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(BPT) – The bakery on the corner. The family-owned accounting firm down the street. The city’s legendary cafe that’s been around since the ‘50s. Small businesses nationwide prove the American dream is alive and well.

In fact, more than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. National Small Business Week, which runs from May 1–7, is a week dedicated to recognizing the impact of countless small businesses and entrepreneurs in the U.S.

During the week, companies like Staples are celebrating small business owners by offering promotions to acknowledge their hard work and dedication. Here are three ways small businesses can get involved.

Join a professional organization
Grow your business by joining the local chamber of commerce or a business networking group. You’ll get better connected to the community and can form important alliances with other business owners that you can leverage in the future.

Lower operating costs
Position your small business for success by finding new ways to cut necessary costs. For example, as part of their commitment to helping small businesses get more for less, Staples is celebrating National Small Business Week by launching unbeatable prices on a broad selection of ink and toner cartridges, effective May 1. The unbeatable prices are here to stay and are combined with a new in-stock guarantee to help small business every day.

Put the spotlight on your business  

Look for alternative, creative ways of spreading the word about your business. For example, opportunities like the Staples Make More Happen Contest — which is currently accepting submissions through May 21 — provide a platform for small businesses to showcase the work they do.

To enter, small business owners simply visit staples.com/MakeMoreHappenContest and describe in 200 words or less how their business is “making more happen.” Five winners will be selected, with each receiving on-location production of a 30-second spotlight video of their business to be featured nationally on Staples’ social media channels. Additionally, all five winners will be awarded a $1,000 Staples Print and Marketing Services package to help market their business.

This Small Business Week, keep an eye out for what you can do to help positively impact your business. 

(BPT) – Nine years ago, Peter Esswein, a resident of Sandy Springs, Georgia, enrolled in a health information technology degree program at DeVry University to capitalize on the growing prominence of electronic medical records.

“I always wanted to work in the medical industry, and the time was right for a personal career change,” Esswein says. “Completing my associate degree in health information technology gave me the confidence and skills I needed to progress on my new career path.’’

Now, as Esswein continues his career as a coding quality assistant, health care is changing again. Following the release of a medical coding system overhaul in October 2015, expected updates in the near future are underscoring the demand for coders. International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10^th Revision, or ICD-10, increased the number of medical codes by more than 50,000 — and in fiscal year 2017, about 5,500 more diagnostic and impatient procedure codes will roll out.

“The new codes are designed to enable more informative, accurate recording of the medical information required to bill correctly for reimbursement,” Esswein says. “In my role, it’s essential that I not only understand ICD-10, but that I’m staying ahead of what’s coming next to help alleviate any confusion in my workplace and mitigate mistakes in advance.’’

Prepping for industry change

Many health care organizations say transitioning to the new system was their biggest challenge last year. While Esswein graduated years ago and is getting on-the-job training with the new system, many employers struggled to find qualified new technicians, since recent graduates had studied the previous classification system, ICD-9.

To get these new grads up to speed, DeVry University offered an ICD-10 course at no cost for medical billing and coding graduates who had registered by November 2015 and students in their last semester of the program. All future courses will be taught using ICD-10 as the standard.

”DeVry University programs will continue to evolve as healthcare advances and becomes more accessible in the United States,” says Kristyn Murphy-Rodvill, assistant national dean in the College of Health Sciences at DeVry University. “We know finishing a degree program during an industry transition can create obstacles for recent grads. Our ICD-10 course is designed to eliminate those barriers and prepare students with the skills and knowledge they need to be competitive in their field.”

Propelling the future of health care

Knowledgeable health information technology experts — from coders to technicians and managers — are projected to remain in high demand through 2022. Medical billing is projected to grow by 22 percent in this time period.

“With the right education, the future is bright for healthcare professionals,” says Murphy-Rodvill. “DeVry’s programs are designed to help students grow their professional expertise, and remain at the forefront in their industry.’’

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If you’re a small business in Chicago, New York City or San Francisco, give your website, app and social media presence a facelift!

