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Create Your Own Security
Because of the acceleration of change, many traditional standards of job security are not applicable to the current workplace environment. When old structures break up, there is often a time of chaos when more openness is created in teh organization.
In the past, security came from being at the center of the organization, not from taking chances or rocking the boat. Now, security comes from being at the edges — where the organization must relate to other groups. This is where learning and innovation take place.
You can create personal security in a changing world of work by taking the following steps:
- Expand your boundaries.Learn about what other depatrments are doing, how other teams operate. When you listen across different parts of the company and interpet one group’s needs to another, you become the “glue” that holds the bricks together.
- Expand your role.Look for work that needs to be done, whether it falls under “your job description” or not. Do not become constrained by your role, if you can contribute more. Go where the problems are, where there is much to do and not enough resources to do it. Those are the places you can add value.
- Expand your skills.Do not put all your eggs in one basket. If you only have one skill, you can be at risk. With multiple skills, you can shift the balance as things change. Mixing activities allows you to refocus as the environment changes. Keep learning and challenging yourself. Become comfortable in being uncomfortable and stretching.
- Expand your flexibility.Someone once said that doing the same thing and expecting different results is insanity. People often get stuck in a failed solution — they do the same thign harder, louder, stronger, softer, longer than before, even if it did not work. Do not stay stuck. Move on. Too often people would rather stay stuck than risk doing something new.
- Expand your network.Make it a point to meet and establish connection with someone new every day, within your company, or a vendor, someone on the street, etc. Find out what their needs are, what makes them tick, what gives them joy. Then discover (or CREATE) a way to serve them. For no reason, other than your desire to be a contribution to them. It might be as simple as being an unconditional and generous listener. It might be as courageous as telling them what no one else wants to say, but they need to hear. It might be a thoughtful card on their desk. Whatever it is, find a way to serve people. Everyone gives to a giver.
- Expand your finances.Do whatever you need to do to create a reserve account to hold 3-6 months living expenses. You can do that in several ways: a) Save 10% of your income in a money market, interest bearing account until you reach your goal, b) have a garage sale, ask people to donate items that you can offer for sale, and put the proceeds in a money market, interest bearing account, c) Write down a list of your monthly regular expenses AND those other money leaks (like your $4 daily coffee at Starbucks, etc.). See where you could eliminate certain things or at least cut them down. Save the money left over into your reserve account. Do all three and you’ll have three months expenses saved in no time!
- Expand your vision.Remember that you are not your job, or your career, you are not even your gifts and talents. You are bigger than that. You are the container in which those things exist. So should you find yourself shifting careers, looking for another job, etc., make sure that all you do is in alignment with your ultimate vision for yourself. What is it, by the way? What is a vision for your life that if you were to accomplish it, you’d die knowing you lived a life of no regrets? Answer THAT, and you’ll be a master at your own life, no matter what changes come your way.
Health Insurance for Entrepreneurs (Part 5 of 5)
19. Brush up on first-aid skills and become CPR certified.
Proper treatment of various accidents may reduce the number of visits to the doctor, and can save lives in an emergency. It’s important to always keep an updated medical kit in your home or office.
Here are the basics for your first-aid kit:
- bandage supplies, including a roll of 3 inch wide gauze, individually packaged 4 inch sterile gauze pads, a roll of 1 inch bandage tape, butterfly bandage tape, and scissors
- elastic bandages
- cotton swabs
- sterile dressings or towels
- pain reliever (acetaminophen or ibuprofen)
- anti-inflammatory medicine (ibuprofen)
- ipecac syrup (for use on advice of medical professional to induce vomiting)
- tweezers
- hydrogen peroxide
- skin creams, including hydrocortisone cream, calamine lotion and antibiotic creams
- an antihistamine (diphenhydramine for allergic reactions)
- flashlight
- eye patch
- arm sling
- tongue depressors (to be used as a finger splint)
- ice pack re-hydration fluids (such as Pedialyte or Infalyte)
20. Take a lifestyle approach to wellness – every day
Take charge of your health by making simple changes in your lifestyle. By following these seven basic rules of good health, you’ll improve your chances of living a long, healthy, active life.
- Get eight hours of sleep per night.
- Eat breakfast every morning.
- Cut down on snacks between meals.
- Keep within 10 pounds of your recommended weight range. If you’re unsure what your weight range should be check with your doctor.
- Exercise aerobically for at least 30 minutes three times per week.
- Don’t smoke.
- Don’t drink more than two alcoholic beverages per day.
- Take recommended dosages of vitamins and supplements.
Health Insurance for Entrepreneurs (Part 4 of 5)
15. Pay premiums annually
You avoid the service fee and may also receive a discount from your insurance carrier. Check with your insurance agent about how much money you can save if you pay your premium one time during the year.
16. Make sure there’s a ceiling for out-of-pocket expenses for catastrophic illnesses
About half of individual policyholders lack this important provision, according to insurance experts, who recommend a major medical policy with a stop-loss clause limiting policyholder payout to $2,000 or $3,000.
17. Get educated about your health
Invest in your health by becoming information-rich. Read publications about health care. Pay special attention to free wellness publications like Inside Mayo Clinic at www.mayo.edu/healthinfo/public.html or have on hand a book on medical self-care, like The AAFP Family Health and Medical Guide and The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. A wealth of information is also available on the Internet.
