Garla Smith's Smart Moms Blog

Moms Should Consider Sales - Great Mom Job

garla@smart-moms-online.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Sales has great pay and flexibility. Moms have already had some on the job training in sales just dealing with the family.

Saving Money with Coupons

garla@smart-moms-online.com — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:57:00 GMT

There are two ways to have more money: either earn more, or spend less. For most of us, especially in today’s difficult economy, earning more simply isn’t an option. And in budgets already stretched to a breaking point, spending less isn’t that easy, either. But the good news is that companies and products are trying harder than ever to get your business – and they’re doing it by saving you money with coupons.

We’ve all read the articles written by the die-hard “couponers” who manage to go into a grocery store and walk out with a cart full of groceries for pocket change. They’re in a league of their own. But for those of us who can’t spend days clipping and planning, it’s still easy to pocket a little extra every week. And it’s not just the Sunday circular – coupons are everywhere:

Mailers – Companies like Val-Pak and Clipper Magazine send valuable local offers to your mailbox a couple of times a month. Take a few minutes to grab the ones you’ll use, recycle the rest.

Store Mailings – Sign up with your favorite stores and receive e-mail and mailed store coupons. Even high-end stores like Pottery Barn have a 20% off Friends & Family Weekend every year – but you have to be on the store mailing list to receive the invitation.

Couponing Websites – Websites like coolsavings.com and pricible.com allow members to print coupons directly. And don’t overlook the main store websites: Target.com has hundreds of dollars a week of coupons you can choose and print in minutes.

Oh, and one more hint: It never hurts to ask the store what their coupon policy is. Bed Bath & Beyond, for instance, accepts expired coupons and allows up to 5 to be used on one purchase (one per item), despite the fine print on the voucher. Happy saving!

Tags: Smart Moms, coupons ,Saving Money,Coupon Websites

Saving Money Using Online Coupons

garla@smart-moms-online.com — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:37:00 GMT

Mailers – Companies like Val-Pak and Clipper Magazine send valuable local offers to your mailbox a couple of times a month. Take a few minutes to grab the ones you’ll use, recycle the rest.

Couponing Websites – Websites like www.coolsavings.com and www.pricible.com allow members to print coupons directly. And don’t overlook the main store websites: Target.com has hundreds of dollars a week of coupons you can choose and print in minutes.

Technorati Tags: Smart Moms, Coupons , Saving Money , Online Coupons ,Groceries

Saving Money with Coupons

garla@smart-moms-online.com — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:10:00 GMT

Mailers – Companies like Val-Pak and Clipper Magazine send valuable local offers to your mailbox a couple of times a month. Take a few minutes to grab the ones you’ll use, recycle the rest.

Tags: money , cooking , saving money, Smart Moms

Participate In Our New Survey

garla@smart-moms-online.com — Mon, 17 May 2010 16:26:00 GMT

Smart Moms is celebrating 7 years and continues to be committed to providing quality employment/training resources. Your input is valuable and we want to hear your needs. Complete our latest survey.

Organizing Makes Sense

garla@smart-moms-online.com — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 17:02:00 GMT

After spending over 10 hours purging and cleaning my home office, I feel more creative. Working with a professional organizer has helped me have a clean and organized environment that allows me to do more..be more.. This blog post discusses my lessons learned about this organizing activity and myself.

Volunteerism- Why It Makes Sense

garla@smart-moms-online.com — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:26:00 GMT

Volunteering is a full-proof way to stay current. There are many complimentary reasons why volunteering is great. This blog entry investigates those reasons and provides other reputable references why volunteering makes sense.

Online Teaching is a Possibility!

garla@smart-moms-online.com — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:41:00 GMT

As you may know, online education is on the rise. Accredited colleges and universities that are solely online or have established an online program are looking for adjunct professors.

Encouragement and Creativity - We All Need It!

garla@smart-moms-online.com — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:24:00 GMT

Resumes are tough work. Ideas on how to stay motivated and encouraged through the process.

