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The #1 Biggest Mistake Small Business Make in Technology
We once had a client who hired one of the area’s largest IT firms for her small business. This was a huge mess-up, and one that we see all the time.
She had gotten the reference from a close acquaintance, who worked at a large corporate office. The IT firm did great work for the large office and mostly supported the organization’s existing infrastructure and in-house IT team.
When the large IT firm got to my client’s small business, however, the job description was much different. They essentially had to build a technology infrastructure and telephony system from the ground-up for a five-person office.
Thousands of dollars and dozens of wasted hours later, my client could not understand why her investment was the source of so many problems. She thought she was going with the “cadillac” option will all the assurances they came with it. As it turned out, the IT company had installed a system that was perfect for large corporate office, but lousy for a small business. Really lousy, actually, and the whole system had to be scrapped.
Seek a Technology Advisor, Not a Large Tech Company
Hiring a large tech company with just because they have a solid track record is the #1 biggest mistake small businesses make in technology.
Large tech companies go with what they know. Their business model relies on servicing large clients, and often times they treat small businesses like large corporations.
If you have a smaller office, it’s best to build a relationship with a trusted technology partner. One reason for this is that an advisor will take the time to understand your unique business position and goals. The consultant can act like a part of the team, and often times provides advice beyond what is billed for if the relationship is good.
Also, small-business technology advisors are accustomed to the problems that the organizations face. “When all you’ve got is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail,” is an adage that aptly describes the way a large IT firm might approach a small-business problem.
Additionally, a technology advisor is someone with whom you can build a relationship with over time. If the relationship is good, the advisor will be more inclined to help you without worrying about billing so much. He or she might be willing to go the extra mile in the case of major problems, and will be more likely to give sound advice rather than administer placating “bad medicine.”
The downside of hiring an advisor is that they aren’t always a cost-effective option for managing the day-to-day operations regarding IT work. However, most will work with you to find a feasible maintenance solution or will train you to do this yourself, saving you tons of money.
In any case, always seek a technology advisor that is a good fit for your business. Just because a building contractor built the Empire State Building doesn’t mean they should build your house.
13 Must-Have Resources for HIPAA Compliance for Crisis Centers
Worried about HIPAA compliance for crisis centers? As crisis centers and I&R service providers advance, data privacy typically becomes a larger concern.
As crisis centers advance in their mission and adopt new programs, many are wising up to data hazards. For instance, did you know that an organization that simply stores the data of a health organization is subject to PHI regulation? For more information on how crisis centers are insuring against privacy violations, see our earlier blog posts about trends in I&R.
For a complete data-security audit, you’ll need legal and expert assistance. However, there are some steps you can take on your own to mitigate risk. Use these 13 resources HIPAA Compliance for Crisis Centers to maintain data privacy for your valuable information:
Breach notification readiness
For many organizations, it’s not if you’ll have a breach, but when. Know what to do when a breach happens and mitigate the negative consequences as much as possible:
AMA Breach Notification publication: Comprehensive breach notification guide for physicians, most of which applies for crisis centers.
HHS Breach Portal: Comprehensive resource portal for everything regarding data breaches according to HHS.
Legislation/Government
These publications include complete legislation in regards to HIPAA. Lots of pages, but if you’re doing an in-depth analysis, you’ll need these.
45 CFR Parts 160 and 164. Government document describing HIPAA.
HIPAA Homesite. Everything you (or more likely your lawyer) needs to know about HIPAA.
News
Like most legislation, HIPAA changes over time. Keep track of changes on the Web and through social media.
HHS “What’s New” homesite. Likely, this will be the first place to publish news about HIPAA changes.
Social Media Feed (Twitter) @hippanews.
Technology
Aside from training, technology resources are powerful tools for improving data security.
Sonicwall Email security. Email scrubbers help to prevent PHI from getting accidentally sent to non-authorized persons. There are lots of products for this and shopping is recommended; however we have listed the Sonicwall version here.
