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The Best Degrees for Becoming an Entrepreneur

Aspiring entrepreneurs will benefit greatly from attending college and getting a degree. After all, knowledge is the key to success, and what’s a better way of succeeding than getting a quality education from experienced professors? There’s no one degree that an entrepreneur has to get in order to thrive in the business world—in fact, if entrepreneurship is what you’re aiming for, you have many options. Here are a few of them.

  Business

  Getting a degree in business might seem like the most obvious of potential majors, but it works for a reason. By getting a business degree, you’ll learn every part of planning, launching, operating, and protecting a business. This degree is beneficial because of its usefulness in various industries, ranging from healthcare to retail shops. The basics of business are the same no matter what company you decide to create, and having a degree in business gives you a deep understanding of the world you’re stepping into. 

  Computer Science

  Most people who think of computer science probably think of programming computers, but that’s not the only thing this degree can be used for. People who have experience in software and app development are crucial in the business world, as they’re the ones who are able to create business-based apps for potential customers to use. 

  Computer science is perfect if a tech-based startup is what you want to do, and you’ll be able to keep up with the new technologies and trends that are released every day as you’ll have a foundation for understanding it all. Having a computer science background is especially useful when it comes to hackers, as you’re then in a better position to develop and test security programs for your business.

  Psychology

  There’s more to psychology than being a therapist. As a psychologist, you have the innate ability to understand people: their relationships, their motives, their behaviors, etc. A critical part of entrepreneurship is being able to relate to and inspire people, whether they be your employees or your customers. With a degree in psychology, you can do just that. This becomes especially useful when you’re planning sales and marketing strategies, mapping out your ideal employee, and interacting with vendors and customers. 

  You can take it a step further by going for a master’s degree in psychology with a concentration in entrepreneurship, which will further improve your communication and research skills.

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What You Should Know About the U.S. COVID-19 Vaccine

As news crops up every day about new vaccines for the COVID-19 virus, it’s common (and expected) for people to have questions about what they’ll be putting into their bodies. The coronavirus has had a devastating impact on the world, and to feel skeptical about a new vaccine isn’t far-fetched. Luckily, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a list of facts about the United State’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program and its vaccines.

  1 ) Safety is the top priority.

  Safety is the first and foremost priority when it comes to developing vaccines, which is why the CDC developed a new tool called v-safe. It provides an additional layer of safety monitoring that increases their ability to detect safety issues at a much quicker rate than before. The tool is smartphone-based and meant to be a health checker for people who have received the COVID-19 vaccinations.

  2 ) There are two doses required.

  As of this writing, people who receive the currently available COVID-19 vaccine will need two doses of the shot, with the second dosage coming three weeks after the initial shot. In order to be protected against this disease, people must receive both shots.

  3 ) There’s currently a limited supply of vaccines.

  Everyone will eventually be able to get the COVID-19 vaccination, but presently there is a limited supply available. Because of this, the CDC has recommended that priority be given to healthcare workers and the residents of long-term care facilities.

  4 ) There will be side effects.

  This is normal. Side effects from the COVID-19 vaccination will feel akin to the flu, potentially even affecting a person’s ability to do daily activities for a few days. Information on what to expect from these side effects and tips on how to handle them can be found here.

  5 ) Don’t worry about the cost.

  Vaccine doses are being purchased with American taxpayer dollars and are therefore being given to the people at no cost. However, vaccination providers are able to charge administration fees for giving someone the vaccine. Providers can get this fee reimbursed through a person’s health insurance company or by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provider Relief Fund.

  6 ) The current vaccine is being used under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

More vaccines are being developed and tested at the moment other than the one being distributed right now. Once these vaccines are authorized or approved by the FDA, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will hold public meetings and review all available data so they can make recommendations on their usage. All ACIP-recommended vaccines will be included in the U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Program. 

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What Are the Elements of Transformational Leadership?

Many companies want to be able to implement transformational leadership strategies so they can get where they want to be. It’s important to understand the basic elements of transformational leadership so that you can find success. Keep reading to learn more about transformational leadership. Once you understand the basics, it’ll be easier to implement transformational leadership theories in your place of business. 

Being a Positive Role Model

The first major element of transformational leadership is being a positive role model. Positive role models can help people to change their behaviors by giving them a good example to follow. Leaders can set a standard that employees will want to follow. Leaders that adhere to principles like this will always be able to show team members how they want things to be done. 

