Sci-Fi and Med Training

I read an article today about the how far the medical teaching course has come.

A new area of a hospital is called Clinical Simulation and Patient Safety, where medical personnel training is done through virtual reality systems and innovative technology. The new lab simulate real clinical situations in order to train professionals on the decisions that need to be made in the areas of diagnosis, treatment, care and monitoring, becoming a unique medical management course.

These courses allow all health-related professionals an opportunity to broaden their training in patient care using innovative teaching methods and generation tools, with the main aim of acquiring knowledge and skills to ensure maximum quality and patient safety. Doctors who train other health professionals can make use of the program, which then becomes a “teach the teacher course“.

This projects goal is noteworthy: improve patient care, for which $750,000 has been allocated for tech equipment, including robots, mannequins and virtual reality software, making the center a national and international resource center among health workers, who will come to train at any level within the three programs offered. The area is structured into three distinct units, which share resources: surgical, endoscopic and interventional simulation. Training will be provided partly in operating rooms, providing critical and emergency simulation, as well as clinical care simulation.

So, don’t be surprised if a new niche market is developing, one where we can sell robots to hospitals in the near future…

The A List

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of infofree for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

No we are not talking about celebrities here, but a list of prospects or sales leads. One of the most important objectives of any online business should be to start building a prospect list as soon as possible. Building a list of people who are interested in what you have to offer is very powerful. Think about it – its your start to gaining customers and sales.

By having a mailing list of prospects, you can generate traffic when you want, present them with  new offers or promote other people’s products as an affiliate to them. How do you generate a mailing list? You can go the traditional route and create a campaign with Google Adwords and send traffic to a landing “squeeze” page and ask for their contact info in return for a free ebook. That takes time and money, especially when managing Adword campaigns.  Why  not buy a list instead? For instance, infofree 

The offer 50 different types of categories to find leads. And they don’t put artificial limits on your number of searches or downloads. You can geo-target by zip code, you can even target those over 65 years of age. All for way less expensive than running adwords ads: it’s only $39.95 a month with this special promo code: BLOG39

A constant stream of revenue requires a constant stream of prospects. Building a list is essential to achieving online success.  Leverage a quality lead gen company and reap the rewards of fresh, targeted easy sales leads to market too.

Nichey Niche

A niche by any other name, is a niche…

We get a lot of inquiries on niche marketing.  So lets review: A niche market is quite simply a segment of a more general market that you can offer a product or a service to. For instance, a subset of  the literal mailbox market could be cluster mailboxes or cbu mailboxes, for residential, industrial and commercial use.  Since these are specific type of mailboxes, a company selling these has chosen a unique niche.

The question usually follows is: Do I have to choose a niche market?  The answers is – it’s highly recommended, mainly for three reasons.

1. All virtual businesses should focus on servicing a particular market niche. If you don’t focus on one or two things, you run the risk of trying to many things and none of them well.

2. The second reason is communication.  With your online business, you will be communicating across the web to a specific market that you have solutions to their specific problems. That communication must be accurate so they can understand what you are offering and feel your product or service will provide the needed solution. If your communication is very generic and/or not relevant, it will be hard for your prospecta to trust your offerings.

3. Finally, another reason why you should choose a niche market is  that doing so can pave the way to expanding your offerings and grow your business.  As an example, you discover a niche, say approved cluster mailboxes,  you begin to study that niche and when you know it’s inherent problems, you begin to find or create multiple solutions for these problems.

The internet as a whole is not a mass market. It needs to be broken down into chunks or segments for the small marketer to tackle (unless you have millions of dollars to create a universal brand).  Your virtual business will be built on the desires and solutions that a select group of people have. You need to speak to your prospect as if he were right in front of you, concise and direct, and the only way to do that effectively is by choosing a niche.

Scrub-ulous

Priests wear them.  Doctors and nurses too.  So do pilots, police and fireman.  Some children do too if they go to a private school. What is it? A uniform.  And they can make you money.

