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Entrepreneurs Should Be Utilizing These Leading Business Methods

January 23, 2022 by Paul Edwards Leave a Comment

Running a small business comes with a lot of responsibilities, but it’s important not to overlook the details. The way you treat your employees, solve problems, and handle vendor relations is just as important as the way you take care of your business’s finances, marketing, or customers. Keep in mind that you’re not in this alone; millions of entrepreneurs are taking the initiative to update their business applications and ensure they’re on the right track. Here are a few tips on how to build better business practices for your company.

Update your website

One major aspect of your business that should be given attention to is the website. It’s not enough to make it easy to navigate or to fill it with product and information; you also need to be thoughtful with the execution and ensure that the site is accessible to people of all abilities and well-designed. The good news is, you don’t have to take care of it yourself. You can find a qualified, professional web developer via a job site, where you can read reviews and figure out the fees and delivery time before you hire.

Boost your communication

Communicating with your customers and clients is essential, but it’s just as important to make sure you know how to talk to your employees, vendors, and anyone else your business relies on. Many entrepreneurs tend to multitask, but this can provide distractions that keep you from listening to the people around you. Utilize technology for communication, but don’t rely on it solely. Maintaining in-person meetings or even video calls can help eliminate misunderstandings and mistakes, as can responding to problems or conflicts right away rather than pushing them aside to focus on other things.

It’s crucial to your business’s success that you fully understand your cash flow and have a full understanding of how much money is coming and going out. When you have visibility on your cash flow, you’ll be able to make more accurate estimates about future income. It’s also essential that you understand any liabilities and how much debt you owe. Fortunately, Plaid’s API credit loan tool allows you to retrieve up-to-date information on all your liabilities and loans.

Look for opportunities for growth

Good communication skills are just one area where you can learn and grow as a business owner. It’s important to look for opportunities that will allow you to tackle new challenges or simply become more educated about the field you’re in. It’s also a good idea to take the initiative to update your knowledge of the legalities and regulations surrounding your small business and keep an eye on the latest tech so you’ll always have access to tools and resources that can boost your sales. This might include things like customer relationship management software, which can help build customer loyalty.

Innovate

Growth comes in many forms, and it’s important to keep your employees in mind as you move your business into the future. How will you support them and keep fresh ideas flowing? There are endless possibilities, from providing assistance with childcare in order to reduce their stress to offering a relaxed atmosphere in the office where everyone is free to be creative. Your business doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s, and there is real power in knowing you can provide a supportive environment and work culture for your team.

Figuring out the best practices for your company can take some time, but you can always ask for input from your employees. Work together to find ways to build your brand and grow your ideas in order to secure the future of your business.

Written by Marjorie Jones

Need Freelancers for Your Business? Use These Tips in Your Search

July 8, 2021 by Paul Edwards Leave a Comment

By Courtney Rosenfeld

The term “gig economy” has become an increasingly popular buzzword, as more workers make a living by relying on freelance, contract, and short-term jobs rather than traditional employment models. While experts are divided over whether this shift is beneficial or detrimental to gig workers, most agree on at least two things: First, that the gig economy is not likely to disappear anytime soon; and second, that it benefits business owners.

If you want to take advantage of what the gig economy has to offer your business but aren’t sure where to start, read on for some top-notch tips.

Assess Your Needs

First, figure out what sorts of projects your business needs help completing. This could mean broad areas such as tax preparation or cybersecurity, or specific tasks, such as drafting social media posts or designing a new logo. Create a list of what you expect a freelancer to do for your business, as well as any skills or traits that the ideal candidate should possess.

Find the Experts

Once you have a solid idea of what you’re looking for in a freelance worker and what you’re willing to pay, it’s time to jump into the candidate pool and start finding the right person for the job. Some of the best places to find expert freelance workers include:

Your network and contacts: A great way to start your search is by checking with other people in similar industries to see if they have any recommendations. Professional contacts on social media are also a good source for suggestions or referrals.
Freelance websites: Online sites specifically focused on freelance work are another excellent resource for finding quality freelance candidates.
Industry-specific job boards: In addition to wide-ranging freelance websites, you can also try sites specific to the freelance position you want to fill. From freelance writers to graphic designers and other creatives, there are freelance job boards that target most niches.

Select the Best Applicant

Given the competitive state of the freelance market, you’ll likely receive more applications than you expect. Fortunately, if you’ve already made a list of qualities you’re seeking, narrowing the field should be simple. Depending on the nature of the position, you may want to interview the top three or so applicants via phone or video call. A trial assignment is another great way to determine whether a candidate is a good fit.

Set Up Your Payment Arrangement

Once you’ve chosen a freelancer to hire, you’ll need to figure out how to pay him or her in terms of payroll taxes and withholding. While most freelance workers qualify as independent contractors, this is not true in every case. This distinction is extremely important in terms of proper tax treatment, so be sure to review the rules carefully.

Managing your payroll is easier if you plug into online services like QuickBooks. They have features like built-in time tracking, free direct deposit, and auto check generation, making it far easier to ensure accuracy. They’ll even file your payroll taxes for you. By finding a service that takes on the bulk of the grunt work for you, you’re in a better position to focus on building your business.

Hiring outside help is an excellent way to boost your business. Examine your situation for gaps in your knowledge or duties that bog you down, and find expertise to fill in the gaps. With a good plan of action, you can find and hire the right people and services to help your company flourish.

