Desperately Seeking Work
If your unemployment benefits are about to run out – don’t panic. There are things you can do to get a job to help make ends meet.

By Matt Krumrie, Star Tribune Sales and Marketing

Last update: December 1, 2008 - 5:37 PM
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Dear Matt: I have been laid off and I think my unemployment benefits are about to run out. How can I find out how long my benefits last? I’m really starting to wonder how I’m going to make ends meet because I can’t get a job. Do you have any advice on how to get a job - any job - that can help me stay on my feet until I find something?

Matt: According to information provided through the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, the duration of unemployment benefits will vary based on an individual’s recent employment history. The maximum is six months if your eceive your full amount each week. There is currently a temporary federal extension of benefits, passed by Congress,which provides a maximum of three months of additional benefits. Go to the”What’s New”area onMinnesota’s Unemployment Insurance Program home page (www.uimn.org),to see a list of eligibility requirements and to watch for any changes or additions to the federal extension. As for getting a job, working with a staffing company is one option. You can work as a temp to generate income while you are looking for other work, says Jackie Engmark, executive director of the Minnesota Recruiting and Staffing Association (www.mnrsa.org). She recommends selecting a staffing company that specializes in your specific skill area (IT, healthcare, administrative, engineering, sales, industrial, management, etc.) or geographic area. Another plus is that many staffing firms now offer benefits. And if your skills need a bit of help, the staffing industry provides free training for many workers in various fields. Another plus?

“Once you begin working you put yourself in a position to explore other opportunities within the company - opportunities that might never be advertised for or posted to the public,” says Engmark.

If you haven’t been able to find a job, consider trying a new job search plan. Don’t stick to what isn’t working - look for something new. One resource would be to sign up for The Simple Job Search Manifesto (www.thesimplejobsearch.com), created by Twin Cities résumé guru Kevin Donlin. This program includes a free job search e-book and information, tactics and tools to help find a job you want. Also, ISEEK.org is an excellent source of skills assessment tools, education and training information.

While you are looking for a career, you might just need a job at this point. Don’t be afraid to network with past employers and co-workers, friends, neighbors and members of any organizations you belong to let them know of your situation and that you are looking for work. This is no time to be bashful.

Health care steps in stimulus plan should mean cheaper, expanded insurance for the unemployed
By CALVIN WOODWARD , Associated Press

Last update: February 2, 2009 - 6:27 AM
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WASHINGTON - It will get vastly cheaper for most people to keep health insurance after losing a job if the government’s stimulus plan becomes law. Some nickel and dime cuts in health coverage for the poor will be reversed, too. Geek jobs in medicine will grow.

The billions to be poured into health care from the economic stimulus package will do little if anything about the chronic conditions behind the nation’s stubbornly large ranks of uninsured.

Instead the plan is a temporary lifeline, hasty measures for nearly desperate times.

Jobs aren’t the central point of the package sought by President Barack Obama, passed by the House and steered to the Senate.

The point is to cushion the blow from losing one.

For those who qualify, relief would be substantial.

Under a dramatic, temporary expansion of COBRA, the law that lets the unemployed keep health insurance from their old job for up to 18 months if they pay for it in full, costs would drop by about two-thirds for a year.

Moreover, people who lose a job they’ve had for 10 years could stay on COBRA at their expense all the way to age 65, when Medicare takes over, if they don’t get another job with insurance first. People 55 and over could do the same without meeting the 10-year requirement.

It’s so expensive for people to extend that insurance now that many don’t do it. It can quickly eat up a majority of unemployment benefits.

That’s just one of the steps to maintain health access in the worst economic conditions Americans have lived through in generations. And that’s the key — maintenance more than advancement.

People who lose jobs at businesses that employ fewer than 20 people don’t qualify for COBRA. For them, the government would bring many more jobless people under Medicaid’s wing. The feds would pay for this, plus give states much more money to run cost-shared part of the program.

In return, states taking the extra money would have to back down on some of the cuts they’ve made to the program recently.

Altogether it’s a pricey lifeline: $40 billion to subsidize health insurance for the unemployed and more than twice that to support Medicaid.

Budget hawks, whose voices are practically lost in the wind these days, wonder whether the relief really will be temporary. They know it’s politically tough for the government to take something back once people get a taste of it.

Witness the expiring tax cuts that former President George W. Bush won from Congress. Obama promised to continue most of those cuts while raising taxes back up on the rich. But with the recession so deep, it’s less likely he’ll seek to raise those tax rates after all.

The recovery plan also sets aside $20 billion for medical record-keeping, a sum likely to grow jobs in information technology.

Four in five doctors still rely on old-fashioned paper files. Digital records are bound to cut administrative costs and improve care by making it easy to share patient information. But conversion is a huge task, for which Obama wants to spend $50 billion over five years.

The economic recovery plan isn’t the only game in town when it comes to health care, although it’s the most expensive. The Senate has voted to extend government-sponsored health insurance to about 4 million of the estimated 9 million uninsured children. The House acts on that next.

___

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report.

