Day three of the 2012 Private Duty Homecare Association Leadership Summit began with attendees learning from their peers at our Birds-of-a-Feather Roundtables. Facilitated by experts on various topics, attendees sat around tables to get input and to discuss ways to grow and improve what they are doing related to the topic. The questions were flying and watching agency owners share their best practices was a great collaborative exercise. Many continued their discussions post-session and planned to exchange contact information post-conference.

Topics at the roundtables included:

• Alternative service offerings
• Modeling private home care services based on a concierge model
• Social media as a marketing tool
• Google & Grandma: SEO tips
• Health care reform
• Grass roots lobbying efforts for home care issues
• Ethics and the new age of private duty home care
• Disaster preparedness
• Long-term care insurance ins and outs
• CRM and workflow processes
• Wage and hour issues

Software Speed Dating

For those interested in learning about scheduling and management software, attendees joined the first-ever software speed dating session. Four different vendors presented for 15 minutes each. They highlighted what differentiated their software as well as highlighted the items that current customers find the most beneficial. Vendors that participated were eSolutions, Generations, Shoshana Technologies, Rosemark and Heath Trust Software.

Closing General Session

Private duty home care agencies are facing business-changing issues from current legislation. From health care reform and all that trickles down from those initiatives, Bill Dombi, Vice President of Law for NAHC, closed the conference with a thorough download from Washington DC Bill opened with the fact that our biggest concern should be how we are going to meet the great and growing demand for care. He added that, because it is an election year, he predicts we will not see the health care reform act repealed in 2012. However, it will be a central part of the 2012 campaigns for presidential election.

In 2012, several issues are on the forefront, including the fate of healthcare reform law at the US Supreme Court. Everyone is really looking toward the US Supreme Court to see what they are going to decide with these cases. What will be affected out of these decisions will be:

• individual mandate which addresses the minimum coverage provision
• Anti-Junction Act which deals with applicability

What might be considered the most impactful issue on the table for private duty is the Companionship Exemption. Bill went through many of the updates about where legislation stands as well as what we can expect in the near future. For a recap of these updates, please watch the Legislative Update videos at www.youtube.com/PDHCA.

NAHC has an action plan which includes conducting an economic impact study as well as a media campaign. Bill mentioned that agencies can go the NAHC website to send messages to Congress.

Post-Conference Intensive: Focus on Sales

Led by Barbara Akst, BA, MA, CEO of Training Unlimited of Virginia, this time served as an interactive work session. Attendees came prepared with their sales plans to focus on goals and objectives to establish action items to carry out upon returning to the office. A key take-away from the session for the attendees was to understand and determine the difference between knowing goals vs. objectives. Another great learning from the session was the acronym “SMART” Goals. SMART stands for specific, measureable, achievable, results focused, time bound. Barbara encouraged attendees to think about what is it that they want in a sales professional in terms of characteristics, what their role will be and what their performance expectations are.

Watch what happened at the Private Duty Homecare Association Leadership Summit on the PDHCA YouTube Channel! 

When Dr. Lance Secretan was introduced and he walked up to the front of the room and continued right past the podium where most speakers would take their station, we knew we were in for something different. Walking the floor with the audience, he engaged from the very beginning. He led with, “We are going to talk about inspiration.”

He discussed leadership as an old concept with a missing piece, which is inspiration. How can you inspire others if you, yourself are not inspired? To dive into that concept, he talked about motivation and how we often as a society confuse motivation with inspiration. We have built companies, incentives, etc. on motivation, which is a fear-based concept. Dr. Secretan encourages us to throw this idea out and shift thinking toward inspiration. To be inspiring to others and to yourself, you must change the words you use. Inspiring words are those with compassion, care and love. “Love leads to inspiration.”

Dr. Secretan asked, “How do you run a healthcare business when the game around you changes all the time?” Take a good look at your leadership team. He stated that because we are human beings, all leadership teams are dysfunctional to some extent. The first thing we need to do is align and correct  these teams. To do so, ask three questions and have everyone in the leadership team share these responses with each other.

1. Why am I here? This is your destiny.
2. What is my calling? This is your calling.
3. How will I be? This is your character.

This is called the “Why Be Do.”

Another major component of Dr. Secretan’s insight had to do with the concept of Permission Space. What will people allow you to do? What is accepted by your customer base? You will be given permission to be great if you do these things. As an agency, figure out what those things are, plot them on a map and follow it.

“Inspiration drives performance.”-Dr. Lance Secretan.

“Authenticity is the alignment of the mind, the mouth, the heart and the feet.” -Dr. Lance Secretan

Paul Kusserow, Humana

Paul opened with a powerful statement. He believes home care, despite the uncertain healthcare landscape, is an extraordinary business to be in—and will change the way we age.

He discussed how Humana took the principles of Dr. Secretan and changed the dynamic of the company. Fundamentally, Humana wanted to establish a continuum of care for their customers. They wanted to start the dialogue about wellbeing with customers before they were ill. They believed this was in their permission space.

To this end, Humana began to research their customer base to see what their customers’ impressions of wellbeing were.

Through this process, Humana realized that they wanted to be “all things senior.” They see a great deal of opportunity for home care companies in telehealth and helping families become a part of the care process. Agencies should think about how to expand their influence. He concluded with, “Humana wants to inspire people to be the best they can be and partner with them to do that.”

Make sure to see Val J. Halamandaris’ recap of his thoughts on the keynote speakers at http://youtu.be/NbsU5jzQNDU.

Education Sessions

PDHCA was honored to host a series of education sessions in the afternoon with dynamic content for attendees. For clips of the sessions, visit PDHCA’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/PDHCA.

Session topics included:

• Get more web visibility, traffic and leads
• New rules of home care growth in the post-recession age
• Negotiating the sale of a home care agency
• Legal issues concerning websites, blogs and social media
• Attracting and retaining the A+ caregiver
• Making sense out of private duty’s role in transitional care
• Focused networking as an art form that drives sales
• Obtaining insurance benefits for your clients’ care
• Quality & customer service: two sides of the same coin

Continue to follow PDHCA Conference updates at #PDHCASummit on Twitter and watch important video of conference speakers on the PDHCA YouTube Channel! 

• Mommy and baby programs
• Day of sugary support
• Cruise companions
• Home modification
• Holiday helpers

She pointed out that business is anything your customers are willing to pay for and that you can provide confidently. She also recommended that you heed caution when considering new services. In other words, give careful thought before launching. Make sure you follow state rules.

A big focus in the pre-conference intensive was the Operations Dashboard. Knowing where you are in terms of data will be the only way agencies can remain profitable and successful during growth. Agencies have to know what costs are: productivity of staff, cost of leads, cost of referrals, conversion ratios, average hours per new client, per active client, loss ratio, etc.—bottom line, you have to look at gross profit and net. A good operational dashboard will help you figure that out. According to Ginny, “Salespeople should be making 25 to 30 sales calls per week.” Additionally, she advises that agency owners should make sure salespeople know their “speak” when marketing to referral sources.

Next up was Patricia Drea, focusing on benchmarking. She recommended that small agencies (those with revenue under $500k) track key indicators such as:

• Lead tracking
• Lead conversion
• Monthly profit & loss

For agencies with $1M and above, Patricia noted that a referral analysis should be added. It is also at this point that she recommends following up with customer service surveys to make sure the quality of service is still there and allowing for measurement of change.

Once an agency moves into the $3M and up revenue category, a comparative performance between people on staff should be added. Scorecards and process improvement are necessary for improving performance, and Patricia was quoted as saying, “Make sure to continue to use benchmarking after implementing process improvements so you don’t slide backwards.”

Some of the numbers that agencies should pay attention to when benchmarking are the average number of hours per care recipient. This value lets you know if you are recruiting fast enough. Also, pay attention to profit margin. Patricia stated, “Industry standards say that the average profit is 15 to 20%.”

A big takeaway for the groups was this simple, but powerful statement, “You won’t make up profit margin with volume.

Patricia also recommended that office staff salaries and benefits should be 12 to 16% of total gross revenue.

A great take-away from the entire pre-conference intensive for all agencies is, “Private duty agencies need to become data-driven organizations.”

Scott Spangler wrapped up the morning session with a quote about the positive effects of having a functional operational dashboard, “The dashboard is a great tool to catch greatness.”

Continue to follow PDHCA Conference updates at #PDHCASummit on Twitter and watch important video of conference speakers on the PDHCA YouTube Channel! 

According to TechCrunch.com, “Sales completed from mobile devices grew, reaching 14.4 percent versus 5.3 percent on Christmas Day 2010, representing an increase of 172.9 percent. In terms of specific mobile devices, the iPad led all mobile device traffic to retailers at 7 percent, followed by the iPhone at 6.4 percent and Android at 5 percent.”

So what does all this mobile use mean for health care? A lot, actually. Mobile technology is being used across all areas of the industry, with big names like Verizon and Sprint getting in on the game with remote patient monitoring devices. And, with customers and potential clients spending so much time on their mobile devices, it’s important for health care industry professionals to have a mobile-enabled website  to increase sales and awareness of services, locations served, as well as brands.

A surprising number of businesses have still not taken the steps to make their websites mobile-friendly, so many, in fact, that Google recently sponsored an effort to encourage businesses to make sure they offer websites that work well on mobile devices. The bottom line is simple. Similar to the retail industry, increasing numbers of potential clients will be searching for their health care needs – doctors, local home care agencies, independent living aids – from mobile devices. If a company’s site is not mobile enhanced, chances are the customer will search for what they need elsewhere.HIPAA Regulations and Compliance

When conducting health related business via mobile devices, as so many physicians and health care agencies are doing these days, it is vital to ensure that all interactions are HIPAA compliant. According to a white paper published by Diversinet, “A large number of new entrants and small mobile health companies are providing targeted wireless personal health monitoring devices and services that collect and transmit health data. An even larger number of smart phone application companies have developed specialized mHealth apps for patient monitoring, scheduling medical appointments and medication reminders. At the other end of the vendor spectrum, well-established global technology service providers are adapting existing security products for the healthcare sector.”

The paper also lists mobile security best practices such as, encrypting patient health information on mobile devices, authentication of users prior to transmitting patient health information and automatic session timeout, logoff and device locking. To read more about mobile security and HIPAA compliance for health care professionals, download Diversinet’s white paper.

So what can you do to get up to date with offering your services to a mobile user? Make certain that your website is built with mobile applications in mind, and, if not, look into what it would take to make that transition. And, get on board with the rest of the world that is going mobile!

corecubed can help. We have mobile enabled many business websites, updated them for today’s business searcher, and continue to maintain them for best results.

Personalized and social search results are not new to Google. They have been around since 2005 and 2009, respectively, but not included in the regular searches. Now personal, social and public algorithms are all rolled into one happy (for some) search algorithm.

For more detail, you can read all about it.

According to Wired.com reports, this last week of 2011 was the biggest week ever for app downloads. Many of these downloads, about 500 million of them, were by users in the United States. Another stat noted was that a record number of new Android and iOS devices (nearly 7 million) were actually activated on Christmas day.

So, what does this mean? Mobile devices are here to stay with usage growing daily, exponentially. And, from a marketing perspective, it means that you had better have anything that a customer needs to know readily available online, and mobile enabled.

One of your new year’s business resolutions should be “mobile enable”.

The pre-conference workshop will happen Monday, January 23, 2012, from 8:30-11:45 a.m.

Topics covered:

• How to set up a private duty business correctly.
• Chart of accounts.
• How to read a P&L statement.
• Cash flow and profitability.
• What is the best way to classify home care for accounting?
• Dashboard – division of types of services, by hours scheduled.
• From tuck-ins to wake-ups to live-ins, and the costs related to each as a way of determining service mix.
• Caregiver types, pay and responsibilities.
• Referral sources by type.
• Admissions by source – understanding where referrals come from that are turning into real clients.
• How to get more of the clients with the higher revenue.
• Service offerings that make the most money? Differing offerings and how to measure and manage each.
• Caregiver turnover ratio and how to figure.
• How to develop a profile for the ideal caregiver and orientation.
• Screening and hiring processes and training.

Enjoy the chance for unbeatable professional development, and learn from educational sessions on effective operations, marketing and human relations at this year’s Private Duty Home Care Leadership Summit & Expo. For more details about the conference, please visit: http://www.nahc.org/Meetings/PD/12/program.pdf.

Head to www.helpchoosehome.com for more information.

Attendees will learn about:

• How to address fall risks in the home
• Tips on proofing the home for falls
• How in-home care can help prevent falls
• Resources for fall prevention education

Webinar details:

• When: January 10, 2012 at 7pm Eastern
• How: Register here – https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/813847586

One of my daily reads is a series of articles about marketing, and today this one hit the spot:

“If you aren’t meeting the right kinds of customers or clients, try fishing further upstream, in another river, or hunting quail instead. There’s no shame in changing course, and you may find that a very small change can pay very large dividends—for your business and your lifestyle.”

