Category Archives: Work

May1

Special Delivery

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Special Delivery

Hello! For those of you who don’t know, I am an independent provider and work with people with special needs. The services provided through the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities are considered essential and I have still been going to work Monday through Friday. Going to work has now consisted of just staying at each client’s home instead of getting them out and about in the community. And, no matter where I am, I’m still just as bored as if I was in my apartment. Lol, we all are!

I am sure many providers have said the same thing. I mean, there’s only so many movies you can watch, games you can play, and crafts you can complete until there is literally nothing left. So, my county’s board of Developmental Disabilities held a donation drive to help provide us with some new activities for our clients.

Last week, a reusable bag full of goodies was left on my parent’s porch. When I opened in up, I was so surprised to see all of the following:

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Something new is always exciting and I’m looking forward to sharing all of these treats with my clients. There seems to be something for everyone I work with in my care package and I am so thankful for such a generous and thoughtful gift. I definitely feel a new found pep in my step when it comes to going to work. Because, let’s be honest, I think everyone who is still working right now doesn’t really want to! But, I just know I’ll have some great days on the job ahead and that is a wonderful change of pace! 🙂

How are you helping your community during this crazy time? What helps keep you occupied at home? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar12

Creating A Business From Home

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Creating A Business From Home

Being able to create a business from home is something we’d all probably aspire to do if we had the opportunity. However, it’s more possible now than ever to create a business from scratch and run it from your own home. You just need to have the knowledge and drive to be able to do it. Here are some tips if you want to do just that:

Have An Investment Budget:

An investment budget is something any business will need to some degree, even if you’re going to be working from home. When you’re creating a business from scratch, there are certain things that are going to need to be paid for. From the furniture and equipment you’ll need to access the internet and to do your communications to the stock you’ll need to create in order to package and send out products that you might be selling online.

There’s a lot to think about, regardless of what you do as a business, so the best place to start is to create an investment budget. Start with what you need in terms of a ballpark figure and then begin saving to achieve that amount.

Create Your Business Plan:

When creating a business plan, you want to make sure that everything has been thought of because it all matters in making sure you have everything laid out in preparation for your business to begin. Think of any objectives and goals you’d like to achieve over the first quarter of your business and don’t be afraid to set some long-term goals because everyone who starts a business has hopes of it lasting for more than just a few months. It’ll hopefully also give you the motivation you need to push through the hard times that you might endure.

As you create your business plan, think of what is important to its structure to maximize success. This includes outweighing the pros and cons of different options like exploring some disadvantages of structuring your business as an S corp or if you want to incorporate work from home hours to your model. The business plan is your roadmap to a thriving business so create it carefully.

Start Seeking Out Suppliers:

Depending on your business, you might have items that you wish to sell, and so it’s good to look into suppliers that are suitable for what you’re after. Whether it’s tumblers in bulk that you’re after or a wholesale provider who can offer clothing that you might be planning on printing on. There are lots of places out there to take advantage of so think about all of the different options that are available before making a selection.

Prepare To Work Hard:

It’s important to know that it’s going to be a lot of hard work that goes into running your own business. Some days will go great, some days will be bad, and others will be worse. It’s important to take the highs with the lows and to enjoy the experiences and challenges that come with owning a business from home.

When creating a business, it’s not something that’s easy, otherwise, everyone would be doing it. Stay focused, believe in yourself, trust your instincts, and work hard.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Mar7

Taking Some “Me” Time

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Taking Some “Me” Time

Hello! As an owner of two businesses, it almost seems impossible to hunker down during a work day for some “me” time. Especially considering that when I don’t work, I don’t get paid. I can count on five fingers the amount of times I have cancelled with my clients that wasn’t due to my oral surgery mishap or the car accident that happened this past year. So, yeah, I’ve been feeling pretty burnt out!

