Join in if you are self-employed and work from home

Wordsmith

Finished at 11.30 last night. Got the first read of the book done. I would normally do a second read, but it needs to be sent back urgently, so I will photocopy it and try to do a second read over the weekend. Not a bad book. A ghost story, so it was a bit creepy leaving the shop last night (and reminded me that we have our own ghost, who hasn't been very active lately).

Nohope Is the work you do something you could teach others to do? Perhaps you could offer your services as training in this? Or write a distance learning course in it? Your vague ramblings in your head are something to build on, even if you don't have the energy or motivation at the moment.

My to-do list today:
[STRIKE]Do the end of book things ready to send proofs back[/STRIKE]Photocopy proofs in the hope that I can find some time over the weekend to read it again- decided this was a no-hoper so didn't bother copying[STRIKE]
Check emails
Check client's emails
Do client's admin
Survey sites
Shop accounts
[/STRIKE] Worked on them afternoon and evening, but still more to do![STRIKE]
Hand out pensions - agree with pensioners that say the weather is "Bad today, isn't it?" and those that say "Isn't it
a great day?" and those that say "What is this country coming to?"
Shop wages
Phone solicitor for client
[/STRIKE]
Looks like it might be another late night!

Have a productive day, everyone.

Amatheya81

Yay! I'm feeling a lot better so I might actually get some work done this weekend... along with cleaning... being ill makes for a very untidy appartment!!!

I got a email from my local artist gallery this week asking me if I wanted to take a space that had become available. I had to turn them down as I don't really have enough work to justify the gallery rent at the moment (Most gallery's charge about 50% of the sale price but this gallery chargest £25 per month rent instead.) I've asked them to put me back on the waiting list in 6 months time when hopefully I'll have enough framed peices to make it worth my while.

Wordsmith - I don't know how you can read a ghost story and then walk home alone! I can't even walk down my own hall without freaking out if I've read a spookybook.

This weekends taskes are pretty much the same as last weekends...
Start at least 1 painting (I'm playing catch up!)
Set up a etsy store for cards
update my website
update my accounts

donotpassgo_2

I hope you dont mind me joining in...I feel a bit of a fraud as I am not self employed nor do I work from home. However before I am evicted, I do work for my husband and he is self employed so I guess I am kinda self employed? I just wanted to say I totally empathise with the loneliness, the stress of work/nowork, cashflow, procrastination and all the other stuff. I do have company from our wonderful bookkeeper who is an inspiration .........my biggest stress is money.

Horace

NoHope - maybe it is time for a change? You have become so stagnated in your current role and have lost confidence that you maybe need to change direction and do something else? I know that one of my friends had a very successful career in sales and then he became ill so changed direction into doing something else which was fine and then he became ill and now he is doing something else and is doing really well - he trains people to be confident and helps businesses. I thought I wanted to be a wedding planner blindly thinking that it was just another event so I retrained and got a qualification but after fiddling about for 18 months or so..I have realised that I don't particularly like weddings, I don't go all swoony when I see a wedding dress nor do I swoon over the latest wedding favour, I have now changed my business so that I am doing what I wanted to do all along which was organise corporate events. Business is slow but I have every confidence that it will improve although there are days when I wonder what the heck I am doing.

I haven't done half the things I promised that I would do today but I did send my letter and yet more supporting documents to the council, I have done a load of washing half of which is hanging on the line and the other half hanging on the airer. I have been distracted by fora today too. I also realised that I need to contact my insurers to let them know the change of business name and to check on my public liability insurance. I have read and typed a fair few emails today though and recently got off the phone to a magazine called Management Today who are now going to send me free copies:j

I also had a chat with a chap I met networking whom I feel mislead me a bit by saying that he had clients for me when in reality he wanted to sign me up to bartercard but I have been asking about this system on another forum and don't like what I hear so I am sticking with my gut instinct which is telling me to avoid it at all costs.

Had some news today too - my loo is going to be fixed on Monday - I must have the cleanest bathroom floor in Birmingham because it is mopped everytime I need to use the loo:o

My rail tickets have arrived for March and I have been advised to be at the station 20 minutes early so that I can have assistance to get to the platfrom at New Street - some platforms have lifts, but mainly they have steep stairs or those horrid escalators which I end up falling down because I always miss the step.

I need to go to the bank to get some money out because I shall need some for next week £10 for breakfast and £25 for a profile photograph and then I need to top up the business account because I will have more money coming out and will need to write a cheque for my other breakfast meeting on Friday. I must try and not spend money in the meantime so I shall be living out of the freezer and making do.

louise_1981

Go into or at least phone 5 estate agents
Mystery Shop Pet sitters DONE
Format leaflet for printing. DONE
Phone Job Centre about becoming self employed EK! DONE

Eventually!!

Still want to tweak the leaflets before they go to print for one final check, does anyone recomment geting the printers to check it over for compatibility (its and extra£15) on top of £64 for 5000 a5 leaflets???

