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Post by flossyinoz on Jun 5, 2007 16:15:40 GMT 10
I am currently working full time as an Executive Assistant for a pharmaceutical company and I would be the stay at home parent if we get lucky with a little one via pc or adoption as I am entitled to 12 months unpaid adoption leave. I could then probably work part time after the stay at home time, but you cannot do EA work part time, so it would be some sort of admin position and most of them are quite boring and there are not may of these jobs here anyway. So I am thinking of a career change, something I could do around kids. My background is one of business/banking and HR backgound, but as most immigrants I had the problem that foreign qualifications are suspiciously looked at and I did not find a job in my original field. I have a master of business. But I am not really that keen to reenter banking or HR as such anyway. Recently I develloped quite an interest in naturopathy through all my fertility problems etc. I have been doing quite a bit of reading and have been discussing with the two naturopaths I know. The problem is diplomas take 2-4 years full time, not to mention part time and with 44 I am not sure if this is the way to go especially since we would need some money coming in once I am allowed to be working part time again. There is the possibility of a naturopathy assistant long distance course which would probably only take a year part time and can hopefully be extended to lead into a diploma with further study. (have asked the question and wait for feedback from the school) Not sure if the whole thing makes sense as it will take time and money. Should I look for something else, my SIL suggested selling something on ebay - if I knew what, would need some kind of niche. Any advice is very much appreciated. Flossyinoz
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Post by flossyinoz on Jun 18, 2007 14:44:17 GMT 10
I think I probably won't do the naturopathy course as it only leeds me to a Certificate IV in 1.5 years part time, would earn less than now and would still be working for someone and most naturopaths don't have assistants. A diploma with which I could be my own boss takes 3 times as long, by which time I would be 50 - so I think I have to find something else.
Job sharing is not an option as a PA, you have to be there around the clock. It would possibly be an option in an admin job. I don't say I would not consider admin jobs part time, only at my present compan there are not many as we employ mainly scientists being a pharmaceutical company.
I will just have to keep looking until I find something which is right for me, this is why I start early, don't expect to be linked with a child until some time next year (we hope we get linked at all, there are no guarantees - got to be lucky some time during the whole becoming a family process )
Flossyinoz
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bblessed
Newbie
Mum to 4 and Hoping for more!
Posts: 24
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Post by bblessed on Jul 11, 2007 18:47:04 GMT 10
Hi Flossy, What other careers are you interested in? I mean, what other things in life interest you? What are your hobbies? what are you passionate about?
Could you continue the same work, but set yourself up in a consultancy-type way? Or create your own business - maybe an employment agency that matches PA's and employers who need them?
I hope you find some possibilities!
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Post by flossyinoz on Aug 6, 2007 16:15:49 GMT 10
Hi all, Just thought I update this topic. I have found a business idea and am currently busy designing, preparing and visiting low cost government sponsored small business courses as I am planning to start a "dye sublimation" business. Okay this is not going to say anybody much, so in layman's term, I am planning to imprint T-Shirts, mugs, mousemats, aprons, bibs, etc you name it with photos or pictures and my clients can give me their photos and I personalise their gifts. My company is called subli Made 4 U. Start up costs will be several thousand dollars as you need a heating press, special printing equipment, laptop, software etc. I hope I will have everything together by end of October so that I can start with the Christmas sales. I am currently busy designing, but am a bit afraid of when it comes to marketing as I will be totally out of my comfort zone. We will see how it works out, wish me luck!!! I will need it! May be a total flop - we will see. It keeps me busy and gets me over the long wait for our hopefully child to be and if we get lucky it will hopefully get us over the financial shortcomings of not being allowed to work away from home. By that time this business needs to basically run itself as I won't be able to invest much time in it with a new daughter or son (once again hopefully!!! ) What is everybody else doing to keep their mind of waiting and waiting and waiting.....? Flossyinoz
