Acupressure, aromatherapy and acupuncture were once thought to be practices reserved for the spiritual. However, alternative medical practices such as these are now becoming more common place. In fact, a The National Health Statistics Report of 2007 showed that four in every 10 respondents in the survey made use of some sort of alternative medical therapy.

There are so many reasons as to why so many people are opting for alternative medicine as opposed to traditional medical treatment. Some seek out homeopaths because they have had bad experiences with mainstream medicine. Others opt for these forms of treatment because they offer a holistic approach to health.

The real cost of alternative medical therapy

Alternative medicine isn’t cheap. In fact, the NHS Report revealed that that more than $34 billion was spent out of pocket on complementary and alternative medicine costs. Unfortunately, many peoples’ personal injury protection policies don’t cover alternative medicine, despite its wide use. The popularity of alternative medicine is growing as more people seek natural remedies for their ailments. The costs for these therapies are also growing.

Does your insurance cover alternative medicine?

Insurance providers are mandated by the Affordable Care Act to avoid discrimination against different health care providers, as long as they are licensed. This means that acupuncturists, chiropractors, and other alternative medicine practitioners ought to be accepted by insurance companies as service providers.

Despite the legislation, insurance companies often limit their coverage. This allows them to eliminate any therapy they deem experimental or any treatment that they think is not necessarily medical. In many cases, this includes alternative medical therapies.

The best way to make sure you’re not unpleasantly surprised by your bill is to study your personal injury protection policy carefully and compare quotes from various insurance providers. Determine what other providers offer and decide if you should switch insurers.

Getting covered

Coverage for alternative medicine isn’t one size fits all; it varies from one insurance provider to another. While some policies will provide coverage, others won’t. It is therefore important to ask the right questions when seeking insurance.

Here are a few things you can do to make sure you have the right coverage for you:

1. Talk to insurance providers

As you compare quotes for different insurance companies online, be sure to talk to insurance providers directly too. This will allow you to get answers to some important questions regarding coverage for alternative medicine. Ask the insurance provider the following questions about their personal injury protection plans:

• Do they cover the alternative treatment that you’re interested in?
• Do you need to be referred or have the treatment prescribed to you by a general practitioner?
• Is there a limit to the number of visits covered by their policy?
• Do they have a local network of alternative medicine practitioners that are licensed in the area of treatment you’re seeking to be covered for?

2. Talk to local practitioners

You can also find out more about insurance and being covered by talking to local practitioners. They can tell you which insurance companies to approach and which type of insurance plans would be suitable.

Treatments such as chiropractic care tend to cost a lot more for the first few visits. Follow-up visits cost much less. Find out from the practitioner how many visits a patient would typically need to be on the road to recovery. This information will help you determine which policy to choose.

3. Inquire about additional expenses

Find out if you will need to add supplemental coverage in order for your policy to pay for any alternative treatments. Some insurance providers will require you to pay for an add-on in order to provide cover for alternative treatments.

4. Negotiate for coverage

If your insurance provider doesn’t offer coverage for alternative medicine, don’t throw in the towel. Negotiate with your provider to find out if they would be willing to include it in your plan and what it would take to make that happen. You may negotiate to pay slightly more for this or to have it included as a discount.

If you use alternative medical treatments often, you should be sure they’re covered under your insurance. This will ensure that you don’t drain your finances as you seek treatment.

The term “startup” seems to carry a certain connotation, one of young entrepreneurs in the tech sector who are looking for the next disruptive game-changer. Certainly, in the venture capital world, that is often an accurate description. However, there are plenty of other startups that are simply new businesses in the early stages of getting off the ground. There may be no investors involved and a workforce of just one person – you – but it is a startup nonetheless. If you’ve been considering an entrée into the world of business, you can use this helpful checklist to make it official.

Consider Your Interests

If you already have a business idea in mind, that’s great. However, it is important to think about the long-term viability of your plan. Is the company you want to form something that will maintain your interest for decades to come? Or is the main goal to eventually sell the business and move on to a different venture? You stand a better chance of success if you enter a field that you are passionate about. Otherwise, you risk losing interest or getting overwhelmed before you reach your first business anniversary.

Write a Business Plan

Nothing will help you wrap your mind around the intricacies of owning a company better than crafting a business plan. It may seem as though this is an outdated hurdle that is not really necessary, but in truth it is vital. The process of writing a business plan will force you to examine exactly what your procedures will be, both in the startup phase and in the long run. You will need to list your mission, goals and operational plan in a concrete way. The plan will be your guide when making future decisions, and it can help you get started in a more organized and focused manner.

Get Some Help

Depending on where you live, you may have several free or low-cost resources at your disposal for learning more about the ins and outs of running a business. Check to see if there is a small business development center in the area, or perhaps the local chamber of commerce offers classes for startup businesses. You can get someone to read and critique your business plan, suggest funding options if you need them, or explain the legal requirements for hiring employees.

