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Homemaker
by hazeybabe07
I was working at the local hospitals being an inspector for quality of hygiene and safety around the grounds. I fell pregnant and was made redundant whilst on my maternity leave which I was told was illegal and was compensated a few grand. I didn't get a lot because I hadn't been working there for very long.
I was a bit sad ... about losing the job as I did thoroughly enjoy it and being busy again as it was my first job in years beacuse I'd been raising my daughter. I was also excited as the idea of being a housewife with a newborn baby was thrilling. I hated the idea of leaving him in a creche when he was 12 months old so a little part of me was glad to leave the job.
I'm single so signing on was necessary. It was a bit of a letdown after getting paid fairly good money from the hospital but then I felt like there were so many benefits like spending time with the kids and cleaning my house up and having time to get decorating done etc. The money wasn't a huge issue becoming a housewife because I didn't have to pay rent and tax etc too.
Having a newborn child, I didn't have time to get bored. My days were filled with the Tellitubbies and dirty nappies, sterilising bottles and entertaining the little one as well as trying to keep ontop of the housework. I've heard so many people say they have to work because they got bored but having a baby is enough work! I loved it though because I didn't miss a thing. My biggest nightmare was going to the creche to pick up my son and them telling me he'd spoke or walked. I think I'd have cried, but staying at home, I saw all of this and watched him develop.
I decided not to return to work until my son was in school as I'd grown attached to being at home with him and being able to fetch my daughter from school.
Now, three years down the line...
My son is three and is in afternoon nursery. Talk about gutted! So many moms I talked to were glad to get the free time when their kids went to school but I missed my little boy so badly becuase my house was silent without him being there. On the first day, I cam home and didn't know what to do with myself. I twiddled my thumbs for the two and half hours and dived in the car to fetch him. It got easier though.
Being at home now, I find I have a lot of time to run errands like going to the post office and writing on dooyoo. I also get a chance to get my housework done. My house did get messy when I was working because I was quite tired a lot, especially after I got pregnant. I now have time to get the hoovering and polishing done, quick cuppa with my mom before fetching the kids.
I like that I can always be there for my kids. My little boy had a school play at christmas and I know I couldn't have made it if I'd still been working but because I wasn't, I went. Little things like that mean a lot to me and I'm not ready to miss out on his first school years for a bit of extra money.
I don't get bored really. If I've not got jobs to do, I either come on here or I can get in the shower, something rare when the kids are at home because if daughters not in there, my little boy wants a bath, or the dog!!
Overall, I love being a stay at home mum and homemaker. I feel like I am shaping who my kids are going to be in the future and that's something I want to do with care. I do intend on going back to work as I don't want to doss on the dole forever, that's just not me. (No offence to anyone else here.) I'm hoping to study phlebotomy when my son enters full time school because my daughter will be in college and I'll have a bit more time on my hands. Even then, I wouldn't work full time unless he was about 16 or 17 and happy about it because I want them to remember me as a mum who was always there for them.
Everything I have said is simply my opinion on how I should live with my kids. I don't judge others if they choose to work rather than staying at home because there are pro's and cons for both.
Thankd for reading :)
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Beauty Therapist
by realisticbeauty
I have been working as a Beauty Therapist for 8 years now and I have to say I still really enjoy it. It is a very rewarding Job which allows you to take your training in many directions of work.
**Training**
I went to Bromley College for my training.
NVQ level 2 covered the following:-
*waxing using hot wax, ... warm wax and sugaring
*facials
*tinting
*manicure/pedicure
*Health and safety in the work place
*reception duties
I managed to complete level 2 in a year and a half, this meant going to college 3 days a week and a day in a salon environment.
NVQ level 3 covered the following:-
*Swedish Body massage
*Electrolysis
* Facial and Body electrical
*Body wraps
* Sauna and Steam treatments
I completed level 3 in a year which I found very hard as I was working full time alongside this course so I was still using my skills I had learnt in Level 2 and also to start earning some money!.
In each of the courses you learn the method of the treatment, the before and aftercare advice for each treatment, and also the theory of each treatment. Anatomy and Physiology is a big part in beauty therapy understanding how the body's functions work, the name of each and every muscle and bone, knowing the blood and lymphatic system and the effects treatments can have on the body.
