Working Moms Wanted

Job Burn Out

2006-02-01T11:30:00.000-05:00

It's a little early for me to be experiencing job burnout, after being at my new job for less than a month. But for those women who think they are here's a very interesting article.

Five Signs of Job Burnout...

Looking for A New Job? Directory of Job Search Sites

2006-01-24T15:05:00.000-05:00

So maybe your work from home job or business did not work out. Maybe you have gone back to work after being home with your baby and realized that this is no longer the right job for you. Maybe you are thinking about relocating to another part of the country and are looking to see if there are other jobs in cities that may work for you and your family. Below are some worthy job search sites beside the standards of monster.com and careerbuilder.com.

Jobsinthemoney.com
Latpro.com
Netshare.com
efinancial.com
HealthDirection.com
MedicalWorkforce.com
EmploymentGuide.com

Jop Search Websites by City

Atlanta
Boston
Miami
Kansas City
New York City
Philadelpia
Washington DC

Easing the Transition when Returning to Work

2006-01-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

If you have read my post "My first Week at My New Job" you'll find that my return to the work world was not an easy transition. This is not to say that I had not tired to prepare for returning to work in advance for myself, my child, and my husband. Unfortunately, as much as I tried to prepare it was still not easy. Listed below are some of things that I tried to do before returning to work.

I prepared myself mentally for the stress and anxiety I was going to have from leaving my son in Day Care for 10 hours a day. It was not the issue of sending my son to Day Care, since I'm fortunate enough to have a new Day Care in our area. They offer a great program and many of our neighbors' children attend. I knew Connor would only benefit from the Day Care. He would have plenty of attention, toys, and other children to play with. What bothered me was the length of time I would be leaving him there for. Also, as much as you try to prepare yourself mentally, knowing that he is going to have separation anxiety, it still hurts every time I leave him and he cries.
I soon as I found out I was returning to work, I started Connor in Day Care. I had him attend the first week for three days, and then the next week he went four days. This also gave me some time to catch up on things that needed to be taken care of around the house.
I also started to find easy and quick recipes that I could make in the evening when we got home.
I tried to get up early in the morning and take the puppy for a walk to get used to the early hours again. I have to admit this was pretty difficult.
I brought pictures of Connor with me to work the very first day. I look at them all the time.
I plan things we will do together in the evening and on weekends.

As I mentioned even though you may try your best for a smooth transition you are going to find challenges along the way. You are going to feel guilty at times as well. I know I do every time I'm stuck in traffic and I question why am I doing this? But I am enjoying being employed again. I enjoy that I have a role besides mother and wife and I can be useful to others again. I feel good that I'm contributing to our income and we won't have the stress of making our money stretch every month. In the end returning to work as a mom means you take the good with the not so good.

For more information about the transition back to work after you have a baby take a look at:

Returning to Work after Maternity Leave: Tip for Working Mothers

How to Adjust After Returning to Work after Maternity Leave

Link Exchanges with Working Moms Wanted

2006-01-19T12:48:00.000-05:00

I often get postive comments from others in regards to my Working Moms Wanted blog. The comments are always welcome when they are not from those who are blog spammers. (You can check out my post on Blog Spammers if you think you may be one of them.) I also get requests from people who want to do link exchanges. I am all for link exchanges but would prefer to do link exchanges with those who have blogs or websites on the following:

Working Moms whether at home or outside the home
Home Based Business Opportunities
Anything related to employment, like looking for a job, resume writing, career advice
Family
Blogging
Ways to make money from home.

I will always review the website or blog before I put your link on my blog to make sure that it is appropriate. I will also check you website or blog to make sure that my Working Moms Wanted link is there as well. If I do not see it, I will have to remove your link.

If you are interested please make sure that you leave me your e-mail address in your comment so I can reach out to you.

Kathy Sheldon

My First Week at My New Job

2006-01-13T16:20:00.000-05:00

Well, I have almost officially finished my first week at my full time job. It's been a very difficult transition. The job itself has not been difficult. Since it has been my first week it has been rather slow. I am now working as a Team Leader at the Mental Health Association in NJ. I supervise Case Managers that go out in the field and work with the Mentally Ill. They are a great group of dedicated people who have been most welcoming to me. (I suppose now I could start a blog on Mental Health. Depression is a high paying keyword) So the job itself has not been the difficult part but everything else that let up to it has been.

First of all Sunday morning I caught a virus that my son had the previous Friday. I was so sick, that we had to call my mother-in-law to come get my son at 6:30AM. I was convinced that I was going to have to call in sick on my first day on the job. I wasn't looking forward to going back to work anyway, so I was kept thinking it was a sign that I should not return.

Luckily, I actually started to feel better and was able to go to work on Monday. Now I have to mention that last week my husband had foot surgery and his foot is very sore, he has stitches, and it's bandaged. He can hardly get around. So Monday morning I get up very early, take the dog for a walk, and get myself ready to go. I don't have to worry about my son since he stayed at my mother-in-law's since I was so sick the day before. I was just about ready to leave for work, but was calling my son's daycare to say he would not be coming in, when I heard my husband screaming from the other room to get off the phone. I ran over and their was my husband fighting off the puppy who had my husband's bandage from his foot in his mouth. They were having a tug a war. I put the puppy in the crate, but then I had to re-bandage my husbands foot before leaving for owrk. It's another sign.

So I did manage to get to work on time, only to find out that I had to be at the main office for an orientation. Of course this was all spelled out in a letter that the agency gave me that I had not brought with me. I was convinced that the letter said that I was to report to the agency. I told everyone that is what the letter said, only to go home and read the letter that I was at the wrong place.

Half way through the day, my husband calls. He has the same virus that my son and I had and he is now sick.

The next day, I have to get up and walk the puppy at 5:00AM before my son wakes up. Unfortunetly my son is also waking up at 5:00 in morning which he did on Tuesday, so the puppy could not be walked. My husband would have a fun day with our little rowdy puppy.
Luckily, my sister called from Syracuse and said she would get the puppy. So the puppy went on vacation. My son cried when he saw the puppy leaving.

Also, Connor cries everyday when I drop him off at Daycare, and he is one of the last to be picked up. He's with the kids who help the staff turn off the lights in the evening. How sad. The house is a mess and laundry is everywhere in baskets, clean and dirty. It takes me 15 minutes to find a clean pair of matching socks for Connor in the morning. We have eaten take out every night to the point we are actually sick of pizza. My husband tries to help but he can only do so much. Sigh.

I look at it this way. This has got to be as hard as it gets. We had a number of circumstances that normally we will not have in a couple weeks. We have survived the first week and it can only get better from here. But best of all...I have a three day weekend.