Providing Inspiration

Another key element of transformational leadership is providing inspiration to employees. Great leaders are able to use charisma and social skills to inspire workers to do their best. Motivated employees will be ready to give it their all and they’ll want to perform well to live up to the expectations of an inspirational leader. Different leaders will have different methods for providing inspiration and motivation to employees. 

Giving Personal Attention

Transformational leadership should also involve giving personal attention to employees. Leaders who show concern for the well-being of their employees on an individual level will have an easier time relating to their employees. They will be able to work closely with them and help them develop over time. Some transformational leaders even go so far as to mentor specific employees to help them achieve their potential. 

Using Intellectually Stimulating Leadership

Finally, you should know that transformational leaders often use intellectual stimulation to help people improve. Leaders are able to challenge their employees or team members to think creatively so they can grow. Leaders that are ready to challenge employees to become the best versions of themselves can help push their employees to new heights. Employees that are ready to rise to the occasion will see many benefits from working under this type of leadership. 

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Business Ideas for Aspiring Healthcare Entrepreneurs

You likely know that the healthcare industry is rapidly growing. The healthcare needs of the world need to be met and many businesses are looking to step up to help provide solutions. If you’re an aspiring healthcare entrepreneur, then it’s important to have a solid business idea that you can work with. Take a look at the following business ideas so that you can be inspired and find your own path.

Managing Medical Records

Managing medical records is a big problem for many healthcare facilities. There are a large number of records to take care of and healthcare facilities need logical solutions that are easy to implement. Starting a business that can help to solve the problem of managing these medical records is sensible. You could offer records management services to various healthcare facilities if you think that this type of business endeavor suits you.

Making a Healthcare App

App development is a large field and many people are looking to make the next great app that will catch on. If you’re an aspiring healthcare entrepreneur, then you might see the potential of creating a beneficial healthcare app. Apps might be able to help patients manage certain conditions and there are many ways that you could benefit the healthcare industry by developing an app. This entrepreneurial opportunity is only limited by your imagination and your ability to develop such an app.

Physical Therapy Services

People need to be able to have access to physical therapy services when they’re recovering from certain injuries. Owning a physical therapy clinic of some kind could be a great business idea. This will allow you to make a difference in people’s lives while also putting yourself in a good financial position. You might also want to consider occupational therapy clinics that provide long-term care for enfeebled patients.

Rehab Facilities

It’s no secret that there is an opioid crisis in America and that many people struggle with various forms of addiction. A rehab facility is a very practical business idea that can help people to overcome the things that they are addicted to. There might be challenges that you will face when operating a facility such as this but you can also make a positive impact in the community. Rehab facilities have the potential to change people’s lives for the better.

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The Benefits of Encouraging Employee Creativity

If you want to find solutions to problems, it might be beneficial to encourage employee creativity within your company. Companies that have creative employees are able to approach problems in different ways than normal. Sometimes employees will be able to come up with creative ideas that will become complete game-changers. Read on to explore the benefits of encouraging employee creativity. 

Better Staff Morale

People get tired of being forced to do redundant tasks day in and day out. If you allow people to do things in creative ways, they will suddenly feel more interested in what they’re doing. You can improve staff morale significantly by encouraging employee creativity. They won’t feel like they’re stuck doing the same old tasks when they’re focusing on creative solutions to familiar problems. 

Improved Staff Interactions

If your staff is being creative, there is a good chance that they’re collaborating with one another. You’ll be able to see improved staff interactions due to taking this approach. People will be grouping up to tackle problems and you’ll also notice that your employees are learning from each other. This can really help you form cohesive teams that will be ready to tackle whatever problems you will throw at them. 

Better Problem-Solving Skills

Of course, encouraging creativity is going to help a lot when it comes time to solve problems. Creative thinkers have the ability to look at a problem and see multiple solutions. You might be surprised by some of the creative solutions that are brought up by your employees. If employees can be allowed to showcase their creativity, it could even lead to certain breakthroughs that will make your company better than ever. 

Increased Productivity

Finally, encouraging creativity in employees will also lead to a substantial boost in productivity. When employees are encouraged to think in creative ways, they’ll be much more engaged in what they’re doing. This will lead to them handling tasks more efficiently and you’ll see your productivity spike. Employees will be able to take care of issues much faster than normal if they are allowed and encouraged to be creative. 

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Creating a Patient-Focused Culture

If you want to succeed as a healthcare business or a hospital, then you need to make sure that you’re putting patients first. Some hospitals and medical facilities don’t do the best job of making patients the focus of everything that they do. Patients might have to deal with long wait times or other inconveniences. When this occurs, it makes it easier for patients to get fed up and decide to take their business elsewhere.

