The Department of Heath’s Health at Work review presented to Parliament in November last year reported that up to 140 million working days are lost to sick leave every year- amounting to a loss of £15billion in economic output.

Most of us will suffer some form of illness during the course of our working life that will render us absent from the workplace. While it is not possible for any employer to completely eliminate sickness absenteeism, there are steps that can be taken that may help reduce employee absence from work, such as the introduction of business health insurance benefits.

In return for a regular premium business health insurance can offer employees access to private medical care for certain acute conditions. The benefits of private medical care include flexible access to treatment, making it easier to fit around work operations, and the bypassing NHS waiting lists which can help your employees get back on their feet and back to work more quickly.

It’s not just a loss of productivity that businesses are facing either, but sick pay costs money too- an estimated £9billion is spent on sick pay, associated costs and the “indirect costs of managing a business while people are off sick”, according to the Health at Work review.

There’s no doubt about it, sickness leave costs businesses money and productivity. Offering business health insurance could potentially reduce absenteeism, saving your business money on the associated costs. It can also boost staff morale and loyalty by letting your employees know that their health matters to you.

Business health insurance can be offered as part of a comprehensive benefits or flexible benefits package, or alternatively you can choose to offer business health insurance on a voluntary sign-up basis requiring employee to-ups. Even though employees will need to contribute the cost is likely to be far lower than taking out separate individual policies.

Regardless of the method you choose to finance your business health insurance plan it is usually purchased as a group policy and will pay out for a range of acute conditions should any named employees fall ill. Policies do not pay out for all conditions so you should be aware of the small print before proceeding.

Finding the right health insurance plan for your company can be a complex process and will depend of a range of factors from employee demographic to company size and budget. You may wish to speak to a business health insurance advisor who can help guide you through your options.

1- Dress Right- go for the gold in your personal PRESENTATION.

It’s NOT the time for sloppy jeans or hip east village thrift shop clothes (unless that is YOUR TYPE). Dress with confidence like a movie star so that’s how they remember you and for Heaven’s sakes-if you’re female- wear make-up. I recently experienced seeing an actress with a gorgeous head shot-red hair, beautiful face and a movie star quality- arrive for an interview with no make-up in dowdy clothes looking shlubby because her roommate had told her to go “clean”, unmade-up and casual. If I were a casting director, I would NEVER call her again EVER, EVER! She would have lost dozens of potential jobs and a career from following that stupid misinformation! Look like you already booked a major film/TV job and are ON THE SET shooting it! LOOK FABULOUS.

2- Talk about your “Marketability”- your Unique qualities and how PASSIONATE you are about your career.

They can read your credits on your resume, your skills, hobbies and teachers, but what they NEED to know is HOW TO MARKET YOU. How are they going to make that paltry 10% commission for all the work they do to get you out to meet the industry and BOOK a job? Tell them! Make it easy. Even if you are not earning a lot currently as an actor, talk about the future, project your goals and dreams. Or talk about the most recent successful call back, something that says you are a Winner and LOVE what you do! After all, you are there to work together for your mutual successful future not your past.

We’ve interviewed dozens of agents in our Industry Tele-seminars and they almost all said the same thing. Strong credits and training naturally help but they don’t always care if you have an MFA in theater. They’re going on their own instincts. Do you have a unique personality,”look”, “quality” and passion about what you do? Most all overlook lack of experience in favor of the latter. So go prepared but be honest, sincere and have fun! If you’re afraid to talk to THEM how do you think you’ll fare talking to a tough Casting Director, a major Film Director or Producer to whom they’ll send you when you’re a client? They need to see your personality, persistence, enthusiasm and CONFIDENCE! Can you handle this career? If yes, then fine, they can work with you. Forget about the credits and training…that’s NOT the focus. IT’S ABOUT YOU.

3- Connect. Be yourself- let your PERSONALITY come through.

During the interview, if the conversation is going dry and you’ve run out of things to say about your “ideal roles” or goals in theater, TV and Film, LOOK AROUND THE ROOM. Is there anything that attracts your attention? Do you have anything in common with this person? Do you like their taste in Artwork? The Style of their office? What they’re wearing? What you’re wearing. Yes! this can be the tipping point. Talk about a recent show or film that you saw- maybe one of their clients was in it! The interview isn’t just about your credits, training or talent. It’s about YOU as a person. Are you likeable? Can they work with you on a daily basis-i.e., are you EASY to communicate with? And what are you interested in? (besides your career). Tell them. Bond. Find common ground about which you can talk. Enjoy the moment and the conversation. Everyone works with, supports and helps those they like, trust and know.