Blogging Gone Extreme

2006-01-06T21:46:00.000-05:00

I started blogging in April of last year. The first blog I started,
My Adventures in Traveling Wine, was written to help promote my Home Based Business. Working Moms Wanted was my second blog. I have also ventured with other blogs but have not stuck with them for a variety of reasons.

Overall, I am amazed in the short time that I have been blogging, just how popular it has become. And it was actually popular before I started. Now if you are part of the online community, news, or media, it would be unheard of not to have a blog. Now I believe that most who are blog are still doing so as a personal outlet but many including myself are doing so to share information, advice, and knowledge of a particular subject and try to make a couple bucks in the meantime. Some like Problogger.net are making much more than a couple bucks and for them it has become a profession.

Many websites are now hiring writers to blog for them. They pay per post. For instance you can now find a blog that I write on adoption for Families.com. I started writing a blog for them in December. I have a minimum and a maximum number of posts that I can write a month. It's very exciting for me to have this opportunity since I never imagined that I would get paid to write other than the check I recieve from Google Adsense.

The other phenomonon that I have noticed is that everyone is blogging about blogs. There also many blog directories that if you have a blog you can have it listed at. Or if you prefer just to read a blog you can check out. Also if you are familier with Technorati Tags one will notice that blog or weblog is always in large print meaning that people are often searching for these keywords.

Periodically on this blog, I will probably comment on the continued blogging trend, only because so much in blogging is new everyday and I do blog. Who knows, maybe one day I can even call myself a professional blogger.

Need to get the Momentum Rolling Again

2005-12-29T16:18:00.000-05:00

After a crazy holiday season I'm back and focusing on my Working Mom Wanted Blog. In the previous post I mentioned that I will be heading back to work full time in the new year. In addition I have begun writing an Adoption blog for Families.com. I have had several projects working out of the home for months now, including a number of blogs I had tried to begin.

Since I will be heading back to work in a couple weeks I have realized that I need to focus on what I have found in the past year to be truly successful and what I have enjoyed working on the most. So listed below are the following ways I plan to make money in 2006.

1. I'm heading back to work full time, Monday - Friday, Nine to Five. "A real job" as my husband likes to put it. This is the job that is going to pay the bills and pay for my son to go to daycare.

2. Adoption Home studies. I get cases to do Adoption Home Studies about once a month. The pay is great and I enjoy helping others reach the dream of building a family in the same manner that I did. In conjuction with the Home Studies I will conduct adoption seminars locally to share information about the adoption process.

3. Blogging about Adoption for Families.com. I have recently started blogging for Families.com and will posting at least once a day for them on adoption. If you enjoy this blog you should check out Families.com. They are just starting a blogging community and have a number of writers who will be blogging on a number of topics.

4. Since I love wine and I'm a bit relunctant to hang up my first project of 2005 I will continue to conduct In Home Wine Tastings once or twice a month. Mostly to continue to get the great discount on the wine I order for me.

5. Blogging for me. I started Working Moms Wanted blog in August of 2005 and by far it has been my most successful blog that I have written. Therefore, I will continue to post on it. I feel that I'm certainly qualified to write on working, being a mom, and the challenges that it all presents. After all I work out of the home and in the home. The others blogs that I have started I will be closing. I want to give my attention to the Working Moms Wanted Blog and the Adoption Blog at Familes.com

How am I going to do it? Not sure about the answer to that one quite yet. But I'll be sure to share with you how I learn to balance it all in the many posts to follow. If anyone has suggestions please let me know.

What I did to finally get offered employment

2005-12-14T10:21:00.000-05:00

Well, I officially have a job or I can say jobs. Last week I was actually offered a full time job as well as a job writing a blog of Families.com. I will comment on both in separate posts.

After 5 1/2 months of job searching I was offered a job as a Team Leader with the Mental Health Association. I will be starting this position right after the New Year. I'm very happy about the position since my education and background is in counseling. I will recap here, the steps that I took in my job search.

I updated my resume after reading the e-book the Last Guide to Writing a Resume. This I believe was such a large factor in the getting the number of interviews that I did. I would say that almost 85% of the resumes that I sent out, I was called in for an interview. If you are currently looking for a job, take a look at your resume and make sure that you have demonstrated your accomplishments. If you have not, take the time to re-write your resume. It will be well worth the time.
When you have an interview take the time to research the company that you are interviewing with. Mention during the interview that you read and followed up on the company.
Prepare ahead of time. Think about questions that you think might be asked of you. Then practice. Have your spouse ask you questions.
Send Thank you notes to everyone you interview with.

Now I have to admit ironically, I did not follow any of this advice for the last interview I went on and the job I was eventually offered. Truthfully, I was burnt out of going on job interviews and the preparation that it does entail. (Plus it was time to start Christmas shopping) But since I had interviewed with a number of agencies, at this point, I was already familiar with the questions that I needed to ask. I was very comfortable in the interview process because I had at some time answered most questions that were asked of me.

But the point I'm about to mention I believe was most key in getting me my future job. Whenever I was not offered a position I asked the reason why not. Over again, I was told that I did not have experience with a particular population. This was my weak point I soon realized. But I had eight year of management and supervisory experience in Domestic Violence. This I knew was my greatest strength. Therefore, during my last interview I said that. I mentioned my weak point and then emphasized my stongest skill. I said my strongest skills, management and supervision, would benefit the agency most, and I would quickly learn and gain experience with the new population that I would be working with.

Yes, it took me 5 1/2 months to get a job, but everytime I went on an interview I learned more about what I needed to do to improve on the next interview. In time it paid off. But also, keep in mind as you are looking, that a company is looking for the individual who will be the right fit for them, and you also need to be looking for which company will be the right fit for you as well.

Working at Home Vs Working Outside the Home

2005-11-30T12:42:00.000-05:00

I have made comments before on this topic but I think its worth revisiting again. When you have children I believe most women would love to stay home and raise their kids. That is why so many of us try to find ways to make money from home. This could be either telecommuting, starting your own business, finding ways to make money online. This would include Paid to do Survey Sites, Affliate programs, blogging. They have images of afternoons at the playground with their children and working in their PJ's while drinking a cup of coffee. But what I find and what other I'm sure find also is that it is not that easy. Especially once the babies get to be toddlers.

When I started my Wine Tasting Business my son was 4 month old. He napped often and was content to play with his toys in one spot. Or I could put him in the excer saucer and he would be entertained for hours. But then he learned to crawl and it got harder and more difficult since I always had to watch where he was crawling to. Then he learned to walk. Then he also discovered the computer. Now if I'm on the computer and he sees me then he wants to play also.

What I have found is that I have less time to spend with developing my business. In addition I'm also looking for a full time job and maintaining my blogs. It's harder to stay focused and get tasks completed because once I start something I'm interupted by my son. I love being able to stay home but I'm looking forward to returning to work, where I can get things accomplished.