That is why so many medical facilities are focusing on creating a patient-focused culture. There are many benefits to changing the way that healthcare facilities approach things. If patients can have a better experience overall, then it should lead to better healthcare for everybody. Read on to examine more about how facilities can create a patient-focused culture.

Treating People with Respect

One of the most problematic things about healthcare is that patients aren’t always treated with the respect that they deserve. Healthcare workers get tired due to working long hours and they might not always be as attentive as they should be. If you want to create a patient-focused culture at your facility, then you need to train employees to meet the expectations of patients while treating them properly. Patients shouldn’t have to deal with disrespect or inattentiveness when they’re already stressed out about being sick.

Training employees to treat people with kindness at all times is necessary. It’s also important to tell them to try to help patients in a timely fashion whenever it is possible to do so. If there are issues with getting things done on time, then being apologetic and providing an explanation should help to smooth things over.

Valuing Patients’ Time

Think about how many times you have been to a hospital and you have been made to wait for far longer than usual. Sometimes things happen and your appointment won’t be handled on time like clockwork. Although this might be understandable, it’s also important for hospitals to value the time of patients. They need to do whatever they can to keep things working expediently so that patients can get the care that they need without having it negatively impact their lives.

Putting patients first will mean valuing their time and trying to keep the process going smoothly. If there are delays, then employees can be transparent about what is going on while trying to communicate with patients effectively. This will keep everyone much happier and it will lead to fewer misunderstandings. Creating a patient-focused culture puts the patients’ needs first and they deserve to know what’s going on if delays occur.

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Maintaining Your Company Culture as Your Business Scales

Scaling your business has the potential to be exciting and you want to see your company reach new heights. Your business goals have been leading to this period of growth that you’re now experiencing. This is great, but you also need to take some time to make sure that your company culture doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. It’s easy to lose your identity when your business starts to grow, and you need to put in some effort to maintain your company culture as your business scales. 

Pay Attention to Who You’re Hiring

You need to pay attention to who you’re hiring if you want to maintain a positive company culture. If you simply start hiring people without ensuring that they fit in with your vision of the company, things will start to change fast. Take the time to interview people properly and avoid hiring people just to fill vacant jobs. It might take time to find the right employees to fill certain spots, but it’s going to be better for your company culture if you do things right. 

Leadership Development

As your company grows, it is going to have a greater need for leadership. You need to make sure that you are developing new leaders that can fill positions and keep the company moving in the right direction. These leaders should be well-trained and you should make sure that they have a deep understanding of your company culture. This will allow your positive company culture to spread as your company scales. 

Create a Good Work Environment

Remember that creating a good work environment is at the core of maintaining a positive work culture. You need to make sure that your new locations or departments have the same standards that you have grown accustomed to. Let all your employees know about your company’s expectations and also ensure that they can report any problems that they might have to the HR department. If you empower your HR department to help employees, you can avoid many issues. 

Facilitate Communication between Employees and Managers

If you have problems with your company culture while scaling, you might need to step in to fix things. It might sometimes be necessary to facilitate communication between employees and managers. If you notice problems, try to find amicable solutions so you can get things back on track. Play an active role in cultivating a good work culture so your company will remain a good place to work for years to come. 

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How to Become the Leader Your Team Needs

You know that your team needs a good leader so you can meet the goals that you have laid out. Trying to develop as a leader is an admirable goal and you should always want to keep improving. Learning how to become the leader your team needs might take some time, but you can make progress. Read on to explore how you can become the best leader that you can be. 

Look Out for Employee Wellness Issues

A good leader needs to learn to recognize the signs of burnout. If your team members are working too hard, they need to take a break or they could get sick or become completely burned out on the job. Try to promote healthy work hours for your team members and encourage them to find a positive work-life balance. This will lead to better productivity overall and you’ll have a much happier team. 

Communicate with Employees Properly

Communicating with employees properly is one of the biggest ways that you can become a good leader. A leader needs to learn how to listen to team members so that concerns can be understood. Some leaders have a tendency to only bark orders, and they don’t take the time to listen or have a real dialogue. Remember that your leadership role will also involve facilitating communication between team members when necessary. 

Mentor Employees

If you can take certain team members under your wing, you can help them to develop further. They will be able to learn a lot more if you decide to mentor them. Mentoring team members might take more time and effort, but the results can be very worthwhile. Showing team members that you care about helping them achieve their goals is great, and you can play an active role in making your team better. 

