Actual for You - Optimize Your Mailing List For Better Results
Medical Billing - Electronic Billing Formats This is the first in a series of articles that is going to be primarily for the tech head or somebody who is actually in the medical billing industry and sends claims electronically. This is information that you mostly get from experience, so hopefully it will be of use to those of you who fit the above description. This particular article will provide an overview of the electronic billing records in the format. Future articles will go into more detail as far as each individual record itself so you understand the major requirements of each record and field within the record. This way, if you're confronted with rejected claims, you'll have a decent idea of where to look and what to look for.Whenever a medical record is sent electronically when doing electronic medical billing, the records have to be sent in a particular sequence, they must have all required field filled out and each required record itself must be transmitted. There are some records that are only submitted under certain conditions and they will be covered as well, but without the main records being transmitted, the entire claim will be denied.Unlike paper claims, electronic billing formats are not easily read by the human eye unless you are really used to working with them. The only data being transmitted is the field data itself. In other words, when doing medical billing on a paper HCFA, where you would see the actual header "Patient First Name" printed on the form itself with the actual name typed in after, with an electronic billing record, the only thing that gets transmitted is the actual patient name, such as "John Doe". The header is implied. So the question most people ask is, "How does the receiver know that the name being transmitted is the patient's name if there is no header?" The answer is simple. Each piece of data is transmitted in a certain position in that particular record. This is a standard format that th
ustomer who has returned too many orders, or has defrauded me in some way, I can put that information in the Comments field. Then, if they order again, when their file comes up, I will see their history, and can use extra caution with them.
As you can see, if you use foresight when initially setting up your customer list, you will have a valuable tool that you can use to increase your order potential, increase your income through specialized list rental, and decrease your mailing costs by eliminating "deadwood" from your list. This is one of the most important methods you can use to increase your chances of success.
Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer
DeAnna Spencer is a virtual assistant that helps entrepreneurs run a successful business by providing affordable administrative help. She also publishes a blog for small business owners. Visit this small business resource today.
Accounting Positions When most people think of accounting, what comes to mind is usually basic information that's not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there's a lot more to accounting than just the basics.Computers have changed the way accountants and auditors do their job. Accountants can use special software packages to do transactions in basic formats for financial records. Using software they can organize data in financial analysis. This greatly reduces the amount of tedious manual work of recordkeeping and data management. Accountants can use computers to receive their clients' information by using the internet. Because of this accountants and auditors can utilize these computer skills in correcting problems with software or in developing specific software for data management and bookkeeping. This allow accountants also to perform more technical duties such as analyzing and devising budgets.Nowadays, many accountants are also taking on the role of a personal financial advisor. They help their clients with their personal budgets. They can help them manage their assets and investments so they can plan for retirement. It is almost like having a personal fitness coach but instead of getting your body in shape they help you get your finances in shape.With the help of accountants and auditors our Nation’s firms are run more efficiently. The public records are kept more accurately, and they can help them to pay their taxes correctly and on time. Accountants and auditors can offer services which include budget analysis, financial and investment planning, computer software for recordkeeping and limited legal services.Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there's more to accounting than you may have first thought. Specific job duties vary widely among the four major fields of accounting: public, management, and government accounting and internal auditing.
A list of customers who have previously bought from you is your most important asset. These are the customers who will provide you with return business, which is more profitable than the first sale. Are you getting the most from your customer list? There are some secrets you should know, so you can squeeze the most benefits out of your mailing list.
Most business' customer lists consist of this information: Name, Address, City, State, Zip. That's it. Unfortunately, this mailing list is almost worthless. You need to have more information in your files than just that. I have 32 information fields in my customer database! You should be able to set these up in your computer's database, or, if you don't use a computer (you REALLY should), all this information should fit on a large size index card in a card file. Here are the fields I have in my customer database:
Product Code Publication Issue Purchase LastName Of Customer FirstName of Customer Address1; Address2 / POBox City; State; Zip; Amount Paid Ship Date Phone Number
Almost any address possible can be put into my database without having to leave out information or abbreviate. The next three are for phone numbers. You MUST have your customer's phone numbers, when possible, to be able to follow up quickly and efficiently. Making one phone call can be the difference between a big sale or NO sale.