**Work**
It is so hard to come out of College and get a job as every salon will say they want at least 3 years work experience. There are many routes you can take in beauty therapy such as working in a salon or a spa, working as an occasion makeup artist, working on film and music sets, become a mobile therapist, work on the cruise liners or going abroad to work in hotels.
I started of working in a small local salon, I was there for 6 years and progressively worked my way up until I was running the salon (unfortunately not on any extra money!!). I then felt confident enough to open up on my own so I now have my own Beauty Business which is my little baby! I love the fact that working my small salon you get your regular clients come in every 4-6 weeks and you get to see your clients grow up and change. It is very hard not to get too attached to your clients as many of them come in to unload on you, you feel like an agony aunt. I love when you see clients getting married and having children but then there is also the downside of when you have elderly clients and they don't arrive for a treatment and you are later informed they have passed away. I have lost 5 clients and I find this a hard part of my Job.
Hours are unsociable usually evenings and weekends as this is when people are off of work.
**Pay**
Unfortunately the pay is not good in Beauty Therapy unless you work for yourself or you work in a spa and can do the hard sell on products. Most beauty salons offer minimum wage which I think is wrong as it is such a demanding Job, and all the training you have to do should count for something. Depending where you work you usually can top your wages up in tips or in commission on products you sell.
**Stereotypes**
Ok so say the word Beauty therapist and what usually is thought of is Blonde, dumb, painting pink nails, and wears a lot of make up!! This is so disheartening to a beauty therapist to hear after all the hard work that has gone into training. Beauty therapy is an artistic job which requires you to have good stamina, a water off a ducks back attitude and a welcoming manner to make the client feel at ease.
**Keeping up with the times**
There are always new treatments coming out so it is always best to keep up with the times. There are beauty shows for professionals up and down the country every year where you will see new treatments and you can try these treatments out. I try and do a new course every year. Last year I done a Spray Tan course and this Year I have just completed a semi-permanent eyelash course.
**Advantages **
Interesting Job
Meeting new people daily
Make people feel better about them selves
A rewarding Job
Many different directions you can take
**Disadvantages**
Pay is low
You get varicose veins as you are on your feet for 12 hours flat usually
The stereotype that goes with the job
Hours
When you get to close to clients and they pass away.
**Finally**
As you can tell I am very Passionate about my job, and I would recommend Beauty Therapy as a career as long as that person was aware of the hard work, time and commitment that goes with the job. I can honestly say I have never had a day at work where I feel I don't want to be here. Yes you do get the odd hard work client but the other lovely ones make up for that one bad nut!!.
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Usborne Books at Home
by emmakate06
Having spent a lot of time looking for work at home opportunities and realising very quickly that they are few and far between, I decided to take a look at two of the most popular work at home opportunities, Avon and Usborne Books. I weighed up the pros and cons of each of these opportunities and decided that with my love for books and ... the connections I already had with a few local schools that Usborne Books was the one for me.
I firstly spoke to several people on different forums to find out more about it from people who do it, and what the realistic earning potential was. I also wanted to find out about the benefits and incentives the company offered and so again I referred to forums and Usbornes own website to allow me to make an informed decision. I found out that the start up price was very reasonable and having taken some time to think it over I decided to go for it, and im glad I did!
Firstly, there is a low start up fee which varies from month to month as they have special offers. At present it is £20.10 and for this you get a starter pack which contains various items of stationary such as invitations and posters and you also receive numerous books which amount to approximately £100 in value. It is easy to sign up and can be done by speaking to an existing representative if you know one, or by downloading a form online and posting it off to them with your payment for the starter pack. Within a couple of days you receive a welcome email, which provides you with a lot more information on how you can make Usborne Books work for you and gives you lots of ideas as to how you can earn money. Your starter pack is then delivered by courier a couple of days later. I couldn't wait to open mine when I received it as I was keen to get started and I was very pleased and impressed with the quality of the books in my starter pack.