Health and Well-Being for the Self-Employed and Small Business

January 25, 2017 by Paul Edwards 2 Comments

Most people’s health is on the line. Each day’s news brings headlines dimming hope for the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Social Security. People have begun asking themselves, “What will we do about Grandma?” How will I get my medications and will I be able to pay for them? A recent article was headlined, “160 million Americans can’t afford to treat a broken arm.” When former Vice-President Biden’s son was dying of brain cancer, the Vice-President and his wife nearly had to sell their home to pay their son’s medical bills. Better than one out of every two Americans (55%) worry they will not get the health care they need.

Most people in the middle class find themselves running ever faster just to stay in the same place economically. Not only are people fearful of what they may lose, millions now are without the ability to get medical care they need.

What has taken a half century to accomplish could be wiped out despite the fact that more than 1 out of 2 Americans – 58% -want the Affordable Care Act be replaced with Medicare for All. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Americans say they have a positive reaction to the term “Medicare-for-all.” People are realizing having health insurance is like requiring auto insurance to drive. Healthy people can work, have fewer problems that consume tax dollars, and public health is protected. Being On the other hand, recent polls indicate people are now no longer in favor of repealing ACA. in the same polls indicate just over half favor repealing Obamacare.

Medicare is popular with 77% of Americans saying it is “Very important,” just below social security at 83%. 57 million Americans – 1 in every 6 people – depend on Medicare.

The total administrative structure for administering and delivering this is in place and billions of dollars would be saved, This is because Medicare’s overhead is 3%; HMO’s and private insurers’ overhead ranges from 15-30%. Families can expect to see the cost of health coverage decrease by one-half or more.

ACA reduced the number of people who were uninsured by an estimated 20 million people from 2010 to 2016. The funds will no longer available to help pay their premiums and deductibles. With many fewer people buying coverage, many insurers will stop offering policies, and the remaining customers are likely to be sicker than current Obamacare buyers, a reality that will drive up the cost of insurance for everyone who buys it, and force more people out of the markets. The Urban Institute estimat es that the change would cause a total of 22.5 million people to lose their health insurance.

At stake are popular provisions of the Affordable Care Act like enabling young adults to stay on the family plan until age 26, closing the drug cost loophole, assuring coverage for people with preexisting conditions, which alone represents 52 million Americans, and providing health coverage for children on Medicaid and CHIP, Republicans are discounting the fact they will be alienating many of the people they look to for support.

Now is the time to advance “Medicare for All” as the best solution for developing popular support to arrest the Republican momentum seeking repeals and rollbacks in ACA and then go on to damaging Medicare and Social Security. Even voters who supported Trump nearly 13 to 1, view Social Security as something they earned.

Your Pocketbook

Millions of voters have received benefits from ACA but discounted this when they voted and still discount what its loss will mean for them will be angry and arguably motivated to act in their self-interest. You are apt to find you can only buy sub-standard policies with little or no consumer protection and are paying more out of pocket. The cost of individual policies purchased through the exchanges would rise 20-25% in the first year, and 18 million people would lose their health insurance. However, taxpayers whose average incomes were $318 million/year in 2014 would get their taxes cut $7 million a year. Two taxes support the popular provisions of ACA – taxes on persons with incomes above $200,000 year. Eliminating them would give the 400 richest Americans a tax cut worth around $7 million each.

The Economy

Reducing federal spending on health care takes so much money will be taken out of the consumer economy, nearly three millions of jobs will be lost. Nurses, health technicians, and other medical personnel will be out of work. Then there will be ripple effect – people with less money to spend on food, clothing, real estate, retrial trade, finance, insurance, travel, dentistry, and then less construction, and on and on. States will have less income to tax and less in sales taxes. This alone could trigger a recession, reducing the economy by 1.5 trillion dollars, according to the Center for Health Policy Research at the Milken Institute.

The U.S. national debt is sitting at 19.944 trillion dollars. During the past eight years, a staggering 9.3 trillion dollars was added to the national debt. It’s been estimated that the total savings by passing Medicare for All could slow the growth of national debt by 80%. This is important because “foreigners are dumping U.S. debt at a faster rate than we have ever seen before, and U.S. Treasury yields have been rising. This is potentially a massive problem, because our entire debt-fueled standard of living is dependent on foreigners lending us gigantic mountains of money at ultra-low interest rates. If the average rate of interest on U.S. government debt just got back to 5 percent, which would still be below the long-term average, we would be paying out about a trillion dollars a year just in interest on the national debt. If foreigners keep dumping our debt and if Treasury yields keep climbing, a major financial implosion of historic proportions is absolutely guaranteed within the next four years.” Source: Monetary Watch, January 23, 2017.

What you can do

First, stay informed about the changes that will be affecting you and your family. Second, let your Congressman and Senators know how you will be affected. The best way to do this is by phone, not letters, social media, or their websites. Phone messages get attention. Third, mobilize with the people in your community being willing to demonstrate your views. Fourth, share this message and your own with friends around the nation.

Congressman Representative John Conyers Jr. introduced his Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act, H.R. 676, into the current session of Congress. It is co-sponsored by 51 other congressmen, but more are needed, so asking your Congressman to co-sponsor will be most helpful.You can find contact information for your congressperson here or by calling the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. When calling, ask to speak with your representative’s Health Legislative Assistant. This link will give you more information.

A Pennsylvania business man, Richard Masters, has produced a movie that is worth watching and he is forming a national organization to put forward Medicare for All. This link will take you to the movie, which is worth watching and sharing with others.

