth.

It may also be a good thing to ask them to fill out a sort of application form, too, requiring them to state their full name, address, contact number, social security number, reference names and phone number. You should also check the validity of their work visa.

It can be very stressful to go through all this process by yourself. If you have enough money to spend, you can employ the services of certain agencies to help you find live-in housekeepers. These agencies are usually equipped with materials and manpower, and they can even do the pre-screening and background checking of your applicants for you.

These guide questions serve to help you spot good live-in housekeepers for your home. It is essential that you employ only the best ones, considering that you will be entrusting the management of your home to them.

Legal Aspects

In this section you should include details of any legal matters or requirements which may impinge on your business. For example, if your particular business requires a permit or a licence, you should state here how this will be obtained, what it will cost, what delays are likely between applying and receiving it, and what are the criteria you and the business will have to meet to qualify.

Also in this section you might mention patents (where you are making an original product and wish to prevent others copying it), planning permission (where such permission is required to operate your proposed business) and so on. It is most important that your business fulfils all the legal requirements before you start trading, and backers will want to see that you have taken this into account.

Financial Information

This is probably the most important part of the whole business plan, because it must demonstrate to potential lenders that you have a clear plan and targets for your business’s finances, both now and over the coming months. Specifically, it will show that you know how much money you need, what you need it for, how much you expect to receive and to pay out during the business’s first twelve months, and how much margin for error you have given yourself.

This section should also explain your policy on pricing. With products you should state the mark-up you intend to use, while for service businesses you should state your hourly rate. It is customary to mention the normal mark-ups or hourly rates of your particular industry, and give the reasons if yours differ from this. This is very important, as new businesses often under-price, often with dire results.

The section should also include a forecast profit and loss account and a cash flow forecast. The former shows the profits you expect to make, while the latter shows the predicted flow of cash into and out of your business (especially crucial in the first few months). With all financial projections you should avoid being over-optimistic and allow reasonable amounts for contingencies (especially overheads, which always seem to be larger than anticipated). You should also state any assumptions you are making, e.g. concerning credit you are given by suppliers and have to extend to customers.

Risk Assessment

In this section you will discuss the risks which are attached to your project, and how you propose to control them. Every business carries some element of risk, and any potential backer will want to see evidence that you have taken this into consideration. Potential risk could come from a number of sources:

A competitor setting up near you; A major customer going into liquidation or taking his business elsewhere; Your main supplier or sub-contractor ceasing to trade; Customers taking longer than anticipated to pay their bills; A long-term decline in demand for your product or service; Lower than expected levels of sales; Changes in the law making your product/service harder to sell; Increases in taxation; Variations in interest rates; Variations in foreign exchange rates (where the business is involved in trading with other countries); Accident or illness; Flood or fire.

In this section you should explain the main risks your business is likely to face, and how you intend to monitor and control them. You should also comment on any contingency plans you have to meet setbacks, such as who will take over if you are ill.