08.10.10
Posted in customer service, getting started at 11:37 pm by LeaRae Keyes, Executive Director, Nurse Entrepreneur Network
In the news today was a story about a Jet Blue flight attendant who became angry with a couple of passengers on the flight. He deployed the emergency slide and departed the air plane. It was reported that he had just had enough and couldn’t take anymore.
This made me think about all the stress that nurses have to put up with. Hospital nursing seems to become more and more stressful with each day. Some of the stresses include very demanding patient loads, having sicker and sicker patients, dealing with the issue of hospital based infections such as MRSA and C Dif, inconsiderate physicians, hospital politics, rotating shifts, ….
Is it any wonder that nurses are exploring and enjoying being nurse entrepreneurs? Being self employed provides a rewarding and much less stressful option for nurses. Nurse entrepreneurs are able to determine their work load, decide who they are willing to work with, a bit more removed from direct contact with hospital borne infections, determine their own working hours, and much more. The ability to have greater control is one of the reasons that nurses are generally happier as nurse entrepreneurs.
There are some many options for a nurse interested in being an entrepreneur that it would seem that any nurse wanting to be an entrepreneur could find an enjoyable option. The options for nurses wanting to be nurse entrepreneurs includes legal nurse consulting, case management, care management, health coaching, wound care, educator, patient advocate, forensic nurse and much more. If you are unhappy with your current nursing job consider being a nurse entrepreneur.
LeaRae Keyes, RN
www.Nurse-Entrepreneur-Network.com
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07.06.10
Posted in Increase profits, Sales, customer service, getting started at 8:53 pm by LeaRae Keyes, Executive Director, Nurse Entrepreneur Network
What could the tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico possibly have to do with nurse entrepreneurs? There are lessons to be learned from BP for anyone who is in business including nurse entrepreneurs.
One of the first lessons that can be learned is not to overpromise and under deliver! BP has consistently over estimated and over promised in its efforts to contain the oil spread which has now reached every state in the Gulf of Mexico. It is vitally important that you are able to keep promises you make and deliver on time.
Next came the blame game. Everyone is pointing fingers at everyone else. What is critically important early on in a crisis is to solve the crisis. There will be plenty of time for finger pointing and assigning blame later if this is really necessary as may be the case in determining who should pay what costs. However, the first thing that needs to be done by every nurse entrepreneur is to fix to problem rather than assigning blame.
Finally is the lesson of risk. Risk looms over the horizon for every nurse entrepreneur. Know your risks and plan for them accordingly. Have a disaster plan in case the worst case scenario does happen. Determine you plan ahead of the disaster not after the disaster has occurred and you are trying to figure out a solution. Have a disaster plan in place before you take the step to put yourself at risk. Perhaps it is a stop loss measure, or back up assistance to be called on, or a triage plan, whatever is needed have your plan in place.
By learning from BP’s mistakes and failures you can make your company less vulnerable and more resilient. You can put yourself and your company in an excellent position by avoiding the mistakes made by BP.
LeaRae Keyes, RN
www.nurse-entrepreneur-network.com
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12.13.09
Posted in Blogging, getting started at 12:22 am by LeaRae Keyes, Executive Director, Nurse Entrepreneur Network
We have decided on department and category titles for the Family Caregiver Assistance website. This will affect where the information will appear on the website. It also affects the site map and how subscribers of the Family Caregiver Assistance website will find the information they are seeking.
I have been working on writing one article per day for the new site. These articles contain beneficial information for family caregivers. I will continue to work on writing one article per day.
We have also set up the forum on FCA (www.familycargiverassistance.com). I have written the welcome message for the forum. We have also set up the blog on FCA. Continuing information on my actions to set up this new site will be posted on the blog on that site.
I visited my dad in Arizonia for about a week. I got back this Thursday night after the snow storm in the Minneapolis, MN area. Visiting my dad gave me ideas on more material for the FCA site. Living in MN and being a long distance caregiver for my mom and now my dad results in my being keenly aware of long distance caregiving.
LeaRae Keyes, RN
www.nurse-entrepreneur-network.com
www.familycaregiverassistance.com
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12.03.09
Posted in Blogging, getting started at 10:39 pm by LeaRae Keyes, Executive Director, Nurse Entrepreneur Network
We received another revision of the web site design today and it was uploaded to the site today. That seemed like a big step! We asked for a few more tweaks of the photos. We are getting really close.