Different types of daily life activities require the use uniforms.  Some serve as a protection, others as a means of distinguishing a specific group of people within an institution, setting or activity. The diferences in normal day-to-day dress compared to a uniform could be as simple as a shirt with a logo, or a whole outfit that includes pants and a top with a pattern, such as medical scrubs.  Long gone are the days of white lab coat only doctors. Todays scrubs come in a plethora of different color and pattern combos.

And lets not forget accessories.  Some uniforms require special footwear, such as boots, and/or a vest or jacket, such as in the military.  Some require headgear  such as a beret, helmets, or a cap (police and sports oriented uniforms). Sometimes gloves tie into the  mix too.

Uniforms are a way of life.    So why not get on the bandwagon? This is a good niche to explore, and it’s recurring one, as they need to be replaced often.

Let It Shine

This year I became a homeowner (again). I purchased a property on a short sale (a misnomer as the time to close was 6 months, not a short while by any means).  In any case, the house needed some work.  Baths had to be redone and the kitchen too. The homeowners market is full of good niches for the Internet Marketer.  For instance, on things we needed to address in the home, we started with changing the look and feel of the counters.

A popular material today is granite. It’s been said that granite is the most durable of all stones, second only to diamonds. Granite, created from molten rock, can withstand the heat of a hot pot without problems. The hardness of the surface is excellent for handling dough while baking. So, its a long lasting/low maintenance product, and usually impervious to damage.

Granite is an interesting niche. But its not cheap. Properly installed, granite should last a lifetime, which is the justification for its high cost.  Caring for a polished finish begins with daily care of what is placed on the surface. Never use the granite as a cutting surface, always use a cutting board. Avoid acidic foods like lemon juice, vinegar and soda remain on the surface to, since they can damage it. And never harsh cleaning products. To clean the surface without leaving streaks, use only a small amount of warm water with a pH balanced dishwashing soap.

Although granite is very hard, some of the minerals it contains are not. Thats why they can be cut along the grain.  Even a small grain of sugar, when drag along the surface, can scratch it. Scratches later on invite stains.  So avoid dragging pots, pans or appliances across the stone. 

Once a year, a penetrating sealer should be applied. Regular polishing will keep the shiny finish . Use a penetrating sealer recommended by the supplier or manufacturer.  Avoid using a stone sealer that penetrates the granite, as it will create a cloudy surface that will have to be removed using solvents. The sheen is caused by a layer on the surface, put on there by expert polishing tools used in the polishing of diamonds.

If there is minor damage to a granite countertop, these could be fixed. If a pot or pan leaves a gray or black on the surface can be removed using fine steel wool. If a substance is stuck like glue, you can scrape it with a credit card or a simple razor blade. Small marks made ​​during removal can be polished with fine steel wool. If the granite is cut or cracked, a professional should be called to make repairs invisible.

In addition to its strength, granite is a very beautiful stone that adds color and warmth to any kitchen. With a little care to protect its beauty and utility, granite countertops will last a lifetime.

eCigs – Your New Niche?

The electronic cigarette or e-cigarette has taken the smoking industry by storm.  It’s a mechanical device that that simulates the smoke generated by smoking a real cigarette without the chemicals. There are several multinational manufacturers of electronic cigarettes. The market was opened to them in the United States after the enactment of the smoking ban.

The e cigarette looks like a real cigarette. Smoking is often purchased as part of a kit. The kit includes rechargeable batteries, battery charger, the packs of “cigarettes” and cartridges. You must charge the battery nightly and replace the cartridge packages when necessary.

The e-cigarette works when air flows through the cylinder. This turns a processor that injects liquid droplets. This results in a nicotine vapor mist which is inhaled by the user. Propylene glycol is added to make the fog of smoke look real. Many models of this type are also light up on the end to mimic a real cigarette.

One of the biggest advantages that the electric cigarette offers is that there is no presence of tabaco, carbon monoxide, tar or other cancer-causing chemicals found in cigarettes. Another advantage is that they usually are allowed to use under the smoking ban since they are almost odorless and produce no secondhand smoke.

So could this be another niche for you to consider?

Cover Up

My next door neighbor had one of the scariest experiences of his 39 year existence: a family gathering almost turned tragic when a visiting couple’s son fell in their in-ground pool.

