If you’re new here, this post is your “how it all works” guide so you don’t feel lost on day one. Think of this space as part classroom, part community, part confidence-boosting zone. Let’s get you settled in with 7 simple steps!👇 👋 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗢𝗻𝗲 - 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 I’d love it if you could introduce yourself to the group. This is how we start building a supportive community where we can learn together, cheer each other on, and share ideas. Here is a post ready for your introductions! 💻 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗧𝘄𝗼 – 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 There is loads of free content waiting for you in the Classroom. Short videos, guides and resources designed to build confidence with everyday tech like Excel, Word, PowerPoint and now AI. This is where the good stuff lives, so go have a nosey here. 🎯 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 – 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁. Some people just dip into free content. Some want extra support, live sessions and deeper learning. You can upgrade or downgrade anytime with a click, no contracts, no pressure. View info on the pricing plans here. 💬 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿 – 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 Scroll, read, like and comment on a post that speaks to you. That’s how connection and a sense of community starts. The more you join in, the more you’ll get out of this space. And yes, engaging also unlocks extra freebies in the Classroom. Win! To understand the points levels, and how to level up, read this post. 📅 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲 – 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 Head to the calendar and see what live training sessions, expert talks or coffee social sessions are coming up. Add the ones you like to your diary so you don’t forget. Replays are available to purchase later if you miss one. Click here to go to the calendar.

I wanted to take a moment to explain how the different plans work in the community, so everyone knows what to expect and where things live. Nothing complicated – just clarity 💛 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 (𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲) This is the heart of the community and will always remain active. Standard members get: - Weekly learning posts and practical skill tips - Friendly support and encouragement from me and the community - Confidence-building help for everyday tech skills - Regular free mini courses and presentations across Word, Excel, PowerPoint and AI Free content isn’t a one-off – something new will always be happening here. Some classroom content may be available for a limited time, so it’s worth popping back to the community frequently if you’re on the free plan. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘂𝗺 Premium is for people who want a bit more continuity, confidence, and early access – without going all-in. Premium members get: - Everything included in Standard - Early access to weekly mini courses and presentations before they’re released more widely - Weekly “You Ask, Gemma Answers” posts The Ask Gemma posts are for judgement and direction – things like: - “Does this presentation make sense?” - “Am I over engineering this formula?” - “How can I improve the flow of this document?” - “What prompt shall I use to get the outcome with AI?” They’re about clarity and reassurance rather than step-by-step how-tos. Premium members also don’t need to worry about content disappearing after a window – anything released early stays available to them indefinitely. 𝗩𝗜𝗣 VIP is the full learning pathway and ongoing support. VIP members get: - Everything included in Premium - Full access to all associate-level courses for Excel, Word, PowerPoint and AI. Course information and samples are available at smartskillsacademy.net - Access to Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint tests. Course information and samples are available at smartskillsacademy.net - Live weekly AI training calls, with recordings included.

One of the nicest features in Skool is the way community owners can thank members for spreading the word via commissions. There are actually 2 ways you can create an income; 1. 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆: As a Skool member, if you recommend someone and they start their own Skool community you will get a % of the community member fee they pay. 2. 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆: Each community owner chooses the commission they want to offer. The maximum and most common is a whopping 40 percent! When you recommend a community using your personal invite link and someone joins through it, any fees they pay in the future will always be tracked back to you. That means you continue to earn commission for that referral, not just at sign-up, but ongoing while they remain a member. Think of it like recommending a restaurant you genuinely love. You tell friends about it because you want them to enjoy the same great experience you had. Now imagine the restaurant owner turns around and says “thanks for sending people our way” and shares a slice of the profits with you - every time they come to eat there. That is essentially what this model does. It rewards genuine word-of-mouth, not hard selling. 𝗔𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: Let's imagine someone joins a community through your recommendation and the link you shared. At first they have the free membership, so you get 40% of £0... wow! 🤣 But then a few months later, they really feel the benefit of the community and decide to trade up to a paid membership which is $10 a month... you get $4 a month, every month that they are a member. If your friend then buys an add on training course for a one off $40 fee, you get a one off $16. 🤑 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗯 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸: On your phone - go to the community 'About' page, click the three dots on the top right hand side and click 'Invite People'. A pop up box will appear with your personal recommendation link for that Skool. Share that link wherever you like. On a laptop or desktop - In most cases you will see the 'Invite' panel on the right-hand side of the screen. Click it and copy your link from there.