Now we need to get working on some of the catagory titles and the content for the various catagories. I also want to continue to write more articles before the site is actually “launched”. I will need to be very busy writing vetween now and the end of the year.
LeaRae Keyes, RN
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12.02.09
Posted in Blogging, getting started at 9:10 pm by LeaRae Keyes, Executive Director, Nurse Entrepreneur Network
Today we reviewed the latest changes to the web site design. We requested changes to the look and size of some of the type. We also developed a tag line and asked to have it added to the site.
I also spent time on the Nurse Entrepreneur Network website. I wrote a tip, article, downloadable worksheet for collecting overdue invoices, and created and posted a new survey.
LeaRae Keyes, RN
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12.01.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:24 am by LeaRae Keyes, Executive Director, Nurse Entrepreneur Network
Over Thanksgiving I added another page to www.familycaregiverassistance.com. I also created a draft of the “give away” item when family caregivers join the site.
We received the intial draft of the web web design. We recommended a number a changes including moving the tag line, minor changes to the logo, cropping the pictures for the site differently than wa sproposed, some color changes, and larger lettering.
Creating a web site reminds me of building a house. There are many decisions that need to be made in a short amount of time. It is hard to anticipate the decisions until one sees a draft of the site and then there are features that just do not seem to go togetehr well.
I will keep you posted as I move through this process,
LeaRae Keyes, RN
www.nurse-entrepreneur-network.com and
www.familycaregiverassistance.com
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11.22.09
Posted in Blogging, getting started at 1:20 pm by LeaRae Keyes, Executive Director, Nurse Entrepreneur Network
I am still waiting for a draft of the new website. Right now it is the standard, basic Membergate page.
However, since Google has been coming to the page and searching it I think it is time to begin to post new material. I posted an article on “The Perils of the Handoff”. This is the time when care of your family member shift from one care team to another. This occurs at change of shift, when transitioning between facilities, at the time of surgery, and at other times along the care continuum of your family member.
It is important to keep search engines coming to your site and searching for new information. If they do not find new information they will begin to come to your site less and less often. This results in a lower ranking with people search for your key words and affects traffic to your site. Therefore it is critical to add new information to your site on a frequent basis.
Today I will be working on new content that I can add to the site later today or tomorrow. I have been told on webinars that I have attended that it is important for your new content to be at least 240 words. So, I will be seeking a topic for which I can write at least 240 words.
Are there other things that you know to be important when adding content? If so, I would love to hear your comments. I would even enjoy comments as to if you are finding these blog entries to be helpful.
LeaRae Keyes, RN
Executive Director
www.nurse-entrepreneur-network.com
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11.17.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:18 pm by LeaRae Keyes, Executive Director, Nurse Entrepreneur Network
Today I recieved word from Membergate that they will have an initial draft of the website done by Nov. 24. There is a lot involved in starting a new webiste. In some way it feels as though it would be similiar to building a new house. Decisions to be made about many little details including: colors, font, look and feel of the website, number of columns, catagory headings, look of the coatagory headings, and much much more.
Today I also interviewed a friend who had been a family caregiver for an uncle and for her mother. We discussed some of the most important issues that arose for her. We also discussed what she wished she had known earlier and what information would have been the most helpful for her.
I could related to much of what she talked about as I had been a long distance cargiver for my mother before she passed away over 10 years ago at age 63. There were issues my firend and I had in common and issues that were quite different because her family members for who she was caring were in the general area while my mother was hundreds of miles away.
I also stopped at a book store and purchased a couple of books on caregiver to refresh my memory on the important information for caregivers. This will help to stimulate ideas for articles to post on the site.
LeaRae Keyes, RN
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11.16.09
Posted in Blogging, getting started at 9:13 pm by LeaRae Keyes, Executive Director, Nurse Entrepreneur Network
Today I watched a webinar about using press releases. It was explained that press releases are not just for big companies. They can also be easy to create and post online. Following this webinar I listened to a teleseminar about “My Knowledge Genie”. This teleseminar was not as helpful for me as the earlier webinar. It can sometimes be difficult to determine if a teleseminar or webinar will be beneficial or not. I do not like attending events that are primarily a sales presentation. When I spend my valuable time attending an event I want to receive information that I will be able to use not simply be educated about a product. I will certainly keep this in mind as I create this website and offer information.