Keep Learning

Becoming a great leader doesn’t happen overnight and you always need to keep learning. Even the best leaders in the business world never stop learning new techniques. You should always try to keep up on market trends while also examining new leadership information that might be useful. If you commit to becoming a lifelong learner, it’s going to be possible to become the leader that your team deserves. 

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How to Help Your Healthcare Business Succeed

It’s true that the healthcare industry is growing but this doesn’t mean that running a healthcare business is going to be easy. You’ll need to stay on your toes if you’re going to find the success that you’re desiring. Take a look at the following tips for helping your healthcare business to succeed. These principles should make it easier for you to achieve your goals.

You Need to Have a Plan

You can’t say that you have goals if you don’t have a plan to accompany them. Without having plans in place, it’s going to be impossible to achieve your goals. You need to create a map that will allow you to walk the right path. If you take the time to plan out where you’re going with your healthcare business while also getting everyone on the same page, then it’s going to be easier to find success.

Watch Out for Variables

Some business owners get overconfident and think that they have everything figured out. Creating a plan is for the best but your plan also needs to be somewhat flexible. You see, there are variables that you will not always be able to account for. It’s crucial for you to be able to adapt to changes in the market while being able to make intelligent decisions.

Benefit-Driven Marketing Strategies

You want to make sure that you’re presenting your business and what you have to offer in the right light. When it comes to healthcare, you have to realize that patients are looking for businesses that will be able to provide them with the best benefits. Come up with a marketing strategy that clearly showcases the benefits of making use of your services or products. Remember to showcase your value while also talking to patients with a friendly, caring tone.

Train Your Staff Properly

Your staff members and employees need to be trained properly or all of your plans will be for naught. Remember to invest in training programs for new employees so that they will understand how they’re expected to work. Prioritize customer service and ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to your company vision. If you’re all working toward the same goals, then you’re going to have a much easier time getting where you want to be.

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Innovation Ideas for Healthcare Founders

There are many ways that technology is changing the healthcare industry. With all of the innovation happening in the healthcare sector, you might be wondering how you can get in on this business. If you’re a healthcare entrepreneur or an aspiring business owner, then you might be curious about ways that you can innovate in this sector. Take a look at the following innovation ideas for healthcare founders.

Learn How to Think Outside the Box

If you really want to be innovative, then you have to learn how to think outside the box. Look at the healthcare industry now and try to think about the problems that they have. Is there a way that you can solve a potential problem by taking an approach that others aren’t using? Innovation comes from having new ideas and learning how you can implement them effectively.

Get Inspired by Other Industries

You could also get innovative ideas by looking at what other industries are doing. It’s true that the healthcare industry has its own set of unique problems but this doesn’t mean that ideas from other sectors can’t work. You could find ways to adapt what people are doing in the worlds of banking or investing. If you examine things closely, then you might just come up with an idea that could become very profitable for you.

Focus on Preventative Care

If you’ve been paying attention to healthcare trends, then you should know that the healthcare industry is shifting away from focusing on “sick care.” Instead, you will find that people are trying to figure out how to prevent health problems before they become a big issue. If you look at the healthcare industry from this lens, then it creates a whole new set of possibilities. You might be able to develop products or applications that could assist with preventative healthcare measures.

Wearable Technology

The popularity of wearable technology is undeniable and many people love using smart watches or other types of fitness monitors. These pieces of wearable tech have many potential uses in the healthcare sector. They could provide physicians with more information than ever about the health of patients. There is still a lot of room to innovate in this field and it might be wise to focus your efforts on wearable healthcare products.

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Improving Workplace Inefficiency

Are you worried about falling behind because your workplace is inefficient? If your company is struggling to keep up with orders, you need to make changes so that you can turn things around. It’s possible to improve workplace inefficiency by taking a few important steps. Keep reading to examine how your business can become efficient and successful. 

Start Using Project Management Tools

One of the best things that you can do for your company is to start using project management tools. You can save a lot of time by having people communicate using special apps instead of walking back and forth to different departments. In addition, sharing project data through cloud-based apps is much more efficient than manually handing files to someone or emailing them. You can streamline many processes and save time by making use of project management tools. 

Remote Employees

Remote employees can help you become more efficient by eliminating the need for office space. Your employees won’t have to waste time commuting to work and they can have more time to work on essential projects. For certain types of companies, hiring remote workers can be a huge boon. Consider whether remote employees will be helpful for your company and implement this strategy if it seems to align with your goals. 

