This post is a long time coming – and I’m really excited to profess my love for Google once again! Ready?I’m always talking about Google and why it’s so amazing… and why Google Business has made my business so much better by increasing productivity – and simply keeping me (and my team!) organized. Awhile back I wrote a blog post for my partners and members at Collective-E – on basic Google Mail and how their filtering rocks. And now I’m going to expand and explain that there is life after the free Google Mail (aka Gmail). And it gets much, much better than the basic Gmail. Brace yourself!First, let’s start with your business domain.A good business practice is to use an email platform that is branded to your business. It’s just good business practice in general. But, like most of us, we’re hooked on how awesome Google Mail/Gmail is. We love how it works, the bells and whistles… the whole kit and kaboodle. But, of course, you don’t want your business email accounts to end in @gmail.com. It just looks a little shady. Especially in this crazy spam world. Who knows if you’re real – or if you’re really running a REAL business.I know there are ways around this by still being able to use your free Gmail account. But they are quick fixes. You want the real deal, trust me. I’m sure you get my drift.Well, if you haven’t heard already, Google has a solution. Google Business Apps allows you to take your domain and utilize the Google Platform for your email. Same look and feel as Gmail, you can use your own domain – and SO much more.I run multiple business platforms – and all of my domains are connected with Google Business. So when you see my email addresses – yep, all Google Mail. And it’s not because I set them up in the basic Gmail – it’s because I’m using Google Business Apps. The Cadillac of Gmail.Today, more than two million businesses run Google Apps.Why?Well, their features. Moreover, the power behind their applications – and how they allow you to run a business by being organized and efficient through your inbox. Just to name a few general things that make Google worth the switch:1) It can work with any size business
2) The power behind the applications (I’ll get to this in a second)
3) Cost savings – look ma! no hardware or software! All web-based. Ah, a dream.
4) Storage, storage, storage (more than 50X the industry average)
5) Security and Trust
6) And best of all – 24/7 customer support
7) The whole platform is on a completely different server than regular basic Gmail. Nope, you won’t have any problems with Gmail being down any more!Okay, I could go on and on and on…Now, to tell you what makes my head really spin – and makes me a HUGE fan of Google Business Apps…The power of the intuitive applications like Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Docs. How they all work together (especially in a virtual team environment) while creating a seamless and painless experience for all. It not only helps reduce costs, but it helps my team and I to collaborate more effectively.If you’ve ever used the regular free Gmail, Google Business Apps is like Gmail on crack.;-) Do you get my point?Envision this with me for a second. (This is how my business is setup when it comes to using Google.)I login to my inbox which is web-based (yeah, baby – I can access it anywhere!) and right away I see my regular inbox, and then a chat window on the right which includes my whole team and Solamar clients. On the left is my calendar and what’s coming up for the day, along with another gadget that shows all our past Google docs that were most recently updated by my team. At the very bottom, I’m reminded of security – as it shows me if I’m signed in anywhere else and that IP address, along with storage and a few other tid-bits of info. Here’s a quick and dirty screen shot. I know you can’t see much, but take my word for it. It rocks!And lastly, how amazing it is to share Google Docs?! No more attaching and reattaching, and revising and the reattaching. You share a Google Doc, that person edits it and then you can edit, all without sending an email (and being able to use chat while editing a doc or while other people are looking at it, too! Amazing!):Now, are you ready for my favorite?! Google Labs – they rock my world! I have so many favorites that I can’t even begin to list them out and explain why I love them and how they help me in business. You need to check them out for yourself! A-mazing!Jeeze, what will Google think of next. Thrilled.Okay, I’m off my Google soap box now. But I’ll leave you with this. If your business isn’t using Google Apps, you need to make the switch. I’ve saved money from an internal perspective, created a better work flow, and a centralized way of working with a virtual team. There’s really no reason why you shouldn’t use it. Truly. Make the switch. You’ll be much happier you did. Promise.You may be thinking “oh my, it’s a lot of work to switch over”. That’s a lie. Just sayin’. And there’s a free trial – only $50 per user every year thereafter. Brilliant, right?Go for it. Report back to me. I’d love to hear how it goes! And if you still have reservations, comment here and I’ll help you out!