LeaRae Keyes, RN
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11.14.09
Posted in Blogging, getting started at 11:08 pm by LeaRae Keyes, Executive Director, Nurse Entrepreneur Network
Today I worked on deciding on possible colors for the website. I think navy blue and a combination of browns would like nice. Research I have done indicates these colors convey health and have a natural appearance. I thought about a possible tag line but have not decided definately on the tag line. I came up with a draft of the look and feel I would like the website to portray. I also drafted an idea of what I would like for the logo. Whew, busy day working on all fo this.
LeaRae Keyes
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11.13.09
Posted in Blogging, getting started at 4:34 pm by LeaRae Keyes, Executive Director, Nurse Entrepreneur Network
My websitte purchase has gone through. I am now needing to provide information for the software company who will be assisting in setting up the initial “skeleton” of the site. I will be talking with my office manager this weekend and brainstorming on the information that has been requested which includes: color preferences, tag line, and look and feel of the website that is being desired.
What colors do you think of when you think of a website for caregivers and care providers?
LeaRae Keyes, RN
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11.10.09
Posted in Blogging, getting started at 11:42 pm by LeaRae Keyes, Executive Director, Nurse Entrepreneur Network
I am creating a new division of my company. You are welcome to follow me here as I blog about the steps that I take to develop this new business. Following these steps will give you an abbreviated idea as to how your might be able to create a new business or a new product line.
After much discussion recently with my husband and office manager I decided to start a new subscription web site. Sometimes subscription web sites are also called continuity programs. However, the business model for this site will be to charge “sponsors”.
This week I have decided on the domain name for this new site. www.familycaregiverassistance.com. The domain name has been purchased. I have also contacted www.membergate.com to purchase the software for this site. I have begun to explore colors I would like for the website and have been thinking about the design and logo. I have also started the initial planning for the catagories I will use on this new site.
Today I discussed with my MasterMind group if the resource directory that is available to me on this new site will work the way I am envisioning it working. Even though most of the members of this MasterMind group also have “membergate websites” they were not heavily using this feature of the software very much.
That’s it for now, join me on this journey -
LeaRae Keyes
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06.16.09
Posted in Networking, getting started at 9:30 pm by LeaRae Keyes, Executive Director, Nurse Entrepreneur Network
I know that there are many of us out there – nurses who own businesses. Do you long to find other nurses who are also in business? I know that I did when I first got started about 10 years ago.
I wanted to know that there were other nurses who had successfully started their businesses. I so wanted to know that they had survived the 7 year point since most businesses fail within their first 7 years.
If you are a nurse who owns a business have you found other nurses who have successfully started their businesses? What can you learn from their successes? What can you learn from their failures? If you haven’t found other nurses to be your support and your role models you are missing out on a key component to a successful business.
Masterminding with other nurses can also lead to many creative ideas you would not have thought of on your own. So build yourself a group of nurses who are also in business to increase the chances of your success and your growing success. You may want to consider joining the Nurse Entrepreneur Network.
LeaRae Keyes, RN
www.Nurse-Entrepreneur-Network.com
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06.07.09
Posted in home office at 10:31 am by LeaRae Keyes, Executive Director, Nurse Entrepreneur Network
If you have funds available there are a few things you should consider buying as a nurse entrepreneur before the economy impoves. I saw this on twitter and wanted to share it with other nurse entrepreneurs. “Have we hit bottom? 10 Things to Buy Before the Economy Improves. Click to see what is NUMBER ONE! http://bit.ly/ZBRd2”
LeaRae Keyes, RN
www.nurse-entrepreneur-network.com
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04.30.09
Posted in Blogging, Uncategorized at 10:08 pm by LeaRae Keyes, Executive Director, Nurse Entrepreneur Network
For interesting information on how Swine Flu can potential spread through a work place see http://www.thenetworkthinker.com/2009/04/network-structure-of-swine-flu-pandemic.html
LeaRae Keyes, RN
www.nurse-entrepreneur-network.com
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