The InqDate field is where I record the date the customer first inquired about my products and services, and the date I sent the information, since it's always the same day (there's no excuse not to follow up your inquiries on the same day you receive them). This information, coupled with the ReferSource field, tells me when my ads are hitting, and how quickly people are responding to them. If I see that inquiries are coming in slowly, or long after the ad is out, I know that I need more action incentives in my next ad. The ReferSource field is where I enter the "key" from my ad. I use a letter code after my street address to indicate which publication and issue the inquiry comes from. I also code my mailings, for the same reason.
I enter a date into the two FollowUp fields to indicate when I want to send follow up literature to customers who don't order on the first try. I usually put a date two weeks from the InqDate in FollowUp1, and one two weeks later than that in FollowUp2. Then, every day, I run a search on these two fields to pull up any records that have today's date as a follow up date. I can then print labels and put them on the envelopes and literature I have ready for follow ups.
I use the next three fields (SubDate, SubAmount, RenewDate) for the newsletter I publish. These would have the date I receive their subscription, the amount they paid (I sometimes run special prices), and the date I want to send subscription renewal information (usually 10 1/2 months from the SubDate). I can then print labels in the same manner as I do for the FollowUp fields.
Next come the Purchase fields. I have three sets of purchase fields, one for each purchase the customer makes. In the Purch1 field, I enter a code for the product they have purchased. The other two fields get the date and amount of the purchase. The second and third sets of fields get the same information for the customer's second and third purchases. The best customers to mail offers to are the ones that have purchased within the last 90 days, so I don't have to worry about many customers making more than three purchases during that time period (though I hope they will!). If someone does make a fourth purchase, I move the second and third sets of data up to the first and second lines, and enter the new purchase information in the third data set.
These fields are extremely important. I can instantly pull up a list of customers that have purchased within the past 90 days, or 60 days, or 30 days, or even 15 days. When you rent out your house mailing list, like I do, this information is vital. The rental amount you can charge increases as the amount of time since the customer's purchase decreases.
The Comments field is used to store any miscellaneous information about the customer that I think is important to know.
I use the final field, Cust#, for a specially coded customer number that I assign each customer. I use this code to identify the recipient of any commissions I may pay to customers who have brought business my way.
That's a lot of information, and you may be wondering why I would need all of that. Well, I've already told you how I use the purchase data fields for identifying the "age" of the customers. I can also use the TotAmount field to compile a list of customers who have bought more than a certain amount from me. Together, these field searches can be used to produce a customized mailing list of, for example, customers who have bought more than $50 in the past 30 days. These would be the most responsive people to mail to, and would render the highest rental rate.
I can also use certain mailing list fields to identify people who should be dropped from my list. For example, I can search for customers with FollowUp2 dates that are four weeks past today's date, and TotAmounts of zero. These customers could be erased from my list. Or, I could leave them on file, and put a word or two in the Comments field reminding me not to mail anything else to them, in case they inquire again. This saves me the cost of mailing something to someone who probably won't respond. They might, but chances are they won't.
Finally, if I get a customer who has returned too many orders, or has defrauded me in some way, I can put that information in the Comments field. Then, if they order again, when their file comes up, I will see their history, and can use extra caution with them.
As you can see, if you use foresight when initially setting up your customer list, you will have a valuable tool that you can use to increase your order potential, increase your income through specialized list rental, and decrease your mailing costs by eliminating "deadwood" from your list. This is one of the most important methods you can use to increase your chances of success.
Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer
DeAnna Spencer is a virtual assistant that helps entrepreneurs run a successful business by providing affordable administrative help. She also publishes a blog for small business owners. Visit this small business resource today.
4 Keys To Managing Six Sigma Effectively Managing Six Sigma calls for a multidirectional approach as guided by industry specifics, projects on hand, expertise level and commitment of upper management as well as the goals envisioned by management.Managing effectiveness in Six Sigma can be defined as well directed efforts to successful deployment of the methodology to the project which is chosen to give you the best results. This helps to improve the company’s bottom line.Managing Six Sigma EffectivenessExperience and research over the years have time and again proven that grooming leaders results in maintaining the competitiveness that corporations need. Consequently, the end result of this is seen as improvement to profitability and sustainable and predictable constant improvements.Effective Leaders: Key contributions to the effectiveness of Six Sigma deployment are by the leaders of high caliber. The leaders like black belts, master black belts and champions are central to the success of the project. Black belts have to standup to face the challenges during the implementation stages if the implementation has to succeed. The resistance that might crop up has to be dealt with using a practical approach.Selection Of The Right Tools: If black belts are central to the successful implementation of Six Sigma, correct selection of tools is what helps to steer the project towards improvement. Statistically, each one of the tools must be able to measure and show in which way the project is progressing. The right tools set up checks and balances as each activity in the process can be measured against its original value. Accuracy of measurements and verification sets the stage for mid-way course correction, if needed.Creating Communication Channels: The utmost importance must be placed on establishing and utilizing communication channel for all purposes. This does not stop at just communicating matters of project development
NO sale.