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Post by flossyinoz on Dec 5, 2007 10:51:16 GMT 10
I though I update everyone on my new business venture. The last couple of months have been busy with buying equipment, doing a catalogue and marketing. So far I have done a couple of orders especially as around Christmas everybody is looking for gifts. So okay maybe I should explain again what I am doing, I produce personalised gifts meaning people send me a photo or wording and I put it on mugs, mousemats, stubby holders, T-shirts etc. Big W or Rabbit Photo and others offer something similar but all they do is wack a photo on something. No creative touch, no background, no wording, no nothing. So my services are a lot more personalised and a bit cheaper than they are. In the next yhear I will go to a couple of craft markets and see how I go there, even got a generator, so hope that after the spending phase the earning phase starts. Am currently looking to start a webpage but at the moment I have no clue how to start, don't know the basics of it and googling has brought me lots of for me unusable info. If anyone knows how to cheaply and easily do a webpage I would be very grateful. I have no clue of HTML etc and the jargon used in webhosting. Cheers Flossyinoz
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Post by Kim on Dec 5, 2007 14:38:53 GMT 10
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Post by flossyinoz on Dec 7, 2007 15:44:38 GMT 10
Hi Kim, Thanks for the offer. I found a freeware package called kompozer and will have a go with it on the weekend. It is something like Dreamweaver for free and you can then host the websites anywhere as I don't want to rely on a single host and be able to switch. No clue if I will understand any of it but I will let you now. If I don't get anywhere I am happy to take lessons from you Looked at your pet rats, they are cute, look a bit like my two guinea pigs, but I guess rats a re a lot more intelligent and not as messy as my two girls. So another week at work done, will clock off , was a busy week. Take care and i will let you know about my website efforts next week. Cheers Flossyinoz
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Post by flossyinoz on Dec 12, 2007 13:07:13 GMT 10
Hi Kim, Tried my luck with Kompozer. Well what I can do in regards to websites is basically copy my word catalogue into a html document and add a couple of anchors and links.
Apart from that things as flash as a little shopping cart, some nice features beyond tables or a nice drop down menue are beyond my expertise.
But as I said I am not really sure if geocities would really be suitable for a small commercial website. Do they have a sitebuilder? And they probably are only online, that means if you want your site downloaded to go to another host you cannot do that. Don't know if I am right here, have no experience with geocities.
I am considering having one built but I don't really want to spend more money, but at the moment I am also so short for time, it is incredibly busy at work- I hardly have 5 minutes to eat lunch.
got to go now, more work.
Cheers
Flossyinoz
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Post by Kim on Dec 12, 2007 17:13:02 GMT 10
Hi Flossy, I do actually built web sites for people and I charge less than most people because I'm not professionally trained as a web site builder But I can make very professional sites. I've never had to change hosts so dont know about that in regards to geocities. I know that I just like them better than most others I've tried. If you do decide to get someone professional to build your site for you, you will be looking at a minimum upfront cost of $500 for a basic web site followed by a monthly payment of $50- The good thing about getting someone else to do your web site is that it free's you up to do other things and you dont have to stress about getting it done and then maintaining it.
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Post by flossyinoz on Dec 13, 2007 15:30:12 GMT 10
Kim,
I had a look at geocities and my problem is I have too much data for the free site and if I wanted my own domain I would have to go for their 8.95$pm package, if I wanted a shopping cart I am even in the 30$ pm range which is too expensive compared to other hosts.
Moreover, as I said, but I am not totally sure about that from their blurb it does not look as if you can download the pages and go somewhere else if you for whatever reason are no longer happy with them. So you would have to start from scratch. They seem to have an easy website builder with which even I could build a website, but I think the disadvantages outweigh the advantages in my case. For a personal site I am sure they are great, just not for a business.