If you own or operate a home care agency, you can  help by taking this survey:

http://homecarepulse.f67ee7dc5908.sgizmo.com/s3/

The proposed rule has been long expected as both President Obama and Labor Secretary Solis had voiced strong support for a change as early as the 2008 presidential campaign. The White House held a public unveiling of the proposed rule yesterday presenting it as part of the President’s efforts to take action outside of Congress. 

The Department of Labor proposes several changes to the existing companionship services exemption:

1. “Companionship services” would be defined to include only the services of “fellowship” and “protection.” Incidental “care” would be allowed provided it is less than 20% of the work time. This proposed definition is in contrast to the current rule that includes “care” within the core definition and allows for 20%” housekeeping” work time.  Medicare home health aide services and Medicaid personal care services would not qualify as “companionship services” under the proposed definition.
2. The exemption would not apply to “companionship services” provided through workers that are employed by a third party employer rather than the client or the client’s family. By eliminating the application of the exemption to third-party employers no services of any nature provided by a home care business would be exempt.
3. The separate “live-in services” exemption would not apply to workers under the employment of a third-party. This would mean that companies providing live-ins would be required to pay minimum wage and overtime compensation regardless of the nature of the work performed.
4. Employers of “live-in” workers would be required to keep detailed time records of the hours worked by the employee. Current rules allow for an agreement with the client to substitute for the recordkeeping.

The NPRM includes a lengthy impact analysis that includes consideration of the effect on workers, businesses, and government-based payment programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. Overall, the impact analysis is driven by an assumption that home care employers will control compensation costs by limiting working hours so that overtime thresholds are not exceeded. DoL also opines that workers will secure second jobs if they wish to have greater work hours. If these assumptions prove adequate, the proposal to require overtime compensation will have no real positive financial impact on workers.

The impact analysis also recognizes that employers will incur greater costs in terms of recordkeeping and worker hiring and management. That seems to indicate that the proposed rule has little or no benefit to anyone and generally just increases costs for employers and payers.

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice has had a longstanding involvement in the companionship services exemption issues. In 2000, a regulatory change similar to today’s issuance was proposed and later withdrawn. Legislative proposals to significantly reduce the exemption have not succeeded. NAHC also joined with others in spearheading two successful appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court to maintain the exemption. NAHC will release a survey on Friday that will be used to gather up-to-the-minute impact information from home care companies across the country.

It is NAHC’s position that the exemption should be maintained. Instead, NAHC recommends that any consideration of changes to compensation laws must be done in combination with an overall evaluation of what is best for home care clients, how new compensation obligations will be paid for, and what is the best use of limited financial support for care of the elderly and the disabled. NAHC believes that the full panoply of worker interests need to be considered, not simply overtime  compensation in isolation from all other matters such as base wages, career opportunities, and health insurance.

The NPRM is only a proposed rule. There is a 60 day public comment period which is a valuable opportunity that should not be missed by anyone interested in this issue. NAHC is working with a number of organizations with similar interests and will also be working to get input from state Medicaid programs and other payers that may face higher costs.

A further, detailed analysis is in the works as the 186 page rule is reviewed and analyzed. Stay tuned to NAHC Report. The full NPRM is available at:

So, how do you get people to call? You give them a reason, based on their need for information. You stay in front of them on a regular basis so they remember your agency name. Unfortunately, the needs for home care often come at unexpected times, and what home care means may not be totally understood. Be the local, approachable resource for information and be a comfort during a time of tough decisions for your audience.

As a former home care agency owner myself and a marketing expert with today’s technology, I know from working experience that growing an agency means:

• Having the right information available in a variety of online ways;
• Interacting and responding appropriately, online and directly;
• Integrating all outreach, communication efforts with online inbound efforts.

My next post will explore finding your target audience and referral sources. In the meantime, check out MOST^SM, our coveted monthly turnkey marketing communications program designed for home care agencies—so you can put my strategic marketing practices into play immediately.

PDHCA is hosting a great lineup of expert speakers, and you will certainly profit from three intense days, packed with innovative and easy-to-implement ideas. Learn how you and your staff can provide better service and be more productive every day while keeping ahead of the competition.

Why Attend this Meeting?

• There will be something for everyone—from new agencies to well-established, multi-office operations
• Earn continuing education credits in nursing and social work
• Build relationships & network with industry vendors and peers
• Benefit from an interactive Home Care Software Speed Dating session, plus Software User Groups
• For the first time, PDHCA is offering a pre-conference intensive on operations & systems, and a post-conference intensive on selling for experienced sales and marketing personnel

Type of Education Offered?

• A surprise keynote speaker to motivate and move attendees
• A panel of referral sources giving attendees an inside look as to why they would refer
• Educational sessions on effective operations, marketing, and human resource
• Peer-to-peer learning at Birds-of-a-Feather roundtable discussions guided by industry leaders

To register or for more information on the conference, please visit  http://www.nahc.org/Meetings/PD/12/. Be sure to mark your calendar. Viva Las Vegas!

Due to the advancement of mobile technology and ad screening/blocking software, businesses of all kinds are focusing more on being found online than pushing their products and services out to potential clients. Knowing your target audience can help you narrow down your focus and attract the clients that are most likely to buy what you’re selling.  This blog from corecubed provides more information on how to use inbound marketing to get clients knocking at your door.

For home care agencies, regular blogging, maintaining a presence on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and optimizing websites for search engine rankings are the top ways to boost your inbound reach and ensure you can be found online.

Want a visual of how inbound and outbound marketing work together? This handy infographic should do the trick.

Click image to enlarge

When designing a website to be a successful marketing tool, be mindful of search engine optimization (SEO)—key words written into your messaging that will help your company to be found during online searches (think Google, bing, etc.).  And, use your new site to build a referral base and contact list. Many agency sites use a “Contact Us” form for online visitors to fill out for referral tracking and future outreach.

A contact management process allows companies to remain in regular communication with people and helps keep the agency top of mind with emails or newsletters. However, going beyond basic contact information and asking more questions can mean the difference between just another email address and a potential referral source. When implementing a “Contact Us” page, ask referral sources for additional information such as:

• Is there a specialty service you provide that our patients might want to use?
• Do you have educational needs that one of our home care experts could fulfill?
• Is there a particular type of patient that you work with best?
• What is the most important item you look for when making a referral?

Also, create a separate section within the online contact form for direct inquiries from potential patients or family members and ask:

• Are there any physical limitations which require special assistance?
• Are there special dietary needs or restrictions?
• What is the current level of physical activity?
• Are there any special medical conditions?

And for each and every inquiry, ask:

•  How did you hear about us?

Collecting answers to these simple questions will help the intake process run smoothly. Just remember to keep it brief! Check back next week for tips you won’t want to miss about marketing messaging that engages and connects with your target audience.

In the meantime, if you have questions about marketing your home care agency, I would love the opportunity to strategize to help you meet your marketing needs. Or, book me to speak at your next home care or marketing event.

Definition of inbound marketing: Using the Internet and related media to learn about products or services; offering useful information, tools and resources to attract and develop relationships, educate and engage.

Platforms used with inbound marketing: SEO; Blogs; PPC; Social media; QR codes

Inbound marketing means remaining relevant with your audience—and building an online presence that fits the new model for how people find goods and services. With high-speed Internet access available almost anywhere and with smart phones and tablet computers quickly becoming the hub for much of home care sales and marketing, social networking, mobile-friendly websites, online directories, industry blogs and interactive communities should be an active part of any marketing strategy.

Confused about where to start? My next post will explore website design and development—which is a necessary starting point for implementing inbound marketing. I have plenty to say about content creation, search engine marketing, and mobile applications. A good company website is arguably the most important marketing tool and absolutely crucial. Read this recent article that I wrote which may serve as a great introduction to our continued discussion.

In the meantime, if you have questions about marketing your home care agency, I would love the opportunity to strategize to help you meet your marketing needs. Or, book me to speak at your next home care or marketing event.

My experience spans nearly all aspects of the home care industry—from owning and operating a home care agency to serving on national boards and influencing political leaders on home care issues. Today, I’ve assumed the role of home care marketing expert and provide counsel to national organizations and businesses on aging and care issues as well as strategic marketing for products aimed at those targets. I’m also armed with strategic knowledge of the latest developments in mobile technology and social media, a new frontier for leaders in home care—so I aim to introduce a fresh marketing perspective that is relevant to audiences today.

More details about the Private Care Conference can be found here. Have questions about marketing your own home care agency? I would love the opportunity to strategize your marketing needs.

My home care marketing discussion is rich with first-hand understanding that private duty home care is an at-need service, so being remembered when a need arises is the key to increasing referrals. This can be accomplished by using a variety of tactics across all media. It’s all about marketing, marketing, marketing! 

Today’s session, titled “Resource-Rich Marketing to Referral Sources: A Way to Stand Out from the Crowd,” further defines the strategy behind this concept and how it has proven to be effective. And, participants will:

·    Be able to demonstrate the importance of a marketing strategy by understanding the “at need” component of home care services

·    Be able to discuss the human elements of reactions to branding, consistent messaging and educational and informational components that resonate with referral sources

·    Be able to identify how to implement consistent, branded and resource-rich marketing messages and visuals across a wide variety of referral sources to generate new referral sources

Thanks for reading my ongoing homecare marketing tips, resources, and strategies for success here at www.merrilyorsini.com. You’ll always find something new to bring to your marketing strategy, be reminded of home care marketing basics, or simply stay in the loop about upcoming conferences, webinars, and marketing and technology topics. 

If you would like more information about booking me for a consultation, to speak at your conference or event, or to review and provide input on industry ideas, information or materials, please fill out the form here and someone will be in touch with you shortly.

Basically inbound marketing is getting people with an interest in products and/or services to find your products and services, and mostly online. This infographic “splains it” pretty well, and the bottom line is, well the bottom line. It costs less to get a lead and a customer if they are looking for you! No joke. But, the process is strategic and effective. And corecubed has been doing inbound marketing for years now, and our clients are certainly happy that we ARE ahead of the curve. And, actually, so are we….

PDHCA’s discussion, co-presented by Peter Notarstefano, an aging expert from LeadingAge, will be an invaluable presentation of the telltale indicators that additional care is needed. The interactive webinar discussion will cover topics such as: what can be done as a family caregiver to help frail loved ones; how in-home care assists long distance family situations; and the introduction of checklists for care.

Webinar details:

When: October 11, 2011 at 7 p.m. Eastern time

Where: Your computer

How: Register now for this free, not to be missed, online presentation!

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/863456122

Hope you join us tonight!

Dychtwald says that 1) we are in a longevity revolution. Take a look at these two charts if you do not believe that one.  Two thirds of all the people who have lived past 65 are alive right now. Think about that. The first chart shows the life expectancy at birth for the last 1000 years. Hard to read photo, but you can see the trends.

Now take a look at THIS photo which is of the chart of the life expectancy at birth for the last 100,000 years. WOW.

His other points are that we are experiencing massive population shifts, that the boomers are a “new old” and will be more demanding and questioning than the current old people, that we will have a caregiving crunch as the boomers age and that we need to chart a path towards healthy aging.

Solutions? Dychtwald suggested that we steer science in a new direction, one that would solve the chronic issues of again, specifically Alzheimer’s. Since 47% of those people over 85 have a dementia. And, look around, that means if it is not me then it is you. He says we need to champion and motivate a healthier society. We need to prepare medical practices for the demanding and soon to be ailing age wave. We need to better understand and offer palliative care when appropriate. And we need to guide public policy toward a healthy aging.

His parting words? “Demography is destiny.”

With the holiday season in full swing, it’s easy for most people to get lost in the hustle and bustle of decorating, shopping, cooking, and traveling to visit family. Unfortunately, it can also be easy for families to forget to include their less mobile relatives and friends in holiday traditions. The holidays are one time of year when private duty agencies can shine — bringing joy to homes and creating ways for clients to enjoy the holidays and feel part of the celebration.

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November 2011: Private Duty Home Care and the Stock Market: What Have the Fluctuations Wrought?

In discussing issues relevant to the private duty/private pay market, the issue of who pays is always one that generates the most conversation. Other than private funds, there are some ways to pay for private duty care, but they take either pre-planning or timing.

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October 2011: Limited Restrictions Equal Unlimited Care

While regulation may be a very good thing in terms of providing mandates for quality in care and staffing, it can stifle the provision of the variety of services that a frail client requests and is willing to pay someone to do. Limited restrictions enable the range of service options to span more of what one would traditionally think of as in-home care.

