December :: 2010 :: Thinking Home Business | Practical Tips For People Who Work From Home

Bad Patient Epidemic Emergency Meeting

A few weeks from now we will all be making resolutions for 2011, and many of us will include something about health and fitness.

It’s always a good idea to look after our health. When we work for ourselves there is extra reason to stay healthy.

One of my resolutions for 2011 will be to be a Bad Patient.

Which is what I was “accused” of by a local medico when I visited the local health centre a while ago.

I can’t recall what the particular medical reason was, obviously nothing drastic enough to remember: I may have been getting a script as backup for a trip. But as the doctor I had seen previously wasn’t available I found myself being attended by another doctor, the owner of the practice.

As I entered, he looked up from his records and said “You’ve been a bad patient!” For a moment I was nonplussed, then saw the hint of a smile. “You haven’t been coming to see us.” “That’s because I’ve been well,” I said, somewhat superfluously.

That hasn’t always been the case. But these days being well and fit is my normal state.

We solo bizoids, especially, need to keep healthy

And as well as being a much more pleasant way of living and working than having to cope with illness, as many people do, it’s important to be healthy – crucial in fact – if you work for yourself.

In 2006 I reflected here on the topic with my post If You Own a Small Business You’d Better be Healthy. On commenter observed at the time that I was probably referring to working solo, which was a fair observation, although I can think of a number of small businesses that could seriously lose momentum, or even go under, if the owner took sick for any length of time.

And as I indicated in that earlier post, having income maintenance insurance did not help me when I really needed it as the insurance company basically weaselled out of paying, with a spurious argument that even embarrassed my insurance agent. Certainly that is no argument against having insurance (just do your best to establish that the insurance company will behave ethically when and if a situation arises).

But I doubt that anyone sensible, including the ironic doctor of my story above, would argue that prevention – i.e. keeping healthy – is better than cure!

I count it a great blessing that I am very healthy these days and it sure is more fun to work healthy than the alternative in the past, when I have had to struggle sometimes, when not well, to keep the business afloat.

So I am really focused on being a Bad Patient in 2011.

And what if it was catching?

Image credit: “Doctors at the General Assembly” by Waldo Jaquith – Creative Commons license

If you felt you would like to know more about social media in business – or for that matter using social media as a means of helping your community organization, or cause – would you be interested in knowing about a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping you with that?

Or do you know someone in business, or a community organization, or with a cause, who has an idea social media might help them but doesn’t know where to start?

Some people are not sure where to start with social media

What has prompted the questions above is that over the past week or so I have been dipping in and out of an online discussion about social media. The particular topic is focused on the issue of people calling themselves social media “experts” and has elicited a wide range of very firmly held views. I’m interested enough, although not hugely, in the topic of what constitutes a social media expert, or if you listen to some, whether it is even possible for someone to be a social media “expert” (for the record, I believe it is).

But in amongst the sometimes trenchant declarations of beliefs on this topic, I was struck by the few messages which were from people who not only did not evidently have a firm view on the main topic, but were feeling overwhelmed, or confused, or just not well enough informed about this topic of social media.

So once again I am reminded that not everyone has spent the time, money and effort I’ve spent to get my head around social media and become, I hope, a capable social media practitioner and coach.

And of course I am only too happy to have a chat with anyone who might want me to provide some coaching or other help through one of my programs.

But I’m also keen to spread the word about an organization which can help people get into social media without first having to pay for professional coaching or other support.

Social Media Club

The organization is Social Media Club, a not-for-profit organization with over 250 chapters worldwide. And I am happy to say I am a member.

One of the key things that drives Social Media Club is for members who have done some hard yards in learning about and using social media in practice on a daily basis to be able to share that with others in our communities.

Which is why the motto of Social Media Club is “If you get it, share it”.

A more formal statement would be along the lines of this one from the Social Media Club wiki:

SocialMediaClub has been organized for the purpose of sharing best practices, establishing ethics and standards, and promoting media literacy around the emerging area of Social Media. This is the beginning of a global conversation about building an organization and a community where the many diverse groups of people who care about Social Media can come together to discover, connect, share, and learn. Learn more at the SocialMediaClub website.

A range of people and knowledge

One of the things I like most about Social Media Club is that the membership runs the gamut, from very knowledgeable, highly skilled social media practitioners to people who have only just started to learn about social media. Membership is open to anyone interested and while there are student, professional and corporate membership options, basic open membership is free.

What’s not to like?

You can see a list of chapters and search for one near you, at this link. I am completely confident that you or anyone you recommend Social Media Club to will be made very welcome at a local chapter meeting, wherever you are in the world.

And a quick plug for my local chapter, on Australia’s Gold Coast. In 2011 we will be continuing our monthly meetings and if you are in the neighbourhood we would love to see you there.

If you have any questions about SMC, globally or locally, I trust you will contact Social Media Club head office, or leave a comment here or send me a message via my Contact page.