Watch out for this company! http://www.pingar.com/ Very exciting stuff indeed.
Was invited along to an invite only launch event for Pingar in NZ, on the back of launches in Las Vegas at Microsoft's sharepoint conference and something similar in none other than the House of Commons.
Pingar is developing a new search algorithm with the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) that literally takes the browsing out of browsing. The dynamic Search and Publishing Application holds real value for information-rich industries and you have to see what it can do to believe it.
Pingar’s solution changes the face of mainstream search. I'M GOING TO REPEAT THAT AGAIN...Pingar’s solution changes the face of mainstream search. Google search gives you a list of links and you do the work. Pingar’s application goes inside data documents, finds the content the user is seeking and then places it into a dynamically generated PDF document.
I'm still buzzing. Watch this space.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
9 Social Media Questions Answered
Some good stuff about social media here..
http://socialnomics.net/2009/11/02/9-social-media-questions-answered/
http://socialnomics.net/2009/11/02/9-social-media-questions-answered/
Friday, November 20, 2009
How to NOT market
Some will smile knowingly and some will grit their teeth at this.
Many of the companies that I work with are high growth. Or potentially high growth. If you've been around the traps for a while, you may have met or know someone in charge of such a co. And after an initial meeting its clear that they have been burned by a previous experience or two with a consultant of some kind that didn't quite deliver the results that they were expecting.
Sometimes, this is put forward as one of several reasons why they haven't quite got to where they were planning to be.
t to the point where it seems appropriate to start talking about what they could do. Sometimes its clear what they need to do after 10 minutes but you have to wait a few hours and meetings to get to the right point in the conversation when its your turn to talk...but then, 'the story' comes out. And anyone who has been in the consulting world will recognise this after the first 4 words....
"My business is different so that won't work for me and nobody understands it the way I do anyhow so when the time is right I certainly do plan on trying that but I'm not so sure it will work anyhow because we already tried it once and maybe there's something nobody is telling me that I need to know. And money is tight right now, we would need to see the value. We've definitely got our strategy worked out...we have a huge pipeline of (potential) buyers....its just the [substitute what you like here] product development / sales guy / marketing messages / slow conversion rate / length of sales cycle / lack of buyers / recession / cash flow issues that are holding us back...so we should probably wait (unless you want to take some skin in the game)...[err, no thanks] and by the way can you sign this NDA because I don't want anyone stealing my ideas. Maybe I can get a student in. A junior tech guy wouldn't cost much. They would like the experience of selling for us in the US. [err, to senior VPs?] Hmm. How much is your fee again.. expensive eh?..I'm not sure that I will be any better off if I do go for it but I'm definitely going to do that... someday."
Does this sound familiar? ...unfortunately, it can be. And if left unchecked it makes it very hard to help someone create a profitable business. Its so important to build trust and a relationship so that it is possible to point out, in the kindest way possible, that there may be good reason why some things ' just haven't worked out'. I believe that is what consulting is all about. That's part of the value added. Being honest, kind, fair, professional, a source of useful advice and expertise, a sounding board, an objective mentor or coach, and at times, someone who has to tell a few uncomfortable truths. The upside of helping someone through that kind of process, and seeing them experience an 'aha' moment and a surge of energy as they see a way forward, is well worth the ups and downs of the challenge involved in getting them there.
Many of the companies that I work with are high growth. Or potentially high growth. If you've been around the traps for a while, you may have met or know someone in charge of such a co. And after an initial meeting its clear that they have been burned by a previous experience or two with a consultant of some kind that didn't quite deliver the results that they were expecting.
Sometimes, this is put forward as one of several reasons why they haven't quite got to where they were planning to be.
t to the point where it seems appropriate to start talking about what they could do. Sometimes its clear what they need to do after 10 minutes but you have to wait a few hours and meetings to get to the right point in the conversation when its your turn to talk...but then, 'the story' comes out. And anyone who has been in the consulting world will recognise this after the first 4 words....
"My business is different so that won't work for me and nobody understands it the way I do anyhow so when the time is right I certainly do plan on trying that but I'm not so sure it will work anyhow because we already tried it once and maybe there's something nobody is telling me that I need to know. And money is tight right now, we would need to see the value. We've definitely got our strategy worked out...we have a huge pipeline of (potential) buyers....its just the [substitute what you like here] product development / sales guy / marketing messages / slow conversion rate / length of sales cycle / lack of buyers / recession / cash flow issues that are holding us back...so we should probably wait (unless you want to take some skin in the game)...[err, no thanks] and by the way can you sign this NDA because I don't want anyone stealing my ideas. Maybe I can get a student in. A junior tech guy wouldn't cost much. They would like the experience of selling for us in the US. [err, to senior VPs?] Hmm. How much is your fee again.. expensive eh?..I'm not sure that I will be any better off if I do go for it but I'm definitely going to do that... someday."