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A study released today by the Washington D.C.-based National Association for Home Care and Hospice shows that the nurses, therapists, home care aides and others who serve elderly and disabled patients in their homes drive, on average, more miles annually than many driving professionals including UPS drivers.

“Caring for over seven million patients annually with 428 million visits, these dedicated providers of home care and hospice are feeling the same pain at the pump as other consumers, but they carry the added burden of the Administration’s deep cuts into Medicare and Medicaid benefits, says Val J. Halamadaris, President of the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC*). “These draconian cuts ignored the cost of living increases, chief among these is the rising price of gasoline — a commodity most essential for these traveling ‘road warriors’ of mercy. Home care patients are homebound - they are so sick, so chronically ill, they cannot leave their homes without assistance. If nurses do not get in their cars to visit them, there is no way to reach them. What will be precipitated is a full-scale national emergency,” added Halamadaris.

The study shows that the number of miles driven by healthcare providers in the home care industry reached 4.8 billion miles in 2006. (Compared with 2 billion for UPS annually) With the expansion in the use of lower-cost home care services as the average age of the U.S. population rises, the need for these services will continue grow exponentially.

While health care costs, in general, continue to rise, increasing gasoline costs have led to accelerating transportation costs for those caregivers traveling to their homebound patients. The study reviewed the number of miles driven by home health agencies, hospices, and other providers of in-home health care services. Most of this care is funded through Medicare and Medicaid programs, where fixed payment rates have not been adjusted to accommodate the increase in the cost of gasoline.

The study also found that in all areas of the country, those home care providers have curtailed service areas to reduce driving, closed off care access in remote parts of a state, lost care giving staff that cannot afford commuting costs, and reduced face-to-face visits to patients to conserve limited resources. At the same time, these providers report that their patients cannot travel to physician offices or diagnostic testing sites for needed care beyond that provided in their homes. These changes in patient services make home care providers even more essential when they are the primary caregivers.

Increases in other expenses, such as insurance, salaries and supplies, have also been on the rise. Further, in January 2008, the Administration imposed a regulatory cut of 2.75 percent on Medicare home health payments — nearly negating the market-based inflation update for this year. Additionally, similar cuts to home health payments in 2009, 2010, and 2011 are planned. The findings underscore the need for a series of actions to address the growing crisis in home care.

Halamandaris recommends that Congress take action now through the following steps:

1. Recognize home telehealth interactions as bona fide Medicare home health services; if home care nurses can do more monitoring of patients over the Internet, it will cut back in the number of miles they need to travel each week to visit patients and save those visits for critical care situations rather than routine monitoring

2. Require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to revise the method for calculating annual market-based inflation updates and establish a temporary fuel cost add-on to 5

3. Commit to preserve the annual inflation updates for home health and hospice as provided under the Medicare law

4. Reinstate the 5 percent rural add-on for home health services delivered to patients residing in rural areas

The National Association for Homecare and Hospice is the world’s largest trade association advocating for homecare and hospice care. The association, founded in 1982 and headquartered in Washington, DC, encourages development and delivery of the highest quality medical, social and supportive services to the nation’s frail, disabled and aged. Home health and hospice services range from high-tech skilled nursing and therapy to personal care management available by visit or around the clock.

http://www.nahc.org

CLICK HERE

Resource for Visiting Nurse Business Service

Business Development Rep - Private Pay - See original job posting at Job.com »
Visiting Nurse Association - Omaha, NE
Business Development Rep - Private Pay
Department:Business Development
Office: Visiting Nurse Association Omaha
Location: Omaha, NE
Description
This employee identifies the needs of referral sources and other customers specific to HomeAide, Telehealth products and annual Flu Campaign. Promotes Private Pay programs and services with the goal of increasing … view or apply to job
From Job.com - 26 days ago - save job - block

* See all Business Development Rep - Private Pay jobs
* Business Development Rep - Private Pay salaries in Omaha, NE
* Omaha, Nebraska job forum

Learn more about Visiting Nurse Association…

* Jobs at Visiting Nurse Association
* Visiting Nurse Service of New York Forum
* Find my contacts: Facebook - LinkedIn
* Research Visiting Nurse Association on Google

Visiting nurse is the same as homecare nurse.

“Home care”, “home health care”, “in-home care” are phrases that are used interchangeably in the United States to mean any type of care given to a person in their own home. Both phrases have been used in the past interchangeably regardless of whether the person requires skilled care or not. More recently, there is a growing movement to distinguish between “home health care” meaning skilled nursing care and “home care” meaning non-medical care. In the United Kingdom, “Homecare” and “domiciliary care” are the preferred expressions.

Home care aims to make it possible for people to remain at home rather than use residential, long-term, or institutional-based nursing care. Home Care providers render services in the client’s own home. These services may include some combination of professional health care services and life assistance services.

Professional Home Health services could include medical or psychological assessment, wound care, medication teaching, pain management, disease education and management, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy.

Life assistance services include help with daily tasks such as Meal Preparation, Medication reminders, Laundry, Light Housekeeping, Errands, Shopping, Transportation, and Companionship. Activities of daily living (ADL) refers to six activities (bathing, dressing, transferring, using the toilet, eating, and walking) that reflect the patient’s capacity for self-care. The patient’s need for assistance with these activities for the Study mentioned was measured by the receipt of help from agency staff at the time of the survey. Help that a patient may receive from persons that are not staff of the agency (for example, family members, friends, or individuals employed directly by the patient and not by the agency) was not included in the Study.

Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) refers to six daily tasks (light housework, preparing meals, taking medications, shopping for groceries or clothes, using the telephone, and managing money) that enables the patient to live independently in the community. The patient’s need for assistance with these activities was measured in the Study by the receipt of help from agency staff. Help that a patient may have received from persons who are not staff of the agency (for example, family members, friends, or individuals employed directly by the patient and not by the agency) was not included in this Study.

While there are differences in terms used in describing aspects of Home Care or Home Health Care in the United States and other areas of the world, for the most part the descriptions are very similar.

Estimates for the U.S. indicate that most home care is informal with families and friends providing a substantial amount of care. For formal care, the health care professionals most often involved are nurses followed by physical therapists and home care aides. Other health care providers include respiratory and occupational therapists, medical social workers and mental health workers. Home health care is generally paid for by Medicaid, Long Term Insurance, or paid with the patient’s own resources (including though reversed mortgage)

[edit] Aide worker qualifications

It is not a requirement that you have a GED or High School Diploma, you will need to check with your local Department of health for state requirements. Often aide workers have experience in institutional care facilities prior to a home care agency. Workers can take an examination to become a State tested Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). Other requirements in the U.S.A. often include a background check, drug testing, and general references.

[edit] Licensure and providers by State

California California is NOT a licensure state for non medical or custodial care services and therefore there are no barriers to entry, no consumer protection laws, no minimum standards yet and no official state oversight. In California the consumers and their families must adopt a “buyer beware” approach, do their homework and hire caregivers that are bonded and insured. This is why it is important to use a full service agency that has supervision and oversight of staff. Full service agencies also do pre employment background check (criminal)DMV checks and reference checks. Staff become the agency’s employee not an independent contractor or “under the table” person. Full service agencies also train, monitor and supervise the staff that provide care to clients in their home.

Florida Florida is a Licensure State which requires different levels of licensing depending upon the services provided. Companion assistance is provided by a Home Maker Companion Agency whereas Nursing Services and assistance with ADL’s can be provided by a Home Health Agency or Nurse Registry. The State licensing authority is the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA)

[edit] Payments and Fees

Home Health Aides Caregivers traditional work for state licensed agency are billed hourly at rate of about $11 to $25 depending on state. Since they are employees of the agency, the agency is responsible for the taxes.

Live-in Aides Live-in aides rates are between $80-$150 per day. The rates are 20-30% higher for 2nd care recipient. Live-in aides are available only though direct hire (see External links).

Additional Fees Agencies’ fees for non-medical home care are traditionally NOT reimbursed by State, Federal, or private insurance. However, private long-term care insurance will often reimburse policyholders for part of the cost of non-medical home care, depending upon the terms of the policies.

[edit] Compensation

RNs and Skilled Services In the United States, registered nurses employed in the home care field receive on average around $22.00 to $30.00 per visit. Some as much as $45-$55, and also receive 52 to 58 cents per mile tax free. Payment / reimbursement of other Skilled Services vary according to the specific discipline.

Home Health Aides Caregivers traditional work for state licensed agency are billed hourly at rate of about $11.00 to $25.00 depending on state. A Home Health Aid employed by the agency are paid between $5.85 USD (current US minimum wage) to approximately $10.00 (or more) per hour depending on location.

Direct Hire Caregivers Direct hire caregivers are aether employed by family or self employed. A direct hire home care aid is paid between $8.00 and $15.00 per hour depending on location, number of hours and experience.

January 13, 2009 Lori Porter, (417) 623-6049

National Front Line Caregiver Coalition Urges Swift Passage of Economic

Stimulus Bill to Help Protect Seniors,

Boost LTC Workforce, Strengthen U.S. Economy

Urges Sen. Daschle to Ensure Long Term Care Included in Broader 2009

Health Reform Package

Joplin, MO – Saying the care of America’s seniors and the strength of the national long-term care workforce are at stake in the ongoing debate surrounding a final economic stimulus package, the Coalition to Protect Senior Care today said the long term care sector is a significant contributor to the economic health of communities nationwide, and its stability is vital to stimulate needed economic growth and new jobs.

“Our message to the incoming Obama Administration and Capitol Hill lawmakers is that passing an economic stimulus package that includes a robust Medicaid component is a very wise investment due to the fact seniors’ care will be protected, long term care jobs will be created, and the nation’s economy strengthened,” stated Lori Porter, co-founder of the National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA), and a senior spokesperson for the Coalition to Protect Senior Care.

Noting that long term care accounts for 1.1% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) — $144 billion annually – Porter said the long term care workforce is an integral part of the local economic base in urban, suburban and rural communities alike. “Our lawmakers in Washington are being responsible in their effort to evaluate the wisest ways in which to invest taxpayer dollars, and any objective analysis will show that long term care job creation offers not just enormous benefits to local economies, but also protecting the growing care needs of a rapidly aging population in need of ever more care and services.”