It will be hard though. I will miss my son terribly. Also, when the time comes, I will need to decide which one of work from home jobs will have to end, because I will not be able to accomplish it all. I have to say I really enjoy blogging and getting paid to blog. My paycheck from Google grows. I'm having a harder time keeping my motivation with my In Home Wine Tasting Business. I love the wine, but I'm not enjoying the rest of the business as much as I used to. I have missed parties I have been invited to on weekends because I have had a tasting to do. Plus, there is alot of costomer services junk that I have to do that I originally did not realize. This would be true in any sales business. But for now I'm busy with it through February.

Anyway, I will leave it as that. I promised that I would always try to keep my posts short, so readers don't get bored.

Your Business Bookshelf

2005-11-16T08:23:00.000-05:00

If you are someone who likes purchasing and reading business books or e-books, check out my new blog called Your Business Bookshelf. I'll be adding to the library daily so keep coming back and find your next book that will help boost the business you are already in or help get you started with a new business or money making venture.

I'm also writing a new blog on the Bernese Mountain Dog, but you will have to find it at www.writingup.com.

Waiting for an offer after a second interview.

2005-11-11T15:24:00.000-05:00

I had a second interview with a Social Service Agency on Monday. It was a group interview with 6 other individuals. I felt that I did very well. However, now is the waiting game. To call or not to call? I sent the Thank you letter out already. So I did some more research and found a very good article written about this very topic. Check it out.

The Art of the Follow-Up After Job Interviews
by Kathryn Lee Bazan
Great! You’ve had the interview and now you wait anxiously by the phone. A cat watching a gopher hole, waiting for the little beast to pop its hairy head out any moment now could not be as anticipatory as you are. So what do you do to forestall driving yourself and your loved ones nuts during this time? Well, let’s back up a second to you at your interview. read more....

Get Paid to Surf - Work from Home Series: Part 3

2005-10-26T13:47:00.000-04:00

I know they say that "if it sounds to good to be true than it probably is" or be warey of any "get rich quick" schemes, but Paid to Surf Sites seem to be truly legitmate ventures if you need to make a quick buck. Of course like many ventures you are going to need money to make money. However, if you committed and patient you can truly do well.

Basically, you become a member at a Paid to Surf website and open up an account. You then log on and view a number of website for a few seconds. Once you have viewed a certain number you get a percentage of what is in your account. Often times these websites will give a small balance to start off with. For example Studio Traffic gives you $10.00 to start your account of with. However, to really make any significant money you need to upgrade your account.

I guess the best thing to do is to give you an example of how Paying to Surf works. Lets say you join a Paid to Surf Website, called I WANT MONEY NOW!!!. They give you $10.00 to start and you add $290.00 and upgrade your account. You then have $300.00 in your account. You surf the website for about 50 minutes and then you get 1% of what your account balence is for that day. So you make $3. You do this everday for a month and you then have made $90.00. You stick with it then in about 3 1/2 months you have made you money back. You continue to surf daily. You are not making $90.00 a month. The other nice thing is that many sites let you compound your earnings by continuely upgrading your account. See the example below.
This is if you began your account with $1000.00.
Month-------Account level-------- Earnings (per month)
Jan ----------$1000 --------------$300
Feb---------- $1300 --------------$390
March -------$1690 --------------$507
April ---------$2190 --------------$657
May ---------$2850-------------- $855
June ---------$3710-------------- $1113

So after six months you are actually earning $1113.00 per month which is more than you originally put in your account. If you choose to stop compounding at this point and withdraw your earnings monthly you are bringing in over $12,000 a year. You have made a profit of over $11,000. Not bad at all.

What's the risk? You aren't consistent and you don't surf daily. If you miss a day or two or even a week, it's not going to make much of a difference, but if you stop surfing you have lost your initial investment. Basically, the only risk is you.

Here are a list of top Paid to Surf Websites:

Studio Traffic - My favorite and the best well known. Make sure you check out their forum. They have 800 visitors a day. Also, everyone is more than happy to show you their payouts from Studio Traffic.

GCI Surf - This website is relatively new. They give 2% per day with a maximum daily pay out of $200.00. They actually invest the monies in the markets and that is where they get the revenue to provide the payouts. Along with your investment as well.

Paid Response - "Paid Response is operated by Aaron Bowering, founder of the Junkies Network and author of several marketing based eBooks (as seen at http://www.aaronbowering.com). He has created multiple communities and successful business throughout several years online within the telecommuting and marketing industries. With Aaron in control, there is no doubt that Paid Response will outlive and outlast its competitors".

12 Daily Pro - Not really sure about this one. You can earn 12% of your upgrades into your account, but you have to continue to upgrade and you can't upgade with your earnings. I checked out the forum and every states that no one has lost any money. You also only have to view 12 sites a day, which only takes about 5 minutes. I would read the fine print more on this one before joining.

I still think Studio Traffic is the best way to go.

I'm Going on Job Interviews, Why am I not getting the Job?

2005-10-24T11:03:00.000-04:00

If you have been reading this blog since it's inception than you know that it began because I had to start looking for a full time job. I also was working my In Home Wine Tasting Business and was basically at a crossroad in regards to my work career.

To briefly update everyone...My In Home Wine Tasting business is taking off and I'm really doing well. I was recently promoted and my team of new In Home Wine Tasting business owners is growing monthly. I also have started completing Adoption Home Studies for prospective adoptive parents. This, like the the In Home Wine Tasting Business are both part-time.

I have now been looking for full time work for almost a 4 months now. The average amount of time it takes to find full time work is 6 months. When I first started this blog I had just changed the format of my resume after reading the Last Guide to Cover Letter and Resume Writing. It help me increase the number of job interviews I was being called for by 80%. But obviously, I'm still looking for a job, and I was wondering why I was not getting any offerings. I was really getting frustrated and down. I really had to think about what was not working for me. I finally decided that if the Last Guide to Cover Letter and Resume Writing worked so well for me, maybe I should buy the Last Guide to Interviewing.

This e-book was very helpful and offered tips that I since implemented. Some of the suggestions are as follows:

Write down answers to questions that you think they may ask you.
Highlite your strengths and accomplishments in your resume and refer to it in the interview.
Give examples of your accomplishments
Practice, Practice, Practice.

Now I had an interview about 1 1/2 weeks ago and I put a lot of the suggestions in the book to practice and spent 2-3 hours preparing for the interview. I was in the interview for over an hour and when I left I felt it went very well. I have since spoken to the interviewer and he told me that I was one of his top candidates for the position and that I would have to come back for a series of interviews.

If you continue to find yourself in the position of going on interview after interview and not getting any offering I highly recommend the Last Guide to Interviewing. It really goes hand in hand with the Last Guide to Cover Letter and Resume Writing. You really can't have one without the other.