Does this sound familiar? ...unfortunately, it can be. And if left unchecked it makes it very hard to help someone create a profitable business. Its so important to build trust and a relationship so that it is possible to point out, in the kindest way possible, that there may be good reason why some things ' just haven't worked out'. I believe that is what consulting is all about. That's part of the value added. Being honest, kind, fair, professional, a source of useful advice and expertise, a sounding board, an objective mentor or coach, and at times, someone who has to tell a few uncomfortable truths. The upside of helping someone through that kind of process, and seeing them experience an 'aha' moment and a surge of energy as they see a way forward, is well worth the ups and downs of the challenge involved in getting them there.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
How to properly assess risks..
Just read an interesting study all about how people define and perceive risk.
The results demonstrated that in general, people tend to regard propositions that they do not properly understand as more risky, regardless of their intrinsic risk, and to regard things that they do understand as less risky, again regardless of the intrinsic risk.
This explains why some people find it hard to seize relatively low risk opportunities placed right in front of their noses. Strange as it may seem, they may see these opportunities as risky propositions, even in the face of contrary evidence, simply because they do not fully understand how they came about, what they are based on, or what they mean.
Similarly, they may regard investment in predictable, understandable situations or pre-existing circumstances as 'safe', even when those situations are actually untenable in the longer term and may have high levels of instrinsic risk.
Obvious? Maybe.... Interesting? - I think so.
I wonder if it applies to other situations and circumstances beyond the business world?
As an old Yorkshire saying goes... "there's nowt so strange as folk"...
The results demonstrated that in general, people tend to regard propositions that they do not properly understand as more risky, regardless of their intrinsic risk, and to regard things that they do understand as less risky, again regardless of the intrinsic risk.
This explains why some people find it hard to seize relatively low risk opportunities placed right in front of their noses. Strange as it may seem, they may see these opportunities as risky propositions, even in the face of contrary evidence, simply because they do not fully understand how they came about, what they are based on, or what they mean.
Similarly, they may regard investment in predictable, understandable situations or pre-existing circumstances as 'safe', even when those situations are actually untenable in the longer term and may have high levels of instrinsic risk.
Obvious? Maybe.... Interesting? - I think so.
I wonder if it applies to other situations and circumstances beyond the business world?
As an old Yorkshire saying goes... "there's nowt so strange as folk"...
Would Medical Discount Plans work?
As someone interested in the modernisation of healthcare delivery, I try and keep abreast of new ideas and proposed changes in the US, the UK, in NZ and elsewhere around the world. An article by E.J. Alexander, who wrote recently on the state of healthcare in the US, asking "Why is it that in a country as affluent as the USA, citizens are struggling to afford such a basic necessity as proper healthcare for themselves and their families?" caught my eye.
According to the stats quoted, almost 50 million people (including close to 9 million children) have no health insurance coverage at all.. while a further 75 million are underinsured. Apparently the average working family pays over $1,800 every year in premiums in addition to over $1,700 in out-of-pocket expenses annually in health insurance expenses.
It's no wonder that Obama wants to try and make changes to the healthcare system when other stats that claim healthcare premiums are currently rising 3 times faster than the cost of inflation with projections of the cost of personal healthcare spending set to double over the next 8 years!
Mr Alexander points to Medical Discount Plans or Medical Savings Plans as a possible solution. These are plans that 'allow the average person to reduce their medical expenses by providing discounts on a wide range of services, from doctor's visits and dental exams to hospital stays and prescription drugs'.
Some of the benefits of the Medical Discount Plans: they typically require no qualifying physical exams or contracts. They usually feature easy online applications, affordable prices regardless of age or health with the ability to cancel at anytime and some even offer free 30 day trial memberships to test drive the program before committing to it.
The downside: Medical Savings Plans are not "major medical insurance" and therefore do not pay medical bills on behalf of the patient.
How they work: the company offering them will contract with the same large PPO Networks used by top insurance companies, which allows the Medical Savings Plan member access to the same low rates enjoyed by the insurance companies, in exchange for a reasonably priced monthly membership fee.
When the member uses a medical service, for instance, a Doctor's Visit which typically costs about $75.00, the member pays his medical bill up front at the Doctor's Office then the company immediately reimburses the member for their Doctor's Bill thus reducing the member's out-of-pocket medical costs.
This approach is claimed to reduce medical expenses significantly (especially for prolonged hospital stays) as some plans may reimburse members up to $1,000 per day for each day spent in the hospital up to 30 days per year including separate reimbursement for the Anesthesiologist, etc.
Sounds interesting. Right now it is hard to get a true picture of healthcare costs because there is a lack of transparency across the system - and to some extent, this is understandable...some of the participants are private businesses..so why would they want to open up their books?. On the other hand, we're talking about the lives and care of patients.....real people. Some of whom might struggle to personally stump up the cash to pay for the care that they need so badly. I've not personally verified the stats quoted above, but if they are about right, and if the Medical Savings Plan member does get access to the 'same low rates enjoyed by the insurance companies' , then that would seem to be a good thing, and something that does not require a great deal of reform or change to take place before it can come into effect. For those reasons, it seems like a reasonable idea, at least in the interim.
According to the stats quoted, almost 50 million people (including close to 9 million children) have no health insurance coverage at all.. while a further 75 million are underinsured. Apparently the average working family pays over $1,800 every year in premiums in addition to over $1,700 in out-of-pocket expenses annually in health insurance expenses.