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September 2011: Private Duty’s Role in Hospice Care

The most important role that any caregiver can have in the life of a terminally ill patient is to provide excellent quality-of-life care, making life as comfortable and pleasant as possible for the patient in his or her final days. Private duty care can reinforce and supplement other care from family members and organizations such as hospice and other palliative care programs and allow patients to take an active role in thier care if they wish to do so.

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August 2011: Paying for Long-Term In-Home Care

The silver tsunami is arriving. Starting this January and for every single day for the next 19 years, more than 10,000 Baby Boomers will reach the age of 65. Add to this the fact that a person born in 2011 has a good chance of living to be at least 78, and it isn’t difficult to see how the number of people requiring care will grow dramatically. How to pay for long-term care is an issue than many people ignore until there is a care need.

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July 2011: Care Portals: Enhancing the Value of Private Duty Home Care through Technology

Agencies providing in-home care, especially those for which one pays a fee, are constantly trying to improve their services. They’re always looking for more ways to retain clients and maintain communications among clients, caregivers, family members, physicians, and others on the care team. Care portals have served as a big improvement in this area of care.

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June 2011: Lifespan Respite Care Initiative: Better Resources for Respite & Family Caregivers

The challenges of caring for a loved one are a daily part of life for many people, and as the population ages, the number of family caregivers will increase. Respite care provides a valuable break for family caregivers and is available in most areas for those in need of help.
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May 2011: The Tablet Computer: Home Care’s Friend

Portability and accessibility are key concepts for communicating in the world today. More and more, business is done on the go — which means efficiency is a huge selling point for devices designed to make any type of business portable or “in the cloud.”

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March 2011: Activity Based In-Home Care: A Model for the Future

“Person-centered care” is all about home-based activities that engage people who are aging in place, the term many use to describe remaining in their homes and communities as they grow older rather than receiving care in institutional care settings. The trend in long-term in-home care is moving rapidly toward not only offering basic care and support for living, but also an active involvement of the home care agency in discerning what activities and pastimes can be incorporated into a client’s care.

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February 2011: The Winds of Change: Using the Power of the Internet

The internet has revolutionized our society in so many ways. Not only do we have a constant stream of information at our fingertips at all times, but we can communicate and conduct business in ways never before dreamed of, and there is a seemingly infinite cache of resources to help the home care agency thrive in this highly competitive climate.

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January 2011: Integrating the Web and Social Media into the Home Care Marketing Strategy

With the veritable onslaught of new and ever-changing technology of the last decade, businesses of all types and sizes are being forced to re-evaluate the efficiency and modernity of their marketing strategies. Those who have embraced Web and social media marketing are seeing some amazing results in brand recognition and customer loyalty.

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December 2010: Spreading Holiday Cheer the Techie Way

The holiday season is one of the busiest times of year for home care agencies, and it is a particularly challenging and stressful time for patients and their families. However, today’s agencies have an advantage in that technology has made it easier to reach out to clients in a personal -albeit digital- way.

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November 2010: Cause Marketing Meets Social Media

Boosting Your Agency’s Profile While Making a Difference

By now, many home care, home health, and hospice agencies are actively using Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and more to help build their agency’s profile and drive search engine optimization results. As you become more familiar with how you can market via these mediums, consider another great concept perfect for our industry: cause marketing.

<< read more >>

August 2010: New Techniques Boost Traditional Marketing Efforts

I am a proponent of online marketing trends, but I believe there is still value – particularly in the home care market – for traditional marketing. The question then becomes: How do you merge traditional and new marketing techniques?

<< read more >>

July 2010: Using Video in the Web Boosts Your Google “Juice”

If you are just trying to “dip your toe” into the social media pool, video is a great way to start. It can be dynamic, entertaining, memorable, and highly personal to the viewer. Here is why I recommend using video on your website.

<< read more >>

June 2010: Window to the World: Are You OPEN for Business?

Increasingly each day, with broadband Internet access becoming the standard and with computer availability/comfort/usage expanding across the generations, people are searching for answers and resources online.

<< read more >>

May 2010: Meet the Web 2010: Interactive and Informative

Today and tomorrow demand “interactive and informative” from your agency’s website.  Consumers, vendors, clients, patients, physicians, and all manner of interested people are using the Internet to find solutions to health care problems and to find resources to meet their needs.

<< read more >>

April 2010: Private Duty Home Care: A Reflection on the Industry

Whether it’s called a “Silver Tsunami”, the standard “Age Wave”, or something similar, the projections are clear that by 2030, almost 20 percent of our population will be over 80 years of age.  Life expectancies are increasing and people are living longer, healthier lives. Yet, it seems so many of us have our eyes closed when it comes to planning for how to cope with the rising tide of the elderly population.

<< read more >>

March 2010: “Sticky Features” Build Your Home Care Facebook Brand
The ability to be found on the Internet when someone is seeking information about services is the #1 task for a home care agency’s Internet marketing efforts. Being a player in social media is one way to help those seeking services or employment to find your agency. Building a fan base on Facebook takes consistent work, encouragement of interactivity, and “sticky” features which will provide perceived value to your fan base.

<< read more >>

February 2010: Facebook…for Business?
From fan pages to powerful applications, Facebook is a marketing outlet that every home care agency should look into using.  Today, more and more businesses are using Facebook as another tool in their online marketing suite.

<< read more >>

January 2010: Social Media Meets Home Care? Take a Look at Social Media Marketing
By now, most people are familiar with what a blog is. But have you wondered what people are talking about when they mention words like “social media,” “Facebook,” and “Twitter?” If you don’t already know what they are, as a home care, home health, or hospice agency concerned with marketing, you would be wise to learn.
<< read more >>

December 2009: Keeping Score Helps a Business Reach Success
Has your agency made marketing plans for the year? Have you met your business goals, or have you moved farther from them? And how are you gauging whether or not you’ve been successful in meeting these objectives in the first place?
<< read more >>

August 2009: Alzheimer’s Care: A Primer for In-Home Care
From personal experiences with the disease to education about Alzheimer’s, Merrily Orsini, MSSW, departs from the world of marketing technology and provides a primer for those looking to provide in-home care for Alzheimer’s clients. Also included are how-to’s for incorporating Alzheimer’s care into an agency’s service offerings as well as caregiver training tips.
<< read more >>

July 2009: Jump Into Social Media With A Successful Home Care Blog
The trend is clear; everyone is seeking more information about health care online, and seniors are a very active and increasingly savvy Internet user group.  The blog is the easiest way for a home care agency to jump into the Social Media world.

<< read more >>

April 2009: Zero in on Urological Disorders and Grow Your Reach
One of the most successful ways to use a home care company Web site is to educate on a variety of issues that relate to needing assistance with activities of daily living.
<< read more >>

March 2009: Make the Agency Web Site a Resource and Watch the Hits Increase
The increased visibility of your agency from press releases, Web links, and e-newsletters will result in calls for services and traffic driven to your agency Web site.
<< read more >>

February 2009: Looking Towards the Future: Modernizing Marketing
Internet marketing is the wave of the future for home care agencies.
<< read more >>

January 2009: Using Your Agency Web Site as a Hospice Care Resource
Hospice and end-of-life care are perhaps the most sensitive types of service an agency can provide.
<< read more >>

December 2008: Year End Ramp Up: Web Site Strategies for 2009
Unlike many businesses, agencies providing care experience very little, if any, year-end downtime.  << read more >>

November 2008: Holiday Dress-up for Your Web Site
The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is a special time of year, albeit stressful, and particularly so for those who provide in-home care. << read more >>

October 2008: Feeling the Heat of Keeping Up with Changing Legal Requirements? Your Web Site Can Keep Your Agency Cool!
Since providing home care involves numerous regulatory, reimbursement, and accreditation issues, home care agencies find themselves in a constantly changing legal atmosphere. << read more >>

September 2008: Looking for Increased Productivity? Look No Further Than Your Own Web Site
Using the Internet to increase business productivity is what smart home care agencies are doing to save time and money. Harnessing the Internet and the power of your Web site to increase productivity is key to a successful business in today’s market. << read more >>

August 2008: How and Why Marketing Efforts for Private Duty Services Are Unique
Within any industry, strategic marketing and communicating services play a vital role in any business’ success. << read more >>

July 2008: You Have Implemented New Technology: Now What?
Increase ROI from new product offerings using Web site promotion. << read more >>

June 2008: Better Safe than Sorry: Using Your Web Site to Promote Disaster Preparedness
Disaster preparedness is especially important for frail people.  Learn how to provide the right information. << read more >>

April 2008:  “The Three G’s: Grassroots, Guerilla and Government”
Legislative issues facing home care. << read more >>

March 08: Marketing for More Medicaid Hours?  Try the Internet.
Tap into an unexpected resource – the Internet. << read more >>

February 08: Using Your Web Site as a Marketing Tool for Long-Term Home Care
Families are looking to the Internet to find care for loved ones – make your Web site visible. << read more >>

January 08:  Formula for a Winning Web site
Designing a top-notch, leader of the pack Web site is within your reach if you understand a few basic points about branding and design. << read more >>

November 07:  Sensitive Tactics for Marketing Hospice Care
Marketing hospice services can be a delicate matter.  However in today’s competitive marketplace, it is not only appropriate but essential for an agency to aggressively, yet tactfully market its services. << read more >>

September 07:  Basic Rules for a “Resource Rich” Internet Site
The consumer has literally thousands of choices when it comes to finding information on the Internet.  So it’s important to make certain that your agency’s stands out by being well designed, properly researched, truthful and frequently updated. << read more >>

August 07: Telehealth and Quality
In terms of medical practice, innovations in telecommunications systems and technology mean reaching more patients than ever before.  Telehealth is making health care more accessible to people who have traditionally found it difficult or even impossible to benefit from modern modes of treatment or preventative care. << read more >>

June 07: Use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to be found on the Internet
Your Web site has been created; what’s next? Consider search engine optimization to get your site ranked at the top of the search results. <<read more >>

April 07: A Primer on e-Referrals
Co
mmunications today travel at the speed of Web.  This means your home health company needs to not only have a presence on the Web but be easily found and contain all the information needed to make a decision or sway someone to use or refer to your agency. << read more >>

March 07:  Internet Marketing 101
When it comes to using the Internet as a marketing tool, building the Web site is just the first step.  Making certain potential clients can find it when they do Web searches is quite another. << read more >>

*These articles are reproduced with the express and limited permission of the National Association for Home Care  &  Hospice and CARING Magazine. All rights reserved.

On October 2, I will take the podium as the expert on private duty home care during the general opening session, and on October 3, I’ll lecture on marketing with today’s technology.

My experience spans nearly all aspects of the home care industry—from owning and operating a home care agency to serving on national boards and influencing political leaders on home care issues. Today, I’ve assumed the role of home care marketing expert and provide counsel to national organizations and businesses on aging and care issues as well as strategic marketing for products aimed at those targets. I’m also armed with strategic knowledge of the latest developments in mobile technology and social media, a new frontier for leaders in home care—so I aim to introduce a fresh marketing perspective that is relevant to audiences today.

More details about the NAHC 30th Annual Meeting & Exposition can be found here. Have questions about marketing your own home care agency? I would love the opportunity to strategize your marketing needs.

Two examples I’d like to share. One is a new software website we just completed for Procura, which can also be accessed in Australian and Canadian.  Subtle differences in messaging and targeting, but using the web for all it is worth by understanding the differences in marketing to specific nationalities.

The next is one that I would use caution about viewing for those who might find it a bit cheeky, or in poor taste. However,  it is a perfect example of how one nationality and its acceptance levels can differ from another. You would never see a prostate cancer organization fundraising ad like this in the US.  However, it is run in a variety of locations in Australia and is a huge hit with its targets and message.

If you pay attention to the commercials and the print ads when you travel, you can really learn a lot about a culture.

So, G’Day, mate and hope it is a good one for you.

The article warns about using emotion appropriately. With healthcare, it’s easy to want to lean on scare tactics to equip an audience with the grim facts. But, if you overdo it, you risk sending your listeners running for the hills and tuning everything out. On the opposite spectrum, if messaging is too positive, it may not seem serious enough for treating patients—unrealistic. A clear understanding of the desired impression is needed to determine an appropriate marketing tone. Educating your audience in a positive way communicates confidence and assurance. 

Stand above the crowded field by using robust and resource-rich content. Using MOST gives you web-based instant access to a library full of themed sales, recruitment, design, and advertising materials created by home health experts. Spanning all types of sales and marketing communications, such as print, web and email, as well as services such as social media, blogs, search engine optimization and public relations, MOST lets you choose what fits your agency best.

As you consider revisiting your marketing strategy, remember the advice spelled out in the article mentioned above—and remember the ever-expanding library of resources you can use with the MOST program.

Tonight’s discussion will cover topics such as the definitions of home care; the benefits of home care; the types of in-home care; the importance of respite for families; paying for home care; and resources for seniors and families.