Choose a Location

Many new businesses don’t have a physical location. Instead, the owners work from home or choose an online-only format for the company. But if you are in the market for some office space, a workshop, or a spot in a business incubator building, this is the time to start looking. You might want to take your business plan with you, as the building’s owner might want to judge the potential longevity of the lease.

Think About Financing

Will your startup require funding from outside sources? If so, you will have to do some research on potential options. You could get a bank loan, apply for a grant, or seek outside investors. Depending on what your business will entail, you may be able to finance its initial operation yourself. But if you have your sights set on a bricks-and-mortar location, you’ll likely need a loan.

Legal Obligations

There are many paperwork hoops you have to jump through in order to start a company. You’ll need to file a “doing business as” registration with your local government, usually your state’s Secretary of State Department. You must also decide what type of business structure you want to use: sole proprietorship, LLC, corporation, or non-profit. Some of these structures require additional legal filings, such as an S corporation. Finally, you’ll likely be required to get a business license or permit of some sort. For example, if you want to follow in the footsteps of HamptonCreek and create a food-based company, you’ll need a commercial kitchen license from your state or local agency.

Register for Taxes

The income from your business, depending on the structure, will be eligible for taxation. You’ll need to register with state and federal agencies to obtain a tax identification number, and if you plan to hire employees, there are additional requirements for that process.

By following these steps, you should be well along the path toward a success business startup. All that’s left now is to start making your products or selling your service.

As any working mother will surely agree, it’s incredibly hard to balance work and family life as a working mom. We are responsible for ourselves, our children, and our tasks at work! We often find this tiring and worrying since at the end of the day, our family seems to suffer. Guess what? There are many things you can do to improve this situation. You can be a working mom and also be a great mother at home.

Packed in here are powerful tips to help you become the super mom that you were meant to be. These tips are as simple as they are effective. You could try them right away and see how wonderful they work. Now you don’t need to worry on how to cater for your kids while working. With these tips, you can be a working mom and still have a massive impact in your kid’s life.

Be You! You Are Like No Other

Comparison is the thief of joy!  Do not compare yourself with other mothers. They might be doing things you don’t do, but best believe that you do things they can’t do. Let me emphasize it, you are unique in your own way so don’t go stressing yourself thinking you are an awful mum. Parenting is one of the one of the most difficult skills to master. But the good news is that no matter how awful you think you are, your children are attached to you in your unique way.

Look At Yourself before Correcting Your Children

Are you guilty of that same thing you are correcting your child for? Then you are not parenting well. Do you appear downtrodden every now and then? You need to do things to revitalize your mind and body. You need to look inwards and take care of your needs before going for your children. They need to see that spark in you. That might be all you need to be a supermom.

Learn to Apologize When You’re Wrong

It is always right for a mother to apologize when she does wrong. Mistakes would occur at one point or the other. We aren’t perfect beings, we are mothers, humans! Be ever ready to apologize when mistakes happen. You are a role model to your child and apologizing is an essential skill to pass on to your child. Let your child know that they need to accept responsibility when they are wrong and apologize. If you as a mother poorly handled a situation where your child misbehaved, apologize. It goes a long way.

Little Things Make Great Things!

Yes. Little things are little things but little things make up great things. We know you are working and can be very busy but mapping out a little time to spend with your child would never go wrong. It could be taking dinner and breakfast together, having a bonding time during leisure or anything at all. It might seem little but you would be surprised at the impact it makes. You owe them every little moment to cherish, never take it for granted!

Lend Listening Ears

Often it is better to listen than to speak.  This goes beyond morals, this is wisdom! If you truly listen, you might have enough understanding to give helpful advice. After all “Life doesn’t come with a manual, it comes with a mother” (quote found on Quotereel). Cultivate the habit of listening to your children first then you may later dish out advice as you deem fit. If you believe they can handle the situation, let them. Do not nip issues in the bud by helping them out or forcing your ideas down their throats – we all don’t like being told what to do. The best coaches always listen, the superb mom does so as well.

 When Your Kids Misbehave, Listen To Their Message

When children misbehave, there is a reason behind it. You shouldn’t be too fast to label them bad kids or being under the influence of bad friends, pay attention to their needs. If your child gets angry all the time, it could be that he/she needs attention. If your children do not respect others’ feelings, it could be because you order them around, not giving importance to their feelings. Your child’s misbehavior could be due to a variety of reasons. Try to get into your child’s mind to know why. You don’t need to shout at them. It actually worsens the situation.

Exemplify the Ideals That You Teach

If there are values and beliefs that are attached to your family, share it with your kids. Not only that, live it!  Be an example for them to follow. If you hold kindness and respect in high esteem, are you living it? As a working mum, you should exhibit these family values.