But even with 2.9 million long term care employees, she observed, the sector still faces a critical workforce shortage as more than 110,000 direct care staff positions remain vacant and ready for new hires. “Recruiting and retaining well-qualified staff is a challenge even in the best of economic times, and investing federal dollars now will go a considerable way towards improving the long term quality of life for our seniors and the longer term economic stability of our local and state economies.”

Porter also said it is essential for federal and state lawmakers to better-understand the highly negative implications associated with the cross-subsidization of Medicaid by Medicare. According to Eljay, LLC, there exists a $4.2 billion differential between what the states cumulatively fund for Medicaid versus the actual costs incurred by providers. With our Governors wrestling with enormous pressure on their state Medicaid budgets, she said, the last thing seniors and frontline caregivers can afford is federal Medicare cuts like those proposed last week by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). “The MedPAC recommendation and the logic behind it was conceived in a manner oblivious to the real-world situation faced nationwide by seniors, caregivers and citizens who want jobs.”

Porter also praised president-elect Obama’s selection of former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) to spearhead health care reform efforts, and said Senator Daschle’s expertise in health care and the fair, judicious manner in which he conducts himself will benefit the content of any reform package as well as the process in developing it. “With the demand for long term care services expected to more than double by 2040, and with an increasingly irrational, ineffective funding policy, long term care is in need of broad-based reform, and we respectfully urge Sen. Daschle to ensure it is part of any overall reform bill.”

The Coalition to Protect Senior Care consists of the American Association for Long Term Care Nursing (AALTCN); the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA); the American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators (AANAC); the National Rural Health Association (NRHA); the American Association of Nurse Executives (AANEX); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA); the American Society of Health Care Administration Executives (ASHCAE); the American Health Care Association (AHCA); the American Health Quality Association (AHQA); the National Association for the Support of Long Term Care (NASL); the National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA); the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care; the Coalition of Women in Long Term Care (COWL); and the Senior Clinician Group.

Resource article for self employed Certified Nursing Assistant.

10 Stupid Mistakes Made by the Newly Self-Employed
April 10th, 2006 by Steve Pavlina          Email this article to a friend Email this article to a friend

Having been a non-employee for about 14 years now, I’ve made my share of stupid business mistakes.  I’ve also coached a number of people to start their own businesses, and I’ve seen many of them make similar mistakes.  This advice is geared towards small business owners, particularly people who are just starting (or about to start) their own business.

1.  Selling to the wrong people.

While sales are important to the survival of any business, you don’t need to push your business on everyone you meet, including friends and family.  Furthermore, it’s a waste of time to try selling to people who simply don’t need what you’re offering.

Selling to the wrong people includes trying to sell to everyone.  Some customers are much easier to sell to than others.  For example, my wife does web consulting for small businesses, and she’s learned that some clients are much harder to work with than others.  If a potential customer is broke and obsessively worried about every nickel they spend, if they want a web site but don’t know why, or if they simply don’t understand the Internet well enough, they won’t be a good client in the long run.  Feel free to say no to customers that are more trouble than they’re worth.  Let your competitors sell to them instead.  You’ll save yourself many headaches, and you’ll free up more time to focus on serving the best customers.

Just because someone is interested in doing business with you doesn’t mean you should accept.  In my first year in business, I probably said yes to at least 50% of the people who approached me with a potential business relationship.  I wasted a lot of time pursuing deals that were too much of a stretch to begin with.  I accepted lunch invitations from random business people who just wanted to “see if there’s a way we could do something together.”  Virtually none of them made me a dime.  If you think a meeting is pointless, it probably is.  Don’t network with random people just because you think you’re supposed to network.  Today I accept such invitations less than 1/10 as often.  If an offer doesn’t excite me right away, I usually decline or ignore it.  Most relationships simply aren’t worth pursuing.  Learn to say no to the weak opportunities so you have the capacity to say yes to the golden opportunities.

2.  Spending too much money.

Until you have a steady cashflow coming in, don’t spend your precious start-up cash unless it’s absolutely necessary.  I started my computer games business with about $20,000 cash (my own money), and it went fast; shortly thereafter I was using debt to finance the business.  Unfortunately, the original business model didn’t work, and it took five years before the business was generating a positive cashflow.  I soon learned that every dollar invested in the business was another dollar that eventually had to be recouped from sales.

In 2004 I started this personal development business with only $9 cash even though I could have spent much more on it.  No fancy logo, no snazzy web design, no business cards or stationary.  I paid to register the domain name, and that was it.  That’s as much as I was willing to spend before I started generating a positive cashflow.  All other business expenditures came out of that cashflow.

Your business should put cash into your pocket, so before you “invest” money into it, be clear on how you’re going to pull that cash back out again.

Obviously some businesses require lots of cash to start, but in the age of the Internet business, you can very easily start a lucrative business for pocket change.

3.  Spending too little money.

It’s also a mistake to be too stingy with your cash.  Don’t let frugality get in the way of efficiency.  Take advantage of skilled contractors who can do certain tasks more efficiently than you can.  Buy decent equipment when it’s clear you’ll get your money’s worth.  You don’t have to overspend on fancy furniture, but get functional furniture that helps you be more productive.  Don’t use an antiquated computer with outdated software that slows you down if you can afford something better.