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(BPT) – If you’re finding more stains on your clothes because the weather is warming up, you’re not alone. You may find yourself doing more loads of laundry during the summer, when outdoor activities like hiking and sports are likely to cause extra stains.

To help you take on your growing laundry pile, Whirlpool Corporation’s Institute of Home Science cleaning expert Mary Zeitler weighed in on the best ways to wash workout gear and remove your toughest stains: 

Washing athletic clothes

Zeitler suggests turning running shorts, yoga pants, lycra and spandex garments inside out before washing. You should also wash these garments in warm — not hot — water, and stay away from liquid chlorine bleach which can break down the fabric.  

Dirt and mud

Remove excess dirt and mud from the surface and rinse in cold water before adding to the washer. Wash in the warmest water safe for the garment with a gentle detergent and, if necessary, you can follow up with a wash in color-safe bleach for colors or liquid chlorine bleach for whites. For grass stains, Zeitler says to check the care label and soak the garment in a mixture of detergent and water before adding to the warmest wash that’s appropriate for the material.  

Sweat and odors

Apply liquid detergent or a pre-treater to help loosen deodorant, which can trap sweat and odors. If the odors persist, you can always send the garment through another cycle before transferring to the dryer.

No matter what kind of stain you’re working with, don’t put your stained clothes in the dryer until you are sure it was successfully removed.

Another way to wash workout gear is to take advantage of the PowerWash System within the Maytag Front Load Washer, which provides great cleaning power and the ability to handle your toughest loads.

For more expert tips on laundry, visit Whirlpool Corporation’s Institute of Home Science.

 

 

(BPT) – As a volatile market sends ripples through the global economy, many investors are worried about how events overseas will impact their portfolio. In addition, concerns about political instability in much of the world have contributed to a heightened sense of worry and stress among investors. However, while the risks in traditional markets are real, 2016 is full of opportunities for the investor who is willing to think a little differently.

In the face of these uncertainties, the standard advice is for investors to diversify their portfolio. Many have been doing this by taking money out of their dividend-paying stocks and corporate bonds and investing in marketplace lending.

Marketplace lending

Marketplace lending platforms, sometimes called peer-to-peer (P2P) lenders, are online marketplaces that connect credit-worthy borrowers with individuals seeking investment opportunities. This gives individual investors low-cost access to high-yield consumer loans  – an attractive new asset class that was previously only accessible to large institutions.

As an alternative investment strategy, investing in marketplace loans has helped investors diversify their portfolio.

Early investors discovered five secrets that are still the keys to understanding why more people are choosing to diversify their portfolios through marketplace lending. They are:

Proven returns. Individuals who invest through Prosper, a leading marketplace lending platform, can earn an estimated 6.8 percent in returns.

Simple and fast. Investors go through an authorization process on a marketplace lending website to link their profile with their bank, or do a money transfer, in order to establish bank or institutional credentials. The process can be completed within a short period of time, allowing people to start investing in a matter of days.

Reduced risk. With marketplace lending, investors can diversify by investing in many different loans (in $25 increments). Many choose to invest in a number of different loans in order to build a diverse portfolio and reduce risk.

Risk-adjusted returns. Marketplace lending platforms provide a product that offers competitive return rates relative to other investment products. Investors can choose to peruse the marketplace lending website manually to find the loans that match their risk tolerance. They can also use a tool available on some of the marketplace lending sites that will run a search to help the user easily invest in the specific type of loans they are looking for.

Positive social impact. P2P lending is not only a way to strengthen your financial plans, it offers real benefits to individuals and the community. Prosper Marketplace recently conducted a study and found that over 60 percent of Americans have credit card debt and two-thirds are going deeper into debt by not paying them off in full. With so many Americans struggling with debt, it’s no surprise that marketplace loans are becoming a popular option for debt consolidation. Individuals can invest in this debt knowing that marketplace lending platforms leverage technology to assess risk and determine a credit rating.

 

“Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

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