Why You Need Everything Google In Your Business
Word of Mouth Marketing – A Neglected Online Marketing Partner
Word of mouth marketing has been around long before the dawn of modern electronic communications, and long before the Internet. It is therefore amazing to see that up till today, the two concepts are being seen as mutually exclusive and not complementary to each other.What is Word-of-Mouth Marketing?This form of marketing is often also referred to as Word of Mouth Advertising, which entails the process of actively encouraging and influencing an organic word of mouth discussion about a product, brand, resource, or even a specific corporate message or event. It is then left up to your employees, clients or customers to spread the news and advocate the core message. A more commonly used phrase for this, is to refer to it as viral marketing.It is well-known that it comes with the pros of being positively embraced if reaching an intended market. It does however have its cons if the message is unclear and has an intended bias to a certain group, whether racial, cultural, sexist, religious, rich, poor etc.Online marketing on the other hand needs little introduction as we are being bombarded with it daily via websites, social media and other digital media platforms. In more formal terms it is about capturing and extending the customer experience at crucial points. It is also about building a relationship and continuously adapting across different channels in order to reach specific customers.So where is the synergy between Word of Mouth Marketing and Online Marketing?The answer is undoubtedly with affiliate marketing which is about selling or promoting someone else’s goods and services and then getting paid for it. This can be either physical goods via Amazon or say digital goods via online marketing platforms like ClickBank. The affiliate simply searches for a product that has high external or personal appeal, then promotes that product or service and gets rewarded in some form or other.In many instances, companies encourage their workers to inform friends or families about new offerings and will issue discount vouchers etc. The employees in turn will be incentivised depending as per the level of engagement. In this instance, the marketing will most likely be Word of Mouth, but essentially the employee now acts as an “affiliate marketer” for the company.Online marketing has the potential to make people huge money irrespective of the very differences mentioned earlier i.e. race, gender, social standing etc. It has a very low barrier to entry and a multitude of companies to affiliate with. Another advantage is the global, reach so you are certainly not restricted to only marketing in your local or country geographical zone.If an affiliate marketer has a very good product and use a correctly executed word of mouth strategy as a free form of advertising, it will cost significantly less than any paid marketing channel. Potential buyers usually tend to search online for reviews and information before making a buying decision. A substantial amount however also relies on friends, family and colleagues before making the buying decision.It is therefore obvious that the vast potential of integrating the above two concepts has not been fully explored. I would suggest that people looking for methods on how to make extra cash, seriously consider getting a good grip on affiliate marketing, and using word of mouth to extend their client base.
Yoga Workout Clothes
Yoga clothing is pretty much anything that you have for your normal gym workout. For many months that I tried it, I would simply wear soccer shorts and a T-shirt as my yoga workout clothes. A lot of other people in the class invested more seriously in yoga workout clothing, but I really didn’t see any kind of advantage to it. My clothes were as flexible as theirs, and I had no trouble engaging in stretches in them at least no trouble that stemmed in the clothing I was wearing! They were also a good deal cheaper, which I considered a huge advantage. And I am totally at ease with it.After I got pretty serious about it, however, I decided to buy a few yoga workout outfits available in stores. I had to admit that in certain ways they really helped. The thing about yoga is that it requires extreme and perfect concentration to get it done right. Any physical discomfort should be limited whenever possible, and everything must be done to help you relax and feel at ease. Yoga workout clothes do that by covering the body more evenly in the comfortable, stretchy material. You feel comfortably encased in a warm protective layer which wicks sweat off from the skin and keep you at just the right temperature. Because yoga workout clothes are stretchy, they don’t ride up and ride down as you’re stretching, eliminating one distraction that shorts have. They also begin to look pretty good for you once you condition your body and get in shape.However my recommendations for new yoga practitioners are to skip yoga workout clothes first. Just use anything you have purchased to wear when you go to a health club, provided that it is flexible enough or baggy enough to allow you to do yoga. Once you’ve been at it for a couple months, then, try ordering some yoga clothes. Start with one or two outfits just for the feel of it, and then decide what you like. You may find that you simply do better in normal gym clothes, which is alright. A lot of people, however, say they find using yoga workout clothes much more comfortable. It’s all just a matter of personal preference.In addition, you don’t need to confine yourself to workout clothes for yoga only to find something good to stretch in. Aerobics workout clothes, clothes for dancing, and whatever else they can be used in regular activities that involve difficult stretching work great. The motions involved with yoga are far from unique. They are used in many different forms of physical activity, so clothing that works for those exercises will work well for yoga as well. Still, yoga workout clothes are some of the most comfortable ones out there.Though it’s not just a necessity, investing on them is still up to your choice. Whatever way you like to spice up during yoga exercises doesn’t really matter so long as you are comfy and making the most of what you are doing.
Opt For Preventive Care To Reduce The Cost of Healthcare
People often do not prioritize their health and visit the hospital or their doctors while detecting some disease-causing symptoms in their bodies. However, preventive care is the best possible way everyone can undertake and cease the risk factors before the symptoms become dangerous and life-threatening. The following article will focus completely on preventive health care and how it helps reduce further costs involved with healthcare.