So I think I have to look for another solution. I hope I have some time over the Christmas Break. I am not willing to pay 500$ upfront and 50$ thereafter pm, so if I am hiring someone it will be someone similar to you but with experience in a web package which can be uploaded and downloaded on any webhost I choose. But maybe for now I will just go for the no frills solution basically just copying my catalogue to the web, at least then I have consistency in looks and it won't cost me anything if I go for a free host, there are even some without ads.
Cheers
Flossyinoz
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Post by Kim on Dec 13, 2007 18:37:22 GMT 10
Hi Flossy, As far as I know with just about every site builder you use, you are not able to download the pages and go somewhere else if you for whatever reason are no longer happy with the one you are with. So you would have to start from scratch no matter what site builder you changed from. Yes geocities is pretty easy to use, which is why I like it and suggest it to people who want to make their own sites. I know what you mean about the costs though for a professional to do a web site, when I was looking around to compare my prices to the professional builders. I couldn't believe that for the basic package they were asking $500 up front and that was from the cheapest ones I found. I did actually find ones asking $2,995- upfront. Which I find hard to understand how they could ask that much, no matter how good they were. Anyway good luck with it and let me know how you go I'll definitely come and check out your store. As I would like to get a few coffee mugs made up. ~Kim~
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Post by flossyinoz on Dec 14, 2007 10:36:43 GMT 10
Hi Kim, You won't believe this. I went out with a friend and some girlfriends of hers last night, we had a girly night out on Lygon Street. And one of my friends friends is a professional web designer and she was really interested in my business as she is doing murals and T-shirts as a hobby as well. She advised to use Microsoft Frontpage which I have on my computer at home and she could help me set up a web framework and I can do the rest myself. I am sure in return I can help her out printing her designs on things as she does not have a heat press nor a sublimation printer. It is amazing who you meet when you don't expect it. But anyway thanks for your help, I appreciate it and I will send you my catalogue file by email that you know what I am doing. It is funny you say you would like mugs - I would have thought that most people want T-Shirts or stubby holders, but so far mugs have been the biggest hit. Other topic, any written news from the agency yet, so that you can get active! Cheers Have a good weekend from a very tired Flossyinoz (not enough beauty sleep, got to bed a t 12:15 and had to get up at 5:30 and have another chrsitmas party tonight - glad when Christmas is there!)
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Post by Kim on Dec 14, 2007 12:50:08 GMT 10
Hey Flossy thats fantastic ;D I really am looking forward to seeing your site. Thanks for the email I will go and check it out. It is funny that mugs are the more populr item, although it doesnt surprise me. I personally prefer mugs as presents for friends and family or for myself because when you have people coming over for coffee, you always seem to find you run out of mugs. Plus mugs can be given to everyone and they can be used for more than just tea or coffee, when I worked in an office people there used to keep pens and things in mugs on their desks, I'm sure it still happens now, so most people can find a use for a mug. Where as t-shirts can only be worn in the right situation or if you are a very out going person... ;D Having said that, I would probably buy some rat club shirts if I could get them made. So there are times when I would order t-shirts as well as other products.
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Post by flossyinoz on Jan 29, 2008 13:24:30 GMT 10
Well I am really proud of myself!!! ;D Remember I said that a friend of a friend wanted to help me with the website as she is a professional designer. Well unfortunately she has been sick for quite some time now and I needed a website by next weekend as I have an event where I want to give out flyers with my website on it. So I had to bite the bullet and do one myself. Unfortunately free hosting did not work for me as I have quite a lot of gigabytes with lots of pictures and also as it is a business and some sites do not allow you to mention the word paypal or credit card on the site. I signed up with a realitvely cheap but well reviewed provider which included a website builder and voila after quite some work - here it is!!! www.sublimade4u.comCheck it out, I do personalised photo gifts, eg pictures on T-shirts, mugs etc. Now I only need to find a way to get my website into professional search engines, that result is still not too good, but maybe that is where the designer lady once she has recovered can come in and of course fine tune the site as it is of course done by a layman - me - nevertheless this called for a bottle of bubbly on the weekend. ;D Cheers Flossyinoz
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