The InqDate field is where I record the date the customer first inquired about my products and services, and the date I sent the information, since it's always the same day (there's no excuse not to follow up your inquiries on the same day you receive them). This information, coupled with the ReferSource field, tells me when my ads are hitting, and how quickly people are responding to them. If I see that inquiries are coming in slowly, or long after the ad is out, I know that I need more action incentives in my next ad. The ReferSource field is where I enter the "key" from my ad. I use a letter code after my street address to indicate which publication and issue the inquiry comes from. I also code my mailings, for the same reason.
I enter a date into the two FollowUp fields to indicate when I want to send follow up literature to customers who don't order on the first try. I usually put a date two weeks from the InqDate in FollowUp1, and one two weeks later than that in FollowUp2. Then, every day, I run a search on these two fields to pull up any records that have today's date as a follow up date. I can then print labels and put them on the envelopes and literature I have ready for follow ups.
I use the next three fields (SubDate, SubAmount, RenewDate) for the newsletter I publish. These would have the date I receive their subscription, the amount they paid (I sometimes run special prices), and the date I want to send subscription renewal information (usually 10 1/2 months from the SubDate). I can then print labels in the same manner as I do for the FollowUp fields.
Next come the Purchase fields. I have three sets of purchase fields, one for each purchase the customer makes. In the Purch1 field, I enter a code for the product they have purchased. The other two fields get the date and amount of the purchase. The second and third sets of fields get the same information for the customer's second and third purchases. The best customers to mail offers to are the ones that have purchased within the last 90 days, so I don't have to worry about many customers making more than three purchases during that time period (though I hope they will!). If someone does make a fourth purchase, I move the second and third sets of data up to the first and second lines, and enter the new purchase information in the third data set.
These fields are extremely important. I can instantly pull up a list of customers that have purchased within the past 90 days, or 60 days, or 30 days, or even 15 days. When you rent out your house mailing list, like I do, this information is vital. The rental amount you can charge increases as the amount of time since the customer's purchase decreases.
The Comments field is used to store any miscellaneous information about the customer that I think is important to know.
I use the final field, Cust#, for a specially coded customer number that I assign each customer. I use this code to identify the recipient of any commissions I may pay to customers who have brought business my way.
That's a lot of information, and you may be wondering why I would need all of that. Well, I've already told you how I use the purchase data fields for identifying the "age" of the customers. I can also use the TotAmount field to compile a list of customers who have bought more than a certain amount from me. Together, these field searches can be used to produce a customized mailing list of, for example, customers who have bought more than $50 in the past 30 days. These would be the most responsive people to mail to, and would render the highest rental rate.
I can also use certain mailing list fields to identify people who should be dropped from my list. For example, I can search for customers with FollowUp2 dates that are four weeks past today's date, and TotAmounts of zero. These customers could be erased from my list. Or, I could leave them on file, and put a word or two in the Comments field reminding me not to mail anything else to them, in case they inquire again. This saves me the cost of mailing something to someone who probably won't respond. They might, but chances are they won't.
Finally, if I get a customer who has returned too many orders, or has defrauded me in some way, I can put that information in the Comments field. Then, if they order again, when their file comes up, I will see their history, and can use extra caution with them.
As you can see, if you use foresight when initially setting up your customer list, you will have a valuable tool that you can use to increase your order potential, increase your income through specialized list rental, and decrease your mailing costs by eliminating "deadwood" from your list. This is one of the most important methods you can use to increase your chances of success.
Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer
DeAnna Spencer is a virtual assistant that helps entrepreneurs run a successful business by providing affordable administrative help. She also publishes a blog for small business owners. Visit this small business resource today.