Suggested article: Preventive Dental Care In California
What is Preventive Care?
Preventive health care or prophylaxis involves the measures that people consider for preventing any diseases. The form of healthcare includes utilizing medical services or precautions that fight against the potential health crisis. It is the most important step that people can adopt in better management of their health.
Several factors such as genetic predisposition, lifestyle, environmental factors, and disease agents affect people’s health. Hence, everyone must undergo periodic health check-ups and screening tests from the doctors.
People opt for preventive health care for maintaining better health, and eliminating the disease becomes serious. Preventive care in conjunction with medicines will save a patient from health breakdown and save money from future expenses, especially if the patient is suffering from a chronic disease.
What are the Preventative Care Services?
Here are some of the examples of preventive health care services, along with their frequencies. ·
Annual Check-up (1 per calendar year): During the annual check-up, the doctor or Primary Care Provider (PCP) checks all areas of a person’s health, including physical and psychological. Examining the patients in detail helps in detecting any health care concerns in the early stages.
· Flu Shot (1 per year): Most health plans include flu shots and protect the patients from all strains of flu viruses.
· Mammogram (1 calendar year, after the patient attains the age of 40 years): Patients over the age of 40 must undergo routine x-rays of breast tissues and check for signs of cancer and other abnormalities. Some health plans might cover the costs of 3D imaging. ·
Colonoscopy (usually once in every decade after the age of 50) for detecting colon cancer.
· Vaccinations, including boosters for such as measles, rubella, polio, etc. administered during childhood.
Preventive health care helps keep people productive and active, enabling them to earn well during their senior years. Studies show that approximately 35% of people have to consider early retirement, even before they are financially ready. Opting for affordable, preventive care helps in reducing the numbers.
Why Should Patients Opt for Preventive Care?
Access to preventive health care helped reduce healthcare costs among Americans, as the physicians can prevent or treat the disease before the patient needs emergency room (ER) care. Almost one-third of costs in America include hospital care, which is undoubtedly very expensive. In 2010, 21.4% of adults paid at least a visit to the emergency room, which reduced to 18.6% in 2017. Adults not having affordable access to preventive care are more likely to pay a couple of visits to the emergency room.
Statistics show that 7% of the adults in the age group of 18-64 paid visits to the ER in 2014, as they had no other option, regardless of their health insurance status. About 77% of Americans went to the emergency rooms due to complications in their health, including those whose doctors advised them for emergency room care. Approximately 15.4% of uninsured adults in 2014 are more likely to use the emergency room, as they lacked other providers.
Undoubtedly, the cost of ER care for uninsured patients was extremely high. Hospitals provide care, even if the patient fails to provide fees for their services. As hospitals must recover the cost, they shift to Medicaid and health insurance premiums, which increases the healthcare cost for everyone.
Impact of Preventive Care Cost on Health Care Costs
Chronic diseases are the major leading cause of death among people, either preventable or manageable with regular visits to health care. These include:
· Heart diseases
· Cancer
· Stroke and
· Chronic lower respiratory diseases
Poor nutrition and obesity are the leading cause of heart disease and stroke. Genetics and smoking lead to lung cancer, which is the most common type of cancer. Obesity also risks several other forms of cancer.
Treating these chronic diseases is expensive, even before they reach emergency room status. Approximately 90% of the 3.5 trillion USD includes health care expenditures for people suffering psychological problems and chronic diseases. Patients who never went for preventative care or did not have any prescription coverage failed to afford the treatments, screenings, regular check-ups, and medications that would manage the underlying conditions of the disease. Instead, they head up to the emergency rooms with cases of strokes, heart attacks, and other complications.
However, with regular access to affordable, preventive care, the patients were more likely to discover and manage their chronic conditions. Doing so lowers the chances of visiting the emergency rooms and investing more into expensive treatments for those diseases, which passed regular management. With the decrease in the expenditure for treatments, the overall healthcare cost also decreases for everyone, as the hospitals no longer try to cover the treatment cost of the uninsured patients.
When and What Preventive Health Care is the Most Suitable?
A patient’s primary health care provider will help him or her coordinate the most suitable shots and tests. While analyzing the beneficial shots, the health care provider will consider certain aspects such as family history, age, sex, current health status, and several other factors.
Conclusion
Preventive health care often covers 100% of health plans and offers the patients several benefits both in cost and health. However, if the patient experiences doubts or are in dilemmas about the things covered and tests conducted, he or she must communicate with the physician at the earliest.
Everyone knows, “health is wealth.” If a patient is healthy, he or she will perform the best. However, it is also important to adopt a healthy lifestyle, reducing the risk factors and saving the patients from spending money on medicines.