Click on the links below to buy your e-books and land that Job!!!

The Last Guide To Cover Letter and Resume Writing

The Last Guide to Interviewing

Blog Spammers

2005-10-19T08:14:00.000-04:00

I just read this interesting article posted by "The Wall Street Journal" about blog spammers. It is really sad that not only do we have to be bombarded with useless e-mail, now we are getting people who are posting on blogs who pretend that they are legitimately reading your blog but are actually just trying to promote there own blogs or websites. I would estimate that for every 1 legitimate comment I get, I get four more that are others trying to promote their own blogs or ads. Sometimes, I have found that person may actually tell me they have an marketing blog or a work at home blog and I look at it and has nothing to do with either industry or even a blog. It's usually a splash page to some product that they are trying sell.

Please read further to learn what other problems Blog Spammers are causing in the internet world. And if you are a blog spammer, do not bother leaving a comment. I really don't want to hear from you.

'Splogs' RoilWeb, and Some Blame Google
By DAVID KESMODEL THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE October 19, 2005; Page B1

Spam, long the scourge of email users, rapidly has become the bane of bloggers too.
Spammers have created millions of Web logs to promote everything from gambling Web sites to pornography. The spam blogs -- known as "splogs" -- often contain gibberish, and are full of links to other Web sites spammers are trying to promote. Because search engines like those of Google Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. base their rankings of Web sites, in part, on how many other Web sites link to them, the splogs can help artificially inflate a site's popularity. Some of the phony blogs also carry advertisements, which generate a few cents for the splog's owner each time they are clicked on.
The phony blogs are a particular problem for Google, Microsoft and Yahoo because each offers not only a Web search engine focused on providing the most relevant results for users but also a service to let bloggers create blogs...read more

Can Google Make You Rich?

2005-10-16T14:05:00.000-04:00

For many people Google has made them rich, but for every one person who has become rich with Google about 500 more are trying to become rich with Google. I'm working at it with my Google Ads which over the course of the last 3 months have increased in profits 3X's compared to first month I started this blog. I love it and enjoy checking out how much money I have made each day. Although, I have to admit that the money I'm making in Google ads I have lost in my Google Stock which I bought and has recently taken a dive. (I started writing this post yesterday...Google Stock is back up today. YIPPY)

If you have a website or a blog it just makes sense to use google ads. I'm not saying that you are going to make fortune from it, but it can be a very nice source of supplemental income. It can also cover your costs in advirtising or marketing for your other ventures.

Adding Google ads to your website is very easy. All you do is go to the Google Adsense website and register. Then you decide what type of ads you want to place on website. Once you have done that you copy the code into your website or blog template. Like I said that is the easy part. The more difficult part is getting people to click on your ads. You either need a site that generates alot of traffic or you need to be find your niche market. Also ad placement can make a difference. It's often about experimenting with what it working best for your site.

It's also a basic formula: Traffic + Niche Market + Content = Profits. Take a piece of it out of the equation and it will be more difficult to get the results that you want.

Now since everyone is capitalizing on the Google Adsense program and doing well, everyone is also writing articles, books, and e-books on making money with Google. Luckily for you, I still do not have a full time job and can spend my time researching which products seem to offer the consumer the most comprehensive information about using Google and the Google Adense Program.

Here's a list to begin with. Since this is such a hot topic at at this time, I will continue to update this post to give you the most comprehensive information.

Bloggers that are making money with Google and worth checking out:

Problogger: This guy is my hero. He makes 6 figures with his blog(s). He has a lot of great information. I suggest you bookmark his blog and check back often.
Money Making Blogs
Six Figure Blogging

E-books on Google and Adsense:

Earn $3000 weekly with Google Adsense

Top Paying Keywords

Increasing Traffic to Your Blog or Website:

The Secrets of Traffic

Search Engine Cloaker

Traffic N More

Google Books from Amazon.com:

E-mail me at winetastingbykathy@yahoo.com

Halloween is 21 Days Away - Do you have a costume?

2005-10-10T20:42:00.000-04:00

I love Halloween. I love carving pumpkins, decorating the house with candles, scary witches, and skulls. I love the kids who come trick or treating, and I would always make it a point to take the day off of work or get home early. I also like that you can choose to be who or whatever you want to be for one day out of the year.
However, today there are so many costumes that I can and have spent hours searching for the perfect one for myself, my husband, and my one year old. I do not take this task lightly and can be on the computer and in stores for hours.

It's amazing the crazy costumes they have out today. Some of my favorites have been; the holy s%#t costume, Martini Costume, and the Moon over Hawaii.

My husband likes the Man Eating Shark costume. But if we go in a couples costume I like The Tacky Tourists.

For my little guy, no doubt, he will be Heir to the Throne.

And for those who just read my previous post, check out these other websites below to help you save some time this holloween when you are shopping for the perfect costume for you or your little ones.

Costume Zone
Anytime Costumes.com
Lillian Costume.com
Buy Costumes.com
Extreme Halloween.com
Halloween Unlimited
Halloween Mart

Time Saving Tips for Supermoms

2005-10-10T20:18:00.000-04:00

I just read this excellent article by Chrystie Fielder. It gives great tips whether you work in the home or outside the home.

Try these time saving ideas to streamline your day, stay better organized, and win back lost time for yourself and your family....read more

Get Paid to Surf - Work from Home Series: Part 3

2005-10-05T07:34:00.000-04:00

I know they say that "if it sounds to good to be true than it probably is" or be warey of any "get rich quick" schemes, but Paid to Surf Sites seem to be truly legitmate ventures if you need to make a quick buck. Of course like many ventures you are going to need money to make money. However, if you committed and patient you can truly do well.

Basically, you become a member at a Paid to Surf website and open up an account. You then log on and view a number of website for a few seconds. Once you have viewed a certain number you get a percentage of what is in your account. Often times these websites will give a small balance to start off with. For example Studio Traffic gives you $10.00 to start your account of with. However, to really make any significant money you need to upgrade your account.

I guess the best thing to do is to give you an example of how Paying to Surf works. Lets say you join a Paid to Surf Website, called I WANT MONEY NOW!!!. They give you $10.00 to start and you add $290.00 and upgrade your account. You then have $300.00 in your account. You surf the website for about 50 minutes and then you get 1% of what your account balence is for that day. So you make $3. You do this everday for a month and you then have made $90.00. You stick with it then in about 3 1/2 months you have made you money back. You continue to surf daily. You are not making $90.00 a month. The other nice thing is that many sites let you compound your earnings by continuely upgrading your account. See the example below. This is if you began your account with $1000.00.