3D Printing: Should Designers And Developers Take Notice?

March 25, 2016 by Paul Edwards 1 Comment

BY NERMIN HAJDARBEGOVIC – TECHNICAL EDITOR @ TOPTAL

3D printing is not a new technology, but recent advances in several fields have made it more accessible to hobbyists and businesses. Compared to other tech sectors, it’s still a small industry, but most analysts agree it has a lot of potential. But where is the potential for freelance designers and software engineers?

A fellow Toptaler asked me this a couple of weeks ago, because I used to cover 3D printing for a couple of publications. I had no clear answer. I couldn’t just list business opportunities because this is a niche industry with a limited upside and mass market appeal. What’s more, 3D printing is still not a mature technology, which means there is not a lot in the way of standardisation and online resources for designers and developers willing to take the plunge.

However, this does not mean there are no business opportunities; they’re out there, but they are limited. In this post, I will try to explain what makes the 3D printing industry different, and what freelancers can expect moving forward.

3D Printing For Hobbyists And Businesses

First of all, I think we need to distinguish between two very different niches in the 3D printing, or additive manufacturing industry.

On one end of the spectrum, you have countless hardware enthusiasts, software developers and designers working on open-source projects. The RepRap project embodies this lean and open approach better than any similar initiative in the industry. RepRap stands for Replicating Rapid Prototyper and it’s basically an initiative to develop inexpensive printers based on fused filament fabrication (FFF) technology. Essentially, that is Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) technology, but RepRap can’t use that name because it was commercialised by Stratasys. When the company’s patent on FDM expired, FDM was embraced by the open-source community, albeit under a different name.

3D printing is not a new technology, but recent advances in several fields have made it more accessible to hobbyists and businesses.

RepRap turned ten this year, with the first printers showing up a few years after launch. By 2010, the RepRap project was on its third generation design, and the RepRap community saw a lot of growth over the next few years.

One noteworthy feature to come out of the RepRap initiative is self-replication; the ultimate goal of the project is to create a 3D printer that will eventually replicate itself. We are not there yet, but some RepRap designs allow users to print three quarters of the printer. You still can’t print extruders and electric servos, but it’s a start.

However, RepRap was never supposed to be a commercial success. It was created as a tech-first initiative, so it was never consumer-centric. It was all about pioneering various technologies and bringing them to the hobbyist market at low cost. RepRap was never supposed to be a cash cow.

So what about big business? A number of industry pioneers have already become 3D printing heavyweights. These include Stratasys, 3D Systems, Ultimaker and Printbot. RepRap printers still command a big market share, and they’re not being squeezed out by proprietary platforms. In fact, most vendors have no choice but to embrace some RepRap standards in order to guarantee compatibility.

However, simply listing 3D printing companies and their respective market share does not paint the full picture. For example, RepRap is limited to FFF technology, which is the most widespread 3D printing technology today. The problem is that FFF printers have a lot of limitations, which means they cannot be used in many industries.

Different Technologies For Different Applications

To get a better idea of what’s out there, we need to take a look at currently available 3D printing technologies. This might not seem interesting if you’re not a hardware geek, but it’s important to understand the difference between various printing technologies (and I will try to keep this section as brief as possible).

Although hobbyist FFF printers are relatively inexpensive, certain types of professional 3D printers can cost as much as your home.

FFF/FDM usually relies on thermoplastic “filament” heated by the printer extruder prior to being deposited on the print bed. Most FFF printers rely on ABS and PLA plastic filament, but the latest models also use polycarbonate (PC), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) filament. Some even use metal wire instead of plastic, while others use sawdust to create quasi-wood objects. Some can even print food, chocolate, pasta and so on.
Granular printers are different beasts since their material is not filament but, usually, powdered metal. These printers tend to be based on laser technology (although they don’t have much in common with your office laser printer). They use a powerful laser to selectively fuse granular materials. There are several ways of doing this: Selective laser sintering (SLS) printers fuse small metal particles by the process of “sintering,” while selective laser melting (SLM) printers melt the powder. Electron beam melting (EBM) printers hits metal powder with an electron beam in a vacuum environment
Stereolithography (SLA) printers transform liquid raw material into solids using light. These printers have a number of advantages, in terms of accuracy and the ability to produce complex objects in a single pass, because SLA prints don’t require struts or supports, in most cases. The downside is that the choice of materials is very limited. They are usually exotic liquid polymers, and can’t be used to print metal or chocolate.

There are a few more 3D printing technologies out there, but I see no point in covering all of them for the purposes of this blog post.

The Challenge

So why aren’t we all playing around with 3D printers in our homes and offices? Why can’t we print objects the same way we print invoices, sheets and emails? 3D printing is not going mainstream anytime soon, and here are some challenges and issues that need to be addressed first.

Prohibitively expensive hardware
Limited user base (compared to traditional printers)
Immature technology
Speed
Price/performance, ROI
Running costs
Energy efficiency

With each new generation, entry-level 3D printers become a bit cheaper, but they are still too expensive for most potential users. It’s one thing to buy a $200 printer for your home or office, you’ll probably end up using it a lot, but the same isn’t necessarily true of 3D printers. How many people need to print documents, and how many need to print 3D objects?

Technology is improving, but serious limitations persist. 3D printers are still slow, are sensitive to all sorts of adverse conditions, their “printbeds” tend to be small (especially on inexpensive models), the choice of materials is limited and filament can be expensive.