This past week was a rough one for me. My stomach was nauseous, I was on my period, and I just felt so fatigued. Then, on Wednesday night, I had a lot of my tattoos touched up which wore me out even more. Come Thursday morning, I got up around six and felt so lightheaded and weak that I grabbed my phone, cancelled all of my clients and plans for the day, and went back to bed. I ended up waking up at 10:30! It was beautiful. :*)

By the time I woke up and was feeling much better, I was kicking myself in the ass for not going to work and debated on heading over to my afternoon client’s house. But, after realizing that I probably would have left shortly after arriving there, I decided to just stay home and relax.

During my day off, I was able to clean my apartment, work on hanging pictures for my accent wall, and watch at least five episodes of America’s Next Top Model before my boyfriend came home from work. It was great! In fact, it made me wonder why I don’t have days like that more often and then I remembered it’s because I wouldn’t get paid! Lol, whomp whomp.

I didn’t really realize just how exhausted I was until I had my me day and it taught me a lesson in listening to what my body needs and being more accommodating to that. Calling off of work definitely will not be a regular thing for me, but scheduling a random day off for myself every now and then is going to be on the agenda and I am already thanking myself for it in advance!

How do you take time for you? How do you relax after a long day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan22

Why Career Mistakes Can Be A Good Thing

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Why Career Mistakes Can Be A Good Thing

No one gets to where they want to go in life by taking the express shuttle to the top. If you look at the world’s most successful people, what you’ll typically find is a sort of zig-zag journey, one that took them to highs and lows and false-starts, before eventually ending up where they wanted to be. This is just as it is with the rest of life, which is always filled with ups and downs.

Your reasons for taking a different path in your career could be many-fold; you might be bored with your current work or you might make a serious error that ultimately ends up with your termination. When we find ourselves in this position, it’s easy to fall into a disheartened state of mind. We can begin to identify ourselves with our failures, or the dissatisfaction that we feel in our work.

But there is a way towards more career fulfillment. Instead of falling into a pit of negativity, we can embrace the idea of our career shortcomings, learn from them, and then push forward. These career detours can ultimately lead us towards a better and more fulfilling life. It’s all about owning the mistakes that you make, rather than allowing them to own you. There are lessons to be learned everywhere, and you can always take on a positive state of mind, rather than taking the negative route. To learn more about the idea of career detours, take a look at the infographic below, which was produced by the University of Maryland:


Infographic design by University of Maryland University of Maryland

 

Jan3

Steps To Becoming An Advanced Practice Nurse

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Steps To Becoming An Advanced Practice Nurse

Becoming an advanced practice nurse could be the next step in your career if you work in nursing. It can offer you opportunities to work in specialist areas and take on more responsibility at work, including moving into leadership roles. If you’re thinking of becoming an advanced practice nurse, these are some of the steps that you may need to take:

Consider a Patient Focus Areas and Specialisms:

There are several areas of patient focus you can consider if you want to be an advanced nursing practitioner. There are also more specific specializations for you to choose within different practice areas. You might choose something like midwifery or psychiatric health.

Check Licensure Rules:

You will need to ensure that you have the necessary license to practice to be an advanced nurse practitioner. To be registered nationally in the US, you need to be licensed as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRC). Different states and even medical settings can also require certain licenses.

Gain Valuable Experience:

Getting experience in your field of choice will help you to find the roles that you want and climb through the ranks too. You will need nursing experience if you want to complete a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).

Continue Your Education:

Nurses often start with an associate’s degree or may have a bachelor’s degree. To become an advanced practice nurse, you can consider gaining an MSN or DNP. Both of these qualifications could help you to achieve your goals.


Infographic Design By Bradley University

Dec8

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

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It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Hello everyone! With annoying annoyances and the stresses of being a working adult, I just haven’t felt too much into the holiday spirit as of late. Of course, I’m excited for giving and receiving presents as well as quality family time but I haven’t felt that happy go lucky mood that comes with Christmas approaching. However, that all changed this past week when I enjoyed decorating the Christmas tree at one of my client’s homes. Check out our handy work:

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This particular client of mine is the literal light of my life. He is an older man with Down Syndrome and he is the physical embodiment of joy. It’s honestly hard not to get excited over small things that delight him and his smile and laugh are absolutely contagious. My friend loves the holidays and has been talking about us decorating the Christmas tree together since June, at least.