Month Account level Earnings (per month)
Jan $1000 $300
Feb $1300 $390
March $1690 $507
April $2190 $657
May $2850 $855
June $3710 $1113

So after six months you are actually earning $1113.00 per month which is more than you originally put in your account. If you choose to stop compounding at this point and withdraw your earnings monthly you are bringing in over $12,000 a year. You have made a profit of over $11,000. Not bad at all.

What's the risk? You aren't consistent and you don't surf daily. If you miss a day or two or even a week, it's not going to make much of a difference, but if you stop surfing you have lost your initial investment. Basically, the only risk is you.

Here are a list of top Paid to Surf Websites:

Studio Traffic - My favorite and the best well known. Make sure you check out their forum. They have 800 visitors a day. Also, everyone is more than happy to show you their payouts from Studio Traffic.

GCI Surf - This website is relatively new. They give 2% per day with a maximum daily pay out of $200.00. They actually invest the monies in the markets and that is where they get the revenue to provide the payouts. Along with your investment as well.

Paid Response - "Paid Response is operated by Aaron Bowering, founder of the Junkies Network and author of several marketing based eBooks (as seen at http://www.aaronbowering.com). He has created multiple communities and successful business throughout several years online within the telecommuting and marketing industries. With Aaron in control, there is no doubt that Paid Response will outlive and outlast its competitors".

12 Daily Pro - Not really sure about this one. You can earn 12% of your upgrades into your account, but you have to continue to upgrade and you can't upgade with your earnings. I checked out the forum and every states that no one has lost any money. You also only have to view 12 sites a day, which only takes about 5 minutes. I would read the fine print more on this one before joining.

I still think Studio Traffic is the best way to go.

Fruta Vida Experiment Series - Conclusion

2005-09-30T20:36:00.000-04:00

Please read The Fruta Vida Experiment Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

Conclusion:

Well after working Fruta Vida for about 2 months I have decided to stop actively working it for several reasons. None of which have to do with the company itself. Overall, I believe that the Fruta Vida experiment was very successful. Please keep in mind that if you choose to work with Fruta Vida or any other home based business you should never quit after 2 months. It takes time to build a business, sometimes 2-3 years. I decided to stop working it because I have just received a promotion with The Traveling Vineyard and want to continue to grow and build that business. I was not able to give either business 100%, so I made the decision to stay with The Traveling Vineyard, where I have already invested 7 months of my time and energy.

However, I highly recommend this business to those who may be considering or looking for a work at home business in network marketing. I learned alot from the girls at the Fruta Vida Forum at WAHM.com. They were great and answered all my questions.

I also discovered a valuable resource in Dani Johnson that I would not of found if not for Fruta Vida 4U.

Listed below is the postives and negatives that I found in this business. Please keep in mind this my evaluation and opinion. It is not fact. What one finds as a negative could be another's postive.

Negatives

If you are not actively working the business and getting reps you are not going to make much money except from spillover. This is only really a negative in the beginning when you are first starting out.
"Bob" my sponsor only called me once. I never personally heard from him again other then one e-mail. However, since Fruta Vida 4U team had great tools and resources to learn their system there really wasn't much need to talk to him. Plus, I did a lot of research about network marketing on my own.

Positives

You get 2 websites and lead pages within hours of signing on.
Join the WAHM.com Fruta Vida forum and you have a great support team.
Great resources to find leads.
It's a great health beverage to buy. It tastes great and I feel better.
You get a fast start bonus weekly every time you sign someone new on.
National exposure with a new informercial.
Potential to make a good income if worked consistently.
No home parties or inventory to carry, can be worked by just using your phone and computer.

I will be stilling buying Fruta Vida since I enjoy the product and find it has benefited me. In addition if you are interested in working with Fruta Vida 4U team I am more than happy to get anyone started and assist them in growing there business. Although, I won't be actively working it daily I will still be more happy to help others get started or provide information.

Excellent Home Based Moms Websites

2005-09-18T11:35:00.000-04:00

Here's a listing of Home Based Moms Websites that I utilize regularly to get information. Many have forums and message boards to get feedback, advise, suggestions from other Moms who are working from home.

Home Based Working Moms: E-directory of Work at Home Opportunities. This is where I found information to start my home wine tasting business. Work at Home Kit. Contractual Work at Home Opportunities. Affiliate programs.

The WAHM Connection: Directory of Opportunities. Directory of Blogs. NJ Wine Adventures was featured on their Spotlight Blog.

Mom on a Budget: Budget Saving Tips. Work at Home Opps. Newsletter. Forum - Join this new forum. It's not too crowded like some older forums. Be a part of it from the start.

Mommy's Place.net: My favorite Work at Home Site. Nell has created an easy to use and navigate website with great reviews and tools. She also has a great Forum. She has large membership but it's not overwhelming. I visit her forum daily.

WAHM.com: Online Magazine for Work at Home Moms. Job Listings and telecommuting listings. Message Board has 90 + topics covering many areas for WAHM's, individual business, and product forums. It's very busy and sometimes I felt I was lost in the mass of members. But helpful whenever I have needed feedback from other Fruta Vida members.

WAHM-blog.com: Directory of Blogs written by Work at Home Moms.

A Working Mom's Update

2005-09-13T20:53:00.000-04:00

I started this blog because I was in place where I owned a wine tasting business, but also needed to start looking for full time work. I started looking for a job about mid-July. It's now mid August and I believe it's time to give everyone an update of my job status.

I could potentially have four jobs.

Contractual Adoption Counselor: I have recently been hired by an Adoption Agency to conduct homestudies for families who plan to adopt. This is a contractual job with the agency. The pay is great and it's home-based. I do visit and interview families in their home, but will get payed for my travel time. I'll complete all reports from home. I'm so excited about beginning this job since my son is actually adopted and the agency we used is the agency I have been hired to work for. Unfortunately, it can unpredictable and I don't know how many cases I will get a month.
Senior Wine Consultant with the Traveling Vineyard: I just recruited two people this month who are going to become involved in the wine tasting business. Therefore, I should be getting a promotion in October to Senior Consultant. This is great since I'll start making commissions on my recruit's sales as well as my own.
Fruta Vida Distributor: I just joined Fruta Vida International and I'm really just getting this business up and started. If you read some of my other entries you will find this started off just as an experiment. However, I received my first check today from the company. Although, it's a bit on the small size, I didn't think I would getting anything at all. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find a check in the mailbox. I have had no time to really put much into this opportunity yet, since I have been busy with other opportunities. However, I am starting to talk to people who are interested in the business as well and I'm have a share in their infomercial to generate leads.
Potential Fourth Job. I have a third interview this week with an mental health and drug treatment agency here in NJ. I would basically be marketing their services to the community. It would be great since I would be able to utilize many of the skills that I have learned in the past year.

So it's possible that I'll will be working a contractual home based job, have my wine tasting business which is also home based, Fruta Vida which is completely work from home, and a full time outside job. I certainly will have all job avenues covered.