The reason why businesses aren’t lining up to buy 3D printers is simple: ROI. 3D printers still can’t come close to traditional manufacturing methods in terms of speed, cost and energy efficiency. This does not mean industry isn’t going to shift to 3D printing in the future; we are already seeing some pioneering developments, but 3D printers won’t render traditional manufacturing techniques obsolete soon.

Still, there are some noteworthy exceptions. A couple of years ago, General Electric set out to design and build a new fuel injection nozzle for its next generation CFM LEAP turbofan engine, which is bound to end up in hundreds of airliners. GE eventually settled on 3D-printed titanium nozzles. The reason? The new 3D printed nozzle ended up 25 percent lighter than the previous design and consisted of a single part instead of 18 on the old nozzle. Durability is expected to be five times better. These nozzles will be used in engines manufactured in 2016 and beyond. GE hopes to produce more than 100,000 3D-printed parts by the end of the decade.

A team of GE engineers decided to create a working replica of one of the company’s engines, using a new granular printing technique dubbed “metal laser melting.”

Long story short, no, you won’t buy 3D-printed toys for $2 anytime soon, but you will fly on airliners powered by more efficient and reliable engines, made possible by 3D printing. There won’t be any 3D-printed chocolate in your local mall, at least not yet, but your dentist will tell you it’s probably not a good idea to eat chocolate anyway, right after you get your 3D-printed prosthetic.

There Is Another Way: 3D Printing Fulfilment Services

So, you have a great idea for a product, but first you need a small series of prototypes. Who do you call? Do you buy a bunch of 3D printers? Or do you simply send the design to a fulfilment service that will ship you the completed models in a matter of days?

Fulfilment services allow consumers and small businesses to take advantage of sophisticated 3D printing infrastructure without burning capital.

A 3D printing fulfilment service seems like a hassle-free choice, and that’s the direction the industry seems to be taking. Many 3D printing outfits have launched similar services and are collaborating with other industry leaders. One example of this symbiotic relationship is Stratasys Direct Express, which recently partnered with Adobe and enabled Photoshop CC integration, offering colour 3D printing for professional designers.

Google and Motorola didn’t invest billions in their own 3D printing facilities when they unveiled the Ara modular smartphone concept. They outsourced module manufacturing to 3D Systems. This example also underscores the potential flexibility of additive manufacturing: Ara is based around an alloy exoskeleton filled with various standardised modules that could be 3D printed. Since the modules have to connect to the exoskeleton, 3D Systems developed a new technique of depositing conductive materials within the printed components, which is a far cry from traditional 3D printer prototyping.

3D fulfilment services usually offer several different printing technologies, cutting-edge hardware and support. Why bother getting a $2,000 printer when you can simply send your designs to professionals and use any of a variety of professional printers, some of which cost more than your home? And let’s not forget about economy of scale; big services can and should offer a superior price/performance ratio compared to in-house printing.

In my opinion, this is the way to go. This straightforward business model has a lot going for it, and it’s hard to see how individuals and small businesses could compete on an even playing field. In terms of price, size and energy consumption, a professional 3D printer has more in common with a printing press than your LaserJet, and how many people need a printing press in their home or office?

(One of my pet peeves is the name itself. When you mention a “printer” in conversation, most people think of their home inkjet printer, or office printer. While it’s true that 3D printers are printers, they don’t have much in common with traditional printers, and this distinction is often lost on laymen. If we just kept calling them additive manufacturing machines, this wouldn’t be an issue.)

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3D Printing For Designers And Developers

What does all this mean for the average visual designer or software engineer? Will 3D printing change the way we do business? Will it enable rapid prototyping or even cheap small-scale manufacturing? When are we going to cook up some 3D-printed Barilla pasta for lunch?

I am afraid there is no simple answer because you can look at it from several perspectives. It all depends on your personal affinities and goals.

There are a few different ways designers and developers might become involved in 3D printing:

Participation in open-source initiatives (RepRap)
Use of professional design tools (Adobe CC)
Integration of printing functionality to applications (Autodesk’s Spark 3D printing platform)
Use of 3D printing fulfilment services
Integration of 3D printing fulfilment services

Most open-source initiatives are geared toward individual, hobbyist users. They are also valuable for education, and they can foster a lot of innovation. The downside is that there’s not a lot of money to be made in this niche. It’s mostly a labour of love. The good news is that the bar is set pretty low; you can get an entry-level printer and loads of plastic filament for under $500. You can get a cheap and relatively good 3D printer for the price of a good smartphone.

Integration of 3D design and printing capabilities could prove more lucrative in the long run. Designers don’t have to go out of their way to experiment with 3D printing because it’s already accessible through leading software packages. Sooner or later, a client will start asking questions about 3D printed prototypes or small-scale production, so depending on your niche, it could be a good idea to do a bit of research.

We’re left with the elephant in the room: 3D printing fulfilment services.

Outsourcing 3D Printing Via The Cloud

On the face of it, fulfilment services seem to be the answer to everything. They put professional services within the reach of individuals, startups, and small businesses who otherwise couldn’t afford certain printing techniques, like laser sintering or stereolithography. They’re practically the only viable way of integrating 3D printing into a range of different services, mainly through cloud-based mobile and web apps.

So what are the downsides? There aren’t many.