So, once I arrived at his house, we got to work. As the lights of the tree changed color we decorated with everything from bulbs and stars to tiny nativity scenes and birds. We played the Christmas music that he loves so dearly and took pleasure in the simple joy that comes with hanging a bauble in the perfect spot.

We decorated the tree for an hour or so and then sat back to admire our work and I have never felt more in the holiday spirit then I did right then and there. If that’s not the true meaning of Christmas, then I don’t know what is. ❤

How do you get in the holiday spirit? What is your favorite piece of holiday decor? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct29

Easy Ways To Make Extra Holiday Money

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Easy Ways To Make Extra Holiday Money

Christmas can be a stressful time of the year financially, especially if your budget is already stretched. If decreasing your spending won’t cut it, then starting to look at options for making more money can be the way to get through the holiday season. Many people take on second jobs at this time of year, but could there be an easier way to boost your savings? Get ready to grow your income with these ways to make extra money in the lead up to Christmas:

Invest:

Putting your money into a particular stock that you know will help you reap rewards will make sense. Of course, it’s a case of having patience, discipline, and knowledge. In this day and age, the likes of cryptocurrency is taking over. This is because we’re likely to use digital currency going forward and cash will become close to being obsolete. Learn about crypto, BNB trading, the market cap, and all kinds of related pieces because it could help you make more than just a little extra money on the side.

With the rise of cryptocurrency, you might want to buy bitcoin with INdependent Reserve. As always, it’s important to do your research first as many people know of bitcoin but are not familiar with its ins and outs. If you have a friend or family member that uses bitcoin, it’s a great idea to pick their brain and ask for advice. Should you not have that option, go online and seek tutorials and step by step guides. Find out the Bitcoin price in USD or the currency you use, familiarize yourself with best practices, and make your investments wisely. Once you become savvy, it can become a viable extra source of income.

Use your skills:

Do you work in a job where you could use your skills on a freelance basis? It could be easier than you think. From copywriting to bookkeeping, there are all kinds of jobs you can do part-time or freelance to help you boost your income. It’s worth checking out the types of roles that are available online through websites like Upwork and People Per Hour.

Many people turn side hustles into full-time roles, giving you the perfect excuse to make a switch to a career you’re passionate about and interested in. Remember to only work the hours you can afford to spare, you don’t want your side hustle to have an effect on your day job.

Become a tutor:

Becoming a tutor can be another excellent way to put your skills and knowledge to good use. Whether you can speak another language or you were great with math at school, you could help a student improve their skills and help them succeed. You can find tutoring opportunities listed with local schools or colleges, and a shout-out on Facebook could be another way for you to find your first gig. Becoming a tutor can be very rewarding, helping you remember your enthusiasm and interest in a subject you might not get to use very often.

Offer babysitting services:

Many people need babysitters at this time of year. People get very busy during the holiday season, so if you love kids – why not offer up your services? You could ask friends and family to begin with and to help you build up some experience. From there, you can find babysitting jobs online in your local area. Babysitting can be a lot of fun, and great practice if you’re thinking of starting your own family soon!

Become a dog walker:

If taking care of kids isn’t your thing, perhaps you could take care of animals, instead? Dog walkers are in high demand, and you can make some great additional income as a walker. Not only will you get the chance to interact and play with some fantastic dogs, but it can also help you stay fit too. Getting out and about during the winter is tough when the nights are dark and the weather is cold, but a four-legged friend who’s happy to see you should be more than enough motivation to get outside!

Sell unwanted goods on eBay:

With the holidays around the corner, it’s a good idea to clear out some of the clutter in your home before a new intake of gifts arrives. This helps you to keep your home neat, as well as making sure you haven’t got items sitting there going to waste.