Question from Smart Moms Member - Quickbook Classes

garla@smart-moms-online.com — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:56:00 GMT

Garla,

Are these classes free and where will they be held?

***************************************************

The details are on the calendar events page on our .net website. Here is the link again. Link

I have also include the details in this blog post. Here are the detail for local (Raleighhttp://www.smart-moms-online.com/Durham) QB training:

Quickbooks Training

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

The Roper Group, Inc.
Raleigh NC
1304 Paddock Dr.
PHONE: 919.873.1688
EMAIL: info@ropergroup.com
WEB: http:http://www.smart-moms-online.com/http://www.smart-moms-online.com/www.ropergroup.comhttp://www.smart-moms-online.com/upcomingClasses.htm

The classes are held in Raleigh by Jess McLamb. She is a great teacher and takes care of our Smart Moms. There is a fee for the classes.

You could also go directly to Quickbooks and receive training and certification from them. There is a fee for that as well. Please keep in mind that most quality training will require some investment. Here is the link. You can also review our Online Training for Accounting Page which is on our sister site www.smart-moms-online.com. Click here for that page ==>>Online Training for Accounting
Hope this is helpful. Please send additional questions to Questions@smart-moms.net
Garla

Resume Work

garla@smart-moms-online.com — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 02:17:00 GMT

Resumes are hard work. If you haven’t been keeping a running resume, then allow about 5 days to brainstorm, put on paper and then tweak. If you decided to use a resume writer, you will still need to allow several days to collect your accomplishments and dates as input for the writer.

In addition to taking the time to write it, you need reviewers as well. Recruit those people that you trust who are in your field, who are in hiring positions and especially those people that are in the same position that you are seeking.   A potential hiring manager would be great. Present it not to hire you but to provide feedback.

For the last 2 years, I have served as an expert on the Susan Ireland’s Job Lounge for stay-at home moms returning to work. Susan is also the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to The Perfect Resume Fourth Edition. She sent me a copy some time ago and I have used it as an excellent reference as I walk through the resume process.  Her book addresses Chronological, Functional, Achievement, Chronological and Functional Hybrids. All of which have their purpose depending on your background, how long you have been out of work and what type of job you are seeking. This is a great guide and filled with many examples of various resumes.   She also does a great job defining a 6 step process to creating the perfect resume. It is detailed and covers most questions you may ask. Any major bookstore or Amazon should have this reference guide.

Lately, I have been working on several resumes. One for teaching, one for training and a technical resume. Because of my work as an Entrepreneur, my work history is pretty steady with few gaps. I decided to use a Chronlogical format for my technical resume. I used a functional format for my teaching resume. This is because I am making a career change and want to focus on skills that relate to teaching versus my somewhat steady work history.

  The most important thing to remember about composing a resume is to keep working at it until you have a good finished product. Once you get one resume, that communicates that you are a superstar, it will be easy to convert it to another resume for another job variation. If it has been a while since you compiled one, just expect that it is going to take some time. Just as a remodeling job takes time, you work at it a little each day, so is the process of developing a well communicated resume. I would love to hear what books and processes you have found that worked while you were writing your resume. Drop me a line and share them. http://www.smart-moms-online.commailto:questions@smart-moms.net More on when to use a chronological or functional resume during my next post.

Why Teaching? Flexibility of course!

garla@smart-moms-online.com — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 02:04:00 GMT

Mary Quigley and Loretta Kaufman authors of Going Back To Work – A Survival Guide for Comeback Moms call them girl ghettos. “All of these girl ghettos offer interesting flexibility. Mulling over the possibilities for a second career, many moms are attracted to teaching, for example, because of the hours and vacation time.” They go on to say that (moms) “actually love the challenge and rewards of shaping young minds”.

I never considered teaching when I received my degrees. Although my mom, my grandparents and my in-laws are retired teachers, it just seemed like I was not living up to my potential based on the contribution I could make as an engineer. It felt like it was a waste of my education. Over time my focus has changed. Flexibility and an infrastructure that supports meaningful work while allowing me to make a monetary contribution to the family cash flow are my focus now. It is a noble career and fairly stable even in this economy.