Industrial scale fulfilment services are a relatively new concept. However, availability is still limited. Sure, if you need to print a few dozen titanium prototypes in California that won’t be a problem, but what if you need to do the exact same thing in Botswana or Bahrain? It will be more expensive because the manufactured designs will have to be shipped around the globe. On-site manufacturing sounds good, but it could prove prohibitively expensive

Of course, on-site manufacturing has a lot going for it; if a business needs to quickly iterate and revise designs, then the speed and convenience of 3D printer rapid prototyping can’t be matched by printing services. This is a relatively tight niche, but it’s by no means small. Design studios, architects, engineers, various maintenance departments, logistics, education; they all need on-site printers. Besides, if you need a printed replacement part on the International Space Station, you can’t exactly call Amazon. On another note, 3D printing in space would have made the exploits of the Apollo 13 crew look less impressive. No wonder NASA is already experimenting with them in space.

It’s worth noting that 3D printers can be used to print more than replacement parts and passive components. They can also be used to print working electrical components, ranging from speakers to printed circuit boards (PCB). PCB prototyping is a nice niche because traditional methods are slow and expensive. A 3D printer with a spool of conductive filament can usually do the trick on-site, on time, and on budget.

Still, as far as mass market applications go, chances are this space will be dominated by big players like Amazon, Stratasys, 3D Systems, and possibly Hewlett-Packard. As the industry matures, worldwide availability should become a non-issue, prices will go down and new hardware will offer new opportunities and superior quality.

In my opinion, the biggest problem the industry currently faces is the lack of use-cases. Sure, it sounds convenient, but who is it for? How do we get 3D-printed products into the hands of mainstream consumers?

This question is not as straightforward as it seems because additive manufacturing has been hyped in recent years. Just try googling for 3D printing use-cases and you’ll see what I mean: 3D printing seems to be the answer to all our problems, but in reality most of it is hype, based on long-term projections.

So, I decided to include research from an unbiased source: UK’s Intellectual Property Office. The paper, titledThe Current Status and Impact of 3D Printing Within the Industrial Sector: An Analysis of Six Case Studies is extensive and examines the potential impact of additive manufacturing on several industries: automotive, domestic appliances, replacement parts, customised goods, reverse engineering, games and computer generated graphics.

Customised goods and CGI-derived designs stand out as the most realistic use cases for freelancers, so let’s take a closer look.

Personalised Manufacturing

One of the biggest advantages of additive manufacturing over traditional manufacturing methods is the ability to produce one-off designs or small series. How long would it take to create a plastic toy using traditional manufacturing? You’d need loads of equipment, cast dies and whatnot. With 3D printing, it’s just a matter of selecting a wireframe and clicking. This means it’s possible to produce unique designs, tailored to meet the needs of different customers.

Additive manufacturing can enable average consumers to design and customise various products prior to making a purchase. This can be done using professional desktop applications, or even web and mobile apps. Nobody expects the average consumer to design an item from the ground up, but even a child could customise a toy using a simplified mobile app.

The potential for personalised manufacturing is one of the key benefits provided by 3D printing.

Such a platform would have to include loads of different colour or decal options, along with the 3D wireframes themselves. What’s more, it should be possible to create modular designs, so if kids are customising a toy car or doll, they could choose between scores of different, but compatible, components that would be assembled to make the product.

Yes, instead of customising virtual environments in apps and games, kids born today will be able to personalise their real toys, or turn their video game characters into action figures. It kinda makes you wish you were born a couple of decades later, doesn’t it?

Here are a few personalised 3D printing use-cases with mass market appeal:

Toys
Custom jewelry
DIY and hobbyist products
Fashion and gadget accessories
Personalised appliances and household items

However, products don’t have to be personalised to match your taste; they could also be made to perfectly match your physique, like a tailored suit. These products might not have the mass market appeal of personalised toys, but that doesn’t make them less exciting. In fact, I find them a lot more interesting than a customised brooch or doll.

Here are just some examples:

Digital dentistry
Surgery (mockups for training, 3D-printed replacement joints)
Advanced prosthetics
Tailored equipment and apparel for various professions
Sports equipment and accessories

Sure, these applications don’t have nearly the same emotional appeal as the ones I mentioned earlier, but in the big scheme of things they could be just as lucrative and important, especially when you consider medical applications.

The Implications And Future Of 3D Printing

So what’s the bottom line? Will 3D printing change the industrial landscape? Is it really the next industrial revolution?

3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is a very promising, but immature, technology. It clearly has a lot of potential, but we’re still nowhere close to realising it even though the industry is seeing a lot of growth.

In fact, the market for 3D printing services, hardware, and materials, has been growing at a healthy double-digit rate for years. Most analysts expect the market to double by the end of the decade, passing the $10 billion mark. That may sound like a lot of money, but let’s put it in perspective: The same analysts expect annual smartphone shipments for 2015 to end up in the 1.3 to 1.4 billion unit range.

Looking past the hype, 3D printing is a technology with limited appeal, at least at this early stage. However, we will continue to see growth and development for the foreseeable future, backed by new use-cases. Many of these use-cases and business models will be based around 3D printing fulfilment services. This is good news for small businesses and individuals, because they will be able to use third-party infrastructure with relative ease. They won’t have to buy dozens of printers, they will simply integrate a few APIs to their platform and that’s it.

In the short term, this is the future of 3D printing, at least from a mass market perspective.