While most would agree that video on the web is becoming a premier medium for promoting business, exactly how to go about leveraging this tremendously powerful and potentially profitable technology remains a mystery. Do you grab a video camera and some software and go the DIY route? Or do you hand the job off to a high-end television production company trying to glide out of the airwaves and into the online world?

And once you’ve got a video, where does it go? Facebook and YouTube? Or are they yesterday’s news? Maybe there’s some new whiz bang blogging or social media site you should be using to promote your video. If there is, where do you go to find out about that?

With so many choices, and potential pitfalls, it’s no wonder that many businesses are sitting on the fence. But really, online video is pretty easy to sort out if you start with the basics and build from there.

Let’s start with motivation. For the most part, people visit the web for two reasons: entertainment and information. As a savvy professional, you must tap into one of these two motives to gain the attention of your online audience.

So, how do you do that? In the past, it meant a static website. Many professionals still think along the same traditional lines they did years ago: publish a website with information about their product or service, add some photos, and optimize.

While this is the minimum a business must do to compete online, there are other factors to consider. Optimization, for example, has grown in popularity as a source for getting online traffic and is also growing in cost since the days of Overture for a penny a click. Getting visitors to your website requires multiple channels of engagement including; social networking, search engine optimization (organic or PPC), back linking, article placements, and more.

So what happens when you’ve done your due diligence with optimization and are getting visitors to your site but are still not getting the calls? In other words, how do you improve your website conversion rate? To learn more about that, let’s shift from online video to traditional television, where it all began.

Since the early 1950s, advertising agencies concluded that the best way to reach consumers, and turn them into customers, would be by creating shows around a company or brand. As with radio, which was supreme before television for selling product, these television programs were produced by advertising agencies for their clients rather than by production studios as is the norm today.

There are two types of television: scripted and unscripted. In the first category are shows like CSI and Grey’s Anatomy. The unscripted (or semi-scripted) show might run along the lines of Survivor, or it might be a talk show, such as Late Night and Live with Regis and Kelly. Through the years, the talk show format has become extremely popular. One of the reasons for so many talk shows is that the cost to produce them is relatively low. While a typical scripted television series runs about a million dollars per episode, a talk show costs around $100,000 per episode to produce, making it a much more attractive investment from a studio standpoint.

When it comes to talk shows, most of us have become used to the informal guest-host format where the host welcomes a celebrity or other newsworthy person to the set for an informal discussion. Other talk shows include local cable broadcasts, where the host (or hosts) interviews someone in the news or an expert in a given field.

According to television talk show expert Thomas Tennant, there are two elements that make for a good talk show: the host and the “live” element. While not every talk show has an Oprah or Larry King manning the ship, having an engaging professional person to ask the right questions makes all the difference in the audience’s willingness to watch. Whether the broadcast is actually live or pre-recorded, it still needs to have a fresh feel about it, as if the show is happening in the moment, even if it’s re-run for years to come.

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be on a talk show? For many of us, it seems like a pipe dream. After all, only a few select people ever really have the opportunity to get their 15 minutes of fame, despite Andy Warhol’s promise.

The Internet has made things possible that were once only reserved for the rich and famous, including that 15 minutes of fame. In fact, done right, web video can give you a lifetime of fame with prospects and clients, and an unmatched marketing ROI.

Television audiences who used to gather around a box in their living room at a specific time to watch a show are turning to the Internet to watch shows. Now, instead of making an appointment to watch, they can decide with the click of a mouse when, where, and what shows or videos to watch. And most importantly, as a business owner, you too can make yourself more visible and more accessible, engaging, and credible than ever before by using the same technology. Not only can you put your business out there in front of your audience without regard to time or the permission of some television executive, you can do it without the $100,000+ price tag. In fact, web video promotion is so affordable that it’s now within the reach of even a small business.

Emerging production companies with Internet prowess have overcome the obstacles associated with producing television talk shows by incorporating new technologies, virtual sets, and procedures that give any business an opportunity to showcase their expertise on an industry-specific Web TV talk show.

After years of watching cheesy infomercials on television, you might be wondering about credibility. And frankly, appearing in a poorly produced web video can hurt your credibility as much as a thrown-together infomercial on late night TV. This is where a professional production team can help by doing the heavy lifting in the background. Being interviewed on your own web TV show can present you as an expert or thought leader in your industry and enhance your credibility many times over. Even better, once produced, the show segments can be added to your website and redistributed over and over on multiple video channels, blogs, and social networking sites.

While buying time on the television airwaves can be effective if you have a substantial budget to support it, broadcasting online is far less expensive and the outlets for it are growing daily, offering unmatched local and worldwide exposure. Being a knowledgeable guest on a web TV talk show brings value to the show and its audience, but just as important, it gives you, the guest, an unparalleled opportunity to showcase your expertise as a thought leader all across the web.