To register, please click here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about logging on to the webinar. For more information about PDHCA and the webinar series, please visit the registration page, the Help Choose Home website at www.helpchoosehome.com, PDHCA’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pdhca or Twitter @PDHCA.

I hope you plan to join us!

On September 6, 2011 at 7 p.m. EDT, PDHCA and Caring.com will host the first webinar, a Basic Primer on Home Care. I will co-present the inaugural webinar with Caring.com expert Mary Koffend. Registration is available at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/205754234.

Many adult children assume the only care option for their parents is a nursing home or to manage their care as a family caregiver. PDHCA’s first discussion, a Basic Primer on Home Care, will cover topics such as the definitions of home care; the benefits of home care; the types of in-home care; the importance of respite for families; paying for home care; and resources for seniors and families.

To register, please click here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about logging on to the webinar. For more information about PDHCA and the webinar series, please visit the registration page, the PDHCA website www.pdhca.org, PDHCA’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pdhca or Twitter @PDHCA. 

The first – and most common –action when economic things are scary to a business is to cut the marketing budget. It makes sense, after all. When you have less income coming in, it’s best to cut expenses where you can and marketing is the easiest function to slash without affecting day-to-day business operations. Or so it may seem.

The other option is the choice the wises business person makes, and that is to focus on marketing, and start with planning how best to reach the right people with the right message so they will take action, even in tough times.  In a downturn, when money is tight and consumers are making tough choices, marketing is more important than ever before.  This presents a great opportunity when others are cutting marketing to get in front of your target audience and show the consumer why your products or services deserve their dollars. Customers who may have been in the bag when the economy is riding high suddenly need some extra convincing. They need to hear your message. That’s where strategic marketing comes into play.

In an classic interview with BNET, Dr. Gary Lilien, author of “Turning adversity into advantage: Does proactive marketing during a recession pay off?” a report by Penn State’s Smeal College of Business, pointed to three factors that should be considered before determining whether a marketing endeavor is worth the expense:
• Do you already have a marketing infrastructure in place? If not, it’s going to be difficult in this economy to launch a brand new marketing arm from scratch.
• Does your company have “the guts” to throw down the marketing dollars during a recession?
• Does your company have the budget to spend the money without damaging normal business operations?
“Companies that have been looking at marketing as an investment, and not an expense, and have been running their business through customer knowledge are the ones that are going to come out of this [recession] really, really well,” the article quotes Lilien as saying.
It’s important as well to make certain that your marketing efforts are reaching consumers through venues that they frequent. It’s pointless to spend money on distributing a message that no one will ever see.

Using a variety of media, including the traditional as well as e-mail and social media- outbound and inbound efforts makes it more likely to reach both an older market as well as younger consumers.

No one knows right now what the economy is going to do. If expenses have to be cut, however, choose – but choose wisely. If you abandon your marketing efforts completely, you may soon find that your revenue is going the way of the stock market when it is dipping down.

Come to corecubed for help. We have strategic marketing services that can fit any budget, a talented team that understands how to get business to come a knocking, even when financial times are tricky.

Our talents and skill sets compliment each other, and our systems keep us all working efficiently. Our client successes speak for themselves. I am SO proud of the work we do and the challenges we face and conquer.

corecubed staff in-under the cloud(s)

Teamwork, talent and trying new things.  Just finished a corecubed staff meeting in Asheville, and our award winning team has some lofty goals to implement immediately and in the upcoming months. As a business, corecubed remains ahead of the curve in many aspects. We have been working and playing in the cloud for several years, and while in Asheville we played Under the clouds with an off road segway tour on the Biltmore Estate.

Look for increased talent and emphasis in SEO and inbound marketing with the addition of Don Makoviney to the team. He brings incredible depth of experience in web development, SEO strategy and implementation, as well as a great sense of humor and a “charger” personality.

Jeanette Mangels is also a new addition, and her bubbly personality and aggressive pursuit of excellence are also a great fit for this well balanced and talented team.

Back to real work today, and armed with some renewed energy that we will deliver to our clients!

Asheville is famous for being home to the historic Biltmore Estate and its gorgeous scenery, and it’s also home to three corecubed staff. So, starting this weekend, our Asheville colleagues will show us around town for a few days and we’ll even break for a Segway tour of the Biltmore! Although we have some business to do, we feel it’s important to our company culture to come together for an in-person staff meeting and company outing.

What does your business do to boost morale and increase teamwork? Would love to hear your stories and share your pictures!

Just a good thought with which to start off this week which promises to be a tad scary. If we each stood on character, and what we believe is right, then perhaps the decisions would not be so difficult?

Had dinner with some friends last night at a new Louisville restaurant, Eddie Merlots.  Great food and good company. We discussed, among solving the world’s problems, how lucky we are to be where we are in life. For that I have had to say thank you to  many people today and  along the way.

Thursday’s Rotary program was Coach Scotty Davenport from Bellarmine University’s NCAA Division II winning #1 basketball team, and his message was that it was the gratitude of those athletes that makes them special. One of their rules is never delay gratitude, and he gave many examples of how that team thanked their fans, their parents, their coaches, and their university for the opportunity to win. Although not about thanks, but about preparation, here is Coach Scotty in action:

Being prepared and working toward a goal is one pathway to success. Thanking those who help you in life is an underlying process that we should all practice.

So give yourself some time today to make that gratitude loud. Give thanks to all of the folks who have helped you along the way, and who are constantly there by your side cheering you on.

I’d like to personally thank all of my wonderful staff, my loyal and successful customers, and my dear family, and even my good neighbors. Hope all have a wonderful Sunday and that you take some time to say “thank you” to someone today.

A member of the corecubed PR team will present this dynamic and informative webinar to explain what separates the art of public relations from sales, advertising and marketing tactics.

Join us during this FREE webinar tomorrow at noon Eastern Time. Additionally, all participants will receive an informative packet filled with my PR secrets.

Register your spot for this webinar here!

Just a poignant thought to start off this Friday! Hope all have a good day and a great, relaxing weekend.

Let PDHCA know how you fit into this leadership conference as a presenter, or send me some ideas about ways that home care is working to engage clients and patients so their aging in place experience is not a lonely, isolated one without activity.

Thank you for your consideration and participation!

To successfully negotiate these sales would be a nearly impossible effort. Why? In each situation, the merchant is trying to sell something the prospective buyer doesn’t want or need. Understand who your customers are and what it takes to satisfy them. To have any success selling your goods or plowing your trade, find out what makes your customers tick. Get to know your customers in four easy steps:

STEP ONE: Meet the Customer

Anyone selling anything has a “natural” customer base. There’s a certain group of people who are much more likely to purchase your wares or services than others. There are several ways of identifying your unique customer base. Written surveys and focus groups can help in that regard, but essentially, you can begin narrowing down the options by asking the following questions:

· Are my customers within a certain age range?

· Are they typically married or single? Both? Do they have children?

· Where do they live? Do they reside in rural or urban areas?

· Are they employed in the business world or do they work at home?

· What is their economic background? Do they have a lot of disposable income?

STEP TWO: Discover the Demand

Everyone has wants and needs. The concept of supply and demand is the foundation of successful business. But not everyone has the same needs. Before you can attempt to meet demand, you have to discover what the unique demands of your customers are. Again, ask yourself a few general questions:

· What are the tools they need to do their jobs every day?

· What are their hobbies?

· What do they need to enjoy those hobbies?

· How do they like to spend money?

· How do they spend their time?

STEP THREE: Market Accordingly

In order to sell products or services you have to market—but make sure you’re marketing to the right people.

STEP FOUR: Provide What Your Customers are Looking For

Many companies skip over the first three steps to get to this step—where the sale takes place and the money is made. But it can also be the step at which the merchant realizes that no one wants to buy his products. Without going through steps one through three, you may find yourself advertising catnip to apartment dwellers who aren’t allowed to have pets.

Don’t be afraid of your customers. Get to know them. Talk to them when they show up in your front lobby or in the middle of your grocery aisle or on your website. It can be the beginning of a marvelous relationship.

For information on how corecubed can help you gain a greater understanding of your customers and show you how to market to them, visit us online at www.corecubed.com, or email us at info@corecubed.com.

In the “old days” of public relations, a hard copy press kit reigned supreme. Big bulky folders loaded with press releases, glossy photos and slides were standard in the industry. Today, you can simply direct a potential customer to a page on your website where press materials, high definition artwork and background information are ready to be used. Often called an online newsroom or press center, this is a huge time and money saver. Here are some tips when it comes to creating an online newsroom:

• A newsroom should be a link or section on the main navigation of the website
• A newsroom should always be visible from the home page and not buried
• Populate the online newsroom accordingly—include bios of key executives, white papers, fact sheets, conference seminars, awards, and of course, press releases
• Make certain the person responsible for responding to the media has his/her contact information easy to find

Now’s the Time to Brag!

When an award is bestowed or there are articles written about your business, communicate this to stakeholders. Third party endorsements in the form of media hits lend credibility to a business when customers are searching for recommendations.

Most media outlets have an online version of their print publication, and oftentimes, television stations also place digital clips of news segments online. Be sure to communicate press hits to customers:

• Create electronic newsletters or e-blasts and highlight the news in a special section with links to the websites that include the feature or article
• Maintain a virtual clip book in your online newsroom of media articles to impress customers and potential employees, clients, investors and other media

I hope these tips have been of assistance as you look to maximize your media and public relations success through the Internet. At corecubed we are experts at shouting your success from the mountaintops and building your company credibility through both online and traditional print media as well as radio and television. corecubed provides integrated marketing communications services using a strategic approach to help clients create high-impact campaigns to launch or rebrand products or companies.

Visit us online at www.corecubed.com or email us at info@corecubed.com. Also, join corecubed for a free webinar on July 19 at noon Eastern Time for our discussion titled “Integrating Public Relations with Internet Marketing: Strategy as it Differs from Advertising.” Reserve your seat here: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/643578531.

So how do you know your PR campaign will be worth the money you spend?

To get us started, if you haven’t already figured it out, the Internet is the most cost-effective PR tool. Utilizing the Internet is one surefire way to maximize your investment, measure ROI, and give your business a boost in credibility by showcasing media and PR placements as well as awards you’ve won, company sponsorships, and bylined articles.

The key is to be proactive, not only with your website, but with other sites on the Internet as well. The beauty of getting online press is really two-fold.

•Provides instant access to showcase positive PR to potential customers
•Allows future customers to find your company when media hits are posted on other sites

Receiving recognition for your company wasn’t accomplished by sitting back with your feet up, so translating that recognition into sales dollars should not be a lesson in laziness either.

Be sure to check back as I will continue the PR discussion and post several ways to leverage an investment in public relations to improve online positioning, credibility, internal and external communications, as well as sales and marketing materials. And, start today by benchmarking revenue, source and set a date to come back and remeasure to see if your campaign did, in fact, help in revenue growth.

To learn more of what we speak,  join corecubed for a free webinar on July 19th at noon:

Space is limited, so reserve your webinar seat now at:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/643578531

See you there!

“Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.”
Cardinal, Leo Josef Suenens

“There are two ways to live your life–one is as though nothing is a miracle, the other is as though everything is a miracle. “
Albert Einstein

“Every survival kit should include a sense of humor.”
An Unknown Author

“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago; the second best time is today.”
Chinese Proverb

A previous consultant sends me these thoughts each day, and it works to a) make me think of him and b) give me fuel for thought. Strategic planning does work, if you treat the plan as a process and not a plan, and if you revisit that plan often and measure for success.

Consider these thoughts for the day that I especially like as my gift to you today, so you can start your day thinking about planning and starting to work that plan TODAY!

And, of, course, you  know, that if you want help you can get it from corecubed. Visit us on the web or call to chat. We just might be able to help you leap over some seemingly insurmountable hurdle.

Proposals are accepted until July 15^th . The theme for this year’s conference is “Activity Enhanced Home Care,” and how to provide best in class products, services and training to direct care staff to help engage those who are receiving in-home care. The theme would also work for management and operational ideas to make activities and engagement a goal for working with in-home care, coordinating with NAHC’s five equities: intellectual equity, financial equity, physical equity, psychological equity and spiritual equity.

As the in-home care industry matures, and more players enter the market, what services are offered, how they are offered, and how processes are put in place to monitor and add value are all changing and evolving.  PDHCA as an association is ahead of the curve in assisting membership to grow businesses, and understand the nuances of long term in-home care.

Think about either how you can fit into this leadership conference as a presenter, or send me some ideas about ways that home care is working to engage clients and patient’s so their aging in place experience is not a lonely,  isolated one with no activity.

A good article that reinforces this also discusses the “Five Permissions” that a well branded company can expect.

Access. Having a good brand opens doors. Whether trying to sell something or just talk to someone, being from a well known and recognized entity opens doors. A good example is Rotary. Wearing a Rotary pin or mentioning Rotary to a fellow Rotarian will get your call through faster than anything, or, get an introduction made.