Improve Your Time Management Processes

Your time management processes might not be up to par. Sometimes companies struggle to keep track of employee hours and have a tough time scheduling employees properly. You should start using time management software and apps that make tracking time much easier. You’ll be able to see data such as how much time an employee has worked, and you can even get information about how much time has been spent on a specific project if you implement the right software. 

Consider Automation

Finally, you might want to consider automation as a solution to some of your efficiency issues. Automation is going to be substantially more efficient than a traditional employee. Certain aspects of your business might be able to be automated, which can save you a lot of time. This can work for factory jobs and it can also work for small tasks such as social media management, email marketing, and various other types of work. 

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How (and Why) to Mitigate Distractions While Working From Home

Eliminating distractions while working from home — especially with kids running around belting Frozen II and housemates doing mid-day workouts — might not be entirely feasible. However, it is still possible to mitigate distractions. After all, they’re hurting you — and your business — more than you might realize. You might have heard the popular statistic that you need an average of 25 minutes to get back to your original task after a distraction.

But there’s more affecting your productivity than that. We looked through some of the research behind the psychology of distractions and found some interesting insights:

Distractions have a demonstrably negative effect on our ability to perform, even when the distractions had little significance.

People who consider themselves at multi-tasking may be worse at moving from task to task than others.

Even if you attempt to “move on” to another work-related task, you may find yourself distracted by the first task of your day.

With that in mind, let’s dig deeper into the studies and find some better strategies for managing distractions:

1. Too Much Information Has a Detrimental Impact on Performance

In one UK study, researchers had volunteers carry out problem-solving tasks in a quiet environment—then tested them while they were “bombarded with new emails and phone calls.” Even though the volunteers didn’t have to respond to any of these messages, simply being aware that they were taking place had a significant impact on their ability to concentrate.

The result was that performance suffered. The average IQ dropped by about 10 points.

The conclusion is that not only are interruptions distracting, but if you allow distractions to weigh on your mind in even the slightest way, they can have a detrimental impact on performance. Given that volunteers didn’t have to respond to any email or phone call and still found them distracting, we can only imagine the impact distractions have on us when the emails and phone calls do need responses.

So try having an open dialogue with those you live with and creating a chart that hangs outside of your workspace where it will be seen that alerts housemates of your current work status. It may include options such as “available,” “busy,” “in a meeting” or “do not disturb unless facing a MAJOR emergency”.

2. Switching Between Tasks Takes Up More Energy Than You Think

A 2009 study at the University of Minnesota found the existence of what they dubbed “attention residue.” They defined it as the delay that occurs when someone sets aside one task and takes up another.

It turns out that the mental task of switching gears takes more energy and attention than we might have thought. And that led to some interesting conclusions, including the “surprising result that heavy media multitaskers performed worse on a test of task-switching ability.”

That’s right: even experienced multitaskers aren’t as good at switching between tasks as they might have thought. In fact, they may even be worse than the population at large.

This should lead most people to reconsider their approach to multitasking and asking the following questions:

Am I really a good multitasker, or do I just multitask often?

How long does it take me to “switch gears,” and do I often put off work because of the energy required to start a new task?

Where are some areas in which I might combine activities to minimize “switching gears” and improving my overall concentration?

These questions will help you identify some of the habits that may be leading you to lose concentration as you move from task to task. So whether you claim to be a good multitasker or not, try scheduling out your day in the early morning to help limit the amount of times you have to switch tasks and accommodate for the needs of those you live with.

3. The First Problem You Focus On Tends to Get Most of Your Brain Power

They call it “cognitive fixation.” If you like to multi-task, you may find that the first activity during your day is the one that retains most of your attention later on, even while you’re attempting to give 100% of your attention to something new.

This is evidence in favor of the strategy of attacking your most important tasks first. If you were to work on a big work project in the morning and only take on lighter menial tasks later in the day, part of your mind will continue to work on that “big” work project that you started off with. This can work to your benefit, so long as you’re aware of the effect and schedule your day accordingly.

4. Distractions are Disproportionately Affecting the Young

Millennials and Gen Zers—those most affected by the digital lifestyle—are also the groups that report the highest rates of distraction, with a rate of 74% identifying themselves as frequently distracted. This suggests something other studies have observed; the multi-tasking demands of the digital lifestyle have a detrimental effect on our ability to concentrate, which means that strategies for reducing social media usage may have long-term benefits for personal productivity and concentration.

One other reasons many of us may be suffering from distraction issues: using multiple devices at the same time can negatively affect self-control. So try to limit the number of devices you have within your reach while working from home. Allot yourself windows of time during the day — if needed — to check on certain devices.

