10 companies...

AOL news has some ideas for those who are(like me)needing part time work

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2009/01/16/10-companies-that-hire-part-time-workers/?ncid=AOLCOMMjobsDYNLprim0001

10 Companies That Hire Part-Time Workers
Posted Jan 16th 2009 3:19PM
By Rachel Zupek,CareerBuilder.com writer

For many people, working part time is a necessity -- not a choice. Perhaps they have to work part time in order to make ends meet, but did you know that almost 1.5 million people are working part time because they were unable to find full-time jobs?



In November 2008, the number of people who worked part time for economic reasons, meaning that they would like to work full time but couldn't because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to, rose to 7.3 million. That number is more than a 2 million-person increase over the past 12 months. Whether you're looking for part-time work to supplement your current income, you can't find full-time work or you just don't want to work 40 hours per week, here are just 10 companies in a variety of industries that hire for part-time employees;

1. 24 Hour FitnessWhat it is: A fitness center chain headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., and housing more than 425 clubs in 16 states. The club has more than 3 million members and more than 20,000 employees.

Available part-time positions: Personal trainer; group exercise instructor; facility technician; kid's club attendant; membership counselor and more.

2. Aegis TherapiesWhat it is: A geriatric rehabilitation center that provides physical, occupational and speech therapy services to older adults. It currently has more than 1,000 locations around the United States.

Available part-time positions: Physical therapist; speech pathologist; home health occupational therapist; occupational therapist; occupational therapist assistant and more.

3. AMF Bowling Centers, Inc. What it is: Headquartered in Richmond, Va., AMF is the largest bowling company in the world, owning and operating more than 350 bowling centers in the United States.

Available part-time positions: Bartender; counter desk attendant; birthday party host; entry-level mechanic; lane server and more.

4. Bayada NursesWhat it is: A home health-care company that treats patients of all ages in their homes to provide them with comfort. Bayada Nurses has more than 130 offices in 17 states.

Available part-time positions: Home health aide; pediatric nurse; registered nurse; nursing assistant; medical social worker and more.

5. Central Payment CorporationWhat it is: A national credit card processing company that encourages businesses to accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover credit cards as a form of payment. In conjunction with Wells Fargo Bank, CPC also offers companies check systems, gift cards, wireless solutions and other forms of payment.

Available part-time positions: Outside sales representatives; outside account representatives and more.

6. CVS CorporationWhat it is: A Fortune 25 company, CVS is a retail drug and pharmacy store. It fills or manages more than one billion prescriptions per year and has more than 6,200 operating CVS/pharmacy stores nationwide.

Available part-time positions: Beauty consultant; pharmacy technician; shift supervisor; cashier and more.

7. David's BridalWhat it is: A bridal retail shop with more than 280 stores across the nation. More than 2,500 trained consultants provide head-to-toe dressing, on-site alterations, special financing options, gown preservation services and coordinating attire for the entire bridal party.

Available part-time positions: Retail sales associate; alterations; seamstress; bridal consultant; wedding consultant; customer service representative and more.

8. NHS Human ServicesWhat it is: A community-based behavioral health-care provider that focuses on the special needs of adults and children in the following areas: behavioral health; intellectual and developmental disabilities; juvenile justice; addictive diseases; elder care; autism; special education; and early intervention and therapeutic foster care.

Available part-time positions: Mobile therapist; behavioral specialist consultant; therapeutic staff support; psychiatric technician and more.

9. Red Robin Gourmet BurgersWhat it is: A casual dining chain headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colo. They have more than 300 restaurants in the United States and Canada, plus a selection of more than 22 gourmet burger recipes with unique toppings like chili, guacamole or even a fried egg.

Available part-time positions: Server; host and hostess; dishwasher; busser; bartender; cook and more.

10. H&R BlockWhat it is: A tax services company that provides tax, financial, accounting and business consulting services and products. It has operations in three business segments: tax services; business services and consumer financial services.

Available part-time positions: Tax preparer and tax professional.*Please note that some positions require extensive training and certification; others do not qualify as a part-time position that you could work in addition to a full-time job. Select companies are hiring for both full- and part-time employees.

Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

11 top scams, and...

...what to do about them.
Got this list from my aol account.
As my Momma used to tell me, "There's no such thing as a free lunch.", and, "If it looks too good to be true, it probably isn't."

Work at home?