Latitude. Because a well branded company means a more trusted company, those from that company can expect more latitude in taking chances. Having proven oneself to the public means that more permissions will be granted in areas unproven.

Recovery. Permission to recover is granted to a well-branded company. A smaller business may not be given permission to restore confidence when a mistake does happen..

Scale. Trust and perception are built into a well branded company. It’s this greater trust in the brand  that allows permission to grow and take on bigger projects..

Set standards. Unknown services, products or technology are oftentimes given a chance simply because a well branded company has a proven track record and it is believed that the company, if they are recommending a product, service or technology, are doing so because they believe will eventually be a standard.

Branding is not just a logo, font, colors, it is what someone thinks and feels about the company, and the reaction that seeing the company name or hearing about the company generates in the viewer. Branding takes time, focused strategic integrated marketing efforts, and a good product or service to back it up. Lately corecubed has been receiving accolades on our branding efforts. IS your brand working for you? If not, give us a shout and we’ll see if we can help!

On Delta (economy class-argh!) and the flight attendant was giving our pretzels. I asked for peanuts! his reply, “Lady, I am giving out pretzels.” End of story. Positive note? The flight attendant on the other end of the cart, retrieved peanuts, and blessed me with them.
That small gesture took the bad taste out of my mouth, and made me smile. Simple gesture, but she met my need, and I felt like I was in first class. Well, almost.

Checking into our hotel in Athens, Greece, we were met with literally throngs of demonstrators outside the hotel in front of parliament. Not a fun sight, nor was it especially settling, since we did not know if the action would escalate or not. The manager was at the front desk, and, when we checked in, obviously unsettled by the commotion, she said, “Oh, it is your anniversary! Why don’t we give you a nice surprise today for your celebration?” And, she proceeded to give us a suite. And what a suite it was, and with a perfect view of the demonstrations! Also, however, with a perfect view of the Acropolis. So, she turned what would have been a huge disappointment into something that is memorable. Get a first hand visual below.

So whether you are selling services or products, when a customer asks you to do something, try and find out what it is you CAN do for that customer. Keeping customers happy is really just one at a time.

It’s no secret, baby boomers are rapidly exiting the workforce, and millennials are entering the scene at a pace double that. Lacking experience and armed with different skills, the next generation of workers is thought to be approaching a divided labor force, and it may be difficult for employers to fill the gaps left by retirees. Sometimes greatness is thrust upon us! Additionally, with the changing demographics and immigration statistics, the percentage of the U.S. working population with at least some college experience is expected to decline, and a study by McKinsey & Company called The Next Revolution in Interactions implies jobs and the nature of our work are changing as well. To read more about these findings, check out The HR Technologist’s recent post here. Will this forecasted talent trend be another blow to our economy?

I believe by now, Americans are accustomed to the unstable job market, and America’s future workers are being groomed by example to set themselves apart. Let’s hope this HR industry insider is just preparing for the worst. What do you think? Also, please share your reliable recruiting tips—do you conduct personality tests, background checks, etc.?

As a pioneer in the home care industry, I’ve enjoyed serving and advocating on behalf of those aging or recuperating in their own homes for thirty years. And, I’ve had the opportunity to expand beyond my niche to incorporate my hobbies and interests with my business efforts—and that is truly rewarding work.

With technology continuously developing, the future swells with possibilities across the board. In fact, today I’m a happy business leader in the clouds. To summarize, on a day that I use to reflect, I am encouraged to continue on.

Cheers to more May 18ths—onward and upward!

January 22-25, 2012
Bellagio Resort & Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
For more information, visit NAHC’s website.
Registration coming soon!

My test this trip was to use my iPad as a laptop and to be able to work efficiently and effectively with the iPad and not lug that heavy laptop around. As i write the “heavy laptop”, which is all of 8 lbs or so, I am reminded……

When I started in technology in 1969, I worked as a programmer on IBM mainframes with said machines inside an air conditioned room. There was another room full of key punchers who typed my programs into punch cards which were fed into computers. And the air conditioned room was BIG as the storage for those computers was space eating.

My first home computer was an Atari in 1984. Not the gamer Atari, but a real PC. Atari was a leader in gaming applications, and they saw the need for home computing as well. You almost had to be a programmer to understand how to  use it, however, but I did use it for data base management as I had started an in-home care business, and there was lots of data to manage. This early adaptation of technology to business was probably one of my reasons for success then, as well as now.

So, having the power of  one hundred thousand or so IBM mainframes from 1969 inside a tablet that does not even have to be run through the security scanner at the airport, is more than amazing. And to watch videos, listen to music, work, have instant news and weather, play games with my granddaughter, and teach an entire marketing and sales team from all service lines how to use a tablet for efficiency and effectiveness and creative marketing, is truly amazing.

As I said, I am having a love affair with my iPad right now. If you have any ideas of apps that work for home care or home health, please let me know. I’d like to continue having reasons to travel and show how easy working in the cloud can be.

And if you want to know how to use your iPad for work, June 21, 2011 at noon,  Will  ”where there’s a Will there’s a Way” Chatham and Tammy Brown, Creative Director are giving a webinar.  Register here now.

Wednesday in Austin for the Texas Association for Home Care and Hospice private duty conference where the crowd was attentive about using social media and ways to target chronic care for best results for clients and for agencies.

Today is New Mexico and the New Mexico Association for Home and Hospice Care and their spring conference where attendees will listen raptly to innovation and adaptability as keys to success, which is really a combination of all that has gone on this week, plus some industry insights, trends and suggestions as to how to compete in this rapidly changing marketplace.

Also, although I did mention the latest Gold Award on the last post, I failed to mention that this award was sought after by 3000 entries and corecubed‘s wining it with one of our MOST themes, puts us in the top 5% of agencies in the country.

Options to Age at Home wins Aster Award

Continuum participates in our MOST program, which is a consultative marketing program that focuses on educating and being a resource to referral sources and families.

Thanks to Barth Holohan for being such a good client, and kudos to the corecubed team for another win, and this time a GOLD!

We also just won a Silver Award for a logo/letterhead design for Open Arms Solutions, a home care agency in Chicago. Julie Kollada and her team provide activity based home care to the north Chicagoland area and we rebranded them so their quality came through. Apparently the 28th Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards thought the same, as they awarded us that Silver Award.

Team corecubed Asheville-Orsini, Oliver, Chatham, Heuer

We welcome Peter Oliver to our Asheville office. He is an SEO guru and is working with Will Chatham, Web Manager and Leigh-Ann Heuer, Internet Marketing Specialist, to keep our clients ranked high on the search engines and get more business.

Although I do not have photos to share, we have two other new employees: Jenny Burkett is a media specialist who hit the ground running with previous in-home care experience from a large Chicago agency, and Kim Taylor, a CPA who is working with us on our accounting systems, to keep up with our growth. So, no complaints from the top here. Team corecubed is growing, and our work is continuing to be recognized as the best, not only in our niche industry, in-home care, but also in the wider realm of businesses and organizations.

The Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass website has been nominated for a Webby  Award in the Associations category. The really cool thing about that is that corecubed designed it, and so although it is an award about the association’s design and easy usage of the site, it is really accolades to corecubed’s design team, Tammy Brown and Danielle LeComte as well as to Linda Greene, the AACG Executive Director, all three who worked tirelessly, combined their talents, and the end result was a great website, user friendly, chock full of information and (not to mention) beautiful!

“Things turn out the best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” Basketball Coach, John Wooden

How about helping us make things turn our REALLY well and sign up and vote for the AACG site?

To register to vote, visit this link.

http://webby.aol.com/media_types/web?focused_on_category=922#cat_id_922

Once you have registered to vote, you will receive an e-mail to activate your account. Click on the link they give you. Then on the voting page be sure to go to “Websites” and “Associations” to find AACG. Once you’ve registered, the link above will take you to the voting page for AACG, as well.

Thanks. See you on the red carpet?

With all that is happening around the world, and with so much affecting each of our worlds, I have a momentous task this morning of bringing it all together at the Missouri Alliance of Home Care’s Annual Conference in the Ozarks where I key note on social media, industry trends and changes in the home care world.

My mother used to say to me, “Whoever told you life was fair?” and I have oft repeated that. However, fairness and really learning how to live with what we are given, how to set goals and strive for me that is within our reach, and how to best work towards a future that we want for our grandchildren and theirs should be on all of our minds.

Today’s key note will not be THAT all consuming, but that quote “Life isn’t about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.” Is one that I think should bring a smile to everyone’s face and help out when the going gets tough.

It has been my experience over these last 30 years serving seniors, or those who responsibility for taking care of seniors, that the there is not much common if age is the only factor. It is interests. And, when someone becomes ill or has an accident then they are interested in what to do to take care of themselves or their loved ones. And not a moment before that, in most cases.

There might be a son or daughter somewhere who notices that care is needed, so they may look for resources or try to find help, but, even then, unless the person for whom care is needed thinks that care is needed and is appreciative of efforts to “help”, there will be no transaction. Insurance, of course, is different. Insurance is something that we all think we need or else catastrophe might bankrupt us. So, selling insurance to a group is totally different from selling home care services. So, what would make seniors pay attention to Humana over the competition?

This is where Value Based Consultative Marketing comes into play. What is it that someone needs to know about in order to make the decision about which insurance to buy? Scenarios that play out the options would be my best guess. If A, then B. Income levers, risk aversion levels, preexisting conditions, heredity…all of these could be measured simply, and a best guess as to what insurance fits could be presented. My next best guess is that Humana has a ton of research to prove or disprove this, and that I am not telling them something that will make an AHA moment.  However, the students were attentive, interested, and all truly want to do a good job for their employer.

Consultative Marketing segments customers based on identifiable needs and provides information that is valuable to them as individuals. The Internet is perfect for consultative marketing, as it is performed on a smaller scale, requires significantly less financial resources, and using the Internet to deliver makes the time investment for each transaction reasonable. Interested in Parkinson’s disease? Interested in COPD? Whatever the niche interest, given the time to develop the questions someone might ask, and deliver the answers is the key to adding value to the marketing equation.

The MOST program that corecubed runs is a perfect example of material that is used in value added consultative marketing. People have a problem, and they want to know what to do about it. MOST takes many questions asked by people who are at various stages of needing care, and answers those questions. Online, through educational events, through direct, targeted mail, through social media…MOST provides value added information positioning the agency as an expert, and helping someone with a problem find a solution. Home care may be only one of the solutions possible, but, if it is the right one, then the agency gets the sale based on the helpfulness of the information.

Branding works. Brand loyalty is something businesses crave. Marketers do create brands, but customers make them work. The best marketing team in the world can create some buzz about a product or service that works for a short time, but, to really have brand power the product or service has to be stellar.

April 12, 2011 – 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST (11:00 am – 12:00 am CT)
Member: $25
Non-member: $75

You’ve built your agency – isn’t that enough? Think again. You must market to stay in business and grow sales! Avoid the common pitfalls by learning how to create a strategic marketing plan, budget and understand the differences between marketing, sales and public relations. Gain insights into the components of a successful marketing plan in this 1-hour session.

Register Now

So what does a “Marketer” for home care services need to do to generate business?

First, they need to treat any potential clients or referral sources as if they are the most valuable person in the world. Secondly, they need a plan and a system for success with goals they can reach and  some measurement so they will know when they reached those goals.

• A plan includes setting goals and objectives, and targeting those with the best chance of buying, or being interested in an ongoing relationship

• Focus on the more high-potential opportunities, which can be high potential for revenue like 24 hour cases, or high potential for ongoing referrals, like a hospital discharge planner or a rehab facility, or an assisted living facility that does not provide home care

• Follow up consistently. Plan on at least three to five meetings to get noticed and to be recognized

• Listen more than they talk  to learn what the client or referral source needs and wants

• Ask for the business when appropriate .

Some people are natural  “rainmakers”.  However, it is like luck and chance, those who succeed may be lucky and take advantage of chance, but usually they are where they are for a reason. Rainmakers  start with a plan, take advantage of opportunities, set goals, and persist.

Make certain that all  activities, advances, time spent on developing business is measured and evaluate, over time,  whether your approach is working . Change things that are not.

Enjoy your day today as much as I am enjoying mine!

And, right now, no one really yet knows what the strategy is going forward, but it seems that the sites that really do have solid content, are well designed, and updated frequently are the winners. Basically,  this means, that if you are offering some good information, have it organized correctly, and are legitimate, then your may have won out over those who have been trying tricks to get ranked.

Design seems to be a factor in better rankings. Clean code and simple design helps the search engines crawl a site unimpeded. Also, page structure seems to matter.

Not too many ads. Better to have none than too many.