5. Attention is a “Limited Resource”

Not only is our attention limited by the time we have in a day, but our energy is subject to the demands of being a living, breathing being. We simply don’t have as much energy to devote to willpower and attention as we’d like to have.

One study, as reported by Psychology Today, found that distractions eat into about 2 hours of our daily work lives. Given that our attention is a limited resource, the strategy of working on the most important task of the day as early as possible—while we still have the concentration to do it—may seem most effective.

One Reason to Use Distractions to Your Benefit

This post paints a very dire picture of the impact of distractions on our life. But if you can manage them effectively, you can sometimes use them to your benefit as well.

One study at Carnegie Mellon found that the regions of the brain that handle your decision-making process will still be in use even when you’re consciously focusing on something else. That means that sometimes, actively seeking distraction when you’re stuck on a problem can be a great way for you to relax, loosen up, and allow a solution to suddenly pop into your mind while you’re thinking about something else.

Otherwise, if you want to be productive while working from home, try to keep the distractions at a minimum (as much as possible), schedule out your day, and focus on your most important task of the day as soon as possible. Your calendar will thank you.

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Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Failing

Many people are so afraid of failing that they avoid taking risks in life. This can be very problematic if you want to find success in the business world. You can’t be afraid of failure if you’re going to find success as an entrepreneur because risk is an inherent part of entrepreneurship. Read on to learn about why you shouldn’t be afraid of failing. 

Fear of Failure Can Harm Your Decision-Making Skills

If you let the fear of failure consume you, it’s going to have a negative impact on your decision-making skills. You should try to understand that failure is always a possibility and that you can deal with potential negative consequences if they occur. Even the most successful entrepreneurs on the planet have had to face their failures and they wouldn’t have found success if they let fear hold them back. Push fear to the back of your mind and try to make business decisions with a clear head. 

You Can Learn From Failures

You might have heard the phrase “failures are the greatest lessons” being thrown around. It’s true that you can learn a lot from failing. If you do fail at something, you can examine what went wrong and use that information to inform future successes. You just have to maintain the courage to keep getting back up and trying again. 

It’s Impossible to Eliminate the Risk of Failure Entirely

Once you learn that you can never eliminate the risk of failure entirely, it’s going to be easier to accept that failure is a possibility. Michael Jordan didn’t win every basketball game that he ever played, and Apple made several products that turned out to be flops. Every action that you take in life has some risk of failure—that’s just a fact of life. Accept this and keep moving forward so you can achieve your dreams. 

You Can Learn to Take Calculated Risks

Becoming a good entrepreneur is often about learning how to take calculated risks. You need to be able to examine a problem and see what your chances of success are. If you have a good idea and the research indicates that you could find success, sometimes you just have to go for it. Calculated risks will become a huge part of your business success if you want to continue down the path of an entrepreneur.

from Aaron Blass | Business http://aaronblass.com/why-you-shouldnt-be-afraid-of-failing/ via IFTTT

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How to Hire as a Healthcare Entrepreneur

As a healthcare entrepreneur, it’s important for you to do everything that you can to facilitate success. One of the most crucial aspects of your business that you need to get right is the hiring process. If you don’t have the right people in place, then you’re going to have a hard time meeting your goals. Take a look at the following advice on how to hire as a healthcare entrepreneur.

Hire People Who Can Solve Problems

You aren’t just hiring people to fill positions for no reason. Ideally, you should be trying to hire people who can solve the problems that you face at your company. If you look for people with specific skills, then you will be able to fill gaps in your business and ensure that everything is being taken care of properly. Before you hire people, it’s prudent to ask yourself where they will fit in and how they will benefit your company.

Look for Good New Employees in Various Places

Some healthcare entrepreneurs struggle to find good job candidates because they don’t know where to look. It’s also smart to look in various places so that you can find job candidates with diverse backgrounds. Searching for potential employees on job hunting sites for professionals makes sense but it might also be beneficial to recruit employees at college campuses. Try to look in places that will have people who possess the personality traits and abilities that you think your company needs.

Learn to Assess Job Candidates Properly

Assessing job candidates is going to allow you to make the best hiring decisions. If you aren’t good at assessing the abilities of job candidates, then you’ll likely wind up making less-than-desirable hiring choices. Put systems in place that will allow you to assess the abilities and knowledge of candidates. Also, make sure that you’re hiring people who share your vision of what your business should be.

