CPRMom

So I stirred up quite a conversation on my Facebook wall yesterday when I posted: Got this line in an email today: "it's just that we don't prepay anything we always wait to receive the services and then we pay just like anything else in life for the most part." Think I can use that to pay for college? A few of my friends replied with: Please tell me this person was no older than 16. People just don't understand that the person performing the services has to make the commitment ahead of time to be there so the people attending have to make the investment ahead of time. It is an investment, often with those you do not see the return immediately I attend many seminars and trainings as a nurse and as an educator myself and it's always prepaid. Sorry Gail. I think you should require prepayment in the event no one shows you still ought to be paid in full. Good luck! Have to say..I've always had to prepay (Both for business and personal commitments)...

Lately, I've been receiving some new newsletters in my inbox, from businesses that I have really no idea who they are.  It took me a few weeks to figure it out why I was receiving them. I had attended a networking meeting. Co-incidentally I had also been receiving some FB friend requests from people I did not know.  Turns out they were from the same networking group. So here's the thing;  If I don't know you personally I'm not going to accept your friend request.  Nothing personal, it's just that I try to keep my business and my personal life separate online.  If you want to know more about my business then please like and follow one of my FB business pages or check out one of my blogs.  It's also a good idea to actually meet in person and introduce yourself, again in person, rather than blindly sending out FB friend requests. Also, just because you are in the same room with someone, and have access to their business card, does not mean you can add ...

After a summer/fall hiatus CPR by Donation is back! Things got really busy this summer with my kids.  We planned our first serious family vacation around a college touring schedule for my eldest daughter.  I also volunteered and worked at 2 different summer camps.  This was my first paid camp position and I had a super fun time! The school year started off with a bang and a lot of on-site class bookings.  With so many classes it just was impossible to add more to my calendar! But as the dust of a busy Fall settles, I'm thrilled to be able bring CPR by Donation back later this month!  The program will still run roughly every other month beginning in 2016. For information on the program and to register for the next course on November 21st please visit my CPR by Donation webpage.

Saturday evening when I was leaving my class I found a thumbtack on the stairs.  I thought it odd since I don't have anything on the walls in the stairwell. Today I discovered where the thumbtack came from. I have a bulletin board in the hallway in our studio.  I post stickers, business cards and postcards from different business I have taught at.  There are also some lovely notes posted there that folks have sent me. I went to add a card to the board and discovered that a sticker I had tacked to the board was gone. Who would steal a sticker from a bulletin board in someone's office? It had to have disappeared on Saturday as there was no tack on the stairs when I arrived that morning to teach and I had tucked a business card behind the sticker that morning.  I found the business card on the floor. So to whomever from one of my Saturday Heartsaver courses that took my Portsmouth Kayak Adventures sticker, I hope you're enjoying it.  I will pick up anot...

So seriously, we have so many numbers running through our heads on a daily basis.... how can we keep track of all of them? I had someone come up to me the other day and ask my hourly rate for proofreading.  (sigh)  I supposed I looked rather unorganized or clueless, but off the top of my head I just don't remember.  It's not a number I have memorized or that I'm asked on a regular basis. In case you're wondering, I looked it up.  And now that I've got a number in my head the chances of anyone asking me today have decreased exponentially. Shameless plug:  If you are in need of a proofreader, editor or content/ghost writer please visit my alter ego at http://www.somethisandthat.com

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! ...

I think every business owner gets lots of unsolicited emails from companies trying to sell products and services to them.  I usually ignore them.  They usually send 2 emails.  The second outlining why I need them.  The second usually more informal, like a friend catching up, using comments like... "I haven't heard back from you".  Yup, right... you didn't hear back from me because I deleted your email. So today I get a third email from this company, it was kinda entertaining.  Identifying information on the company removed.  I might find this amusing, but they might not like being the subject of a blog post. Gail, I have been trying to connect with you over the past two weeks, to learn about your programs and who the best person to speak with on this subject. Being that I haven't heard from you, this leads me to a few possible circumstances: 1) You’re all set with suppliers at Coastal CPR and First Aid LLC, and if that is the case...