Relevant content that makes sense, and is not just content stuffed with keywords. Length of articles may also play a role.  ”It seems that excessive amounts of very short articles may be a factor taken into consideration, because if that’s the majority of what you put out, the majority of your content is likely “shallow”. ” says Chris Crum of WebProNews. Also, if you just cannot do without autogenerated content, then it needs to be kept separate from the real content, and not indexed for search engines.

Backlinks are still important but they need to be relevant backlinks from relevant sites.

Basically, these are the things that corecubed has focused on because selling over the web is like selling in person. You have to be genuine, have a good product, and position it correctly supported with good design. There really are not shortcuts to winning. Perhaps those who got ranked because they used shortcuts are now suffering from that strategy, and the search engines will start to work better based on REAL search results, for REAL content, and not just manufactured communication that is irrelevant and created just for rankings.

The World's #1 Brand

The world’s number one brand according to Business Week is Coke.

When you hear “Just Do It”, does Nike spring to mind? How about “Make my day”? A vision of Clint Eastwood is almost instantaneous.

This is the essence of what companies search for when thinking messaging. This is the stuff dreams are made from for a marketer. Can your brand, your name, your tagline bring something to mind? “Where’s the beef?” Now that’s a good one. I’ll bet  you do remember that, but do you remember what product/business it was touting?

Messaging seems so simple. One of my favorite clients is adding a new product line, and he keeps saying to me, “It is so simple!” Well, if it were so simple, then he and we would have the messaging down pat. What makes it NOT simple? Everything!!!!

Let’s start with differentiation. Something has to be different or noticeable about a product or service. Something has to stand out and grab your attention. Or make you think. Or make you salivate. Or make you smile. Or MOVE you in some way.

And the visual has to marry that message to enhance the effect. Now this is a simple thought for today, but, as I set about my day today wringing the essences out of the businesses with whom I deal, and creating the start of a brand, I just wanted to share that it all starts with simplifying the message.

Barry Sharp, a consultant from Vancouver who has helped me with some strategy in the past, sends me a message each day, and, this was today’s message, “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” I guess I just wanted Barry to know, publicly, that his daily message a)makes me think of him daily and b) sometimes it really hits the mark with what is on my plate and makes me think about solving a problem in a different way.

BTW, “Where’s the beef?” is from an old Wendy’ ad.

Rotary Meets Social Media: Orsini Speaks

Join Rotary on Facebook!

Take some time to just look at this and ponder the future!

Be human
Add value
Don’t reveal confidential information
Be professional
Be aware of your responsibility
Check your facts and credit your sources
Disclose who you are
Understand and implement your clients’ policies
Know who you are linking to
Pretend it’s a party

The shift from impressions to connections and from campaign to connections, Bough and Agresta state, is the crux of social media and social networking changing how businesses communicate with their publics.

Speaking at the Rotary Club of Louisville today, February 17 at 12:30 PM, I will be presenting an interactive social media event. Please join us in person or virtually.

As an industry, private duty homecare has little data upon which to draw conclusions, benchmark progress, and know effective marketing strategies and tactics.  The last study completed by Home Care Pulse was an industry first in its participation across all types of private duty agencies and across all types of service providers.

The 2011 Private Duty Benchmarking Survey/Study needs each and every agency that provides private duty to participate. It does take some time (30-60 minutes), but to get accurate information on results from a large number of participants, the outcome is well worth the time.

Imagine, running a private duty homecare agency and having this information on the industry:

• In-depth details on caregiver training, recruitment methods, screening, and benefits
• Specific information on billable hours, bill & pay rates, and client retention
• Greater in-depth financial comparisons among geographic regions and states (based on the # of participants from each state)
• 42 marketing methods identified and rated by survey participants

To learn more about the benefits of participation and to be directed on how to take the survey, go to www.homecarepulse.com/studyparticipants.

Survey questions are designed to help participants self evaluate their own performance and plan for the future.

Participating agencies get the full report for $29.95 ( a 90% discount), which really is just to cover the cost of printing, shipping and handling.

To help the industry even further, please alert every private duty home care owner/manager you know in your area, or in your network. The survey closes February 17^th, so take the time to do this today.

The Power of WordPress by Tech King

corecubed has a special expertise in creating websites designed in WordPress.

Via: Online Schools

February 17, 2011 the Rotary Club of Louisville has asked me to address the club, one of the largest in the world, on social media and its usage. Let me know if you’d like to be a part of this!

If you said the viewer needs to know what home care is, who needs it, and how it can be used, you are correct. Add that also who pays is a question that needs answering, how much does it cost, and how does one select a provider.

Like bananas used to be before they were readily available everywhere, home care is something that people do not know about until they have a need for it. Then they simply cannot get enough information about it.

Most people do not know that Medicare does not pay for home care. Or that Medicare only  pays for a small portion of home care, and that portion is VERY highly regulated and tied to specific conditions for which there is a progressive recovery. Home care needs that most people have when they need assistance with activities to help them live daily, are not covered by Medicare and probably never will be.

However, unlike bananas, home care is a hard subject to teach, because it differs based on disease or frailty, support systems available to the recipient of care, financial abilities and geography.  corecubed has a great program we offer for agencies that educates around the questions that someone needing home care might ask. Perhaps we need a cute jingle and a dancing walker to go along with the teaching…..

1. Only hire people you would trust in your own home, caring for your own parents.

2. Only ask people to do things that you would do yourself

3. Use a good scheduling software system that generates billing and payroll from the confirmed schedule.

4. Offer continuous learning to all staff.

5. Treat others as you would like to be treated.

6. Do not use an answering service. Use a remotely staffed employee so the client/referral source always has someone who can make a decision and staff or fix a problem immediately.

7. Always tell the truth to everyone, even if it hurts.

8. Ask for feedback from all staff on how the business could do things better.

9. Make changes in systems or people based on findings from staff from #8,

10. Have some fun when at all possible.

Enjoy and take these to heart for success.

The first is a song by Brett Ethridge about Raymond, the maintenance man at a memory care facility,  who one of the residents thought was her son. That “getting inside the life” of the Alzheimer’s patient was one theme of Dr. Carson’s talk, and no more powerful way to understand that than to see the interaction of the maintenance man with the patient.  It is copywrited, so cannot show it here, but there is a link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txCUwSKo1kg&ob=av3el

The second example was music, and Naomi Feil, an icon in validation therapy, brings a 3^rd stage Alzheimer’s patient into interaction through singing and touch. This powerful and moving video is proof that even at end stages of this degenerative disease, breakthroughs are possible if the caregiver gets inside the lives of the patient. For some reason I cannot embed this video, but here is a link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrZXz10FcVM

Retrogenesis is a controversial topic, but it is just one method of working with Alzheimer’s patients, and those who care for someone with Alzheimer’s should have many tools in their tool boxes, and whatever works best is what should get used. The goal is quality patient care and Dr. Carson certainly can teach how to communicate with those who have Alzheimer’s.

Technique follows technology was his opening statement. What does that mean? It means that a technology may be developed, but its final usage or its morphing usage is based on how it is helpful. Example: Travelocity and other travel sites. They were developed for cheap flights. However, according to Terry Jones, the founder, when they booked their first $15,000 cruise online, they realized that the usage had far exceeded their expectations. Now more than 65% of all travel is booked online and the combined total of the next 4 highest selling items does not exceed travel online bookings.

Relating his talk to home care, he said the person seeking help first explores, then interacts, then makes a decision. And, they are not searching specifically for home care or private duty. They are searching for some help and they do not know when they start what that help is, exactly.

His example, was that when he goes into Home Depot to buy a drill. He does not really need a drill. He needs a hole. The drill is just what he has to buy to get his hole. The same with home care. Someone might want to know how to handle living with a broken hip, or after suffering a fall. So they would search for broken hip or help to prevent falls. The smart home care agency will hire a great digital marketer who understands and can implement. Actually Jones said just that. Communicating in the digital world is different, and to understand and be effective doing it, one needs an expert. That dovetails perfectly into my presentation today about using the website and integrating digital marketing to capture the customer when he or she is looking.

In home care scenarios there are loads of new inventions and ways to use technology. Jones’ ideas for home care were wide ranging, but based on how people use the Internet. The client, the frail elderly person, may be in Long Beach, but the adult child, and oftentimes the one who is paying for the services, may be in New York. So, using technology to communicate, to check status, to pay bills-all are not necessarily home care based technology, but the technique will follow the technology.

Skypeing with grandma is a perfect example. Now someone home bound can see and interact with a grandchild or friend far away. From a marketing standpoint, the web is the technology and home care agencies better follow and learn the technique. Katie Roper from Caring.com visited PDHCA yesterday and the concept of Caring.com is truly based on the strategy that Jones laid out.

corecubed’s MOST program is another example of a marketing strategy, specifically for home care, that follow’s Jones’ examples of how people find home care.

Measurement as a way to make decisions was highlighted as a vital component of digital communication. After developing the fare comparison sites, they notices that the consumer was comparing and then going direct to the airline to purchase. Thus the advent of Kayak.com where there is no middle man. The technique follows the technology.

Take a look at some of the ways corecubed is using technology to get business for our clients. Then give us a shout, and see if we can help.

“We are proud to have Ms. Orsini play this significant leadership role. There is no one who has greater knowledge or is held in more respect in the field than Ms. Orsini,” said President Halamandaris.

“I’m proud to be taking on this new opportunity to help lead the Private Duty Homecare Association of America,” said Ms. Orsini.

Under the arrangement announced today Ms. Orsini and corecubed will undertake the following activities:

• To help private duty agencies to network with each other
• To identify and share best practices
• To generate increased media acceptance
• To make maximum use of social networks
• To win for private duty home care the universal understanding and acceptance at all levels, government, media and consumers
• To help develop quality standards for the industry
• To identify legislative issues which need to be advanced before the Congress and State Legislatures
• To help recruit members for the PDHCA
• To help develop conferences and bring education before the membership

About NAHC
The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) is a non-profit organization that represents the nation’s 25,000 home care and hospice organizations. NAHC also advocates for the more than two million nurses, therapists, aides and other caregivers employed by such organizations to provide in-home services to some 10 million Americans each year who are infirm, chronically ill, disabled and dying. Homecare and hospice caregivers every year drive more than 4.8 billion miles to care for individuals who are confined to home and cannot care for themselves. Along with its advocacy, NAHC provides information to help its members provide the highest quality of care and is committed to excellence in every respect. To learn more about NAHC visit www.nahc.org and www.caring.org.

About PDHCA
Formed as a affiliate organization of NAHC in 2005, the Private Duty Homecare Association is organized to serve and advance the private duty home care industry. Private duty home care includes all types of services and products that enhance the ability of the infirm or disabled of all ages to live in their home and remain fully integrated in the community. PDHCA serves as the central resource and advocate for the private duty home care community, actively influences the legislative, judicial, and regulatory processes to positively impact private duty home care, fosters, develops, and promotes high standards of client care through national accreditation, provides educational programs that focus on industry best practices, and promotes collaboration among national, state, and local organizations of similar mission and values. To learn more about PDHCA, visit www.pdhca.org.

Take some time today to reflect on how far we  have come and how far we have to go.

You know you’re getting older when… getting lucky means you find your car in the parking lot.

You know you’re getting older when… you confuse having a clear conscience with having a bad memory.

These are all just humorous anecdotes, but they bring up the point that old age can sneak up on you.  If you think back to when you were a child, it was hard to imagine your parents getting old.  Although your parents probably felt as if your sole purpose was to steer them into an early grave, from your view, your parents were freeze dried in a state of young parenthood. Then, as if in the flash of a photograph’s time, your parents became “elderly”.  The roles have now reversed and you find yourself facing the dilemma of how best to care for them rather than them caring for you.

Did you know that persons reaching age 65 have an average life expectancy of an additional 18.1 years (19.4 years for females and 16 years for males)?. Which means if you are now 65, you will most likely live to be 80-85 years old.

And, how will you know if those years will be healthy and productive or unhealthy and burdensome years?

Growing older is not like growing up. It is somewhat easy to predict the basic care a child will need the first two years. But care needs for the elderly are directly related to frailty, not age.  And frailty is not predictable. Will your parent’s eyesight or hearing deteriorate?  Will they have a debilitating stroke?  Will Alzheimer’s settle in?  There really is no way to know when or if these situations will occur.

The cost for care needed is also directly related to the extent and type of frailty as well as what informal support is available. Since we cannot predict the future, only speculate and project based on what we now know, it is best to try and be prepared for the future as an aged person, or as the son or daughter of an older person.

Writer Maggie Von Ostrand writes, “There are ways to plan for one’s financial security after reaching the age where you’re asked if you want help to the car. Several telemarketers have tried to sign me up for financial planning, but I always tell them I already have financial planning. If they ask what my Plan is, I tell them I went to my son’s house and said, “Which room will be mine?””

