I had the privilege of meeting adventurer and speaker Jamie Clarke at the National Speakers Association convention. Jamie successfully summitted Mt. Everest, and he says the way he did it was to focus on taking one step at a time.
By the way, he didn't make it to the top on his first or even his second try. He learned to temper obsession with passion and kept trying until he succeeded – on his 3rd try.
Entrepreneurship is a lot like climbing Mt. Everest. You don't conquer it in one big leap – you get to the top by focusing on one step at a time. You will never completely conquer entrepreneurship, but with each step you will scale grander heights of success.
Never underestimate the importance of the smallest of steps. According to a Buddhist proverb, even the smallest act should not be underestimated, for even tiny flakes of snow, falling one atop the other, can blanket the tallest mountain in pure whiteness.
You can conquer your first entrepreneurial summit. Take your first or next step today and soon, like Jamie Clarke, you'll be savoring the view from the tallest mountain.
Keep summitting,
Vickie L. Milazzo, RN, MSN, JD
President
From left to right: Tom, Evie, Jamie Clarke, and Vickie at the National Speakers Association convention.
CLNC® SUCCESS STORY
Referrals Multiply CLNC® Business Fast
by Sharon Moser, RN, CLNC and Kathy Thompson, RN, CLNC
After attending the CLNC® Live Certification Program, we went back to the hospital and told a physician friend what we had just accomplished. She immediately suggested contacting her husband, an attorney. The week after Vickie's course we had our first interview and left his office with two cases. Each time we turn in one case, we get another, sometimes two. The first attorney we worked with introduced us to another attorney, and we are now consulting on the biggest case that firm has ever had. We were able to quit our full-time positions at the hospital and continue nursing part-time in just three months.
We have been so fortunate. The word-of-mouth referrals just keep coming in. We now work closely with three different attorneys. Each one has remarked how well prepared we are and what a good job we do. Just last week we received eight referrals because our clients want their colleagues to know about legal nurse consultants. "Attorneys really don't know about the medical issues in their cases," our attorney-clients say.
We have weekly meetings with attorneys from one firm to keep them updated on all the cases we are working on for them. The attorneys listen to us and value our opinion. It feels great!
Eight cases are now keeping us very busy, and we still have time to enjoy our lives. Most importantly, we are doing a job we feel proud of while helping others. We are our own bosses, and we learn something new every day. Vickie's CLNC® Certification Program was the step we needed to push us where we wanted to go. We should have done it years ago.
We believe our success so far is directly related to Vickie's CLNC® Certification Program. Vickie taught us the little things we would never have known, such as how to approach an attorney and how to market our services. She even includes sample letters to attorneys which we used successfully. Other programs were available to us, but we chose Vickie's because she teaches everything we needed to succeed!
Thank you, Vickie, for being there, going first and sharing all.
Sharon Moser, RN, CLNC and Kathy Thompson, RN, CLNC own Miami Valley Legal Nurse Consultants in Ohio, specializing in workers' compensation and malpractice cases.
CLNC ® Q & A
Lawyers Want Your Expertise, Not Your Degree
Q. I have an associate degree but not a BSN. Will this affect my marketing ability as a legal nurse consultant?
A. Absolutely not. While some attorneys do look for degrees behind the name, most attorneys could care less. Degrees are usually not an issue if you remain a consulting expert, but the attorney may desire advanced degrees when choosing a testifying expert.
If you present a positive, professional appearance and use basic business etiquette, your level of education may not even enter the attorney-client's mind. You don't have to point out your degree status unless asked. What is universal to all attorneys is that you provide a quality work product.
The key to marketing as a beginner is to focus on your unique selling position (USP). Define what is unique about you. Focus on your strengths and de-emphasize your weaknesses. If you have lots of degrees behind your name, flaunt them. If not, focus on your nursing knowledge, experience and accomplishments, particularly those of value to the attorney such as your ability to analyze medical records, knowledge of the inner workings of the healthcare system, ability to locate nursing and medical Standards of Care, and access to various healthcare professionals. Remember to mention any education you may have had as a legal nurse consultant, as well as your certification in the field.
If the attorney wants a testifying expert with advanced degrees, this is the perfect opportunity to offer your services to locate one. Proactively develop your database of experts to include people with a variety of educational backgrounds.