For those individuals that are already certified, the job possibilities are decent despite the present economy. According to ed.gov, the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund planned to award the Department of Education approx $44B in exchange for a commitment to advance education reforms through early education all the way to college (see link). Those individuals that have experience with teaching technology and special education seems to be in demand right now. Funding has already been allocated to fill these positions. Although children have just returned to school in our area (Raleigh/Durham), our district is posting more job openings each week.   I suspect other districts are experiencing the same situations, where the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funds are trickling in. According to a June 2009 report: Pearson Stimulus Pocket Guide, 50% of all funds should be allocated by end of fall 2009 (Title 1, Title II and Ideas Education. I believe this means that school districts should continue to hire for open reqs that are deemed critical in these areas.

The situation is bleaker for those that still have to complete the lateral entry process (like me). We are now competing with experienced teachers and/or already certified in that state. Basically these are the candidates that are primed and ready to go.

Despite this observation, I am an upbeat person and try to stay positive. For me it means networking is even more critical. It is also a great time to work on completing the lateral entry process. As a simple research project, it’s also great idea to spend time exploring specific areas where ARRA funds will be allocated. Making a career plan on what area to specialize in based on where ARRA funding will be allocated could be beneficial to me for the future. Stay motivated! Feel free to drop me a note and let me know you thought on teaching and your thoughts on future education funding allocations garla@smart-moms.net .

Garla

Key Tool In Finding A Job - Networking

garla@smart-moms-online.com — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:46:00 GMT

As I mentioned in my last entry, I am now a job seeker looking for a rewarding part-time opportunity. It is still important for me to have some flexibility to maintain Smart Moms, my family and be a presence in my children’s school.

I have been exploring a new career in teaching. My strategy has been Network..Network..Network

Just like our free ebook suggest, I have been asking my friends and those in my circles who they know in the school system. I have gotten introductions to a Recruitment Director, Superintendents, and Principals. Now is the hard part of calling, making an introduction and sharing what I am looking for. The key is just to “do it”. But before you do, it is important to explore your selling points or value. The key is to be able to sell yourself within 30 seconds to create an interest. Which is why everyone says it is so important to develop and practice your 30 second intro prior to your calls.

I am a big believer in networking and have witnessed its benefits.   I have seen the positive effects it had on growing a business. Within the Raleigh/Durham area, Smart Moms is a name that is common in the households of many stay-at home moms and many small-med businesses that are seeking a committed part-time employee or virtual worker. We have built our reputation by simply meeting and greeting everyone that we could in a variety of arenas. Our interactions consist of simply sharing who we are (our database makeup) and what we are looking for (part-time/flexible opportunities for our database members in a variety of fields). This strategy should apply whether you are looking for clients or potential employers.

Think about those answers for yourself:

1. Who you are – (your background)
2. What you are looking for

Create 2-3 short sentences that communicate this. Test it on others and look for a spark in their eyes or a follow up question from them. When you receive this you know you have a strong 30 second intro.

Best of luck with your networking!! Garla

Work Life Balance and Being Happy

garla@smart-moms-online.com — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 05:44:00 GMT
This is my first blog entry since my partner and I decided to suspend Smart Moms’ staffing services. We still have the job board open, but it has been tough to retain steady staffing clients that are interested in employing part-time workers. We have both decided to scale back Smart Moms a bit but still leave the critical resources up so that Employers and Moms can still find workers and opportunities that meets their needs. Amazingly, I am now in the boat with many other moms that are looking for part-time work that meets their lifestyle needs. A dear and long time friend sent me an article or being happy despite what is going on around me. I thought it was a great article to start off the blog. We are all searching for something. But in the mist let us be happy and enjoy the journey. Here is my researched “food for thought” for the day. Enjoy and be inspired! Work Life Balance and 10 Ways to Be Happier.