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Very brief life story... (I hope brief) :
: edit: sorry, not very brief 
95% of my life has been self-employment, since age 15 anyway.
80% of that has been home renovations.
4 times, I got something different going, quit reno, then a few months to a couple years later, went back to reno.
I first thought about going into child care around 2005, did some thorough research in 2007, and decided no. Male daycare was pretty much non-existent, plus, income would be less than half of my reno work.
In 2009, I started doing full time reno work for the owner of 2 group homes, one for younger boys and one for older boys. Some of the boys were there long term, so I got to know them. Every now and then I would let them be my helper for little things, then a couple years later, I started feeling like I really want to work with kids. I dragged that on for a couple years, until the big change.
spring 2013...
Cousin of mine has 4 kids (3g, 5g, 5b and 7b), is single, and was fighting a battle with depression, and needed some time off. A friend of hers would take one or 2 of her kids for a few hours, but that didn't really give her a break, so I asked if she wanted me to take a couple when her friend did, so she could be on her own. She knew me her whole life, but was still one who thinks you don't leave your kids with a guy, BUT, she was desperate for a break, so said yes. For the next 4 months, her friend and I gave her lots of time off, sometimes for a few hours, other times, for a day or 2, and a couple times, even longer. I took days off work a few times to give her breaks (spend with the kids to be more accurate :: ). I realised how much I loved doing that, and again, looked into daycare. I found this forum, did a lot of reading for several months, then signed up. I also did preparation for my daycare, but according to research, there was no need in my area for it. (proof - In summer 2015 I saw yard sale ads for 4 closing daycares, so I did some shopping and talked to 3 of the sellers. They said the area centers like YMCA had openings, so there was no demand for home daycare)
So, summer 2015, I decided I AM doing daycare, but would have to move. Started researching supply/demand in other areas with plans to move in a few months, then, wham. The group home owner decided time to retire, close the group homes, no more work for me. Finances went downhill fast and in February 2016, I had to go on assistance. No way I could move now, so daycare was on hold again. I needed to either get more reno work, get a job, or do something else, save a little, then go, but since then, nothing has been working. Got a few job interviews, a couple small reno jobs, make a little money doing woodworking, did a photo shoot, a little tutoring, but no income.
For one more week, I'm living some place cheap. Spring 2015, I moved into a 2 unit building. Friend of mine was in the other unit. Summer 2015, owner disappeared. Gas got cut off. Had no idea where the mortgage was through, or who to contact to find out what's up, so I voluntarily took over. Put utilities in my name and put mine and my friends rent money and put it in a bank account until we were contacted by someone. Turns out is was a private mortgage and the mortgage holder had no plans to be a landlord, so he offered me cheap rent in exchange for being in charge. Fine with me. That was the same time my group home jobs stopped, so cheap rent was good. He decided he wants to sell the place and I couldn't buy it, so he listed it.
Back in November, I made a decision. One more try. Told all family and friends (total of about 10 people), that if I don't have something going by spring, I'm finished. I'll tell the owner, sorry, you have to deal with the building yourself because I'm leaving. I will store most of my stuff, pack my basics, and move where daycare is in demand.
Spring hasn't sprung yet, but my decision was made sooner than planned. The owner called me Saturday and asked if I can be out by the end of the month. Building is sold and the buyer wants to start using it right away. They have to give 2 months notice, but I said I can go this week, so I'm going to be very busy the next 7 days taking all my stuff to my mother's and storage. As soon as winter is pretty much over, I'm loading my van with clothes, computer, reno/woodworking tools and supplies, and about 10 boxes of daycare stuff from the 2015 yard sales, going East or West (separate thread), and going to start daycare. Do reno, woodworking, or part time job until daycare gets going.
Unless some drastic change occurs to keep me from moving away, by April, I'm moving and starting my new, and likely final, business. Daycare until I need to retire. Nothing else is working, so it must be that time.
This wasn't that long.