Don't let anyone else define what you need to succeed. Model yourself after the thousands of successful entrepreneurs who don't have college degrees - including billionaires Bill Gates and Michael Dell. Remember as Eleanor Roosevelt said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
BEST PRACTICES FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Using an Outside Payroll Service
by Diana Hanley, BBA, and Karen Jones, RN, BS, MS, CLNC
Editor's Note: Where can you find the time to build your practice? The day-to-day chores of running your business can be overwhelming, leaving you without enough time or energy to devote to the "creative," income-generating side – finding clients and providing your services. Being an entrepreneur can turn into a 12-hour-a-day job, and you and your family are usually the losers when that happens. If you have employees and processing your payroll is too time consuming, it may be time to think about using a payroll service to save time and energy.
– Vickie L. Milazzo, RN, MSN, JD
What can a payroll service do for me?
A payroll service can:
Process Your Complete Payroll – The service will calculate each employee's pay and all payroll deductions, and prepare paychecks for both hourly and salaried workers. In addition to providing all paychecks, the service will prepare a list of year-to-date totals, a payroll register for your records, a payroll tax report and a time-sheet report listing total hours worked, rate of pay and social security number for each employee.
Track Manual Checks – If you have to issue a manual payroll check, contact your payroll service and they will enter the check into their system to update your year-to-date totals accurately.
Set Up Direct Deposit – This service is a great advantage for both you and your staff. You don't have to take the time to sign payroll checks (especially if you are out of town), and your employees enjoy the convenience of being able to have their checks sent directly to their own banks.
File Payroll Taxes – The service will deposit all your payroll taxes, taking responsibility for paying tax deposits and submitting quarterly tax reports on time.
File Federal Tax Forms – A payroll service can file all quarterly and annual tax reports, including:
Form 941 – Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return (quarterly)
State Unemployment Tax Return (quarterly)
Form 940 – Employer's Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return (annually)
Form W-3 – Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statement (annually)
Form W-2 – Wage and Tax Statement (annually)
Set Up Retirement and SEC 125 Cafeteria Plans – The service will test your plans for compliance with IRS rules, maintain electronic records of fund and data transfers, update account balances daily, issue quarterly management reports and participant statements, and file Form 5500 Series (annually) for you.
Handle New Hire Reporting – The service can report all new hires to the appropriate state agency. Your payroll service can tell you if this is required in your state and what information is needed for reporting.
Handle Insurance Issues – A payroll service can help you secure state unemployment insurance and health insurance, administer COBRA, address workers' compensation issues and assure workplace safety compliance. Discuss these issues with your payroll service to be sure all your company's needs are covered.
How efficient is an outside payroll service?
An outside payroll service will assign a payroll specialist to your account. These specialists are trained to handle all aspects of payroll, including applicable tax laws. You will work with the same payroll specialist every time you call in your payroll. This allows the specialist to become familiar with you and your account. Because of this personalized service, your specialist is equipped to recommend changes as your company grows and develops.
Another option is filing your payroll information electronically. When interviewing payroll services companies, ask if they provide a computer program that allows you to file payroll information from your office.
Is getting set up with a payroll service difficult?
All it takes is a phone call. The payroll service will send to you a checklist of items needed to get your company set up on their service. Approval of your account may take 10-15 days. Once you're in their system, a payroll specialist will call two days prior to your payday for your payroll information, or you can send in your information by fax or modem. Payroll services try to make your payday as simple as possible.
Which payroll service should I choose?
Two reputable nationwide services are Paychex Payroll Services (www.paychex.com) and ADP Payroll Services (www.adp.com). Both these firms are equipped and staffed to help you with all aspects of your payroll.
What is the cost of using a payroll service?
The cost is based on the services you request and how your payroll is processed. For example, semi-monthly processing of pay and appropriate taxes for one employee with direct deposit will cost approximately $80 a month. The sales representative from the payroll service can discuss these fees with you.
Don't spend another day trying to squeeze in more time to generate income. Call a payroll service and put your own time to better use.
Diana Hanley, BBA is director of finance and human resources for MLCI.
Karen Jones, RN, BS, MS, CLNC is the education support manager for MLCI.