Selling your unwanted items on eBay is easier than you might think, and you can do it all from your phone. Of course, not everything is going to sell so if you find yourself with items you can’t make money from, you always have the option of donating or recycling them.

Take advantage of cashback:

There are a lot of ways you can earn money online, some of which involve nothing more than carrying out your regular activities! Cashback websites are great for helping you get money back on your purchases, with no catch. Most top retailers can be found on cashback websites. Not only that, but many cashback retailers can also help you find discount codes online – helping you save even more money on your purchases.

Spending your free time making some extra money can be an easy way to build up your Christmas fund. Not only that, but it could lead to something more permanent that could help you increase your savings in the New Year!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Oct1

Side Hustles You Could Turn Into A Full-Time Career

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Side Hustles You Could Turn Into A Full-Time Career

A side hustle is a great way to earn some extra money. It’s also a way to pursue your interests, and it can help you build skills that might not be possible with your regular job. Some side hustles can even lead to bigger and better things. If you’ve wanted to make a career switch or you want to pursue your life’s passion, then a side hustle could be the beginning to helping you realize this.

Are you interested in knowing what’s out there? Here are some amazing side hustles you could turn into a full-time career:

Copywriting:

Copywriting is a popular side hustle choice. Businesses and individuals need copyrights for their websites, social media channels, etc. which puts copywriters in demand. If you’ve got great writing skills and are good with a deadline, then becoming a copywriter could be an excellent way for you to make some money. Eventually, you could decide to make the switch to a full-time copywriter, either for a business or on a freelance basis and choose a career path that’s flexible and relevant to your skills.

Online Surveys:

There are so many amazing websites out there where companies will pay you for your opinion in the form of surveys. And, if you are using some of the best survey sites, then that money can really add up quickly. Take an hour or so out of your day to get started and give your thoughts on anything from vacation spots to groceries to earn some pocket change. You can always extend your time if the survey route is working well for you.

Realtor:

Do you love all things HGTV? Then becoming a realtor on the side could be a fantastic way for you to pursue your interest. Of course, you’ll need a real estate license to be able to become a realtor, but it’s a qualification worth having if you’d like to pursue the role full-time. Some people start out their real estate career helping friends and family or working weekends, which can help you to earn some extra income while you get yourself established.

Photographer:

Are you a talented photographer? Why not use your skills to become a photographer as a side hustle? From photographing events and weddings to selling photos to stock websites, you could make a great second income from photography. If your photos are good and you market yourself well, word will soon spread – allowing you to easily turn your photography work into your full-time job. Expand your reach by posting photos regularly or even creating your own website like this Surrey wedding photographer. You never know who will be interested in hiring you if you don’t show off your content!

As your photography business takes off, it is a good idea to plan ahead. For example, you might want to consider photography insurance to keep all of your expensive equipment well protected. This is something that you might not need right now but you will be so happy you have it should anything go wrong. You might also want to start thinking about what it would cost to hire an assistant or rent out a studio if this is really the direction you want to go in.

Selling online:

Interested in starting an online shop? Many people make great side hustles from selling on eBay or Etsy. If you’ve got a talent for making things or an eye for vintage apparel, selling online can be an enjoyable way of increasing your income. If things take off, you could look at starting your own online business and start selling from your own website. With online sales, you will want to cultivate a brand that is unique to you. You can build your brand with custom packaging and ship your products with high-quality welna drzewna (wood wool), set up a booth at vendor fairs, and good old-fashioned word-of-mouth marketing.  What might start out as a hobby could soon be an amazing way to take charge of your career.

Having a side hustle can be a simple way to top up your earnings, while also making the most of your free time. While there are many people who enjoy their side hustle on top of their regular work, there are also plenty of people whose side hustles become a full-time career. Take a look at opportunities to boost your career through life-long learning; you never know where these additional skills could take you!