Anyway off to the beach to photograph doggies tomorrow Plus farmers market, where I will be keeping away from everything as its all soo over priced

Wordsmith

Morning all. It was a late night. Then didn't sleep well because there was "something" in the house. I think it was a mouse, but having just proofread a spooky ghost story, I couldn't be sure.:eek:

I should be in the shop today, but someone else is doing that so I can get the accounts up to date (hah!) ready for accountant on Monday. It all was going OK, but I can't get the bank to reconcile. Should be simple, but I just cannot see where the problem is. So, no list today, just get on and finish them darned books.

I am sure as you're all self-employed there will be lots of others working today.

Amatheya, hope you get some painting done. What a shame you couldn't take the gallery space, but it sounds an extraordinarily good deal for when you're ready.

Louise, I'm not sure what you mean by compatability. But I'd say that if it's the difference between you sending out 5000 leaflets with errors/wrong colours/print missing off the end, or whatever, or sending out perfect ones it is probably worth it. It will be the first most people will have seen of you, so you want it as good as you can get it.

You could scan it and post it here, or pm some of us to have a look for you. I'd be willing, anyone else?

Wordsmith

donotpassgo wrote: »

I hope you dont mind me joining in...I feel a bit of a fraud as I am not self employed nor do I work from home. However before I am evicted, I do work for my husband and he is self employed so I guess I am kinda self employed?.

Do stay with us! Not a fraud at all, and definitely "kinda self employed".:D

donotpassgo wrote: »

I just wanted to say I totally empathise with the loneliness, the stress of work/nowork, cashflow, procrastination and all the other stuff. I do have company from our wonderful bookkeeper who is an inspiration .........my biggest stress is money.

That's why we're all here (well, speaking for myself ...).

hellnearth

Well, good morning I'm back to introduce myself and all my misdemeanours!! Having skipped and hopped through this lovely thread, I seem to have a lot in common with many good folks on here.
I too was a teacher - of English as a Foreign Language - and worked abroad for over 20 years before getting homesick for Scotland, visiting my brother in the Hebrides for a holiday and deciding that this is where I want to settle. I should be minted after all those years of tax free salary, but I am a serial fritterer and came back from abroad with a son ( who's 15 now ), a mad Beagle and lots of brilliant friends and memories scattered around the world.
It took about a year only for life in Britian to eat up my gratuity!!! I do have my car and the house ( mortgaged and which I'm managing to hang on to by the skin of my teeth ) as the fruits of my labours.
I was well aware that jobs are few and far between in this neck of the woods but figured I could turn my hand to something other than teaching.
I'm an avid knitter and crocheter and since coming here I've learned to spin. Well, no shortage of sheep and generous crofters who donate me fleece So my first year was dedicated to setting up my small business.
I was very surprised to discover there was no wool shop here - would have thought there were lots of ladies knitting in the long dark winter nights, so decided to set up a small business selling wools and accessories. It's ticking over, but don't think I'll ever completely make a living from it as there just isn't the population to have a big enough customer base.
But it's been a great way to get to know people and the islands. I have quite a few regular customers now, sell wool through the local PO and at local markets and craft fairs, as well as online. I would love to have a shop, but there's a shortage of premises and it would have to have other strings to its bow - maybe a wool shop come cafe? I've also toyed with the idea of a mobile shop - we have mobile bank, library and cinema. I need somebody to kick me up the backside though to put some of these mad plans into action.
So, to try to keep the wolf from the door I:
* have a meter reading job. I'm on a 10 hour retainer so I'm paid when I'm working or not, and am busy every 3 months when the quarterly readings come out. Regular income, but the single track and dirt roads are knackering my poor car
*had a part time office cleaning job which I had to give up to do the training for Arise ( you may have seen another thread on that work from home opportunity ) Have recently given up Arise for a variety of reasons
*have just got myself another part time job as of yesterday working as a Domestic Assistant ( aka house cleaner ). It's with a local charitable organisation so will be manly with old folks. This aspect of the company has only just been set up, so I only have one potential client at the moment but it's a start
*have applied for three other, full-time jobs which came up in the new year. Not that hopeful as I'm 51, not totally qualified for them and it's often the case that they already have someone lined up for it. But you've got to try, huh?
So that's the basics. I love living here but it's a struggle. I sometimes wonder why I left the sunshine and the tax free life!! But, I wanted my son to complete his education here and he too is happy and settled and I wouldn't move him abroad again at such a crucial time.
Right, you've probably all fallen asleep now. It's great to meet you all - brilliant thread, Wordsmith - and I look forward to following all your journeys

Horace

Hi to Hellnearth..and everyone else.