Patient champion emerging livelihood

April 7, 2015 by Paul Edwards Leave a Comment

Who hasn’t heard, read, or know of people getting victimized in the health care system? Maybe they were overwhelmed by a hospitalization, feeling that there is too much information to process, and too many very important decisions to be made, they suffered or perhaps died. Maybe this has happened to a member of your family, a friend, or ever a co-worker.

On the other hand, are you tenacious, sympathetic, good on the phone, capable of respectful firmness and not uncomfortable in hospitals and around sick people?

If your answer to the first question was yes and to the second also yes, you have an understanding of the needs of hospital patients and their families and the personality to help a family in crisis. Patient champions, also known as patient advocates, may be employed, volunteers or a business opportunity for you in a role becoming regarded as indispensable. USA Today recommends that in speaking with a doctor when weak or ill, a patient “Bring an advocate.” (February 5, 2007.)

Many large medical centers have patient advocates on staff to help resolve communication difficulties between doctor and patient/family as well as to address issues about food, environmental conditions, staff, etc. These are personnel who may be nurses or social workers. Hospital chaplains also serve as patient advocates. Staff positions for patient advocates are extremely rare in community hospitals and rural institutions. In these smaller health facilities volunteer patient advocates may be in use.

Patients and their families appreciate patient champion services but can be suspect when those providing by the institution providing the care offer them. This is one place where the paid advocate makes an entrance. In very large urban centers the number of advocates cannot match the need, so hes where paid advocate have opportunities.

This is becoming a pressing need for aging Boomers, one of out five of whom are single with no children. Another niche is children. Advocating for children who are ill requires special knowledge about guardianship rules and child rights. Parents of these patients are often much more emotional than relatives of other patients and dealing with them requires extra skill.

The health care industry is fraught with rules that must be learned and understood. The most complex of these are the rules regarding confidentiality of information. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, amended and adjusted, is followed by every hospital and every doctor. For anyone to discuss the health or treatment of a patient they will need to be assured that you have permission from the patient or their legal representative.

When you have jumped this hurdle you will find practitioners who don’t understand your role, see you as interference or perhaps as a challenge to their authority. This is where respectful firmness and tenacity will pay off. You can be perceived as partner, asset, time saver or you can be seen as nuisance, it is not always up to you but every energy directed on behalf of your patient will move professionals in this direction.

Being a patient champion or advocate is not for faint of heart. If you are willing to be awakened on occasion in the middle of the night and capable of dropping everything to address a crisis this may be for you. You will feel good when a patient get the services he or she needs and their health improves and you may well suffer along with patient and family as conditions cause a decline in health status. The positives far outweigh the negatives.

Patient Champion at a Glance

Start-Up costs are minimal
Overhead is low
Potential Earnings are moderate
Flexible hours – you set your own
Overall stress – moderate compared to many occupations
This is service can be bartered.

Likely Transferable Skills, Background, Careers:

Nurses and doctors have the knowledge to interpret medical information and know their way around. Others with hospital experience such as social workers, physical and occupational therapists, and others will bring their experiences dealing with other hospital personnel to the job. EMTs and other medical first responders will also transfer to the hospital setting with ease. Suzanne Steidl, founder of Your Daughter’s In Town (www.yourdaughtersintown.com) in Pittsburgh says that “While it’s not necessary to have a medical background, some background in advocacy is absolutely essential. The most effective advocates have the capacity to gather and organize information and coordinate care. They are vigilant overseers and skillful, fearless negotiators.”

What to Charge:

Patient Champions/Advocates can bill for their services on an hourly basis (up to as much $100 an hour) or on a retainer basis where you bill for as much as five or ten thousand dollars up front and take care of everything without further billing.

Best Ways to Get Business:

Developing several presentations and offering them to the local Chamber of Commerce, Rotary or other business associations where busy adults of an age where their parents or older siblings are apt to be in need of services like yours.
Writing article or a column for newspapers or websites or both.
Creating a website so out-of-town adult children can easily locate you and that offers the sense of assurance you will provide the attention their loved one needs; post testimonials, which you need to be sure to get from past clients.
Personal and social networking in groups with professionals, such as financial planners, doctor, lawyers, pastors, and social workers who will have clients and patients in need of your service.
Developing relationships with emergency room personnel and the staff of critical care units will bring referrals.
Joining or even starting a local association of patient champions/advocates.
Writing columns for local newspapers, writing a blog.

Tips for Getting Started

If you’re not a skilled negotiator, take one or more courses.
Volunteer to assist a friend, acquaintance, or relative. This can provide your first testimonials.
Since this is a new field, you’ll be a pioneer in making people aware of what you can do and when they need you. Promotion is a large part of your marketing plan.

Where Next

Books

Advocacy Skills for Health and Social Care Professionals, Neil Bateman, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
The Not So Patient Advocate: How to Get the Health Care You Need Without Fear or Frustration, Ellen Menard
The Patient Advocate’s Handbook 300 Questions And Answers To Help You Care For Your Loved One At The Hospital And At Home, James Thomas Williams

Web

Health Advocacy Toolbox at www.cthealthpolicy.org/toolbox
Information from the U.S. Department Health and Human Services about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA, Title II) which sets standards for electronic health care transactions and the security and privacy of health data. www.cms.hhs.gov/HIPAAgeninfo/
Informed Consent is an important topic when it comes to experimental treatmentswww.info.med.yale.edu/caim/risk/patient_rights/patient_rights_2.html
Patient Advocacy Foundation website at www.patientadvocate.org to find extensive information on advocacy.
Patient-Centered Guides. The site is a source of copious amounts of healthcare information.www.patientcenters.com.
The Center for Medical Consumers can be found at www.medicalconsumers.org
The Child Advocate provides information on advocacy for children and their parents and rules related to children www.childadvocate.net/index.html

LinkedIn Groups

Facebook Groups

Organizations

Healthproponent.com

If you are interested in this field and would like an existing website, see patientchamption.com.