Marketing Tips For Autumn Profits Is your company’s marketing ready for Fall opportunities? If you plan to make a big splash about an early Fall event or promotion, remember that it requires four to six weeks advance notice at the least to prepare marketing materials without incurring rush charges. Even if you are expecting big things from the winter holiday season, the time to start the marketing machine is when the kids go back to school!Why is Fall such a great marketing opportunity? Think of it as a side effect of the traditional business cycle.End of year budgets—Some managers are cautious during the first half of the year, hoarding their budget. Then during the second half, they realize that year-end budget planning and deliverables are coming up, and the purse strings loosen to get key projects completed on time. This is especially true for companies with a “use-it-or-lose-it” budget approach, where managers have an incentive to spend down before the end of the year.Ramp up for the holidays—It is a wonderful thing for business that so much of the world celebrates a holiday of some kind during the last few months of the year. Between October and January, almost everyone has a reason to buy gifts, stock up on special groceries and entertain. If your business sells gift items, food, entertainment services or home d?cor, this is the season to make sure everyone knows about you! You’ll need some extra marketing savvy to cut through the clutter.New year budgets—Managers who ran out of discretionary budget before the end of the fiscal year just ending may be counting the days until the new year’s budget starts and they can buy what they need. Make sure your business is top of mind by getting your message out early, before the holiday clutter. September and October are not too early for managers who are budgeting purchases for January.End of year panic—Fall can be a moment of r
etimes run special prices), and the date I want to send subscription renewal information (usually 10 1/2 months from the SubDate). I can then print labels in the same manner as I do for the FollowUp fields.
Next come the Purchase fields. I have three sets of purchase fields, one for each purchase the customer makes. In the Purch1 field, I enter a code for the product they have purchased. The other two fields get the date and amount of the purchase. The second and third sets of fields get the same information for the customer's second and third purchases. The best customers to mail offers to are the ones that have purchased within the last 90 days, so I don't have to worry about many customers making more than three purchases during that time period (though I hope they will!). If someone does make a fourth purchase, I move the second and third sets of data up to the first and second lines, and enter the new purchase information in the third data set.
These fields are extremely important. I can instantly pull up a list of customers that have purchased within the past 90 days, or 60 days, or 30 days, or even 15 days. When you rent out your house mailing list, like I do, this information is vital. The rental amount you can charge increases as the amount of time since the customer's purchase decreases.
The Comments field is used to store any miscellaneous information about the customer that I think is important to know.
I use the final field, Cust#, for a specially coded customer number that I assign each customer. I use this code to identify the recipient of any commissions I may pay to customers who have brought business my way.
That's a lot of information, and you may be wondering why I would need all of that. Well, I've already told you how I use the purchase data fields for identifying the "age" of the customers. I can also use the TotAmount field to compile a list of customers who have bought more than a certain amount from me. Together, these field searches can be used to produce a customized mailing list of, for example, customers who have bought more than $50 in the past 30 days. These would be the most responsive people to mail to, and would render the highest rental rate.
I can also use certain mailing list fields to identify people who should be dropped from my list. For example, I can search for customers with FollowUp2 dates that are four weeks past today's date, and TotAmounts of zero. These customers could be erased from my list. Or, I could leave them on file, and put a word or two in the Comments field reminding me not to mail anything else to them, in case they inquire again. This saves me the cost of mailing something to someone who probably won't respond. They might, but chances are they won't.
Finally, if I get a customer who has returned too many orders, or has defrauded me in some way, I can put that information in the Comments field. Then, if they order again, when their file comes up, I will see their history, and can use extra caution with them.
As you can see, if you use foresight when initially setting up your customer list, you will have a valuable tool that you can use to increase your order potential, increase your income through specialized list rental, and decrease your mailing costs by eliminating "deadwood" from your list. This is one of the most important methods you can use to increase your chances of success.
Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer
DeAnna Spencer is a virtual assistant that helps entrepreneurs run a successful business by providing affordable administrative help. She also publishes a blog for small business owners. Visit this small business resource today.