He couldn’t have been in the water for more than a half a minute or so, but when everyone realized he was missing, he was at the bottom of the pool.  My neighbor Mike skydived into the water and got him out safely. Thank goodness Mike acted they way he did, because the boy is OK.  Mike was really shaken by this.  Life is so delicate.

Which got me thinking about my pool.  I live in Florida and this state has the highest infant drowning rate in the US.  I have a 3 year old nephew which I love to death and I would hate for anything to happen to him.  So I started researching pool covers to make my back yard more kid-friendly.  A pool cover prevents accidents from happening. And since my pool is not screened in, a cover helps keep debris out when your pool is not in use.  I have a kidney shaped pool and I can get a custom fitted cover for the perfect fit. Safety 1st, right?

Hmm, could this be another untapped marketing niche for us affiliates?

Have a Look

The New York Times wrote: “If ever there was a market ripe for the intervention of the Internet, … eyeglasses would be it.”  Cool, eh? And why wouldn’t it be?  According to the Vision Council of America, approximately 75% of adults use some sort of vision correction. About 64% of them wear eyeglasses, and about 11% wear contact lenses, either exclusively, or with glasses. The majority of people, about 85% of the American population, wear sunglasses. Some sunglasses are prescription and others are used only to protect the eyes from damage from the sun.

The glasses I wear now cost me $500 over a year ago.  Sounds overpriced? I think so! The reason was shared in a BusinessWeek:

“A quick primer, then, on the $16 billion optical industry: Luxottica (LUX), based in Milan, is one of the heavyweights in question. It owns LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Sunglass Hut, and the optical shops in Target (TGT) and Sears (SHLD); it owns Ray-Ban, Oakley, and Oliver Peoples; it manufactures, under license, eyewear for more than 20 top brands, including Chanel, Burberry, Prada, and Stella McCartney. “They’ve created the illusion of choice,” says Gilboa.”

So a niche to look at is the eyewear niche, especially the discount eyeglasses segment. There are several programs out there and many offer: Datafeeds, coupons and exclusive offers, naked and flex links including videos, widgets, no charge backs (unless credit card fraud), and no expiring links.

So have a look…

Policy Politeness

My significant other worked at one of the biggest hospitals in the city.  And although she loves helping people, it seems like she prefered working at a smaller doctors office. Why? Too many hospital policies, or shall I say, the mismanagement of too many policies.

One of the biggest culprits was the hospital’s policy on HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and the employees responsibilities regarding the same.Then there were other policies that seemed old and outdated in one part of the hospital but were current in others.  It’s as if the right hand did not know what the left hand was doing, which lead to some employees dissatisfaction, and worst – patient safety issues.  Add to that she worked with resident doctors, who were just learning to practicing medicine, and you can imagine how stressful it was to to work there.  Needless to say, she left and started working at a private practice.

But the reason why I bring this is up is because most of this could of been avoided.  There are some pretty cool policy managment software solutions out there that streamline how hospitals create, update, train on and enforce policy. Thus, hospitals become more organized, have happier employees which results in improved patient safety and overall healthcare quality.  All these operating efficiencies come through because of the addition of a single piece of policy software.

Is this niche undeserved? You be the judge…

Sustainable Niche

Most of us have had the misfortune of  visiting either a doctor’s office or a hospital at least once in our lifetime. And why was that medical facility there? Aside from trying to helping people, it was there because medicine is a very lucrative business.   Think about it: what are the chances of doctors running out of sick people to treat? None! In essence then, its a sustainable niche.

What if you had a part in such a niche? Think for instance on how many nurses there are, and how many new people join the medical ranks every year.  If you promoted something they would need, you would have an unlimited number of conversions.  And we are not talking about stethoscopes (although that would be a great niche too). But how many stethoscopes does one person need? No, I’m thinking a more lucrative venture.

I’m referring to something doctors and nurses need to use everyday, a DIFFERENT one everyday. This would produce multiple sales from the same persons: medical scrubs clothing or uniforms.  Nurses, physician assistants and medical assistants need a different one for every day of the week. As as example, check these out: http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/

So there you have it – a sustainable niche.  May it provide good fortune (and health) to you…

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