Make Human Resources an Important Part of Your Business

You should take the time to make human resources an important part of your business. Not only is an HR department an imperative part of the hiring process but they play a big role in ensuring that you keep the best employees around. Take your time to develop a strong HR department and ensure that they have the resources they need to succeed. This is going to benefit your business as a whole and you should never see the HR department as just some ancillary wing of your operation.

from Aaron Blass | Healthcare http://aaron-blass.com/how-to-hire-as-a-healthcare-entrepreneur/ via IFTTT

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SEM vs SEO vs PPC: What’s the Right Balance for Your Business?

SEM. SEO. PPC. What’s the best mix for your business?

The question is more complicated than it might first appear. After all, who wouldn’t want to optimize their SEM, SEO, and PPC efforts? But limited budgets, limited capabilities, and limited expertise can be obstacles—particularly if you’re stronger in one area than another. Let’s discuss what these phrases mean and how you can find the right mix for your own small business:

SEM vs. SEO vs. PPC: What’s the Difference?

If you’ve had enough acronyms thrown at you in your time in business to fill a bowl of alphabet soup, you can be forgiven if you sometimes miss the distinctions in these digital marketing terms. But let’s separate SEM, SEO, and PPC from each other and get really clear about what they are—and what you should expect from them.

SEM, or search engine marketing, is an umbrella term. It’s there for marketing efforts (both paid and organic) that are directed at boosting traffic from search engines. However, keep in mind that SEM, as an umbrella term, may sometimes be used to refer to PPC marketing in some contexts, which helps explain some of the confusion.

SEO, or search engine optimization, is a marketing strategy aimed at organic search. The concern here is how to improve your natural position in popular search engines without paying anything additional to said search engines. Yes, you can buy a position with PPC, but with SEO, you’re concerned about the quality of the links pointing to you, the quality of your content, and the relevance of your topics to the search queries that users are typing into Google. The goal is to create high-quality content that will continue to drive your SEO strategy in the future.

PPC, or pay per click advertising, is aimed exclusively at paid ads in search engines. In PPC advertising, you can bid on certain keywords to buy your traffic. But it’s not always as simple as that. PPC often requires that you build high-converting advertisements to ensure that the search engines aren’t just putting anyone with money at the top of the listings; they still want to serve their users.

What is SEO?

Let’s dive into greater detail on SEO. Search engine optimization is the art of designing your page and your content for targeted placement in organic search results—no paid advertising required. Although the search engine algorithms are highly sophisticated, SEO remains a top priority for many business owners; 61% of marketers list improving SEO and rankings as their top goal.

Today’s top search engines include Google, Bing, and Yahoo, with many of the content marketing and internet marketing campaigns aiming at Google and Bing. You’ll find that the majority of your SEO efforts will tend to focus on Google, thanks to its dominant place in the market.

The beauty of SEO is that any business can compete for organic listings; you just have to have the most relevant, valuable information available for any search query. Sound difficult? You don’t have to start creating the world’s greatest blog posts just yet. Search Engine Land has a guide for small businesses so you can begin optimizing your site as soon as possible. From on-page SEO to technical SEO, there are always small improvements you can make to give your site a leg up on the competition.

Here are some of the other terms you’ll want to be familiar with in SEO:

SERPs: Search engine results page.

Backlinks: The links pointing to your site, used by search engines to determine your page’s popularity and relevance.

Crawlers: Automated bots that search engines use to scan your site and log the latest information, which they can then use in their search results. Crawlers might dig through your meta descriptions, title tags, and on-site SEO to get a gauge of what your site is and what your business has to offer.

Technical SEO: search engine optimization focused on the technical aspects of your website, not necessarily popularity and relevance.

Link building: The practice of promoting your site to as many potential linking avenues as possible in an effort to drive up your relevance. These days, legitimate link building practices tend to be those that are mostly organic, such as guest posting on popular blogs.

What is PPC?

PPC has potential benefits for small businesses in that it offers an opportunity to buy your way to traffic if you have the budget. Small businesses that need growth now will find that PPC generates the quickest results when it comes to getting on the first page, while content and SEO tend to require focus on the long-term future.

To optimize your PPC, you’ll want to make keyword research a hallmark of the way you market. Tools like the SEM Rush PPC tool will help you identify those keywords that are most relevant to your business, all while driving a substantial amount of traffic. Google Adwords, the most popular PPC platform, also has plenty of tools for you to use as you research. But don’t forget that Bing also has keyword tools you can use to gauge interest in keywords.

With PPC, your goal is simple: combine relevance and traffic. Relevance is how well you can answer the “question behind the query.” In other words, relevance is how well your website answers what customers are really thinking. Someone typing in “vacations,” for example, may be looking to book a travel agency. But your travel agency business won’t do well by serving those who were only curious about vacation statistics.

