Book

The Health Advocate’s Start and Grow Your Own Practice Handbook
(A Step-by-Step Guide)

Resources Supplement and
Workbook Download Page

Updated January 2023

The Start and Grow Your Own Practice Handbook


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(32 pages, pdf format)
 
•  Resources by Chapter

Introduction

List of companies hiring advocates and subcontratorshttp://bit.ly/advocatejobs

Chapter Two
What Skills Do You Need?

To help you understand the healthcare system in the US:
You Bet Your Life! The 10 Mistakes Every Patient Makes (How to Fix Them to Get the Healthcare You Deserve)
The book’s website:  www.YouBetYourLifeBooks.com

Or purchase at Amazon:
You Bet Your Life!
The Health Advocate’s Basic Marketing HandbookThis book’s website.
The Health Advocate’s Advanced Marketing HandbookThis book’s website.

Chapter Four
What Services Will You Offer?

Master list of current advocacy services being offered to patients and caregivers. This list is updated occasionally.https://diagknowsismedia.com/downloads/masterserviceslist.pdf
Market Research—more information
and links to resources:
Quickfacts from the US Census Bureau:  https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/sis/resources/data-tools/quickfacts.html

From Entrepreneur Magazine: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217345

From Inc.com:  https://www.inc.com/guides/marketing/24018.html

From the Canada Business Network:  https://guides.lib.uwo.ca/marketresearch/demographics

From the SBA (Small Business Administration) 
https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/plan-your-business/market-research-competitive-analysis

Chapter Five
Mind the Gap

Education, Organization and Networking Resources for Health Advocates and
those who wish to become advocates:
www.HealthAdvocatePrograms.com
Virtual assistants provide administrative help on a full or part-time basis.How to Hire a Virtual Assistant

Find lists of virtual assistants:
www.assistantmatch.com/
www.speakernetnews.com/post/vawebmaint.html 

Chapter Six
The Business of Being in Business

Small business advisors can be found at:US
SBA (Small Business Administration)
SCORE (Service Corps Retired Executives)
SBDC (Small Business Development)

Canada
Canada Business Support
Corporation (incorporate) servicewww.corpnet.com
List of licenses you may need:https://www.sba.gov/starting-business/business-licenses-permits
Places to test your URL (web address) as you name your business:www.godaddy.com
www.register.com
www.networksolutions.com
Obtain your taxpayer ID (EIN):From the IRS: https://sa.www4.irs.gov/modiein/individual/index.jsp

From the CRA: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/registering-your-business/business-registration-online-overview.html
Employee vs. Subcontractor rules:From the IRS: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/independent-contractor-self-employed-or-employee

From the CRA: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/rc4110/employee-self-employed.html 
NAICs numbersThese codes are updated every five years (will update again in 2027) and are self-selected. (There is no right or wrong answer.)

There is not just one code for patient advocacy because advocates do so many different things. Here are some of the codes advocates might choose:

• A general practice could use the code: 624190
• A senior-focused practice (“elderly”) could use this code: 624120
• A pediatric-focused practice could use this code: 624110

Learn more at the NAICs website.

DUNS number (if you decide to apply for grantshttps://www.dnb.com/duns/get-a-duns.html
Online forums of interest to advocates:The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates

Additional forums at LinkedIn:
Do a search for Patient Navigator, Patient Advocates, Nurse Entrepreneurs, Society for Participatory Medicine, and others
Choose and use a professional communication service:

Email:

www.gmail.com
www.mail.com 
www.outlook.com  
Use your own web address for your email.

Fax services:

www.efax.com
www.faxzero.com
www.ringcentral.com/fax

Toll free number and voice mail services:

www.evoice.com
www.google.com/voice
www.voicenation.com
www.ringcentral.com

Chapter Seven
Expenses Management and Funding

Use your website and/or smartphone to accept credit cards www.SquareUp.com
www.Paypal.com
www.PaySimple.com
Cashflow basics from
Entrepreneur Magazine:
www.entrepreneur.com/article/223288

Chapter Nine
Marketing Your Advocacy Services

Find a sample press release:Download it from here.
Purchase additional marketing handbooks at a discount:Purchase The Health Advocate’s Basic Marketing Handbook from the publisher at $5 off. To receive the coupon code, send an email to: bmhdiscount@diagknowsis.com The coupon code will be returned to you immediately.

Purchase The Health Advocate’s Advanced Marketing Handbook from the publisher at $5 off. To receive the coupon code, send an email to: amhdiscount@diagknowsis.com The coupon code will be returned to you immediately.

Chapter Ten
Legal and Insurance Considerations

HIPAA and PrivacySample HIPAA Release Form
Privacy laws in Canada (PIPEDA)Privacy Rights in Canada
Electronic signatures and privacywww.adobe.com
www.docusign.com
www.rightsignature.com
Secure emailwww.startmail.com
www.sendinc.com
www.hushmail.com
AppleMail can use an add on from GPG tools: www.gpgtools.org
Gmail frequently updates its offerings. Do a search for “secure gmail” to see if it’s being offered.
Thunderbird uses Enigmail (must be obtained through Mozilla.org )
Legal documents and forms (general) are found atwww.LegalZoom.com  (paid)
www.ZenBusiness.com  (paid)
www.RocketLawyer.com
BOP insurance informationwww.entrepreneur.com/article/52882
Incorporationwww.CorpNet.com

Chapter Eleven
Managing Workflow

Sample InvoiceDownload it here.
Additional forms and contracts available to members of APHA: (Not all contracts and forms are available to all members. PACE members have limited access.)Sample consultation agreement (advocate and client)
HIPAA privacy forms
Independent contractor working agreement
Independent contractor non-compete agreement
Encrypted email or document signaturesSee Resources above for Chapter Ten
Client tracking software and applications:MyJunna
Case Manager Pro
Jewel code
Navigation Tracker

Chapter Thirteen
Best Practices

Print these guidelines for finding credible health information on the web:https://www.nextavenue.org/4-tips-getting-most-dr-google/
Advance Directives documentshttp://bit.ly/advdirectives
Determining status as employee or subcontractor:See Resources above for Chapter Six

Chapter Fourteen
Build Your Business Plan

Additional resources for understanding and building business plans:From Entrepreneur Magazine:
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/247574

From the SBA:
https://www.sba.gov/starting-business/write-your-business-plan


….. End of Resources…..

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The Start and Grow Your Own Practice Handbook

Workbook:

The Start and Grow Your Own Practice Handbook

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