Boost Your Marketing Success with Color

February 14, 2015 by Paul Edwards Leave a Comment

Color is the first thing we notice when we see a sign, ad, or logo. Whether we consciously think about it or not, color affects our mood and sets the contexts for our reactions to what we see. I, Paul, became aware of the influence of color when I was president of a research organization that among other subject, investigated the difference wall color had on how people interact in a room. In this same vein, research done by HubSpot showed 21% more people are more likely to click on a red button than a green one.

This finding is not an accident because red grabs our attention and conveys energy, excitement, and a sense of urgency. That’s just what retail and food service companies that typically have red logos like Target, K-Mart, Nabisco, Red Bull and Kellogg all want. The more intense the red trigger more emotional impact.

Blue, on the other hand, suggests credibility and stability. It’s a calming color, often the dominant color used by medical, healthcare, dental, corporations, and often companies such as AT&T, Dell, HP, IBM, Ford, and American Express, companies that want to inspire our trust.

The color green suggests something natural, calm, hopeful and youthful. Green is also associated with money, health, freshness and wealth. Lighter greens are more calming while deeper green are associated with financial matters. It’s the choice of companies like Starbucks, Whole Foods, John Deere that use green as their dominant color.

Black is a bold color. It suggests formality and luxury and is thus used in marketing expensive items, such as Tiffany jewelry and Apple computer. Black is used to create a sense of authority. Construction, manufacturing, marketing companies are among those that typically identify themselves with black the dominant color.

The color yellow suggests sunshine, optimism and youth. Companies like Best Buy, McDonald’s, Hertz, and Shell employ yellow as their dominant color to capture this mood.

To use color to the advantage of your business, here are some suggestions.

Tailor your color choice to the age, gender, and interests of the kinds of customers you want. Study the colors that are typical for your type of business. Look at websites, signs, and color ads in magazines, particularly in your industry’s trade magazines. Chances are you will find a dominant color for your industry. Once you select a principal or main color, stick with it.

When selecting a second color, choose one that make the main color stand out. For example, think of the UPS logo – the gold letters stand out against a brown background. Typical combinations are a dominant color like red, blue or black paired with white, yellow or black, i.e. red with black or yellow with red.

Limit the number of colors you use. 95% of top brands use only one or two colors. Some examples of companies that have multiple colors in their logos are NBC, Google, and eBay – companies that serve highly diverse customers. The colors most used by top companies are blue (33%), red (29%), black or gray (28%), and yellow or gold (13%). Less frequently used colors are orange (Gulf, Firefox), purple (Welch’s grape juice, Hallmark) and pink (Mary Kay).
Try different hues, tints, shades, and tones for the colors you choose and keep in mind that color in the print world differs from digitized color.

In working with a client who is starting a business as a Karate instructor, we determined that black is most typical color for karate organizations and schools. So he chose that with as yellow an accent to make the black stand out.

If you have an existing logo and brand identity, it may be time to tweak it for greater success and then make certain you carry your color identity on everything you produce to market your business: presentations, business cards, letterhead, web sites, flyers, etc.

Comments and questions on the substance of this blogs are welcome. If you have other questions about this website, please contact me directly for a consulting appointment or book an appointment

If you think we can help you, we offer webinars and consulting.

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Adapted from a prior column in Connection Connection. http://www.costcoconnection.com/connection/

New Ways to Earn Money Doing Errands

October 3, 2014 by Paul Edwards 2 Comments

One way of thinking about the apps and sites like TaskRabbit and Instacart that contract with people with people all over the country to run and errands and do all manner of tasks is that it takes much of the burden from the local person to market their services. Airbnb works on the same principle as Taskrabbit, matching travelers with private homes willing to rent a room.

A new service called Shyp makes sending someone something no harder than taking a photo of the item, uploading it to the Shyp app and twenty minutes later someone comes to get your item, pack it, and deliver it to its destination. Customers pay for the service the Shyp app. Shyp calls the people it recruits to do the pickups “heros.” If this is a way you would like to earn some income, on your own schedule, in here’s a link to find more. http://www.shyp.com/heroes.

Alfred is a service works similarly to Taskrabbit, matching helpers with customers who need local help with laundry, grocery shopping and cleaning tasks. Alfred is oriented to developing regular customers where TaskRabbit may be a use it now and then not again for six months. To learn more about Alfred, here’s it’s website.

These services start out in major cities like New York, Boston, and San Francisco and then spread to other cities.

For the independent worker, this can be a source of at least a part-time income, without the marketing that normally is required before you begin producing income.

For an initial free consultation to explore this or another sustainable livelihood that bests suits your personality and your community, contact us.

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Comments on the substance of the blogs are welcome. If you have other questions, please contact me directly for a consulting appointment.

Do you need a resale license if you sell over the web from your own home?

September 13, 2014 by Paul Edwards 7 Comments

“I want to start a resale business out of my house, do I need a resale license? What is this and where do I get one?” Also what about a federal ID number and a business license?