HHS Technology resources. HHS-endorsed technology solutions portal.
Tools
Here are a few handy items for data compliance.
Automated compliance checker. Questionnaire estimates your risk-level based on some basic-level questions.
Product marketplace. Portal with an assortment of HIPAA-related electronic items, such as training programs.
Training
As stated, training is your first line of defense against breaches. Build your own training curriculum, or purchase a tried-and-true training package from one of the following portals:
HIPAA Training videos. HHS-recommended training resources.
Online training courses. An assortment of Web training curriculums that should be considered when developing a training program.
BONUS RESOURCE FOR RESEARCHERS
We promised you thirteen resources, but here’s a fourteenth essential resource, on the house. While this page doesn’t include much in the way of data privacy, it is nonetheless a helpful repository of statistics about drug addiction.
Profile of addiction by profession data resource. Interactive research tool about substance abuse.
Have any more questions about training? Contact us today!
More Hot Trends in I&R
This blog post is the second of two in our Hot Trends in I&R series. To read the complete series, check out our white paper 5 Hot Trends in I&R.
Hot Trend 3: Unified Telephony
The I&R industry is consolidating, and organizations who form unified-telephony networks will become more competitive for new contracts and grants.
Unified networks enable levels of service that far surpass what individual providers can achieve. Advanced call-routing strategies allow centers to take volumes of calls in multiples of what they could handle by themselves.
Further, collaborative networks ease the administrative burden of day-to-day operations, and many call-center managers who currently operate under a unified model wonder how they ever did without it. Finally, unified telephony opens up lots of options, including consolidated staffing models, shared resources, call rollover, and more.
However, unified telephony is cost prohibitive, and may not be for everyone. Many smaller centers have a hard time absorbing increases in technology and telephony bills. Still, being part of a unified network is a great benefit, especially when applying for new contracts.
Action Item: Have a Get Together
If you are interested in learning more about unified telephony or want to where to begin, follow these steps:
• Don’t make the pitch alone. If you’re ready to suggest the idea of unified telephony to potential partners, find someone knowledgeable to help you. This could be someone high-ranking in an existing unified network or a consultant.
• Assess community needs. Communities that get the most out of unified telephony are those affected by frequent disasters. A high frequency of emergencies could open the door for funding opportunities in a unified network.
Hot Trend #4: Re-Envisioning Confidentiality
Most organizations’ privacy policies aren’t as ironclad as they think. Although I&R service providers have decades of experience in confidentiality, the game completely changed with new 2009 legislation regarding HIPAA, and many providers have failed to adapt. As such, those organizations who haven’t re-visited their privacy policies are vulnerable to devastating fines and loss of community trust.
“Most organizations’ privacy policies aren’t as ironclad as they think. Although I&R service providers have decades of experience in confidentiality, the game completely changed with new 2009 legislation regarding HIPAA, and many providers have failed to adapt. As such, those organizations who haven’t re-visited their privacy policies are vulnerable to devastating fines and loss of community trust.
The penalties for violating state and federal privacy laws are severe, even for non-profits. For example Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee was fined $9 million dollars in 2009. This is an extreme case, but the cost of cleanup as well as the damage to reputation for I&R providers that breach confidentiality can be more than enough to cause dissolution of an organization.
Action item: Get Protection from “Game Over”
• Make sure your privacy policy practices are up-to-date before you launch new initiatives. Especially if you’re mining new data sources, such as through I&R chat, you need to have your data practices looked at.
• Have a privacy expert evaluate your privacy policies in addition to legal experts. You’ll pay out less for expensive legal services this way. Also, most lawyers don’t understand how I&R centers operate, and their advice might not be actionable. Instead, have a privacy expert come in on the front-end, and the lawyers can review the work afterward.