With search ads, your goal should be to get as much relevance as possible, because you’re going to need to optimize your click-through rates.

When comparing SEO vs SEM and the strategies listed above, you’ll find PPC can produce the most immediate returns. After the proper keyword research, a PPC campaign can quickly give you access to a large amount of traffic that is highly targeted to your keyword and your business—that is, if you’ve put in the time to ensure that your business lines up with the search queries you’re looking for.

How to Strike a Balance Between PPC and SEO

There’s no single answer for whether search marketing, SEO or PPC is best for you right now. But if you start with competition research, you should notice opportunities for advancement—whether that comes in specific keywords, sponsored ads, brand awareness, or even simply building a better landing page. Look at your budget and understand where PPC and SEO most help businesses—and make your investments accordingly.

from The Grasshopper Blog - Insights for Entrepreneurs https://grasshopper.com/blog/Striking the Right Balance between SEM SEO and PPC/ via IFTTT

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Tips for Creating a Positive Company Culture

It’s going to be helpful for your company to have a positive culture that allows your employees to thrive. If you want to work on creating a better work culture, there are certain things that you can do. Take a look at the following tips to learn some ways that you can promote change. This can help you achieve and maintain a positive company culture. 

Define Your Goals

Defining your goals might not seem important to some people, but it’s actually one of the most crucial elements of creating a positive company culture. Employees want to know that they’re working toward a goal that’s worth achieving. If you define your company vision and give your employees goals to strive toward, that is going to be a very good thing. It helps everyone get on the same page so they can work steadily to achieve the company’s ambitions. 

Hire Passionate Employees

If you hire employees that are passionate about the work they’re doing, your company culture will be much healthier. People who are just looking to do the work and get a paycheck aren’t going to have the best attitude. When you’re hiring new employees, you should try to hire people who showcase a genuine passion for whatever position they’re applying for. When people are dedicated to their work, it’s easier for them to become a part of a positive company culture. 

Focus on Employee Wellness

You can’t enjoy having a positive company culture if employee wellness issues aren’t being taken care of. Employees need to have access to healthcare so they can address their health problems. It’s also imperative to ensure that employees are taking enough time off so they don’t burn out. Avoid overworking your employees and learn to recognize signs that something might be wrong. 

Encourage Teamwork

Encouraging teamwork can help you maintain a positive company culture, too. If your employees learn to work together toward common goals, they’re going to get more done. Sometimes it’s best to work cooperatively toward goals rather than fostering a competitive work atmosphere. Let your employees know that you’re all on the same team and make it understood that teamwork is the best way to move forward as a company. 

from Aaron Blass | Business http://aaronblass.com/tips-for-creating-a-positive-company-culture/ via IFTTT

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Reasons to Start a Healthcare Business

Many people have been talking about the healthcare industry and how it is growing at such a rapid pace. The need for healthcare facilities and other businesses that are related to healthcare is high at the moment. This means that there are opportunities for entrepreneurs who are looking to start new businesses. Take a look at the following reasons why you should consider starting a healthcare business.

The Potential for Profit

The potential for profit is through the roof in the healthcare industry right now. Many people are finding success by starting up healthcare businesses. This could mean starting up some type of healthcare facility or it could mean developing certain types of healthcare products. There are many ways to get involved with healthcare and you can get started today by thinking of a solid business idea.

Many Types of Businesses Exist Under the Healthcare Umbrella

Starting a healthcare business isn’t going to limit you to running some type of clinic. There are so many different healthcare businesses that you could get involved in. You could handle medical records for healthcare facilities or you could try to develop a healthcare app. Many different things are needed in the healthcare sector and you’ll be able to find a niche that will work for you.

Helping the World

Another solid reason to get involved in the healthcare industry is that this is a business type that can make a difference in the world. Helping people with healthcare is something that has an immediate positive impact on the lives of many individuals. Your products or services could bring comfort to someone who truly needs it. This allows you to feel good about what you’re doing while also running a profitable business.

Technological Innovation

Technological innovation is changing the way that people approach healthcare. With things changing so rapidly, it is creating gaps in the healthcare field that need to be filled. Entrepreneurs with the right vision and the technological know-how can step in to make a big difference. The future of healthcare is going to be heavily reliant on technology and it makes sense to get in now when you’ll be able to get a bigger piece of the market.

from Aaron Blass | Healthcare http://aaron-blass.com/reasons-to-start-a-healthcare-business/ via IFTTT