Although there is a wealth of information available about elder care, the most common question hospital discharger planners hear is “Why doesn’t anyone tell you about the problems and cost of care?” The problem is that oftentimes people do not seek out this information until a need, most often a crisis, arises.  And that crisis is usually when care is immediately needed and no one is ready a) for providing that level of care or b) paying for it.

corecubed has a robust home care marketing program that provides a wide range of information for those who are either seeking care for themselves or for a parent or loved one. Smart home care agencies are members so that as the needs arise, they are positioned to give answers and get that phone to ring so they can do an in-home assessment, and then, if the situation is right, provide in-home care.

Last night’s dinner of apple and onion compote with colcannon and a thin, skillet fried pork loin slice could have been served in the wood burning kitchen on an Irish bog. And the Irish Rover, a popular casual ethnic dining spot in Louisville’s Crescent Hill area is always a great place to go for some feel good times accompanied by comfort food. No matter that the comfort food is not what grandma would make, unless you are Irish. O’rsini perhaps would work for me….

Differentiation is at the heart of success as well. And the Irish Rover by name and looks is differentiated. If you have a business, how are you different from all the rest? What is it that sets you apart and makes you memorable?

This is just almost the middle of January and still time for you to set a strategy for marketing. Start with writing down all those things that set you apart, that make you different. Then, scratch off the ones that apply to other agencies. Then look hard at what it is that makes you different, and start thinking of ways to capitalize on that and to take that to market.

Having trouble? See if we can assist you. At corecubed, we happen to be really good at helping our clients determine strategy.

A moment of silence now for the passing of one so dear to so many. Statistics show that the Alzheimer’s caregiver is oftentimes the one who predeceases the spouse with the disease. Another statistic, but one that is personal and powerful. So long Frank O’Callaghan. May you rest in peace.

Measuring results is a typical accounting function and not only as it relates to home care. It should be a typical marketing function as well. And not only measuring, but taking action to either stop doing something or start doing more of something.

Creating a homecare marketing plan should include a way to measure if your efforts are succeeding. How do you do that? The number one way to tell if your marketing is succeeding is in revenue, number of new cases opened, and increased numbers from those referring. How do you know what of your efforts is working to drive these numbers up?

Website analytics will show increased traffic to the site. An online inquiry form will allow you to see who is inquiring. An online referral form will do the same. Simply asking the caller how they heard about the agency is a good way, although not scientific, since sometimes it takes 10 impressions or 10 encounters with a company before the call is made. The post card in the mail might be the reason they called, but it was really that reinforcing the article in the paper, the website visit, and hearing an educational presentation by a nurse on Alzheimer’s disease, which is what the problem is that makes the caller need home care.

And the Yellow Pages. Seems that in rural areas, and some outlying areas around cities the Yellow Pages is still being used. Or at least being given credit for calls. I tend to think that using the Yellow pages will become obsolete as the cost of printing them will soon outweigh the profits, so only those who request them will get them, thus further reducing their effectiveness.

If you need help in creating a strategy for your home care agency, then corecubed can help. We have created successful strategies for numerous agencies and businesses from start up to multi-site, from locally owned to large franchise organizations. Just send us an email, call us at 800-370-6580 x 3, or fill out our easy inquiry form.

To recap this series on homecare marketing planning, there are several steps to creating a home care marketing strategy. First you have to differentiate the home care agency, then understand the target audience you are trying to reach, then marry the message and the visual, and pick the right channels and communicate often in those channels.  Establish a brand and then extend the agency brand. Finally, measure for results and revisit the plan often, and you will watch your numbers soar.

Establishing a home care agency brand is more than just logo and colors. It is the feeling that your home care agency generates in the marketplace. It is how people think of you.  It has now been 15 years since I ran a home care agency in Louisville, KY, and just last week I got a call from someone requesting information and service on elder care. In the 17 years that I ran my non-medical in-home care business in Louisville, I had established such a strong brand that it has lasted all these years.

Establishing a home care agency brand takes consistency and diligence. It takes using all the strategic marketing steps listed above and discussed over the last week. But it also takes creating a personality for the home care agency. If the agency were a person, what would they look like, how would they present, and what characteristics would they have? Establishing an agency brand is being true to the differentiating factors that set the agency apart. It is being true to the graphics and the visuals and using them consistently each and every time anything is in print or on the web. It is being true to the brand when presenting, when collaborating, when training staff, when networking.

Each and every home care agency is unique in some way. Whether it is the owners, or the services, or the process of selecting and matching caregivers to clients, the agency has some unique qualities based on who it is, how long it has been in business, the management team, or the services offered. Understanding what constitutes the brand, and then hammering that home in as many ways as possible creates and then extends the agency brand.

Signage, logo wear, and office interior are areas that should be included in extending the agency brand, as much as advertising, communicating and presenting. Being true to the brand is something that takes time, diligence, perseverance, and hard work, but it is a necessary step in setting and implementing home care marketing strategy and planning.

Take a look at some of our client portfolios to see how we at corecubed have successfully worked with clients in many parts of the US to create a unique brand and then see how we are extending that home care agency brand.

Delivery is specific to the target. McDonalds uses billboards because on highways hungry people see the billboard, the familiarity of McDonalds resonates with them, and they pull off the Interstate. Home care, on the other extreme, is a niche market service. Plus, home care is a misunderstood service. Plus home care only becomes important to the purchaser or the seeker of home care when the need for it arises. There is an education component, and a timing component, and, for private duty, a financial consideration that  may determine services needed and appropriate.

For private duty home care, deciding the market and the channel, is like a needle in a haystack. Anyone who becomes frail and needs some assistance is a potential target. Actually it is more like anyone who has the need for care or anyone who knows anyone with the need. So the key is being where people looking for care are bound to look when they need care.

This means that the channel will vary according to geography, competition, demographics to name a few. The one thing certain about the channel, is that, there are many options and a home care agency must make hard financial decisions about where to spend marketing dollars that bring in the most results.

Having a good, informative, helpful, easy to navigate website that is optimized for search engines is the one most powerful tool in the homecare market planning toolkit. Networking is essential in marketing home care, so tools that better facilitate networking are also incredible important. The smart agency uses educational information on the website that is also useful for networking. Helpful resources and community educational presentations are the best bets to keep an agency out in front of as many people as possible who have expressed an interest and who might have a need in the future.

Media relations is the next best thing to use, so that people can read about how an in-home care agency met a need, kept a frail person at home, created a positive and safe environment for that person, and served to be the “family” when family could not be there.

There are many other channels for marketing, both external and internal that an agency can use to get to potential customers or referral sources. However, to start with, these three should be at the top of the list.

If you have not already checked out our MOST program that offers franchise level support for independent agencies, do so. The websites we build for home care are unsurpassable for design, quality, ease of use and optimization for search engines. We also provide strategy and support for home care agencies in all areas of marketing.

The more the differentiation, the messages and a visual representation of the message/differentiation  “speaks” to a potential target, the more possible it is for that message to resonate, be accepted and understood. And the more the possibility that action will occur as a result of the target coming into contact with the message/visual.

The whole point of a home care marketing strategy is to create a way to get in front of an audience and to have your service understood so that when the need arises for in-home care, your agency will be the home care agency called for service. So, you can have the best service imaginable, but if it is not differentiated, targeted to the right audience, clearly messaged so that the differentiation is obvious, you can still not get the business you want unless the visual representation is married happily with it all.

My very favorite representation of that was an example Todd Bright did once at a workshop where he showed farm fresh eggs and showcased how someone might not stop of the sign at the side of the road were computer generated. For farm fresh eggs, a hand painted sign would attract far more business. Why? The visual is married with the message. Anyone can buy eggs at a store, but to get eggs right from the chicken? (Still warm perhaps?) A had painted sign on weathered barn board posted at the end of a lane or in front of a small corner grocer would draw a crowd.

The same applies to home care. For quality a home care agency needs to show quality. Exude quality. In each and every communication the quality must show through. Forms left in the home. Inquiry letter responses.

Are there logos on all material? Is the material copied from a clean copy or Xeroxed to death and crooked and hard to read? Are the forms in the home all logo laden and clean copies? Are the envelopes in which the inquiry response is sent hand written or branded and printed professionally? Simple, small, perhaps seemingly insignificant items, but the person or the referral source making a decision is dealing with a lot of information and many choices. This is taking care of a most prized possession, a mother, a father, a beloved aunt, perhaps. The subliminal comes into play here, and quality comes from each and every thing an agency does, says, sends in the mail or leaves in the home.

Marrying the visual with the message is the 4^th part of creating a homecare marketing plan and implementing that strategy for best results.

Take a look at some of the websites corecubed has designed for our homecare clients. Take a look at the MOST program, our turnkey marketing program that brings franchise level support to an independent agency. Take a look at our an Home Care Agency Marketplace, an affordable shopping place that offers quality items for home care agencies so the wheel does not have to be reinvented.

If you are selling private duty in-home care services they are buying peace of mind if they are adult children at a distance or local but unable to provide the care themselves. They are buying safety and security, so that the living at home experience when frail is one that assures they will not be subject to abuse, neglect or predators of any kind. They are buying quality time so that the time the family or loved ones can spend with their frail elders is quality and not filled with the tedium of daily caregiving tasks.

For referral sources who are charged with making a good, appropriate referral to discharge their patients from their care into another level of care, they are buying efficiency in transition. They are buying a relationship that allows for continued involvement with either the doctor or the facility should the patient have a need for that type of care or intervention in the future. They are buying assurance that the patient will be cared for in a legal, medically competent manner so their referral is a positive one in the eyes of the family, others in the care team and the government oversight entities.

If you are selling in-home services to an indigent population dependent on your agency to keep a frail person at home to avoid institutionalization they are buying consistency, qualified caregivers/care providers, assurance that the designated hours approved are spent, assurance that those hours are enough to accomplish the intended tasks with communication back and agreements to change if they are not, partnership in care so that the goals of the agency on aging or county department on aging can be met through your agency’s service delivery.

Each of these messages is different depending on what your agency provides and who you need to reach to sell services. And, within each of these three types of differing messages are subsets that may respond to a different message. Doctors respond and expect communication differently than social workers. Families respond and expect communication differently than elder law attorneys.

Add to all of this messaging the fact that, in  most cases, as an in-home care provider you are offering services that no one really wants to have to buy. No one wants to be frail, home bound, unable to provide self care. No one wants that for their family members or friends. So, the message also has to be one that takes that into account and is gentle, reassuring, and the message needs to be found when that person seeking care has the need.

Developing strategy is not rocket science, but it is a science and an art. And done well by someone who understand home care marketing and strategy, taking the time to create a strategy that takes into account differentiation, targets and messages will make all the difference in the world as to whether or not the intended targets actually “hear” and respond to your marketing efforts.

What does this mean to you, the home care executive or administrator or marketing director? It means that you really need to review (or have a competent, experienced marketing expert) the collateral material, the website, and all the correspondence that relates to inquiries. Review and edit, I should have said.

Personalizing the message is far more beneficial than a generic message, anyway. And with today’s technology it is really easy to have specific information that can be targeted to whoever is making the inquiry, or whoever the target is.

If your agency sells mostly to referral sources, discharge planners and doctors’ offices, then your messages should reflect that target. If you are responding to an inquiry from a daughter with a mother who has Alzheimer’s disease, then your communication and messages should be appropriate to her.

And more is not necessarily better. For the daughter concerned about her mother’s Alzheimer’s and your ability to provide appropriate in-home care, the communication should only be about that. Don’t throw in an article on Arthritis just because you have it printed and ready to send out. Focus on the inquiry or the target. Focus on the message that would resonate with that specific person, that specific target.

Marketing communication is about meeting unmet needs. It is through the meeting of those unmet needs that the inquirer, or target will connect with your agency. The message should resonate with the person reading it, or finding it, or receiving it.

So, if you have decided what your differentiation is, and if you now understand the importance of speaking to the target so they hear you, then  you are two steps closer to understanding the strategy behind marketing (and selling) in home services.

Your marketing strategy is your message, your target markets, how you plan on reaching them and how you visually present yourself and your business.

Sounds simple? If done correctly, it is simple. At least it is simple AFTER you have decided the key components of that strategy. #1 is find a way to stand out and differentiate to be remembered. This may be as simple as the fact that you and your husband are partnering together to fulfill a lifelong dream of caring for others, or as complex as the fact that your home care agency is a part of a larger health care delivery system that has achieved quality as their first priority.

Take some time today and write down all the ways that your agency is different, achieves its goals, approaches problems, and does daily business. Then scratch off the ones that could also be said of others. What is left is what makes you different. That is the starting point, and the point from which all the branding and communication must begin.

Today is the first work day of 2011. Make some time each day this week to set a strategy that will start you on the road to home care success in 2011.

Jones is currently Chairman of Kayak.com and CIO of Sabre, Inc and a true innovator. Come to Long Beach, join the conference, and listen to Terry Jones start us off with envisioning the future.