To begin with, I made contact with my team leader and we discussed some ideas as to how to get started and what would be the best earning opportunities for me. I have 2 children aged 2 & 3 and I am also in the process of completing a law degree and so I explained that there may be some weeks where I would do lots of work and then other weeks where I may not do anything. My team leader was more than supportive of this and advised that there is no pressure whatsoever as to when and how often you sell. You simply work as and when you can and to suit you and your family. This made me even more pleased with my choice as I was slightly worried that I would be pressured to reach certain targets on a weekly basis but this was not the case at all. My team leader advised that the only requirement when you join Usborne is that you sell £100 worth of books within the first 12 weeks of you joining, otherwise they bill you the difference for the price you paid for the starter pack and the actual value. This is fair enough I think as otherwise people would sign up all the time just to get the free books without going on to do anything else, so from a business perspective I think that this is a very reasonable ask and easily achievable just from selling to friends and family. After the first £100 you then never need to sell again if you don't want to which again I think is very flexible and reasonable as if you decide its not for you and don't want to continue, your not tied into any contract. I sold £103 of books in my first week just from showing my catalogue to friends so I was very happy to have done so well in just a week of getting my pack.
The earnings are very good and the rates are 24% commission on personal and party plan sales and 20% on school and library sales. There are plenty of ways for you to earn your money and a few ideas are:
Sell to friends and family - Whilst these may not be the highest orders for you, it is a good stepping stone to help you learn more about the books, the order process etc and to build your confidence.
Leaflet drops - Leaflet packs are available at 50 leaflets for £4 and feature a selection of the books Usborne offer along with any special offers. These can then be left with friends, family, colleagues and when you feel ready to, you can approach some local schools and provide them to classes for them to take home to their parents.
Book Sales - Attend Christmas Fairs, Baby Shows etc and get a stall for the day selling your books. Stands are available to purchase to help make your stall look very professional, but there not essential by any means as the books draw attention by themselves. It is definitely worth starting out with something small, to check that it is worth your while doing these type of events as sometimes the cost of the stand can be more than any profit you are likely to make especially at bigger events.
Ready, Steady, Reads - These are sponsored reading events which can be organised within a school or nursery. You basically provide the school with sponsor forms and promotional material and then children read as many books as they can over a period set by the school. The benefit of this is that if the school raise £500 they can get 60% of that in FREE books. These events are great as the school benefits from the free books and the amounts usually raised at these kind of events also means a nice commission for the representative too and a great way of increasing your income.
Ready Steady Listen's - These are very similar to the above but aimed more at pre-school aged children. These sponsored events work in the same way except children are sponsored to listen to stories as opposed to reading them, which also helps to get parents involved too.
Community Book Pledges - This is where, with a schools permission, you write to local companies to ask them to purchase some books to donate to the school. These help to establish community links and also helps to promote local businesses who can have their donation mentioned to the local press. The school benefits by receiving free books and they can also be a very good earning potential for representatives.
As well, as your usual commission, there are also many representative benefits. Usborne run regular incentives to win trips abroad and other experiences such as spa days. The current holiday incentive is a Trip to the Northern Lights and previous trips have been far and wide including Hong Kong.
So how hard is it to sell? I often read reviews where people say that the books sell themselves. Whilst this is true to some extent, you still have to get the books out there for people to see, which is where the hard work comes in. It can be nerve wracking approaching your first school or business, but once you have got over the first hurdle your confidence builds. Usborne provide you with a vast amount of downloadable materials to use for any events you plan and these can be printed off at home. The majority of time I find, is spent on the phone and answering emails, which is a big benefit to me as my children are yet to start school. The more hard work you put into your business then the more you get out of it.
Earnings will vary from person to person and from month to month, it all depends on how many hours you can put in. My husbands income covers all necessities and bills and so we use my Usborne income for extras such as days out, and holidays and on average I can earn between £200-£500 a month depending on how many hours I put in. I hope to be able to do some more once my children are in school full time. There are also some very big earners though within the company who have built up a big business. In the latest newsletter I read about someone who received a commission cheque for £20,000 for just one month!
In conclusion, I enjoy working for Usborne very much. The hours are flexible and I base them to suit me and my children. If you would like any more information then please feel free to message me and I will help as best I can.
Thanks for reading.
I am also on ciao.
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