Featured Image By: Unsplash under Creative Commons

Sep15

Improving Your Health Within The Workplace

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Improving Your Health Within The Workplace

Depending on your job, you may not always have to be working in an office environment. However, a lot of us do work at a desk for most of the working day. Not being on your feet all the time can end up being a little unhealthy and, among other things, sometimes work can be a threat to your health. Here’s how to improve your health within the workplace:

Get HR To Do A Workplace Assessment:

The HR in your business should be doing this already, but if they’re not, it’s worth suggesting it. Everyone should really get a workplace assessment done to find out what areas of the working environment are a challenge for you and maybe causing you ill health. It’s mostly focused on the desk that you have and whether the office chair is supportive enough and how far away your computer screen is in relation to where you’re sitting. After this assessment is completed, any notes where you’ve asked for things to be purchased should then be followed up with the person or persons responsible for doing the ordering of office furniture.

Improve Your Furniture And Desk Accessories:

After your workplace assessment, your furniture and desk accessories may need some improvement. Make sure that you get a chair that has good back support to protect your lumbar spine from damage caused by poor posture. Look for ergonomic chairs from a reputable retailer such as Fenstone and think about what description best suits your needs. Perhaps you need additional lumbar support or adjustable seat depth? There’s a chair for that! Reading reviews can help you to decide if a specific model will work for you too! If they acknowledge the assessment but they’re not getting you the furniture or equipment that you require, then if you end up later getting problems with your body, there’s always a worker’s compensation doctor that you can go to.

Take Regular Breaks From The Chair:

Sitting at your chair for a prolonged amount of time can be damaging to your spine, and that’s the last place that you want to do damage to. Try and take plenty of regular breaks from the chair. Stand up and stretch your legs and other muscles throughout your body. Go and make yourself a drink, take a brief walk outside so that you can take five or ten minutes away from your screen. A lot of us don’t do this nearly enough, and we don’t realize just how dangerous this can be to our bodies over a long period of time.

Do More Physical Exercise:

To reduce the risk of injuring your back, neck, or other body parts, it’s important to do physical exercise. This keeps the body moving, but certain exercise can also improve flexibility, among other things. Try to commit to a class or exercise once or twice a week and improve on that number when you can. The more exercise you can do, the better. This will help tackle the amount of time that is spent in your chair at work.

Improving your health within the workplace is something that is definitely worth looking at seriously, and the more we can do to avoid any future problems, the better.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Sep12

Self Care & Me

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Self Care & Me

Helloooo everyone! Today, I thought that we would talk a little about my self care journey. And, believe me, it’s not an easy thing to do when you run two businesses and are constantly running around like a mad woman! At first, I used to consider “self care” as going shopping and having a spending spree… and, although that’s nice, it doesn’t get to the root of true self care, which I take to mean as doing something mentally or physically stimulating to help improve your mood.

I think the main thing that has helped me become more conscious of trying to incorporate self care into my life is my weekly skating practices. Being on the ice and riding that high of an invigorating work out and doing something that I’m good at always makes me feel my best. And, since I began weekly instead of biweekly practices, it has made me realize that I really don’t do enough for myself. So, I decided to change that.

When I began my career as a service provider for people with special needs, working evenings were just part of the deal. But, now that I’m more established, I thought that it was high time to treat myself to a normal schedule. And, come October, I will only be working one evening a week!

This is a change that I have been craving for a long time now and I’m looking forward to actually having time for myself when I get home from work. Whether that be practicing my languages, reading a book, binge watching a show, or taking a bath – I finally have that option now! And, maybe *just maybe*, I could start having a regular social life. Because, trust and believe, it’s hard fitting in hang outs, errands, and skating all in one weekend. This caused me to enter my work week feeling even more exhausted and it grew into a vicious cycle.

There are so many things that I plan on doing with my evenings off but, what I’m most looking forward to is finding an American Sign Language class to attend. Weirdly enough, there are no weekend classes at the centers for the deaf in my area but evening classes are available. So, that is definitely going to be on my agenda very soon! It feels good to do for me while still maintaining my caseload at work and lifewithlilred and I am ready for work free evenings to commence!

How do you practice self care? What do you do during your free time to relax? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah