What should I do?

[veggie]

Hi everyone. Things are not going well and I need some opinions. For the last three months I have been steadily trying to build my clientele at the gym/day spa where I work. I no longer have that ability. I need a reliable income *now*. My sister, who used to watch my daughter for me when I was at work has had to move out of the state on very short notice, and my back-up babysitter started summer school this week, and won't be able to sit for me anymore. My husband can take care of her Tuesdays and Saturdays, and my mother in law can take her after 2:30 pm, but that leaves four days that I have no-one to watch her in the mornings and early afternoons. Right before my sister left I looked into daycare for her on those days and it will cost me over 200$ a month.

To make matters worse, my clientele that I've been busting my butt trying to build up have just dropped off the face of the earth. I used to have 4 standing appointments, and now I only have one. One of them got into a horrible accident and is going to be hospitalized for sometime. One has said she can't afford them anymore for right now. The other cancelled her mani because she broke a bunch of nails and I haven't heard from since. In addition, my occasionals have also dropped off the face of the earth. I used to get at least 2-3 other appointments per week from people with gift certificates, or people who only come in every month or so but don't/can't book very far ahead. For the past three weeks I have only had one other client besides my one weekly standing. The only good thing is that my weekly standing is an excellent client who gets lots of add on services every time and tips very generously.

So far it looks ike my income for this month is going to be half of what it was last month. This is not good!! As of this week I have had to change my hours until I can procure a new sitter, and I'm sure that's not going to help things either. I absolutely HAVE to get my clientele up by mid-August because my mother in law, who watches my daughter in the afternoons, will have to go back to work as a teacher, and any babysitter I find may also have to go back to school. I will have no choice but to pay for daycare at that time, and it will run me 350$ a month since it will have to be full time hours as well. I would need to be doing a bare minimum of ten clients a week by then. Last month I was doing about five a week on average, and this month it's been less than TWO! I just don't know if what I need to happen is even possible.

I also need to be saving for some things and I can't with what I'm making right now. When my sister left she took the car with her which we shared before. She will be paying us back for it, but can't for a while. In the meantime we have no car and my husband is leaning on me hard about it. He hates taking the bus to work. I also have to go to my best friend's wedding in early October, and that is going to cost me no less than 500$. I also need to get a more permanent form of birth control, as I've had one too many pregnancy scares lately, and that is going to cost me over 250$. Not to mention in September I will have to begin making my student loan payments. My husband's income basically just covers our regular expenses right now, and anything extra like that needs to come from my income.

I am trying to decide right now if I should stay on at the spa only a couple days a week, and work part time somewhere else (not neccessarily doing nails) to help boost my income, or if I should try to find a new job altogether with guaranteed hourly. The problem is, I really LIKE where I'm working, and the freedom I have. It's close to my house so I can walk there. I like the owner. She's a very nice, enthusiastic lady, who has invested alot of time and money into her nail room. I do not want to let her down. I know if I get a job with hourly I'm not going to have the same freedom I have now, and it would be a hard adjustment for me to make.

 

[lindag]

Well sweetheart, you like me are obviously in financial difficulty and in my opinion you need to do what I do only do the nails part time i.e. evening and weekends and work full time in a job but something not pressured or strenerous something like office work, I work as an office manager and handle it very well but it is very pressuring. if you do this for 12 - 18 months you will be supperised how quickly your financial problems will dissapear.

I know you are thinking 18 months is sooooo long but just remember how quickly your pregency flew in 9 months gone so quickly.

I wont say how much debt I own but its alot, I just bought a house for €215,000 and we have huge credit card bills (HUGE). and believe if we dont go mad in spending we can clear the cards/loans get a nearly new car in January and plan a €25,000 wedding for 2007.

I know going part time in the nails is not what you want to hear, but if you do it you could be really comfortable in 1 1/2 years to go back to your nail job full time.

You also said that you would have to pay $200 (?) a week for child care, use this to your advantage why dont your offer to mind children in your locality for $100 (people will snap it up because it is so much cheeper then the local company offers) a week if you mind three children that $300 a week plus what ever you get in the eveings and weekends on your nail appointment plus you get to watch your child grow up.

Just my thoughts

 

[jennylaurie]

Hi

How difficult is it to juggle everything job and bringing up children. Money is key, the bills are always there. I was really struggling, I am lucky I have family to look after the wee one but I do limit this so that I get to spend time with him. I have to say my husband has been so supportive. I used to be a personal assistant working full time on a really good salary and was the main earner, then when I had the wee one my priorities changed. I had trained previsouly to do nails and just did family and friends but I made the decision to go out and do it for a living. Things were really slow and I struggled financially but something that has helped me in the past few months is advertising that I am child friendly, and that I will welcome well behaved children into my home, (the parent is made fully aware thattheyare responsible for their child) and this has given my business a real boost, there are so many mums out there that don't get a chance to go to a salon. I offer the kids a juice and they can watch a video or play with the toys I have in a basket. My wee one just loves meeting the children, it gives him a chance to play with other children and it really has worked well, this is maybe something you could think about doing during the days you cant get cover. Just ensure you make the ground rules. I have to say I haven't had a problem child yet. Word of mouth soon gets round parent and toddler groups and nurseries and you soon start to get a regular client base. I gave it a lot of thought and Im sure like a lot of other people, credit cards bills are huge but I just keep plugging away as my husband says kids don't stay young for long, they soon go to school so make the most of your time with them now and once they go to school and I can work more hours then , in the meantime we get buy and that's enough for me. I wish you luck in what ever you decide to do and letus know how you get on.