Then you WILL have a Happy New Year for certain, as you will be ahead of the competition!

170,000,000 smart phones were sold in 2009
That number is expected to grow 90% in 2010
BlackBerry, iPhone and Android devices will account for over 80% of smartphones shipped in the US this year
It is expected 50% of the US will use a smartphone by the end of 2011
~20% of website traffic in the US will be on mobile devices by then end of 2011.

Join corecubed’s Will Chatham online today at 1 PM Eastern time for a free webinar on yet another reason why you should convert your website to WordPress.

Sign up here: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/860873707

If  you miss the webinar and want to hear it, see it later, go to http://corecubed.com/about/events.

Please feel free to share this wonderful, uplifting and positive story. And enjoy th is last week of 2010.

Asbury-Solomons is a great example of a community that uses the media to showcase activities, partnerships, and events that make living on this special island, in this special community, in fact, special.

Read more about the continuing care retirement community here.

Read the original article here.

Westminster Shores, Florida Retirement Home

It is true that rock n roll is here to stay. And working together and having fun is possible. And loving one’s job is achievable. And creating an inviting visual of a senior facility simply takes creativity.

One retirement home in England has created reminiscence rooms, or nostalgia rooms that contain artifacts of the 50’s. having access to these rooms has brought comfort and decreased anxiety and lessened confusion in some residents.

Coombe End Court, in Marlborough, Wiltshire.

What’s in the reminiscence room…

A Bakelite telephone .

A Hoover vacuum cleaner.

A Singer sewing machine

A vintage dog on wheels toy

Mantel clock with silvered dial contained in an oak arch-shaped case by Smith.

Oval mirror with beveled edge on chain.

Wooden clothes drying rack.

A Wireless radio not WiFi)

A picture of a classic blue Chevrolet.

A Remington typewriter

It seems that using this room has led to a dramatic drop in the use of anti-psychotic drugs taken to combat Alzheimer’s. What a great idea.

Check out this retirement home in Rotterdam designed by Arnoud Gelauff, an architect and co-founder of Arons en Gelauff Architecten in Amsterdam. Remember the elderly now include Mick Jagger, Elton John and Tina Turner.

Modern Retirement Housing by Arnoud Gelauff

There are many new ideas in ways to age in place, and as boomers are aging, those ideas are being actuated. Read the entire article on this Rotterdam project.

The University of Pennsylvania is also ahead of the curve by sponsoring this design conference. Although now past, the results are certain to portend of things yet to be designed and discovered.

First, here are seven steps to creating and implementing your annual operating plan:

• Identify your Key Result Areas
• Identify your Critical Measures of Success
• Set SMART Goals – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Based.
• Develop at least seven action steps for each goal.
• Assign a person to be accountable for each action step.
• Set target dates for each action step.
• Develop a scorecard to measure your success in implementing your annual operating plan.

To help you assess where your employees think you are, try asking them:

Get an Intuitive Check

• How do you feel about how things are going?
• What frustrates you?
• What are you most proud of?
• If you could wave your magic wand, what three things would you fix?

Get an Anecdotal Check

• What are the greatest accomplishments of the past year?
• What are people saying about us?
• What are my staff members concerned about? What are they saying?
• What is the level of staff morale?

To get a feeling for staff morale, ask them these questions:

• How do your employees feel about the work they are doing?
• How do your employees feel about their relationship with their immediate supervisor?
• To what extent do your employees feel proud of the products and services yourr company provides?
• To what extent do your employees feel proud of your company?
• Do your employees feel that they are being fairly compensated?

Quantitative Check

• What are the key quantitative indicators of our success?
• What do these numbers show us about our performance?
• Which of our goals have we achieved?
• Which of our goals have we missed?
• What are our customer satisfaction ratings?
• What is our financial performance?

In order to sell products or services, your company must provide an excellent product or service. That is the key and the baseline from which all marketing and sales efforts must start. Take some time in this end of the year month, and ask questions of yourself, your customers and your employees, so you are planning 2011 based on facts and the reality of what you need to do to succeed.

It is a time in the home care industry that is the most difficult for all involved. However, making the most of it is possible by planning ahead. If you run a home care agency and have not already started the process of planning for the extra staff needed, then you may be too late. October is the prime time to start recruiting for that extra holiday help, since the process for screening takes so long. And, the likelihood of those who self identify as being available actually being available is about 50-50. So, if you have not planned ahead this year, good luck and God bless. Make a mental note to put this on the calendar for next year, and get busy doing what you can with those you have available.

And, whether or not you have made your agency ready for this year’s holiday season, December is the prime time to start thinking about next year, reviewing what was done this year, and planning for how to be more successful. Surveying clients and employees is a first start. What did they enjoy about working for you last year, and what would they suggest as goals for this upcoming year? How can you do what you do better?

What are your sales and marketing goals, and what will you do differently this next year than last? Have you asked each and every caller how they heard about you and why they called you instead of the competition? Have you done an analysis of your current clients to see who they are, and if there are ways to get more just like them?

In the next few weeks, we will focus some on specific ways to start your planning for the next year, and offer some helpful ways to do just that.

In the meantime, realize that each day IS a gift, and that each and every day you do need to accomplish something, learn something new, and be open. Tomorrow corecubed holds two webinars that are significant. One is about using Google to increase search engine traffic to your website. The other is a peak inside our home care specific monthly communications program. You might want to sit in on one or both of these as a first step in your planning for success in 2011.

Will someone else’s life be brighter tomorrow because of what you have done today?
Opportunities are like sunrises – if you wait too long, you miss them.
The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.
Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving holiday and safe travels.

Setting goals is one inherent part of reaching goals, and planning on how to reach goals is the second part. Realistic goals. Measurable goals. Steps it takes to get to those goals. Simple ideas. So why are we not all rich and famous if it is so easy?

Two more Les Brown quotes might help here:

“Get your ideas on paper and study them.  Do not let them go to waste!”
“You must take action now that will move you towards your goals. Develop a sense of urgency in your life.”
Several years ago I took a Priority Management course. In fact, I took it twice as the concept so intrigued me. Given the gift of a short attention span, I was fascinated by the ability to prioritize based on severity of outcomes. You see, it seems that there are always urgent but relatively unimportant tasks to complete. Those long term strategic tasks always (or many times) fall to the important but not urgent quadrant. So we get the mail opened, answer the p hone and email, and let the planning wait.

That was when I started making time to plan, and making goal setting a regular event. After all, how do you know you have gotten anywhere if you have no destination? And that is where Les Brown comes back into the equation.  Once you are on an upward trajectory, then shooting for the moon is reasonable and attainable. And, if you miss the moon, setting your goals high will certainly get you closer, among the stars, than staying close to home with low goals.

What does all this have to do with marketing? Goal setting for businesses, and goal setting for home health businesses specifically, is the first step. Expansion, more billable hours, different staff, extra services or telemonitoring equipment to offer…all of these are parts of strategic plans for growth. Anyone can grow and reach goals if a plan is made, measurements are taken and noted, and the tactics to reach those goals are put into place. More quotes to follow this week, as I am giving Thanks to all those who have impacted my life in positive ways.

• Create an engaging profile. A business account on Facebook is a bit different than a personal account in that, instead of requesting friends yourself, your business will be “liked” by others. Because of this, you’ll want to create a page with relevant and informative content that will help draw friends and clients to you. For starters, make sure your contact information, website and business hours are listed in the info tab of your profile. You can also add photos, videos and post events that those following your profile can RSVP to.
• Connect with your community. Facebook makes it relatively easy to post different types of media, from text to videos to links. This allows you to create targeted content that your Facebook followers can appreciate and comment on, allowing them to feel like they are a part of your organization. For example, post event invitations for fundraisers or other promotional events and follow up with videos of these events, or post an article that is relevant to your company and clients and link posts from your company’s blog.
• Control your brand. Once you engage in conversation with others on Facebook, you’ll need to closely monitor the posts and comments that you receive. Facebook users can post not only compliments, but also questions and criticisms about your business. Dedicate time to review and respond to any queries or negative remarks posted on your page in order to maintain your business’s integrity.

Most of all, enjoy sharing. If you do not like interacting with others, you won’t enjoy social media. And, if you have nothing to say, then don’t say it! Spend your time linking to others whose words do speak to you in a meaningful way.

Know the lingo. More than any other social media site, Twitter employs a seemingly complex language of special terms and symbols. Working with Twitter, you’re likely to see things like hashtags (#), retweets (RTs), @username, direct messages (DMs) and shortened URLs. It is important to learn these terms and their functions in order to get the most out of your Twitter account. Twitter offers a glossary of key terms at http://business.twitter.com/twitter101/learning.

Be interesting. This sounds like a no-brainer, but it bears mentioning. People search Twitter using specific keywords, which is how total strangers will land on your feed. Producing compelling and relevant feeds will attract more followers. So take time to play around with the style you want, be it chatty and personal or strictly information based, and find the one that best fits you and your business. Above all, create content that your followers and clients will find interesting and keep your posts fresh by posting daily if possible.

Join the conversation. Once you have some followers and are following others, take part in the dialogue. Reply to messages and posts with meaningful or helpful information, make sure to answer any questions posed to you and retweet information from others that you find interesting. This way your followers know that you’re engaged and active.

Marketing is all about communicating, and Twitter is just another means of keeping the communication open.  You can hear me speak on social media in Kentucky at the home care conference Thursday, Nov. 18 and then Long Beach January 23rd at the PDHCA conference.

Targets are the same for products and services, but how the user finds the information and how it gets validated so that trust is built and money changes hands is radically different. And, it is still changing, and changing rapidly.

The key is to notice the trends, start thinking and planning for how to best be prepared for the future, and be open to the reality that things are different, and old has to be integrated into new, and new must be embraced. a little esoteric for  Sunday evening, but true nonetheless.

So, when candidate A does win, every time we see him/her, are we not going to question his/her integrity? Are we not going to remember that they are dishonest, anti-some religion or group, did terrible things in their life? And how do we build a credible, respectable political contingent if we have such equally terrible folks running for office? If a candidate were a product, he/she would be recalled. If a candidate were a product, he/she would simple not be purchased, thus moved off the prime shelf space. If a candidate were a product, he/she would have to be rebranded, remade and repositioned in order to maintain some modicum of interest from a purchasing public.

How about a marketing campaign for candidates that focused on issues, and their stand, and how they would vote? How about a marketing campaign that focused on experience in solving problems with examples of a problem and how they solved it? How about a marketing campaign that focused on the good things about people and not trumped up exaggerations about past irrelevant encounters or statements made when they were in college?

As a marketing professional it seems to me that the art of selling a good candidate to a hopeful public needs to be reinvented, or we will have an ongoing turnstile of politicians where we throw the rascals out every few years, only to get another set of rascals that need to be thrown out again in a few years.

If you happen to be interested in selling good products or services, focusing on strengths and finding the right targets who need specific messages, then corecubed can do that. Fortunately we are not involved in any political campaign ads, and, hopefully we never will stoop to that level to have a client. Now what does that say about our candidate choices?

The theme in the article was that lifestyle choices are what usually makes for digestive problems, and simply taking a pill to alleviate the problem does not get to its source. On the same page was an article on Bill Clinton becoming a vegan so he can control the progression of his heart disease.

With all the information supporting a healthy lifestyle for a variety of mental and physical reasons, one would have to wonder why we continue to chose the unhealthy path?

MOST Fly-In 2010

Two incredible things to report today:

1. One of our MOST clients has had 30 new clients start service in the last two weeks! Would you not say the word is out?

2. The success of our first ever MOST Fly-In. The post meeting survey found 100% rated the experience “excellent”.

Occasionally in business we find something very special that works better than anticipated.  September 17-19 corecubed hosted the first ever Fly-In with invitations only to customers who participate in our MOST program.  In essence we serve as the marketing, design and writing department for the agency and they pick and choose each month what they want to do for marketing, education, recruitment or retention.  They have access to a web based library of  hundreds of resources that we have created specifically for the home care market since 2007. We also implement for the eNewsletters and the postcards.

The MOST clients who attended spent the weekend getting to know each other and each other’s businesses, learning that it is less lonely at the top when you have someone who UNDERSTANDS your business, and getting incredible insight into how others solved problems and issues. Everyone reported that the experience was well worth the time and expense.  One of those unexpectedly good beginnings.

Featured here is me, Merrily Orsini, weekend host, and Debbie Savage, President of Responsive Home Health Care in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and also a featured speaker at the Private Duty Homecare Association of America meeting in Long Beach this January 23-25, 2011. She has been working on ways to get private duty married with hospitals to keep readmissions down on targeted diseases.

The next webinar on what MOST offers is on October 26th at 3 PM.

Sign up for a trip inside the web based program for home care, home health and hospice here.