18. Take advantage of free health advice
For free information booklets from the U.S. government about nearly every health care topic you can imagine, simply write to the Consumer Information Center in Pueblo, Colorado. The government offers several dozen booklets on topics ranging from nutrition, medical problems, mental health, to drugs, exercise and weight control. To receive a catalog explaining these booklets, write to:
Consumer Information Center
PO Box 100
Pueblo, CO 81009
www.pueblo.gsa.gov (you can download booklets from this site)
Once again the U.S. Government comes through by providing a number of toll free health care information phone services. Topics are numerous, including hearing aids, cancer information, Alzheimer’s disease, drugs and pregnancy issues. For information on the health topics and phone numbers, call the National Health Information Center at 1-800-336-4797.
Health Insurance for Entrepreneurs (Part 3 of 5)
Your next installment:
10. Emotional stability
Your mental health is equally important as your physical health. Do you have blue days once in awhile, or struggle with gray winters? St. John’s Wort, an over-the-counter herbal supplement, has been proven to increase positive moods. Before rushing to your family physician for medication to make you feel better, try supplements with a combination of expressing your feelings with friends and a healthy lifestyle. Mood stabilizers are some of the most costly medications on the market today. However, you should be aware of the signs of stress or even depression. Give yourself a simple screening test:
- Do you have feelings of sadness and/or irritability?
- Has there been a loss of interest in pleasure activities you once enjoyed?
- Have there been changes in your weight or appetite?
- Have you noticed changes in your sleeping pattern? Are you feeling guilty?
- Do you have the inability to concentrate, remember things or make decisions?
- Are you fatigued or have a loss of energy?
- Do you experience restlessness or decreased activity noticed by others?
- Do you have feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness?
- Do you have thoughts of suicide or death?
If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, consider consulting your family physician. If they recommend mental health treatment, it is more cost-effective to have your family physician prescribe mood stabilizers instead of seeing a psychiatrist. However, follow your doctor’s instructions on counseling and referrals to mental health professionals.
11. Order your prescription drugs by phone, web or mail
There are many discount prescription drug benefits available for a modest cost. Communicating for Agriculture and the Self-Employed offers a free prescription card through PCS. This program saves its members up to 40 percent at over 55,000 pharmacies nationwide. On average, CA members save $9.39 per prescription order. You can enroll free on their Web site at www.selfemployedcountry.org.
12. Ask your doctor to prescribe generic drugs
Medicine marketed under its scientific name is usually 50 percent cheaper and just as effective as brand-name versions. In addition, look for generic drugs in the medicine you purchase over the counter. For example, 100 generic aspirin may cost $1.79; the same ingredients packaged under a well-known brand name can cost more than $5 for 100 tablets. Consider, also, just how important the new easy-to-swallow products are to your comfort. The lesser price of some medicines may be comparably easier to swallow when thinking about your budget.
13. Get enrolled in a group plan
For self employed people including those involved in small businesses, individual health insurance can be extremely costly – sometimes as much as 30 percent of your take home pay. By joining associations like National Association for the Self Employed (www.nase.org), you have the opportunity to enroll in a group insurance plan with unique built-in cost controls.
14. Choose a higher deductible
Often for the healthy family, the number of visits to the doctor totals less than $250 a year, a normally low deductible rate. This low deduction rate, however, can end up costing you more in the form of higher premiums. If your family has enjoyed good health for a number of years, you may want to switch to a higher deductible of $500 or $1000. You’ll notice greatly reduced premiums.
Health Insurance for Entrepreneurs (Part 2 of 5)
Here are the next tips for health insurance for your small business:
5. Help for families with kids — CHIP
All states have established new programs that help lower income families with children to pay for health insurance for their kids. Financed partly by the federal government, the Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) operate either as an expansion of the state’s Medicaid program or a subsidy for basic private health insurance. Eligible families may be able to access coverage for their children at greatly reduced premiums which will vary depending upon family income. Contact your state Department of Health or Insurance for more information.
6. Shop around
Hospital costs vary widely, especially between urban and rural facilities. If your doctor has admitting privileges at more than one hospital, find out if you can be admitted to the one that’s less expensive. Keep in mind that hospitals operated by non-profit foundations are usually less expensive than investor-owned, for profit hospitals. To find out how much your local hospitals charge, ask your doctor. Many states have Health Services Cost Review Commissions, which compile such data.
7. Check for free clinics in your community
You and your entire family can save hundreds of dollars by taking advantage of the many free screenings, immunizations, and other health clinics offered by your local community or a town near you. Numerous community hospitals and social services can provide blood pressure checks, shots for your children, free contraceptives and/or advice, and other preventative health care at little to no cost.
8. Get a second opinion out of town
Believe it or not, your chance of undergoing an expensive surgery or preventative procedure may depend solely on where you happen to live. Statistics show that the frequency in which certain medical procedures are performed varies widely from location to location. For example, residents of New Haven, Conn., are twice as likely to undergo a coronary bypass operation as residents of Boston, Mass. What’s the reason for this discrepancy? One Dartmouth Medical School expert, John E. Wennberg, M.D., M.H.P., explains that certain operations are simply more fashionable in some parts of the United States than others. So, if you plan to get a second opinion prior to surgery, consider going to a specialist in another city. In addition, try to find out what the surgery rates for your procedure are in different cities. HealthAllies.com also offers this service online at www.healthallies.com. To get the names of second-opinion doctors in your region, call the U.S. government’s toll-free second-opinion hotline at 1-800-638-6833.
9. Don’t pay double for a second opinion
As you make arrangements for a second opinion, ask your doctor to send copies of your medical records, x-rays, and lab tests to the second-opinion doctor. These tests don’t need duplication; your second doctor will have the information he or she needs – and you don’t pay double.