It has been a rather awkward day today and tough decisions were made. Some of you may be aware that I have been a member of a networking group for quite a while now and became group leader - this was all well and good and this year because I gave up my time last, got free membership for 12 months. Admittedly I enjoyed it but more recently I have noticed that the owner of this forum and networking business has become more of a meglomaniac to the point that if someone dared to question him they got binned and then the vicious tweeting witch hunt would start all pointing back to a thread he himself had started about the person who had crossed him. Yesterday was the last straw as I felt he had overstepped the mark to the point of threatening someone from a different company who just happened to have a forum. So today, I took the decision to quit as I did not want to be party to any bullying, I told my Area Leader who wasn't too pleased but understood my reasons when I explained them so Tuesday will be my last meeting and it may be the last meeting of the group too because the numbers aren't there and there is no Ops nor group leader. I have spent pretty much the whole day today on the phone and the email and haven't done anything that I had planned to do today (other than some washing which is now hanging on the airer).

I am glad I made the decision because I have been asked by some (and I have been toying with the idea for some time) of setting up my own business breakfast club with no membership fee and have it all very relaxed. I will be able to earn a bit of money from it too.

This weekend I need to:
Sort out the nomination forms and do the membership pack for the Tuesday night business club
Tidy up
Draw up plans for new networking club

Monday: go to gps in the afternoon
Ring my insurers
Confirm all members attending the breakfast meeting on Tuesday and confirm numbers with the venue.
Make an appointment with the venue for my own purposes.
Tidy up
No doubt clean the bathroom after the bodgits have been.

Hellnearth - do you sell your knitwear online or is just wool?
NoHope - remember that you are amazing and that you are successful. Set something up along those lines as your screen saver and tell yourself that every time you look in the mirror. I have a new screensaver message (the old one was words from a poem that twerp wrote for me) - my new message says "you are an amazing and successful woman" (yes, although I am called Horace on here, I am all female:D) and this mantra seems to work.

ani_26

Hi Guys,

Yep, I've been working today. A job just arrived, so i thought i get it out of the way, so to speak, freeing up time for anything else that comes in.

Hellnearth, have you thought about a market stall? I know the rent on these have increased in recent years, and priced many stallholders off the market, so to speak, but it might be worth considering?


Horace you made me laugh, lol I've been an amazingly successful failure, in recent times! But i feel slightly better today, as some pay went into my account, yesterday. I'm just about solvent again, for now. Been food shopping, ( something i rarely do ), after work, tonight, and i've had my first real meal, in goodness knows how long, its that long, ( fish and chips, £2 from A*da). I feel really guilty, as £2 is such alot of money for a meal for me. I bought some duck, reduced to £1, for tomorrow as well. I only intended to spend £10, and ended up spending £30. On the other hand, i'm nearly out of ' staples ' i'll be living off, very shortly, i'm sure, all on offer today, beans, tomatoes. etc, when i get to the stage again, where i only have the money for a loaf of bread. Still, i got lots of fresh fruit, too, bags of oranges, apples, bananss for £1, and a real extravagance, a melon for £1.97. Horrendously expensive. Never mind. The rest of the money will have to stay in my account, untouched to cover my dd's at the end of the month, and transport costs, to work. You have to put on a pretence that your a normal person, and you have the money to get to work, in the first place!


A change of career is daunting at any age, let alone when you are mature. I considered a whole new life, when i got divorced, but at the time, decided it was a big enough challenge strarting life on my own, more or less, for the first time ever, without the financial challenge of not having a job. So i've stayed with the job i've been doing for such a long time, because moving areas too, would mean starting again. Except when i was offered the Dream Job, on a plate, literally. I was approached out of the blue, and immediately accepted. But i always know i've got this to fall back on.

So, new challenges :-

Music teaching - not on option, i hate it

Busking - believe me, i've thought about that at times, but i don't have the confidence

Event co ordinator - yep, i've done that for an adventure club, and loved it

Travel - mountains of experience, but no formal qualifications

Ski guide - yep, contemplated that before, but does'nt pay enough to keep a home ' base '.

Same for ski instructor - i was offered an instructors course, but i've beem off the ski circuit so many years now, and my knees are shot, from too many sports injuries, and it does'nt pay well enough.

Wildlife and conservation - hmm, thats something i'd really life to get involved with, but again no formal qualifications. Could volunteer, which generally involves a substantial amount of investment of your own money.

Volunteering for a charity - ditto

Becoming a mature student - I've always fancied studying psychology or sociology, but again, i don't have the right foundation qualifications. Plus, i could'nt afford to keep a roof over my head.

Yachting - hmm, its possible to work your passage on yachts. This idea really appeals to me and my sense of adventure, but maybe i'm too old for it to be a serious consideration.

I think i've exhausted the ideas for now. It seems likely, i'll mull over these ideas and do nothing about any of them. Well, not for this year, at any rate. I think maybe i should stick with what i'm doing, until i get myself straight, financially, to the point where i'm up to date with all my outgoings, and theres a constant balance in my bank account, and i don't have to scrat around to buy a loaf of bread or a pint of milk.