It takes time to develop the wisdom to know when you’re being too tight or too loose with your cash, so if you’re just starting out, get a second opinion.  Often the very thought of getting a second opinion makes the correct choice clear.  If you can’t justify the expenditure to someone you respect, it’s probably a mistake.  On the other hand, there are situations where it’s hard to justify not spending the cash.

4.  Putting on a fake front.

Many one-person businesses refer to themselves as “we.”  That’s something a lot of new entrepreneurs do, but it isn’t necessary.  There’s nothing wrong with a one-person business, especially today.  My games business has mostly been a we over the years, but my personal development business is still an I.  My wife’s VegFamily Magazine business is a we, since she has a staff working for her, but her web consulting business is an I.  It’s perfectly OK to refer to your business as an I when you’re the only one working in it.  Pretending that you’re a we when you’re really an I is a bit silly.  It’s not going to gain you any respect in a way that matters.  Promoting yourself as an I may even be an advantage today, since people will know the buck stops with you, and if you make a promise, you’re the one who will carry it out.  Promises from a we sometimes aren’t worth very much.

If you’re a newly self-employed person, don’t pretend you’re anything else.  Price your products and services fairly for your level of skills and talents.  Some newly self-employed people think they must become actors.  The business they promote to the world is pure fantasy.  Trying to fool your customers in this manner will only backfire.  If you’re so desperate for business that you need to lie, you shouldn’t be starting your own business.  If you can’t provide real value and charge fairly for it, don’t play the game of business.  Develop your skills a bit more first.

5.  Assuming a signed contract will be honored.

I’ve made this mistake more than I care to admit.  I’ve had signed contracts with supposedly reputable corporations, and they weren’t worth squat when the CEO decided he wanted out of the deal, even for completely dishonorable reasons.  Sure I was in the right, but did I want to go to court to enforce it?  No, I’d rather continue doing meaningful work.

A signed contract is just a piece of paper.  What’s behind a signed contract is a relationship.  If the relationship goes sour, the contract won’t save you.  The purpose of a contract is to clearly define everyone’s roles and commitments.  But it’s the relationship, not the paper, that ultimately enforces those commitments.  When I understood this, I focused more on relationships and worried less about what was on paper, and my business deals went much more smoothly.  Once you start falling back on the paper, the deal is already in trouble.  Creative (and lucrative) business deals almost always stray from the paper contracts that represent them.  One of my attorneys, who had worked on dozens of game development deals, told me that no deal he worked on ever followed the contract exactly; most weren’t even close.  And these were big money deals in many cases.  Business relationships are similar to other personal relationships — they twist and turn all over the place.

Written contracts are still necessary, especially when dealing with larger corporations where people come and go, but they’re secondary to relationships.  Just don’t make the mistake of assuming that the contract is the deal.  The contract is only the deal’s shadow.  The real deal is the relationship.  Keep your business relationships in good order, and you won’t have to worry so much about what’s on paper.

It’s sad but true that there are loads of scoundrels in business.  Many of them hold titles like CEO, President, and CFO.  There are indeed people out there who seem to care about nothing but money, and they will lie, cheat, and steal to get it.  In recent years some of the more despicable ones have gotten themselves indicted (or are already behind bars).  But there are plenty of others to whom the word honor has no meaning.  For example, in the computer gaming industry, it isn’t unusual for large publishers to feign interest in certain games and string the developers along.  They give the developer every indication that a deal is pending, but all the developer sees are delays and false verbal promises.  In reality the publisher only wants to keep the game off the market to keep it from competing with one of their own titles; they hope to cause the developer to miss the next Christmas season or to run out of cash and cancel the title altogether.  It happens.  Business, especially the entertainment industry, is not for the timid.

6.  Going against your intuition.

Intuition is just as important in business as it is in other settings.  You’d be amazed at how many gigantic corporate deals are green-lighted or red-lighted because of some CEO’s gut feeling.  While you might think that logic is the language of business, that’s far from reality.  If you base all your business deals on hard logic and ignore your intuition, most likely you’ll be in for a world of hurt.

We humans aren’t very logical to begin with.  We simply don’t have enough data to make truly logical decisions because business deals depend on human beings, and we don’t have a logical system for accurately predicting human behavior.  Not being able to predict how other humans will behave is a pretty big gap in our logic.  And intuition has to fill that gap.  The real performance of human beings is what makes or breaks business deals.  But to assume everyone will perform as expected is unrealistic in the extreme.  No deal ever goes perfectly.

It’s hard to say no to a deal that seems juicy by the numbers when my gut is saying, “You’ll regret it,” but more often than not, I later see evidence my intuition was right all along.  Sometimes I just get a bad read on someone, and then years later, several people I know are complaining about being ripped off by that person.

Intuition is a critical part of the decision-making process in business.  Since business deals depend on relationships, you need to get a read on the other people involved in any deal you consider.  If you get a bad read, walk away.  If you get a good read, proceed with caution.