: edit: sorry, not very brief 95% of my life has been self-employment, since age 15 anyway.
80% of that has been home renovations.
4 times, I got something different going, quit reno, then a few months to a couple years later, went back to reno.
I first thought about going into child care around 2005, did some thorough research in 2007, and decided no. Male daycare was pretty much non-existent, plus, income would be less than half of my reno work.
In 2009, I started doing full time reno work for the owner of 2 group homes, one for younger boys and one for older boys. Some of the boys were there long term, so I got to know them. Every now and then I would let them be my helper for little things, then a couple years later, I started feeling like I really want to work with kids. I dragged that on for a couple years, until the big change.
spring 2013...
Cousin of mine has 4 kids (3g, 5g, 5b and 7b), is single, and was fighting a battle with depression, and needed some time off. A friend of hers would take one or 2 of her kids for a few hours, but that didn't really give her a break, so I asked if she wanted me to take a couple when her friend did, so she could be on her own. She knew me her whole life, but was still one who thinks you don't leave your kids with a guy, BUT, she was desperate for a break, so said yes. For the next 4 months, her friend and I gave her lots of time off, sometimes for a few hours, other times, for a day or 2, and a couple times, even longer. I took days off work a few times to give her breaks (spend with the kids to be more accurate :
: ). I realised how much I loved doing that, and again, looked into daycare. I found this forum, did a lot of reading for several months, then signed up. I also did preparation for my daycare, but according to research, there was no need in my area for it. (proof - In summer 2015 I saw yard sale ads for 4 closing daycares, so I did some shopping and talked to 3 of the sellers. They said the area centers like YMCA had openings, so there was no demand for home daycare)So, summer 2015, I decided I AM doing daycare, but would have to move. Started researching supply/demand in other areas with plans to move in a few months, then, wham. The group home owner decided time to retire, close the group homes, no more work for me. Finances went downhill fast and in February 2016, I had to go on assistance. No way I could move now, so daycare was on hold again. I needed to either get more reno work, get a job, or do something else, save a little, then go, but since then, nothing has been working. Got a few job interviews, a couple small reno jobs, make a little money doing woodworking, did a photo shoot, a little tutoring, but no income.
For one more week, I'm living some place cheap. Spring 2015, I moved into a 2 unit building. Friend of mine was in the other unit. Summer 2015, owner disappeared. Gas got cut off. Had no idea where the mortgage was through, or who to contact to find out what's up, so I voluntarily took over. Put utilities in my name and put mine and my friends rent money and put it in a bank account until we were contacted by someone. Turns out is was a private mortgage and the mortgage holder had no plans to be a landlord, so he offered me cheap rent in exchange for being in charge. Fine with me. That was the same time my group home jobs stopped, so cheap rent was good. He decided he wants to sell the place and I couldn't buy it, so he listed it.
Back in November, I made a decision. One more try. Told all family and friends (total of about 10 people), that if I don't have something going by spring, I'm finished. I'll tell the owner, sorry, you have to deal with the building yourself because I'm leaving. I will store most of my stuff, pack my basics, and move where daycare is in demand.
Spring hasn't sprung yet, but my decision was made sooner than planned. The owner called me Saturday and asked if I can be out by the end of the month. Building is sold and the buyer wants to start using it right away. They have to give 2 months notice, but I said I can go this week, so I'm going to be very busy the next 7 days taking all my stuff to my mother's and storage. As soon as winter is pretty much over, I'm loading my van with clothes, computer, reno/woodworking tools and supplies, and about 10 boxes of daycare stuff from the 2015 yard sales, going East or West (separate thread), and going to start daycare. Do reno, woodworking, or part time job until daycare gets going.
Unless some drastic change occurs to keep me from moving away, by April, I'm moving and starting my new, and likely final, business. Daycare until I need to retire. Nothing else is working, so it must be that time.
This wasn't that long.
. Maybe run simple workshops for small kids and also more complex ones for older kids.
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