Another idea for making money check these out!
Most require a degree or experience, but I'll bet Brooke could qualify for the medical transcription one.
And if you don't freeze up on the phone making cold calls, I hate it, you could try the sales reps.
If you go the independent contractor route, do realize that you will have to file federal income taxes every 3 months. So make sure you have either a good accountant or some good tax software. AND stay on top of it!

10 WAYS TO MAKE BLOGGING WORK 4 U!

source and ways:

1. Ad revenue - Offering paid advertising on your blog is one of the easiest ways to see tangible evidence of the benefits of blogging.

2. Link swaps - Swapping links with other like-minded bloggers increases your standing with search engines. One of the biggest blogs available, problogger.net, recently completed a survey in an attempt to find where bloggers get the most traffic? The overwhelming response? Google at 46%. This shows us how important search engine ranking are. Link swaps are just one way to improve yours.

3. Reviews - Another growing trend online is that of the customer review. People appreciate reading the thoughts of others before they purchase a product. It doesn't seem to matter how big or small the product, either. Posting reviews of books you've read, CDs you love, etc, is a great way to generate traffic for your blog.

4. Free offers - Who doesn't love a freebie? There are many ways of using freebies to your advantage.You can offer a free ebook when someone signs up for your newsletter is an easy way to build your subscriber base. Many blogs also offer contests for those who post comments or interact in other ways on the blog.

5. Blog tours - Being a part in a blog tour is like being the next stop along the railroad. If set up correctly, the tour will send participants from one blog to the next to read more about whatever topic the tour is covering. I've participated in many blog tours for book releases. It's a lot of fun and a great way to bring new readers to your blog.

6. Networking - It goes without saying that building relationships with people is one of the oldest ways of gaining long-time, loyal customers (or in this case, readers). Taking part in the comments discussion on blogs and forums is a great way to do this. The key, though, is to be authentic. Don't simply blast places with the link to your blog; take part in the discussion and provide useful information - not just your URL.

7. Directories - Listing your blog in blog directories is probably not the best way to generate traffic, but it can be useful in certain ways. It's a great way to connect with other like-minded bloggers and possibly generate some link exchanges, etc.

8. Press/Media - Getting media attention can be challenging. One great way to bring your blog to the attention of the media is to send out Press Releases when something newsworthy happens on your site. For instance, when I offered a free e-book on my site for Mother's Day I put together a press release to announce it to the world.

9. Consistency - Posting on a regular basis is key. Try to find a schedule that works for you and stick to it. Even if you can't blog every day, work to get posts out there two to three times a week. Most blogging software, including Wordpress and Blogger, allow you to set the date and time our post will be published. Utilize tools like this to keep your blog consistently updated with fresh, new content.

10. Updates - Finding ways to keep your readers informed is a sure-fire way to keep them coming back to your blog. There are a quite a few ways of accomplishing this, such as offering a newsletter, setting up a Feedburner.com account, and making your RSS feeds easy to find and subscribe to.

Product Studies

One of the ways I bring in a little extra income while still staying at home is by doing 'studies' or product market research.

Often, these are tax free if you make under $600 per year, and they are all counted separately. If you do studies for several companies, you can really make some money!

Some studies are purely opinion surveys taken with a target group, and some actually have you use a product for a couple of weeks and then fill out a grading sheet on what you used.

With the former, I have done everything from grocery store arrangements to television news shows. 

With the latter, I have tried Swiffer mops, toilet paper, candles, dog/cat food, and very often Pampers diapers. On top of the payment, you get to use the product, which saves you from having to purchase it for at least a couple of weeks.

Of course, this is not a steady income, but instead acts as a great 'perk' to your usual intake. Landing a $55 study could mean not having to pay for prescriptions that month, or an extra treat at the grocer's that week. Landing a $150-$300 study could mean a home improvement, or another chip away at whatever debt you may have.

Getting started on these isn't hard. All you have to do is look for your monthly saver magazine. Around me, it's called Reach. Somewhere toward the back, there is a study opportunity page, usually. Even if the one in question doesn't apply to you, call anyway. Most places often run several different topics at once, and if you're in their database they could give you a call if something that fits you comes up.

I do studies for J&R Coordinating, Various Views Research, Q-Fact, Proctor and Gamble Diapers, and Hilltop Research. The latter has several nationwide offices.

Give it a try... If nothing else, it can be fun to sound off your opinions!