The biggest challenge will be balancing it all with my family.

Working Moms Blog

2005-08-27T21:23:00.000-04:00

I just want to say that I love blogging. I have always enjoyed writing as a way to express myself, but rarely had the courage to show what I wrote to others. I also really enjoy being able to share with others what I have learned by research and personal experience in the work world of Moms, whether its been work at home opportunities or tips and tools for Moms in the outside job world.

During this time of research I have had the opportunity to read many Working Moms Blogs, both personal and business related. I believe that so many Moms want the chance to share their experiences, the good and the not so good, with others. Therefore, I would like the opportunity for other Working Moms to share their blogs on Working Moms Wanted blog.

If you are interested please e-mail me at winetastingbykathy@yahoo.com
and please provide me your name and URL blog address. I'll review it and if it's appropriate I'll be happy to link it to my blog. I'm looking for blogs that are from Working Moms that are either personal or business in nature. All I ask is that in your blog or website you provide a link to Working Moms Wanted blog.

I look forward to reading them.

Kathy
winetastingbykathy@yahoo.com

Fruta Vida Experiment Series- Part 4

2005-08-26T14:19:00.000-04:00

Please read Fruta Vida Experiment Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

My husband and I have been taking Fruta Vida since Tuesday when our first bottle arrived. I have to say the last part of the week has been much better than the first half. My husband has arthritis and bone spurs in his feet which he will be having an operation for in September. He stayed home on Tuesday because they hurt him greatly and he has to stand all day. Plus, he was very down because they bothered him so much.

Anyway, we started taking Fruta Vida on Tuesday and each morning we both have had a serving of it. Everyday since then I ask him how his feet are. He says much better, considering he still has to stand every day. Also his mood is much better.

In addition, what I noticed the next day is that I felt like I had more energy and was able to accomplish much more. This says much when you are chasing a 11 month old around. So far we have been very happy about the product.

In addition I'm been getting e-mails from others users who have read my blog and all of them say what a great product and opportunity it really is. I'm really amazed. I was also informed about a Fruta Vida forum. I checked it out and then registered in order to introduce myself. I am also quite astonished about how everyone is doing so well with this opportunity and how much they want to share it with others, and I don't get the impression it's about lining their pockets. Now I have visited other message boards and frequently hear grievances about the company and that they were not delivering on what they had promised.

Please check out the Fruta Vida forum. Click here.

In addition, I keep getting informative information and updates from the company as well. This is all very exciting to me and I love the direction this experiment is taking. Maybe it won't be so much an experiment for long.

Please feel free to check out the Fruta Vida Website to get more information on the product and opportunity. Also, please feel free to contact me if you have anymore questions or would like information about ordering this product.

Kathy Sheldon
973-960-0809

The Fruta Vida Juice Experiment - Part 3

2005-08-23T20:35:00.000-04:00

Please read Part 1 and Part 2 of The Fruta Vida Experiment.

It took one week for our first bottle of Fruta Vida juice to arrive. My husband had the day off of work so we were both home when it arrived. As soon as it came we both tried it out. I took 2 oz. and he took 1 oz. It actually tasted good. Similar to blueberries or blackberries. And no... I didn't have any immediate reactions where a greater sense of wellbeing took over. If I did, I would be concerned about what was actually in the product and is it legal? Anyway, I will continue to report my reactions to the product in the next couple weeks.

I actually have also spoken to "Bob", my sponsor, about the business opportunity. Just some quick background on "Bob". He has been with the company since January, but also has a full time job. Since January he has sponsored 33 people. Actually, I think I was his 33rd. Not bad for 8 months. He had previously worked with other MLM companies but feels that this has provided him with the best opportunity and product so far. In addition he hopes to quit his full time job in another year or so. Seems realistic to me. He works about 20 hours a week in this business. He gets most if his leads through the Fruta Vida 4U organization.

As I reported in Part 2 of the Fruta Vida Experiment Series, I think one of the most important aspects to look for when starting a new business, especially MLM or a matrix, is the type of tools the company gives you to market the product. The Fruta Vida 4U organization is only one team of the Fruta Vida distributors community. This particular team had so much to offer including additional websites, leads, opportunity to co-op an upcoming TV infomercial, phone conferences, start up phone presentations, (Wednesdays at 9:00PM EST) just to start with. It has taken me all week to review it all.

At this point I'm going to continue to use the product daily and I will continue to report on the business opportunity and how well it's going.

If you have any questions at this point please feel free to "post a comment" and I'll be happy to refer the question to "Bob" and will post the answer on this blog. If you are interested in learning more about the product or the opportunity, please visit my website.

Fruta Vida 4U.com

Kathy

Making Money For Your Opinion - Work from Home Series: Part 2

2005-08-20T21:49:00.000-04:00

Work from Home Series - Please read Part 1.

Part 2: Get Paid For YOUR OPINION

This is a great way to earn a lucrative income the quick and easy way. Complete Paid Surveys. Many companies are willing to pay you for your time to complete these surveys because the results that you give them will help them make more revenue. There are many survey websites that will pay you from $10 - $75 per survey. They also will pay $150.00+ to participate in a focus group. Most of the time you can complete any where from 1-4 surveys just in an hour. You do this just for a couple hours a day and one can make a significant income from taking surveys.

You can find many survey sites on the web where membership is free to join. However on the better paying survey websites, you tend to have to pay a one time membership fee. Although you should be able to get this returned back to you after completing a couple surveys. Also, these sites have been around longer and have a better reputation within this sector. The survey sites that you can join for free will often only put you in a raffle for a gift or a freebie after you complete one of their surveys. Personally, I would rather have the money upfront rather than have my name put in a raffle for a free gift.

Although this is a very easy way to make money, it does take some investment of time in the beginning to complete all the demographic information the companies that are giving the survey are asking for.
However, many survey sites offer free downloads of software programs that can help you make this task much quicker by duplicating the data across the surveys.

When you sign up with a survey website they will list all the companies that they work with in their database. You then choose those companies and completed a demographic survey which will include your e-mail address. Then when a company needs a survey completed, if your demographics match their criteria, they send you the survey to your e-mail.

A couple things to keep in mind when completing surveys for cash.

The more companies that you sign up with the more surveys you will be e-mailed, so spend the first couple days just signing up with the companies. Truly you want to sign up with at least 50 - 100 companies.
Get a seperate e-mail account. You will be getting lots of e-mail.
Sometimes it takes awhile before the surveys start getting e-mailed to you. Be patient they will start to pour in.
Keep a bottle of visine handy.

Below are a list of the best reviewed survey sites. These sites require a membership fee but most of refundable within 90 days if you are not getting the results that you like.

Survey Sun: The hottest selling survey database. Great customer service. Other online services and bonuses. 500+ companies.