7.  Being too formal.

I’ll say it again.  Business is built on relationships.  In some settings a certain degree of formality is appropriate, but in most business situations being too formal only gets in the way.  Business relationships work best when there’s a decent human-to-human connection behind them.

I think it’s a mistake to be too formal even when looking to establish new business relationships.  If someone mails me a letter that starts with “Dear Mr. Pavlina” and then goes on to explain a long-winded business proposal, I’ll usually just trash it, especially if it uses the word “we” a lot.  Better to fire off an email with a “Hi Steve,” and just ask me very informally if I’m interested in the kind of arrangement you’re seeking.  It saves time and opens the door to a real human relationship.  Human beings don’t want to build relationships with faceless corporations.  They only want relationships with other human beings… sometimes animals too I suppose.

Treat your business relationships like friendships (or potential friendships).  Formality puts up walls, and walls don’t foster good business relationships.  No one is loyal to a wall… except the one in China.

Formality is boring and tedious.  People want to enjoy their work.  If someone address me like a computer, I’ll respond in kind — by hitting delete.  But if someone demonstrates they have a real personality and a good sense of humor, a connection is far more likely.

8.  Sacrificing your personality quirks.

In the early years of running my games business, I took myself too seriously and assumed that I had to act “businesslike” … whatever that meant.  Being self-employed was a weighty responsibility, and other people were counting on me.  Sink or swim, right?

I started my games business in my early 20s, and people in their early 20s are invariably weird.  But I assumed that as a business owner, being weird wasn’t appropriate or acceptable.  So most of my business letters and emails looked like they were written by the same people who created Microsoft’s EULAs.  The job title of “President” really went to my head.  I learned how to function without a personality.

It took a number of years, but eventually I became comfortable just being myself, especially after my games business became profitable.  Now that I’m a blogger, my personality quirks and unusual experiences are strengths.  My personal oddities give this blog a unique flavor.  If I were to take myself too seriously and write more formally, this blog would be very dull and would likely lose much of its audience.

It’s perfectly OK to be your own weird self and to inject your own unique spirit into your business, especially if you’re in your teens or 20s.  Don’t be afraid to be more like Steve Jobs… and less like Steve Ballmer.  Don’t pretend to be something you’re not.  Ultimately you’ll enjoy your work much more if you attract the kinds of customers and partners that want to work with you for who you are — warts and all.  Send the people who only want to work with androids to your corporate competitors.  They deserve each other. 

If other people can’t handle your weirdness, too bad for them.  Focus your energy on the people who can.

9.  Failing to focus on value creation.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the purpose of a business is to make money.  But the real purpose of a business is to create value.  While it’s possible to make money in the short run without creating much value, in the long run it’s unsustainable.  Even criminal organizations have to create value for someone.  When you know your business is just sucking value away from others without providing anything in return, it will erode your self-esteem, and the business won’t be much fun to run.

Why does your business exist?  It exists to provide some sort of value, both for you and your customers.  The better you understand what value you’re trying to provide, the better you’ll be able to focus.  The basic value provided by my games business was cerebral entertainment.  The basic value provided by StevePavlina.com is personal growth.  Too often business owners aren’t clear on what value they’re trying to provide.  They just sell stuff and hope for the best.  That’s a lousy business model.  The world doesn’t need more selling or more stuff.  But it always needs and wants genuine value creation, and that’s where you should direct your efforts.

Presently this web site contains over 400 free articles.  That’s a lot of value creation.  Thousands of people visit each day to receive some of that value.  Helping people grow is the business’ primary aim.

10.  Failing to optimize.

Although value creation is essential to a sustainable business, it’s equally naive to assume you can simply focus on creating value, and the rest will take care of itself.  You may build a business that provides good value but loses money.  As a business owner, you need to find a way to deliver your value in a cost effective manner.  Most likely your first attempt will be very suboptimal.  You’ll waste too much time, money, and resources trying to produce and deliver your value.  That’s OK though.  Many businesses start out that way.  Just don’t let yours stay that way.

Once you have a particular business process in place, pull it apart and re-optimize it from time to time.  Look for ways to make it more efficient.  Can you get it done in less time?  At less cost?  Can you do it less frequently?  Can you outsource it?  Can you dump the process altogether?

I used to process credit orders for my games business manually.  I started the business in 1994, and when I’d receive an order through the mail or via my web site, I’d use some software to input and run the orders by modem.  At the end of each month, I’d manually tally the sales.  That worked fine when sales were low, but it became burdensome as more products were released and sales increased.  Several years ago I upgraded the process such that online orders were fully automated, including instant delivery of the game download.  All orders are recorded in a database, and I can view real-time reports to see how sales are doing for each product.  It took some work to set this up, but it was well worth it.  That one optimization saved me a lot of time and effort, and I don’t have to pay high fees for a third-party order processing service.

Don’t fall into the trap of using archaic methods for doing routine tasks that could be automated, including inventory management, billing, accounting, order processing, communications, and marketing.  If you find yourself doing the same repetitive tasks month after month, make sure you put some effort into optimizing them.  Not optimizing is like throwing time and money down the drain.  It’s often much easier to save time and money than it is to create them.