Where else can you get face to face with your target market with so few barriers? Web TV gives you the kind of credibility boost and visibility that were once only possible via traditional – and very costly – broadcast television. Now, as the web and television converge into a single marketing powerhouse, every professional can become the star of his or her own business show, leveraging all the benefits of traditional television for a whole lot less money.

One of the most important decisions you can make with regards to trade shows is your pop up displays. Disaster can strike if something goes wrong with your booth, this will also mean you risk losing money and effort that you have spent setting up. Pop up displays are a reliable and professional way to add prestige to your booth.

Displays are assembled by using a metal frame that is usual lightweight for manoeuvrability and this is then cover with fabric or a fabric like material with your advertising message printed on. The first thing you need to consider is size. The starter size for pop up displays is usually eight feet wide. This can be expanded up to 20 feet for larger booths. If you attend shows with varying booth sizes then it would be recommended to either purchase a selection of size, or if you are on a tighter budget, the smallest size so it can fit into any show you visit.

Displays also come in different shapes. A right-angled display with a curved corner can give your booth a nice continuous background and make the most of a small exhibit. For added privacy or an even more striking effect when visiting shows with bigger booth, you may want to consider double-sided displays which can fill up your space giving you booth a professional feel and also providing you with some privacy for talking with potential clients.

The best pop up displays should be able to be easily assembled without the need for tools. Constructing a display that will only be up for one day is a waste of time. The graphic panel can be attached to the frame with magnets or by a spring-loaded roller. The whole display can be packed away into a small case. Look at the collapsed size. It should be small enough to take onto an airplane as carry-on luggage. By carrying your displays on your person, you can ensure that the risk of damage or theft is minimised.

Flexi-plastic or fabric will usually be used to display your message on your pop up displays. Have a look at some material sample before ordering your prints to make sure you are getting the professional look for you pop up displays. The end results should be bright, colourful and professionally presented. It is a good idea to make sure your displays can be seen from a distance, to do this choose big bold fonts and pictures and lively colours.

If you have good pop up displays you should be able to use them in a diverse range of situations. Practically anywhere can be transformed with the use of good pop up displays. Be prepared for your next trade show by choosing the right design for your pop up display.

The author of this article is a trade show veteran so knows their stuff when talking about pop up displays [http://www.yellowtiger.co.uk/] and the best way to arrange them you booth at conferences and exhibitions.

Every day thousands of people learn that they have pre-diabetes. That knowledge can make people react in different ways. One person’s initial reaction may be panic or worry about what to do next. Another person may be nonchalant and feel “it’s not really that bad!” Whatever the case may be, the person with a pre-diabetes diagnosis is faced with a medical condition that has the potential to be serious. What may be lost in hearing such news, is that having this condition actually presents an opportunity to set things right again.

What exactly is pre-diabetes? It is defined as a state that is between having normal blood sugar and type 2 diabetes. An elevated fasting blood glucose or hemoglobin A1c are reliable indicators for diagnoses. Individuals who are overweight, obese, or have a strong family history of diabetes would be well advised to get screened for diabetes. Those who already have this condition are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Recent data from the National Diabetes Fact Sheet suggests that there are now an estimated 57 million Americans with pre-diabetes. Left untreated, pre-diabetes can progress to full blown diabetes. Once a person has diabetes, there is significant potential for complications and negative alterations in well-being. Diabetes is not a reversible condition.

Instead of panic, or worse yet, ignoring the situation entirely, quick action is what really counts. The decision to take action early in one’s diagnosis of pre-diabetes is where the opportunity lies to do something really worthwhile: that is, if you begin to make positive lifestyle changes right away, you may be able to reverse the pre-diabetes and prevent diabetes altogether! The more you understand about the condition and what works to reverse it, the easier it will be to work on targeted lifestyle changes.

Making lifestyle changes involves a systematic approach to diet, exercise, stress management and healthy sleep habits. Work with someone who is trained to help you plan that systematic approach. Be selective about who you work with and where you get your pre-diabetes information. While there are literally thousands of sources (online and offline) out there ready to give you advice, look for information that comes from established, reputable organizations or credentialed professionals. The American Diabetes Association and The American Association of Diabetes Educators are good places to start your search. Whenever possible, choose to work with a Certified Diabetes Educator.

Successfully treating pre-diabetes includes a well thought out wellness and lifestyle plan, with tangible goals that you work on, one goal at a time. So what’s the most important thing to do first? Decide to tackle the problem quickly. Pre-diabetes is often reversible, so use this opportunity to rid yourself of this condition.

© 2012, Gretchen Scalpi, RD, CDE. Publication rights granted to all venues so long as article and by-line are reprinted intact and all links are made live.