Let Your Children Deal with the Consequences of Their Actions

Experience, they say, is the best teacher. As tough a decision as it might be for you, to help your children become responsible as a super mom, you need to let them single-handedly face the consequences of their actions. If your child doesn’t safely play with his toy, collect it and don’t return it, even if he is upset. When he sees his peers using theirs, he would learn to use it well. If your girl child doesn’t want to take her lunch to school, leave her. When she gets to school and hunger strikes, she would be self-reminded to take her lunch pack next time. It works as simple as that.

Remember To Be More Than a Mom

Every human being, and indeed every woman, has passions and interests that have molded them into who they are. It’s important to keep those passions because you were once a woman before motherhood. But do you even remember what your passions were? Or have they all been sacrificed because of the exhaustion that comes from the exertions of being a mom, or because of the guilt you feel for working so hard?

So many working moms out there often put their wants and needs last, and what happens is they usually lose themselves. This is totally wrong. You should always strive to be the best example to your children about what it takes to genuinely know, value, and take care of yourself. The more you take care of yourself, the more you’ll be able to give to your child, which will help you to master the challenge of being a working mother.

Great parenting usually sets the perfect environment and the right foundation for all great things. These parenting tips are no exception. True connections, close bonds, less stress and more energy, coupled with kids who grow into resilient and successful adults are some of the great benefits that come with laying the right foundations.

What do you really know about guitars including giannini guitars? It seems like there’s a lot of things to know. For example, it is a good idea to know how one guitar can differ from many other guitars. Depending on the price, you will be able to get a better or worse guitar. Usually, those better guitars will cost you more, but there are some exceptions to this rule.

There’s no magic formula to success. If you want your business to make it, you have to put in the necessary time and effort. Sometimes, though, that’s not enough. Given how tough the competition is these days, you also need to invest in the right tools. Good thing technologies like video communications are now changing the way companies expand and grow.

Brings Teams Together

Video’s advantage is that it offers face time. However, that advantage isn’t likely going to matter if video quality is compromised. A good video system though, delivers, on the experience. You can expect the same benefits to a live meeting, says Computer Weekly, but sans the usual schedule issues or commuting stress. No need to go to a single location just to get that meeting underway and done. This is especially handy for startups and small companies that are looking to expand with other branches or sites, nationally or on a global scale. With a high definition video resolution, it’s easy to talk to everyone on the team as though you were all in one room together, regardless of whether or not you share the same city, continent, or time zone.

Find the Right People

Getting the right people on your team and into your company is one way to build your organization. The right team will always make a difference to your bottom line. But before you get to that point, you need to find and hire them in the first place. There’s plenty of competition, though. With every company out there looking to hire high-skill talents, you’ll need to have deep pockets or offer great incentives to lure in the best and the brightest. But those incentives don’t always work. A lot of companies are finding it hard to recruit talents that meet hiring standards and qualifications, especially for STEM positions, because many of these employees are millennials who demand more flexibility and balance in their work and life. With a video system, though, even small and midsize companies can now compete with big-budget enterprises by offering flexible work solutions for high-skill talents who want to work from home a couple of times a week. With enterprise video conferencing solutions from BlueJeans, getting the right people on board your company and building a dream team is now possible.

Build Better Engagement

With flexible work arrangements come the need for ways on how to monitor remote and offsite teams to ensure peak productivity levels. Just imagine the travel costs if you had to send in management to the site on a regular basis. One way to resolve that pain point is to resort to video communication. It eliminates any need for travel so that you can stay in touch with your team every day. That also helps offsite employees bond and grow closer to each other, says B2B Marketing. Any company worth its salt knows that camaraderie or team work is essential to building a high-performing team. Face to face contact through video encourages that. Remote teams can especially feel isolated from everyone at work. With regular video calls and conferences, ensuring your offsite staff feels the love is easy.

Low Cost Solution

One of the best parts of video solutions is that you get the advantage of a live meeting, all without racking up major communication or travel costs. It’s an efficient, low-cost solution that ticks off all the boxes. No need to shell out money upfront for an expensive communication system, with costly hardware upgrades. That doesn’t have to be in your future anymore. With video, you just download a software, install it, and you’re good to go. It’s a cost-effective way of keeping in touch with your employees.

Expands Your Consumer Base

The major draw of video communication is that the technology helps you get in touch with literally anyone, anywhere. With a good internet connection, you can easily expand your talent pool to anywhere in the globe. This helps you expand your marketing in no time. If the local market can’t sustain your business, then expand your marketing and services to the rest of the world. A number of startups and small businesses are already using this approach. When consumer reach is global, you get so much more out of your target market. No need to make do with markets that offer less than stellar ROIs, much less give barely enough returns to keep a chicken alive.

Meet New People

Video systems like this allow you to meet up with new people from anywhere. Whether they’re a potential client, colleague, or employee, you won’t have a problem building a network, which is crucial if you want to run a business. New people can be the lifeblood of your organization. By using video to your advantage, company growth and success surely won’t be far behind.