Learn The Secrets Behind Making Job Fairs Productive Time When you are looking for a job the last thing you need is to have your time wasted. This is why job fairs can be effective if you use them correctly. If you do not have a plan of attack when going to a job fair you may as well stay home and send resumes through email. This article will look at several ways that you can make job fairs an effective use of time.First and foremost on the list of things you must do before you attend a job fair is make sure you have enough resumes. When you meet with companies at the job fairs they obviously will want a resume to view. If you are meeting with a company and they have an interest in speaking with you further not having a resume will give the impression that you are not prepared and they may take this as a sign that this how you conduct yourself.You should know which companies will attend and who you will be hoping to meet with. You generally can get a list of companies from the location hosting the event and you can prepare in advance by researching the companies that most intrigue you. When you meet with the companies you can impress them by the knowledge you have about what they do and who their customers are.Make sure you have your game face on for interviews because you will be getting interviews. The interviews may be shortened versions of what you are used to but if a company pulls you aside and wants to interview you on the spot you must be prepared. If you go into the job fair with the attitude of being on an interview you will make a good impression when you do get a face to face with the companies.Job fairs are just like anything else in life you get out of it what you put into it. Make sure you benefit at the job fair by following these steps.
customer that I think is important to know.
I use the final field, Cust#, for a specially coded customer number that I assign each customer. I use this code to identify the recipient of any commissions I may pay to customers who have brought business my way.
That's a lot of information, and you may be wondering why I would need all of that. Well, I've already told you how I use the purchase data fields for identifying the "age" of the customers. I can also use the TotAmount field to compile a list of customers who have bought more than a certain amount from me. Together, these field searches can be used to produce a customized mailing list of, for example, customers who have bought more than $50 in the past 30 days. These would be the most responsive people to mail to, and would render the highest rental rate.
I can also use certain mailing list fields to identify people who should be dropped from my list. For example, I can search for customers with FollowUp2 dates that are four weeks past today's date, and TotAmounts of zero. These customers could be erased from my list. Or, I could leave them on file, and put a word or two in the Comments field reminding me not to mail anything else to them, in case they inquire again. This saves me the cost of mailing something to someone who probably won't respond. They might, but chances are they won't.
Finally, if I get a customer who has returned too many orders, or has defrauded me in some way, I can put that information in the Comments field. Then, if they order again, when their file comes up, I will see their history, and can use extra caution with them.
As you can see, if you use foresight when initially setting up your customer list, you will have a valuable tool that you can use to increase your order potential, increase your income through specialized list rental, and decrease your mailing costs by eliminating "deadwood" from your list. This is one of the most important methods you can use to increase your chances of success.
Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer
DeAnna Spencer is a virtual assistant that helps entrepreneurs run a successful business by providing affordable administrative help. She also publishes a blog for small business owners. Visit this small business resource today.
5 Reasons to Set Up Your Measurement System Now Most of us would agree that a business organisation, or any other kind of organisation can only be properly managed if the information with which to make decisions is readily available. Below are some more specific reasons for setting up a measurement system at the organisational, process and job levels.Reason 1: Provides Information for Reporting PerformanceAt the very minimum, a measurement system is needed to provide information for reporting performance to meet statutory requirements.Reason 2: Guides the Implementation of StrategyStrategy implementation generally involves resource allocation decisions for the purpose of meeting organisational objectives in the context of market conditions, competitive action and environmental trends. If there is no measuring system in place to monitor market conditions, competitive action or environmental trends, then wrong resource allocation decisions are likely to be made.Reason 3: Helps to Shape the Direction of StrategyThe strategies a business decides to pursue are not (or should not be) static. The decision to alter strategic direction must have as its basis measurements of trends, the market, and competition. The patterns that warrant a shift in strategic direction cannot be discerned where no deliberate measurement system is in place.Reason 4: Forms the Foundation for All Improvement EffortsNo meaningful improvement effort can be undertaken without measurement. Whether we are concerned with improving costs, quality, profitability, timeliness, customer satisfaction, innovation etc, measurements tell us our current state, helps determine the areas of focus and lets us know how far we have gone in achieving the improvement objectives. It is no wonder that measurement forms an integral part of improvement methods as diverse as TQM, TPM, Lean, Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints and the 2000 Percent Soution.Reas
ustomer who has returned too many orders, or has defrauded me in some way, I can put that information in the Comments field. Then, if they order again, when their file comes up, I will see their history, and can use extra caution with them.
As you can see, if you use foresight when initially setting up your customer list, you will have a valuable tool that you can use to increase your order potential, increase your income through specialized list rental, and decrease your mailing costs by eliminating "deadwood" from your list. This is one of the most important methods you can use to increase your chances of success.
Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer
DeAnna Spencer is a virtual assistant that helps entrepreneurs run a successful business by providing affordable administrative help. She also publishes a blog for small business owners. Visit this small business resource today.