A resale license or permit, which may have a different name depending on your state, enables you to buy products for resale without paying sales tax on them until you resell them to a purchaser, from whom you collect the tax. You may also have suppliers who will sell to you only if you have a resale number, which indicates to them that you are a legitimate merchant. You can find the name of the tax agency in your state responsible for sales taxes on your state’s web site or from sites like www.govengine.com and http://www.lexisone.com/legalresearch/legalguide/states/states_resources_index.htm. From your state’s tax agency site, you can also get the forms you’ll need for reporting your sales. The states are quite interested in collecting all the taxes they can and have compliance officers.

If your sales are going to be on the web, such as on eBay, you’re obligated to collect and pay tax on sales to buyers from your own state. The Supreme Court reversed the Quill decision with the Wayfair decision that enables states to require collecting sales tax to residents of their states. Usually, states provide a threshold before a small seller is required to collect the tax. You need to check this out for your business.

You only need to get a federal employer ’s tax ID number if you have employees, are a partnership, or are incorporated. You do this with Form SS-4, which you can get at www.irs.gov. It’s one of IRS’s most requested documents and reachable from the home page.

Usually, you get your business license from a county office but check with your state’s agency or office that provides assistance to small businesses. Links to such state agencies and offices can be found at http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=99021,00.html.

If you think we can help you, we offer webinars and consulting. mail://paul@elmstreeteconomy

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Adapted from a prior column in BYOB

Low cost 3D printers are now within your budget

April 11, 2014 by Paul Edwards Leave a Comment

The availability of low-cost table top or 3D printers is here! In unheard of time, Micro 3D the latest entry as a low-cost consumer printer has been obtained funding on Kickstarter.

Small enough to sit on a table, top the Micro 3D can make objects as tall almost five inches high. The carefully thought out motor uses less energy than those powering other consumer printers. If you want to learn more about this printer or to order one, here’s the Kickstarter link:

The Micro 3D is one of a number of low-cost 3D printers costing under $500. Others include:

QU-BD’s One Up for $199

Makible‘s A6 LT for $200 and A6 HT for $300

PrintrBot Simple, a kit to build a printer$349

Pirate 3D’s Buccaneer at $597. The company is saying that they will ship on June 1.

3D printers are increasingly available. Home Depot has begun selling Makerbot printers in some stores. It’s only a matter of time before Best Buy, Wal-Mart, and Target will be selling them, too.

If you want to learn and or make some money using a 3D printer, at these prices, you can buy the technology at far less than early users of personal computers could. We bought our first computer, an Osborne with a 5 inch screen for $1895.

As these personal printers become more sophisticated, they will be to use more materials for making things – food ingredients, wood, metal – all kinds of materials. Already large printers are using other materials.

I believe this form of printing will change crafts, medicine, virtually every kind of product and industry in one way or another – just as personal computer and smart phones have changed our lives. This is one of many ways to create a sustainable livelihood for yourself.

To explore this or another or another way of working for yourself that bests suits your personality and your community, contact me directly for a consulting appointment. mailto:paul@elmstreeteconomy.com. Paul offers coaching through Google Helpouts and as a SBDC consultant.

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Comments on the substance of the blogs are welcome. If you have other questions, please contact me directly for a consulting appointment.

Remodeling as a Sustainable Livelihood in 2014

March 23, 2014 by Paul Edwards 2 Comments

Eighty-nine percent of Americans want to stay as long as possible in their current houses. Chances are you are seeing remodeling projects going on in your neighborhood. Most people need help with the remodeling and so if you have the skills to do work on these projects, either as a handyman or a contractor. Depending on the size of your market, you might specialize in a particular type of remodeling.

According to the National Association of Home Builders, here are the most popular types of remodeling:

Bathroom remodeling – 72%
Finishing basements – 72%
Kitchen remodeling – 70%
Window and door replacement – 40%
Whole house remodeling – 39%
Room additions – 35% (such as a bedroom or sunroom)
Repairing property damage – 29%
Handyman services – 27%
Decks – 25%
Siding – 22%

Contractors can specialize in particular types of residential remodeling, such as restoring homes damaged by fire or suffering from other insurable losses, condo/apartment remodeling, renovating historic residences, or they might specialize by an architectural style. Another way to specialize is by what areas of a residence you remodel.

Here are the skills and knowledge do you need to have:

You need to have an understanding of the industry, some background knowledge in engineering, architecture, interior decoration, or the like.
You need to have the hands-on capability to do the work unless you compensate with other skills such as business management, computer operation, or interior design and contract out hands-on work.
Even if you are not hands-on, you need enough knowledge to handle scheduling and ordering and to oversee quality.
If you broker or outsource components of the work, you need to be effective at coordinating, scheduling, and supervising other people.

These organizations are sources of more information about the industry:

Moving is a major ordeal for anyone, but seniors may face particularly difficult challenges when relocating. Caregivers often have to make decisions for their aging loved ones to live in a safe space, which may require renovating the home or looking into assisted living. Making these decisions can be tough, so we wanted to provide support for these families.

MyMove.com created a resource page on senior moving services. The guide includes:

Moving and Downsizing Checklist
Organizations Helping Seniors Move
Mental Health Tips to Prepare for the Move

For an initial free consultation to explore this or another sustainable livelihood that bests suits your personality and your community, contact me. directly for a consulting appointment. I offer coaching as an SBDC consultant, For an initial free consultation to explore this or another sustainable livelihood that bests suits your personality and your community,

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Comments on the substance of the blogs are welcome. If you have other questions, please contact me directly for a consulting appointment.