It's no wonder that Obama wants to try and make changes to the healthcare system when other stats that claim healthcare premiums are currently rising 3 times faster than the cost of inflation with projections of the cost of personal healthcare spending set to double over the next 8 years!
Mr Alexander points to Medical Discount Plans or Medical Savings Plans as a possible solution. These are plans that 'allow the average person to reduce their medical expenses by providing discounts on a wide range of services, from doctor's visits and dental exams to hospital stays and prescription drugs'.
Some of the benefits of the Medical Discount Plans: they typically require no qualifying physical exams or contracts. They usually feature easy online applications, affordable prices regardless of age or health with the ability to cancel at anytime and some even offer free 30 day trial memberships to test drive the program before committing to it.
The downside: Medical Savings Plans are not "major medical insurance" and therefore do not pay medical bills on behalf of the patient.
How they work: the company offering them will contract with the same large PPO Networks used by top insurance companies, which allows the Medical Savings Plan member access to the same low rates enjoyed by the insurance companies, in exchange for a reasonably priced monthly membership fee.
When the member uses a medical service, for instance, a Doctor's Visit which typically costs about $75.00, the member pays his medical bill up front at the Doctor's Office then the company immediately reimburses the member for their Doctor's Bill thus reducing the member's out-of-pocket medical costs.
This approach is claimed to reduce medical expenses significantly (especially for prolonged hospital stays) as some plans may reimburse members up to $1,000 per day for each day spent in the hospital up to 30 days per year including separate reimbursement for the Anesthesiologist, etc.
Sounds interesting. Right now it is hard to get a true picture of healthcare costs because there is a lack of transparency across the system - and to some extent, this is understandable...some of the participants are private businesses..so why would they want to open up their books?. On the other hand, we're talking about the lives and care of patients.....real people. Some of whom might struggle to personally stump up the cash to pay for the care that they need so badly. I've not personally verified the stats quoted above, but if they are about right, and if the Medical Savings Plan member does get access to the 'same low rates enjoyed by the insurance companies' , then that would seem to be a good thing, and something that does not require a great deal of reform or change to take place before it can come into effect. For those reasons, it seems like a reasonable idea, at least in the interim.
How to sell knee joints!
I'm fascinated by what is possible these days with artificial joints. This site (http://www.bonesmart.org/knee_replacement.php) provides a useful introduction into the various ways in which knee joints can be repaired or even replaced completely. According to the authors, total knee replacement offers the greatest quality of life improvement of all operations, has one of the highest success rates and one of the best outcomes...
The site itself is provides an interesting example of the type of information that potential patients might want or need before taking the decision to have an implant.
The site itself is provides an interesting example of the type of information that potential patients might want or need before taking the decision to have an implant.
How Medicare and Medicaid work in ths US
If you want to know how these 2 healthcare programmes work, this great article by David Crumrine at the Caring Space sets it out more clearly than I think I could:
There are two main programs administered by the government that offer benefits to senior citizens - Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare is available for all senior citizens age 65 or older. Those under age 65 with certain disabilities may also be eligible for Medicare. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you must have entered the U.S. lawfully at least five years prior to receiving Medicare benefits. Medicaid is for people with limited income.
Medicare has two parts. Part A is the hospital insurance and Part B is the medical insurance.
Medicare Part A can pay for home health care if the patient meets certain requirements. Part A is set up mainly to pay for care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility, or by hospice. Depending on the amount of Medicare taxes paid by the patient and their spouse over their lifetimes, they may not have to pay a monthly fee for Medicare Part A. Otherwise, the patient may have to enroll and pay a premium.
Medicare Part B is the medical portion which helps pay for medically-necessary doctors' services and other patient care. Part B can also pay for some preventative services (like flu shots) or some services to keep certain illnesses from getting worse. The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B was $96.40 in 2008.
You have two main options in how you get your Medicare coverage.
You can choose traditional Medicare coverage, which is managed by the Federal government. This plan provides Medicare Part A and Part B coverage. The recipient can choose to have either Part A or Part B or both. There is a mandatory deductible, and usually coinsurance charges for each time one gets service. A Medicare supplemental insurance policy known as "Medigap," can also be purchased. This helps pay for some of the "gaps" such as co-payments, coinsurances, and deductibles.
Medicare Advantage Plans, offered by Medicare-approved private insurance companies (called Part C) is another option. They generally provide services in addition to Part A and Part B services. Co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles are likely to be less, but you pay a monthly premium.
Medicare Part D is available for senior citizens with limited income to help pay for prescription costs.
Medicaid
Medicaid is a health insurance program designed for people with low-income. It is funded by both the Federal and state government. Each state administers the program for its residents. Rules for eligibility include the potential recipient's income and assets. Each state may have slightly different rules for determining financial need and other eligibility requirements.
If the senior citizen you are caring for has limited income, you should apply to find out if he or she is qualified. Find a qualified caseworker in your state to help you with the application process. You may have to pay a co-pay for certain medical services, depending on your state's policies.
Medicare and Medicaid will pay for most of the medical expenses, including nursing home care, for those who qualify.
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