Paid Surveys Online: This is the top site on every survey review list. They have a large datebase of companies and have been the longest running paid survey website.

Survey Scout: Another top rated and reviewed survey site. This lists 450+ excellent surveying companies.

Pajama Paycheck: This offers one of the largest databases of surveying companies.

Survey Junction: Approved Member of Internet Trade Bureau.

Get Paid To Take Surveys: Lower cost to join. Great if you like freebies.

These are Free to Join Survey Websites.

Surveyclub.com

Yellowsurveys.com: Claims to be the yellow book of surveys.

My suggestions is to join 1-2 pay to join survey databases, and then join a couple of free survey databases. Like I mentioned the more companies you join the more surveys you will be offered to complete. Eventually, you will be able to choose the most lucrative surveys to complete.

Resources: Personal Experience, Consumer-rating.com, Best Affiliate programs.com

The Fruta Vida Juice Experiment - Part 2 - I Have Bought the Juice.

2005-08-19T09:06:00.000-04:00

This is a post in The Fruta Vida Juice Experiment Series.
Please read The Fruta Vida Juice Experiment Part 1.

So far I'm very impressed with the company and it's marketing efforts. Yesterday I bought my first bottle of Fruta Vida and it should arrive in a couple days. In the meantime I now have two free websites to use to market other consumers or potential distributors. The websites are very clear and have comprehensive information about the product. I have all of this in a matter of 24 hours and I have only paid for the juice. They also have a members only website with a entire list of other marketing tools that you can use to help build your business. This I find very helpful. Since I'm fairly new to the world of marketing I appreciate and use any tools that are provided. In another great tool is that they have phone presentations three times a week at 9:00PM. This great for me since my baby is sleeping then and I can actually listen to the presentations.

This is something to keep in mind when you start to get involved in direct sales or marketing. What type of training is being provided? Are those who are training you have a back ground in marketing or at least years of experience in marketing? For many of us we get involved in the business and don't know a thing about marketing. Most often any business you get involved in will be 90% marketing. Remember, people go to college and graduate with degrees in marketing. Were you one of those people? I wasn't!

So now I'm waiting for a call from "Bob".I immediately e-mailed "Bob" yesterday after joining, telling him that I'm very serious about this opportunity and I want to know everything he knows. After all Team Fruta Vida only wants those who are serious about the opportunity. I also told him about the Frita Vida Experiment. I can't wait to try the product. Don't forget I don't take supplements but since I'm part of the experiment I look forward to testing it.

Well, I would post more but I have a lot information from "Bob" to read and sort through.

If you are as intrigued about Fruda Vida as much as I am, please make sure you subscribe to this blog to hear how it continues. All you need to do is put your e-mail address in the subscribe field to the right of the post.

Kathy
www.njhomewinetasting.com
www.njwineadventures.blogspot.com
www.workingwomenwanted.blogspot.com

The Fruta Vida Juice Experiment - Part 1.

2005-08-16T21:33:00.000-04:00

FRUTA VIDA - Part 1

The Fruta Vida Juice Supplement is a product I have been very intrigued by and have only started to research as of today. I have seen this health beverage endorsed as a great opportunity for a home based business on many Work from Home websites. Oprah and Matt Lauer have both talked about it's key ingredient Acai, which is a berry that is full of natural antioxidants.

Now, as I mentioned I have been very curious about this product, but it was not on the top of my list of career opportunities that I planned to research. First of all, I'm not one to take vitamins or supplements of any kind, however my husband is a supplement junky. So any way I opened the refrigerator tonight and their is a bottle of what looks like a knock off brand of Fruta Vida from Costcos. I had to laugh, because I just picture the Fruta Vida supplement all over the internet. So anyway, I tell him about the Fruta Vida product. Surprisingly, he actually asks me to print out the information on the health beverage from the computer for him to read. He reads about the supplement and I of course read about the opportunity. Here's a brief summary of the product and opportunity.

Product:

It's key ingredients are Acai, Cupuacu, and Yerba Mate.
It promotes energy, provides antioxidants, all essential vitamins, nutrients, and anthocyanins. (By the way a 6oz. glass of wine provides all essential vitamins as well)
It helps control cholesterol, promotes weight loss, better sleep, improves digestion, increases sexual function (woohoo), creates energy.
It's from the Amazon Rainforest.

The Opportunity:

The only requirement to join is to buy the product monthly for $39.95. If it's that good it should be worth the money just for the supplement alone.
Distributors will be in the cash flow with just two referrals.
3 point compensation plan - Fast Start Bonus - 2 X 7 Expanding/compressing matrix - 100% matching bonus.
Free Website (one geared specifically for Work from Home Moms) and training.
You are not required to sponsor other distributors and you could still potentially make a residual income just from purchasing it monthly.
Not on any scam list that I have found.
A percentage of the proceeds go back to helping the rainforests.

And so ensued the Fruta Vida Health Juice Experiment. Follow my post on this product and opportunity and we will both find out if this is truly a worth while investment, product, and business opportunity.

Kathy

www.workingmomswanted.blogspot.com

www.njhomewinetasting.com

www.njwineadventures.blogspot.com

Finding Your Career - Work from Home Series

2005-08-16T15:59:00.000-04:00

Part 1: Introduction

The purpose of this blog was to help Moms find the career of their choice. As I mentioned in my post of August 15, 2005, many womens' choice of careers change once they become a mother. Their priorities change and therefore the choice of careers change.

In many ways I was lucky that I was able to quit my job and really examine what I wanted to do with my life. I know many women who went back to the jobs they held after their maternity leave, only to begin wondering is this really what they want to do. But after earning that stable income again remaining in the job because they could not see another option.

Now I can not claim to be a career counselor and I'm not an expert. But I have counseled women and mothers in regards to career choices and jobs and help these women set achievable goals for themselves.

In addition, I have certainly explored different career choices for myself, even before I became a mother and quit my "stable job". I have also done a lot of internet research on different career directions, including home based and outside jobs. Also, interviewing and talking to others through phone calles and message boards. I'll remark on the areas that I have explored and will provide links to the those with more knowledge in a particular area.

Now, I promised that I would keep my posts short, direct but detailed, and to the point, in order not to put my readers to sleep. So, in closing I hope you find this information helpful.

Kathy Sheldon, MS
www.njhomewinetasting.com
www.njwineadventures.blogspot.com
www.workingmomswanted.blogspot.com

Focus, Focus, Focus

2005-08-16T15:30:00.000-04:00

It's important to remember that job and career searching can be a difficult task. Just deciding what would be the right fit for you can be hard. Whether you are looking for the right company to work for or the right home based business can be stressful. What makes it even harder is when you think you have found a job that would be the right fit for you, but the company doesn't think you are the right fit for them. At times it can even be depressing.