An Internet business has abundant opportunities for optimization because it’s so easy to try new things and measure the results.  In the first year after launching this site, I experimented quite a bit with Google Adsense.  Many people don’t like the ad layout on this site, but it’s the most effective layout I’ve tried so far.  I use it because it works.  Adding the donations page was another optimization.  Some people click ads, some people donate, and some do both.  So even though value creation is the primary aim of the business, this is still a for-profit business and needs to generate income in order to be sustainable.  If I don’t eat, I don’t write.  More money means more resources for ongoing value creation.  So value creation and optimization go hand-in-hand.

It takes significant effort to build a successful business, but it’s also a tremendous growth experience.  I know many people who have quit their jobs to run their own businesses.  Many of them didn’t do as well as they’d hoped, but I don’t know any that regretted taking the plunge.  There’s simply no substitute for holding the reins of your own destiny.

*IMPORTANT RENEWAL INFORMATION, CNA Certification EXPIRE 12/31/2007*
CNA License/certificates expire on 12/31/2007. If you do not renew your license/certificate by 12/31/2007 it will become delinquent and you will be required to pay a delinquent fee of $50, in addition to the renewal fee. The renewal must be postmarked by 12/31/2007.
You cannot work on a delinquent license/certificate. Working on a delinquent license/certificate is cause for discipline and must be reported to the Board.
If you do not perform nursing duties for pay in any two year period you will have to retake the exam. There are no exceptions.
The Department of Health will begin mailing renewal forms to all CNAs certified in the state on September 14. Upon receipt of your renewal notice, you may renew your license online at www.flhealthsource.com. If you do not have your user id and password, click on Licensees/Provider button then click on Renew License then click on Forgot Login Information. This will allow you to reset your user id and password. If you have not received a renewal form by October 17, 2007 please call 850-488-0595. After you renew online, you may print a temporary license/certificate to verify your renewed license/certificate until you receive your renewed license/certificate in the mail. You will not be able to renew online until September 14.
Half of the CNA license/certificates will be renewed for two years, expiring on 12/31/2009, and the cost for this group is $55 ($50 renewal and $5 unlicensed activity fee). The second half of the group will be renewing for three years with the new license/certificate expiring on 12/31/2010, and the cost will be $80 ($75 renewal and $5 unlicensed activity fee).. The $5 unlicensed activity is charged to every profession.
You must renew your license/certificate even if you do not receive a renewal notice. If you have not received a renewal notice you may visit www.flhealthsource.com to renew online. You may call 850-488-0595 for a copy of your renewal form.
If you do not receive your new license/certificate within 30 days of mailing your renewal notice and fee please e-mail mqa_licensureservices@doh.state.fl.us please include your name, license number and address.
For in-service hour requirements please visit our website at: www.doh.state.fl.us/Mqa/cna/cna_inserv-req.pdf

Best Places for Nurses in the USA

Minority Nurse recently announced a list of top ten cities and regions in the US that offer the highest salaries and the most number of opportunities for nurses.

Among the top ten include (in alphabtical order) Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; Houston, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Oakland, CA; Phoenix and Meza, AZ; Tampa and St. Petersburg, FL; and West Palm Beach, FL.

Summary:

Atlanta, GA
Annual Mean Salary for RNs: $53,360
Cost of Living Index: 97.7 (Lower is better)
Future Trends: Demand for nurses in Georgia will increase an estimated 51% from the year 2000 to 2020.

Baltimore, MD
Annual Mean Salary for RNs: $70,100
Cost of Living Index: 119.5
Future Trends: Demand for nurses in Maryland will increase an estimated 36% from the year 2000 to 2020.

Boston, MA
Annual Mean Salary for RNs: $70,460
Cost of Living Index: 136.4
Future Trends: Demand for nurses in Massachusetts will increase an estimated 29% from the year 2000 to 2020.

Charlotte, NC
Annual Mean Salary for RNs: $54,740
Cost of Living Index: 90.3
Future Trends: Demand for nurses in North Carolina will increase an estimated 51% from the year 2000 to 2020.

Houston, TX
Annual Mean Salary for RNs: $58,720
Cost of Living Index: 88.1
Future Trends: Demand for nurses in Texas will increase an estimated 57% from the year 2000 to 2020.

Las Vegas, NV
Annual Mean Salary for RNs: $59,470
Cost of Living Index: 107.6
Future Trends: Demand for nurses in Nevada will increase an estimated 59% from the year 2000 to the year 2020.

Oakland, CA
Annual Mean Salary for RNs: $80,270
Cost of Living Index: 143.9
Future Trends:
Demand for nurses in California will increase an estimated 58% from the year 2000 to 2020.

Phoenix and Mesa AZ
Annual Mean Salary for RNs: $56,960
Cost of Living Index: 100.4
Future Trends: Demand for nurses in Arizona will increase an estimated 61% from the year 2000 to 2020.

Tampa and St. Petersburg, FL
Annual Mean Salary for RNs: $52,960
Cost of Living Index: 98.8
Future Trends: Demand for nurses in Florida will increase an estimated 63% from the year 2000 to 2020.