Trend #5: Disaster Mgmt. Eco-systems
State and federal agencies have identified gaps in their abilities to handle specific types of disasters, and are forming lucrative new I&R partnerships. Two main areas where the industry is receiving funding is pandemic flu – which I&R has a long history of handling – and mass fatality, a relatively new planning component to disaster response.
There are many government officials who remember how effective I&R was in addressing the H1N1 swine flu epidemic. However, the contracts are often competitive, and are typically awarded to service providers in the best-established disaster management “eco-systems,” which include:
• Large networks of I&R providers.
• Collaborative partnerships with disaster-response agencies.
• Social media presence and digital volunteers.
• Interactive websites
Action Item: Prepare for the Best
Become aware of state and federal needs in you community. Potential contracts won’t always come to you. Often times, you’ll have to go to them, and chances are your local government will have a need that your I&R center can fill. Be sure to mention pandemic flu and mass fatality – the hot items of government planning right now.
Get a social media plan. Taking some time to develop and write out a social media strategy execution plan with goals is an inexpensive and effective way to increase your communication power.
Hot Trends in I&R – Part 1
Big changes are happening in the I&R industry – are you keeping up? Becoming familiar with trends can help I&R leaders improve their organizations and secure new contracts.
This blog post is the first of two entries that describe hot trends in I&R. To see a full list of trends, check out our white paper — 5 Hot Trends in I&R.
Hot Trend #1: Chat and Text
Text-based I&R is the fastest growing trend in I&R right now. Through text and chat, I&R service providers are landing new contracts, serving larger populations, and establishing
themselves as forward-thinking organizations.
Probably the most important benefit of text and chat is that it helps service providers remain relevant in a digital world. New media is shifting the way people communicate, and many phone-based services face obsolescence. Youths especially stay away from phone conversation, and cell phone voice-minute usage rates continue to decline overall.
However, that doesn’t mean you should leap right into chat right away. Many organizations that start up chat programs underestimate the cost. While the software and hardware can run as low as $2,000, other expenses such as training, program development, and staffing frequently go unaccounted for. On average, a chat program will cost between $40,000 to $60,000 per year to support a limited, daytime schedule. Steep, but necessary for longevity.
Action Item: Don’t Get Left Behind
To get started with a text/chat program:
• Contact AIRS. Ask about the recently completed document called Beginner’s Guide to I&R Chat. This guide is the most
comprehensive resource to-date on the subject.
• Don’t reinvent the wheel. If you try to build a program from scratch by yourself, you’ll waste a ton of time and money.
Instead, gather research on the subject and network with individuals from organizations with a chat program already in place. Additionally, you may want to seek out I&R consultants that offer free consultations for basic chat/text questions.
Hot Trend #2: Specialized I&R
Many service providers are adding specialized I&R programs to their list of services. Specialized I&R refers to services that are more in-depth and that focus narrowly on a special need or population.
These programs are becoming very popular with I&R service providers, especially since they often come with built-in funding. Further, specialized I&R broadens resource data bases with exclusive referral destinations – such as for specialized clinicians, organizations, and services.
Examples of specialized I&R services include early childhood development programs (like Help Me Grow), chat and phone lines for veterans (like the Florida BrAIve Project), and resources for local populations. The services typically include special requirements for providers, such as specific training for specialists, technology requirements, and deeper resource-networks of professionals.
Action Item: Specialize for High Dollars
If you are interested in adopting specialized I&R programs:
• Become familiar with state and federal interests. There is a considerable amount of potential revenue attached to special interests, such as healthcare reform, disaster management, etc. If you identify an interest, be prepared to negotiate.
• Visit the Help Me Grow website. You may want to consider becoming an affiliate for the service. Visit www.helpmegrownational.org to see if there’s a fit.
• Learn about the needs of your county and surrounding counties, and develop an I&R solution. Specialized services for specific populations or regional needs (such as high-school drop-out rates, recidivism, etc.) have high success rates for
winning funding.