When it rains it pours

Last year I was hired as a substitute teacher for a local school district.  Technically I was hired at the end of the previous school year, but didn't get any calls.

In fact my phone really didn't ring at all.  For months.  However things picked up and I started subbing a bit more last spring.

Why did I become a sub?

My primary business is a feast or famine business.  I'm either really busy or I'm listening to crickets.  My secondary business is also very, very small.  Since it is primarily short-term & occasional projects, it is not a steady source of income.  I also left my steady, but low-paying, part-time job last winter.  Subbing was a way to bring in some income without limiting my availability for booking classes.

I was really surprised to start getting calls on the second day of school this year.  I figured it would be several weeks before teachers were out sick or needing to take a day off.  Wow, was I surprised!  But September was pretty booked with classes so guiltily I had to decline the offers to sub that month.

This week I am attending & working at a 3-day business conference that I have had the opportunity to work at for the past 3 years.  While several of thing that will be discussed do not match my business model I always learn new things and it gets me really thinking about my business.  Which is good with the changes that will be happening in just over a week.

So of course, I had not one, but two calls to sub.  Today.  Day 1 of the conference. (sigh)  Like my feast or famine business; either no one calls me for weeks or everyone calls on the day I have something scheduled.

Fortunately I already have a sub shift lined up for later this week.

I'm excited to be learning and focusing on my business for the next three days. This is my annual opportunity to review where I am at, what direction I want to move in, and begin to make strategies to do it.

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