West Palm Beach, FL
Annual Mean Salary for RNs: $57,930
Cost of Living Index: 118.9
Future Trends: The percentage of elderly citizens in West Palm Beach will continue to grow at a rate that outpaces the rest of the country.

For the full story, check out minoritynurse.com

Becoming a nurse in the US

This post was initially intended as an answer to a question posted by one of my visitors, but I’ve decided to make it an entirely new blog entry so that others may also read it.

I often encounter a lot of people who get confused about the entire US nursing application process. Although there are many resources on the Internet that provide information on this, I guess many still get lost and don’t know where to look. Others, perhaps, look for a crystal ball that can provide answers in a jiffy without making them sweat even just a little when searching. Still, questions need to be answered, regardless if you belong to the first or the second, so I hope this satisfies those who are looking for information.

Most of what I’ll explain here was already discussed in previous posts, particularly in the NCLEX series of articles. Part 1 of the series is at the end of this link.

To be able to work as a nurse in the US, you must have the following:
1. US Nurse license
2. US Visa that allows you to live & work there
3. Employer, of course

Nurse licensure
To get a nurse license in the US, you must apply for licensure and pass the NCLEX-RN. Each of the fifty US states have DIFFERENT requirements. To learn about these requirements, just go to each State BON’s Web site and download an application packet. You must meet all the requirements before you are ELIGIBLE to register for the NCLEX-RN. Please note that I used the word “register”. If you are given an “Eligibility” by the state BON, you still can’t take the NCLEX. Not just yet. Once you get the eligibility, you must register with Pearson-Vue, who will then confirm to the state BON that you are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN. Once Pearson-Vue makes the confirmation, it will issue what is called, the Authorization To Test or the ATT. After that, you can proceed to make an appointment for your exam.

Note that choosing a US State for your nursing licensure and taking the NCLEX exam are two different things. This is where most of the confusion arises. Each state will have its own requirements and US state BONS have varying processing times for licensure applications. Some states will probably issue an eligibility in as little as 2-3 months, while others may take 6 or more months. This depends on many factors–such as how fast you complete all your requirements, how many other applications are being processed, or how many people are working for the processing agency. Certain states process applications fairly quickly; Vermont, for example, has a reputation for fast processing. In California, applications are processed from as fast as 3 months to more than 6 months.

When deciding which state to apply for nursing licensure, make a decision based on where you really want to work, and not just how fast your papers will move. Although you can apply for ENDORSEMENT, this takes another set of requirements and another set of fees and you’ll end up paying more than if you apply directly to the state where you want to live and work.

As I’ve said, choosing a State and taking the NCLEX are two separate events. When you have already chosen a US State and have been given an eligibility, you can choose whereever you want to take the NCLEX-RN test. When you register with Pearson-Vue, you can choose to sit for the exam either in the US, provided you already have a US visa to travel to the US, or you can take the exam in U.S. territories such as Guam or Saipan, or you can go to Hong Kong or other Asian countries where the NCLEX-RN is administered. You may also elect to stay here in the Philippines, where you can already sit for the NCLEX-RN. Click here to see where Pearson-Vue in Manila is located.

Before issuing a nursing license, most US state BONs require that you already have a US Social Security number. However, you CAN’T get a SSN unless you are an immigrant in the US, or a legal resident, either through student visas, working visas, or others. So, even if you pass the NCLEX-RN, you won’t be issued a nursing license unless you have been petitioned for the US by an employer. And, so, the next step begins.

Getting a US visa
There are different types of visa issued by the US government that allows you to visit, stay, or work in their country. Nurses, being classified in the shortage occupations category or Schedule A, immediately get an immigrant visa, unlike other professions that can be petitioned through employment-based visas or working visas. To be eligible for sponsorship, you must have a legal US employer who will sponsor your visa petition. You must also submit certain documents; among these documents is the VISASCREEN Certificate, for which you must submit an application to CGFNS. CGFNS will only issue you a Visascreen if you have (A) either passed the NCLEX-RN OR have the CGFNS Certificate (through the CGFNS exam) AND (B) a passing score for an accredited English exam, such TOEFL or IELTS.

Retrogression
The U.S. government allocates only a certain number of visa numbers every year, meaning only a number of visa applicants can be given a visa for a given year. Because of the huge number of foreign nurse applications to the US, there is a backlog of applicants who are still waiting for their visas to be issued. This backlog goes back a few years. For nurses, if I recall correctly, the backlog stretches as far back as 2002 (for confirmation). So, this means that current applicants can’t be issued a visa yet. Nobody knows when visas will be available again. There are ongoing efforts to resolve this, but nothing is definite at this time. We, at the Filipino Nursing Herald, try to keep up with the latest news on retrogression, so check back regularly for updates.

Getting an employer
After passing the NCLEX, getting an employer should be your next goal. Although there is still retrogression, there are a number of employers who continue their recruitment drives, knowing that visas will be available again, hopefully, soon.

When choosing an employer, scrutinize contracts and agreements carefully if you have been given an offer. Consult with relatives, friends, and ask questions in public chatrooms so that you can gather as much information that you need to make a decision.

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