Friday, August 24, 2012

Decision Made

I was excited about joining the Banyan Tree learning center for a part time position.  But when I requested to work with them through my company they were not interested.  I do plan to promoted their assessments for my students if further details about a learning difficulty is discovered.

The day I was to start, my dad, who is visiting from Indiana could not see out of his right eye.  We made a quick trip to Scripts Urgent Care clinic where they found something (very small) embedded in his eye.

I hope to file for my fictitious name for my company next week. Then I can set up a bank account.  I also need to make a flier for the schools around here.

Now about the house:  The painters are finished, the tile has been completed, the plumber came and connected the hot water for the outdoor shower.  Also I hired an electrician who found another breaker box in my basement which fixed my lights in the basement.  (expensive way to learn how to reset a circuit.) The landscapers have just a few things left.  So I feel my house is finished for now.

My parents leave on Tuesday so I can start working on my business again.  My landscaper says he can help with my website and marketing.  I am so excited.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Job Offer

A local company which specializes in  educating special need students wants to hire me for teaching and administrative activities for $20 per hour.  This seems too low.  They also do not want me to tutor any students in my home.  I have a problem and don't know what to do.

Part of the reason I wanted to start my own business was for tax reasons.  Perhaps they could hire me as a contract employee.  I don't know what to do.  This company is about three miles from my house so about 7 minutes unless there is traffic and then it can take about 25 minutes.

This company would be giving me some excellent training.  They also have all the testing materials.  I don't have any standardized tests at my home yet.

On the home front, the painters should finish on Monday.  Today they are staining the garage door and repainting the front steps as I did not like the color I picked out.  It is so hard to pick out paint from a small chip about 1" by 1".  This is a concrete stain and is a medium brown now.
This is the meaning of a true roof deck.  My furniture was put up when they painted the deck floor.  Yesterday when the two tile guys were here one remarked, "Wow, you are better organized that most site managers."  I had three painters here as well as a landscaper and a plumber.  The day before yesterday I met with my gardener who will be shaping the front hedge and topping the California pepper tree in the back yard.  So I am going to pick up my surf board shower on Monday with hope of a quick installation.  Of course the deck and french drain need to be installed.
Another hot, sunny, and muggy day in San Diego so I need to decide to go to the beach or the pool.  Such decisions.


Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Skill set

I am wondering what skills I can offer to another company.  I have been a webmaster for the School of Education, Counseling Psychology, and Pastoral Ministries.  I updated the web for 14 years via the Liberal Studies Program, Chemistry Department, and the Pastoral Ministries program at Santa Clara University.  I know if should be updated on almost a daily basis.

I love training others on how to use technology.  In fact, while at Price Middle School, I helped veteran teachers learn how to use their smart board when I did not even have one yet.  I loved using it in the classroom and I think my students loved it also.  I use a mac and a pc. I had a computer for every student by my second year of teaching.  I know some of them were old but they worked.  I would love to work on empowering the Seniors around Point Loma and how to use technology.  I think I could help them use their cell phones better.  I can help them import pictures, use face time of skype to their grandchildren.  I have four laptops at home I can use for my tutor center and three printers. (too much)

Another skill I did not know I had was grant writing.  I wrote grants for things I wanted in my classroom.  I wrote a grant for a high speed scanner so I could have a copy of my students work for IEP meetings.  I also scanned to store to the students online portfolios.  I wonder how that project is going now.  I had to return the scanner to the school when I left so that is still in my 'to buy' list.  I would also like computer projector and portable printer.  This would allow me to bring my tools when I speak to PTA's and other interested groups.  Problems can occur when you try to use someone else's devices.

Fundraising skills come from my Pastoral Ministries program position.  I helped with events that generated money for scholarship programs.  We had fund raising dinners, silent auctions, and other various events.  I processed donations for various scholarships when I was in the School of Education at SCU.  I wrote newsletters with donations slips for our scholarship programs.  I also had a place on the web for donations.  I have run a few fund raising dinners but did the background work not the specific talks to raise money.

Update on the house:  The painters are here now just finishing the house.  They still need to paint the fence, refinish the garage door and front door, stain the deck and paint the two upstairs decks.  The tile guys are here started their work on the hot tub concrete deck.  The landscaper plans to start on Friday and the shower is ready for installation.  (But I don't have the deck and plumbing in for the shower yet.)

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Do I OR Don't I

This week has been interesting because I met with Nanci Engle who runs the Banysn Tree Learning Center. (http://www.banyantlc.com/)  When she saw my resume with webmaster on it, my MBA, my administrative experience she thought there might be a fit for me in her school.  She has two teachers leaving this year.  She reiterated how low the salary would be.  She charges $70 per hour for her tutoring.  I guess this is a result of a large overhead.  She need someone who can write grants, raise funds, and increase technology for the school.  They do not have one ipad for student use.

So now I need to think about working for someone else or do a tutoring business on my own.  I think I will go check out the autism school they have in Ocean Beach. Pioneer Day School 
( http://pioneerdayschool.org/)

On the home front, my painters have been working on the outside so my dogs bark at them everyday.  I still need to get the first floor bathroom to stop leaking.  No one has successfully determined where the leak is coming from and what is causing it.  The tile company wants to come tomorrow to install tile on the concrete patio by the hot tub.  The rotten window sill was fixed yesterday by the company who originally "fixed it" before we closed on the house in April.  I have unpacked four boxes of Larry's stuff in the garage.  I tried to 'sort' it into similar categories so I can put it on bins and then on shelves in the garage.

In my spare time I am still updating the church's database for its directory.  Now when I make a change in the database it is not reflected when I print out a directory.  I am going nuts!!!  I guess I will resort to calling the company for help.  I sent an email request but have not received a response yet.  I am organizing the church mission trip in October.  I still don't know how much work that will be...

My painter is suppose to put some test colors up for me to decide which one to paint my house.  I am off to church for the knitting group as we make blankets for newborns at the orphanage in Mexico.

Need to do.

File for fictitious name for my company - Point Loma Tutor
File for business liscence
File for tax number
Design flyer for schools
Update web page