I have to admit that I was just in that place. I put Connor down for a nap and then lied on my bed wondering would I get a job in the next four weeks. (My goals is to start a new job on September 12th). But then I quickly accessed what I had going for me. I have a great resume in that every time I send it out I get called for an interview and I have my own home based business that is taking off. Also, I have two blogs that I'm going to continue to write.

So I came to my computer and started writing. I feel better now.

Kathy Sheldon
Independent Wine Consultant
www.njhomewinetastings.com
www.njwineadventures.com

Career Priorities Change When You Become a Mom.

2005-08-15T15:22:00.000-04:00

It's amazing once you have children how your out look on your career changes. Before my son Connor was born, I worked for a non-profit domestic violence shelter. Now, as many know, you do not make money in a non-profit. It really didn't make much difference to me, because I really enjoyed what I was doing and was helping women and their children. Eventually, I worked my way up the "non-profit cooperate ladder" and had a Director's position. It did pay fairly well and gave me much recognition in the DV community since I was on a number of committees in the NYC. But it was also stressful, I commuted a total of four hours a day, and I put in more than 40 hours a week.

Now, as I look for a full time job, I'm considering so many different things that I hadn't before.

Money, Good Money:
If I have to put my child in Day Care I want to be making more than what I did before to make up the difference that I'm going to spend in Daycare.

Flexibility:
I don't mind working weekends or evenings because then I can be with my baby during the day, and also cut daycare costs.

Low Stress Level:
Raising a child and balancing work whether is working for someone or it's your own business is stressful enough. I don't need the job to be stressful to.

Hours of Work:
This is a funny one. I don't mind working up to 50 hours a week, if the money is going to be good. Don't forget I commuted 4 hours a day. My work week when adding in commuting was 60+ a week.

Recognition:
Would be nice. But don't need it anymore. I rather have money. I get the best type of recognition from my baby.

That's one of the greatest aspects of home based business. They tend to offer all the above except that good money can take sometimes takes awhile to come in. Longer than we want it to. Of course Home Based businesses can be profitable. Very profitable. But like any business it takes time.

There are also many full time businesses working for others that can offer the above aspects as well. Much of it is in sales and marketing though. For example; Real Esate Agents, auto sales, Travel Agents, just to name a few. Just explore. I believe that their is so much opportunity to find. Plus if one venture doesn't work, then find another. Just don't give up. It's all about motivation and determination.

This post was inspired by the forum members of www.mommysplace.net.

Another outside job interview!

2005-08-04T21:49:00.000-04:00

I just want to quickly mention that I was called in for another job interview in my former field. Programming and Developement for Non-profit. Well at least that is the type of position I am looking for. I have to mention again that The Last Job Guide was very useful to me. For instance I realized that if I was going to go back into the Non-profit field, that I needed to focus on the type of position that I wanted. My resume should focus on that potential position. It was also helpful to help me narrow down the type of job I was looking for in the paper and on job search websites. Check it out for more useful tips. Another e-book that I found very useful by the same author was The Last Guide to writing Resume and Cover letters. The book was full of pages of examples of cover letter and resume that you can use for a template. It made writing my resume so much easier.

To learn more about these great e-books click here.

Kathy Sheldon
Independent Wine Consultant
www.njhomewinetasting.com
www.njwineadventures.blogspot.com

The Last Job Search Guide You'll Ever Need

2005-08-02T09:47:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I am currently looking for a full time job. Currently, I have been looking for about 2-3 months. I thought I had a good resume, but I was not getting called for interviews...even for jobs that completely fit my experience. I was getting very frustrated. Then I came across this e-book: The Last Job Search You'll Ever Need, and purchased it. I realized that my resume and cover letters were all wrong. Therefore, I spent one day re-writing my resume. The next day I sent it out to two ads. Not an hour later I was called in for one interview and then the next day I was called in for the other position. I couldn't believe it. Further Steven Rothberg, the author, will give you your money back if you don't find job.
I highly recommend this e-book if want to stand out in the job market. He also gives great interviewing and cover letter tips. I'm still waiting to hear from the two positions. I should hear next week about both. I'll keep you posted but in the meantime order this book by clicking on this link.It can work for you too.

Click Here!

Kathy

Moms Like Me

2005-08-01T21:16:00.000-04:00

So this is actually my second blog that I'm creating. I invite you to visit my first blog www.njwineadventures.com to view my blog about how I started a direct sales business conducting in home wine tasting. I'm still in business and doing well, but unfortunately I have come to a crossroad.

Originally, I started my in home wine tasting business because I had a four month old and wanted desperately to be part of the work at home community. I was excited about the prospect of owning my own business and doing something I enjoyed and I do enjoy wine. However, like with any business it takes awhile to get established.

Now my four month old is going to be 11 months. My husband and I agreed that I would return to work after taking a year off. Therefore, I'm looking for a "real" job as my husband likes to call it. I have decided to continue with my wine business since I believe in the product and the concept of Multi- Level Marketing. But since I have started looking for a job I have found that I'm actually excited to return to the out of home work force. There are many positives about having the "real" job.

1. You actually leave the house other than to go to the mall or playground. 2. You get to listen to you favorite radio stations in the car, and hopefully get the Elmo song out of your head.
3. You actually have a steady income, and don't worry about paying the bills if you can't get enough bookings one month or if everyone decides to cancel on you.
4. You get to offer intelligent information to discussions.
5. You actually get out of your pajamas and into the latest fashion trends.
6. You remember that you must wash your hair and put on make up.

Of course there are the down sides to. You have to leave you child with a care taker or in daycare.

But here's the other problem. I'm intelligent person with 8 years of work experience in management and administration for a non-profit. I have great references, a great resume, and a Masters degree. But I'm nervous that a year will come up and I won't be able to get a job.

So again, I'm thinking to myself if I'm going to be home I should find other ways to make an income while I continue with my outside job search. Don't forget I have my wine business. By the way you should check out my website as well. www.njhomewinetasting.com.

Well, anyone could spend hours browsing the web for ways to make money. Question is which things will help make you money, without spending a lot of money. That's my other goal, I spent some money to get my wine business up and going. I don't want to spend more money to make money. Now I am told that it's possible to do so. After all Carleton Sheats has made a fortune with No Money Down. As many other have as well.So here I am...Currently a work at home mom, looking for an outside "real" job, but in the mean time trying to make more money to supplement what I make in my in home wine business. I'm sure I'm not the only one out there who is in this position.

So I will continue to post on this blog and let you know about any ways I have found to make a couple extra bucks without spending extra bucks. I will look at the world of the WORKING MOM, not just the stay at home mom. I'll try to help out all Working Moms.

Katherine Sheldon
Independent WineConsultant
www.njhomewinetasting.com
www.njwineadventures.blogspot.com