Inner Profile

By David Montana

 Health clubs are very popular in our society these days. With much public consciousness on physical fitness plus maintaining good health, many people become members of gyms and health clubs to stay fit. Others join for strength coaching, and/or to lose weight.

Together with the huge popularity of health clubs plus physical fitness, also comes accounts receivable issues, due to problem payments from some club members. Neglected problematic accounts and poor internal debt collection methods usually spell cash flow problems for the managers of these health clubs.

There is a tendency to let past due receivables pile up in the hopes that non-paying members will pay voluntarily. Plus while managers may focus much of their attention on the gym facility and equipment, the cash-managing aspects of the facility, especially having sound and consistent debt collection strategies in place tend to suffer.

Members typically sign an annual or longer contract, frequently together with a price break off of a monthly pay as you go kind scenario. As is commonly the case, once the initial excitement plus novelty of beginning a new regime wears off, plus the real work of maintaining a consistent fitness schedule, some become disillusioned.

Although bound to a contract, several can neglect their obligation and stop payment altogether. Several can assume that in spite of a legal contract, they shouldnt need to pay if theyre now not using the gyms facilities.

Internal Debt Collection Methods

Its critically important to implement and consistently follow an in house strategy for recovering on past due accounts. As well as late membership dues, other fees, such as locker rentals, food services, or further charges can account for delinquent accounts.

One key part to successful debt recovery is obtaining as much personal data on the initial membership application. Ask for social security and drivers license numbers, in addition to banking plus employment information. This info will be particularly helpful should these accounts have to be outsourced to a collection agency.

Early Plus Consistent Contact Is Important

After payment is late thirty days, a manager or another person assigned these tasks ought to call the delinquent member to see if theres a problem. Making a friendly reminder call to encourage the member to stick to their fitness regimen, as well as inquiring when the late balance can be brought current can rescue a situation before it gets much worse later.

Know When To Outsource Difficult Accounts

A second phone call and/or letter must be sent to the past due club member at 45 days. Time is of the essence, plus you cannot afford to let much more time pass with no communication. If the problem isnt rectified, either with having brought the past due monies current, or payment provisions created, its time to take into account outsourcing to a collection agency.

Statistics demonstrate that late accounts depreciate severely with the passage of time. At forty-five days with no communication from the club member, you should be familiar with if the condition warrants different measures. The sooner these problem accounts are turned over to a collection agency, the best chance for a successful recovery.

Debt recovery agencies have the resources, expertise and tested strategies to collect late accounts effectively. Price options include some agencies which charge a percentage of any money collected. Others offer the choice of a fixed cost, flat fee, that can be very cost beneficial for many health clubs. And, the psychological influence of a neutral third party can make the difference with most of challanges.

David P. Montana has three decades expertise as an business skilled, economic specialist and published author in collection agency services. David offers extra helpful internal collection tools and information concerning health club debt collection strategies.

Tamiflu Was Effective With Avian Flu - What About The H1n1 Virus?

By gary thomas

 Tamiflu, whose familiar scientific name is oseltamivir, is part of a family of flu fighting medicines called neuraminidase inhibitors. Tamilflu is used in the treatment of infections caused by both the influenza A and flu B viruses. Tamiflu, which requires a prescription, can be used both to treat the influenza if taken soon after symptoms appear, or to stop the influenza. The difference between Tamiflu and a vaccine is that Tamiflu helps your immune system be in a position to fight off the progress of the viral infection, whereas a vaccine is just a straight injection of dead influenza that causes your immune system to produce antibodies to fight off the bug itself.

Tamiflu demand has skyrocketed over the past year for quite a few reasons. There was a shortage of available influenza vaccine during flu season 2005, with in some cases only enough for senior citizens or those with more vulnerable immune conditions being able to get vaccinated. Also, the U.S. government was concerned that an outbreak of bird influenza in the United States could leave the U.S. short on influenza vaccines, causing them to hold back supplies just in case of an outbreak. However, the bird flu is different form human flu. This is exacly the same scenario as swine flu these days.

Bird flu is much harder to transmit than human flu, requiring very close physical contact to spread the disease. Bird influenza has been observed in countries where humans and animals are in close contact. There have been about 70 deaths worldwide and just about 130 infections since 2005. The primary concern of health officials around the world is that bird flu will infect a person already carrying the human influenza strain, and that the two viruses will somehow swap genetic material, causing the bird flu to mutate into a bug that spreads much faster through the air, like human influenza, only this bug would be more fatal. A highly potent strain of mutated bird flu could create a pandemic for the world, as did the Spanish flu virus of the early 1900’s that killed 20 to 50 million humans worldwide.

Unfprtunately, swine flu is much closer to the spanish flu than the bird influenza was. We did nevertheless learn alot from the bird flu outbreak that prepared us for what is certain to be a sever pandemic of the swine influenza.

The bird flu is associated with the influenza A strain H5N1 influenza bug. Although not the same as the Spanish flu bug, the current avian flu strain does share many similarities with the Spanish flu strain. Initial studies have shown that Tamiflu may be effectual in helping to fight the effects of this influenza bug if the medicine is taken very early after influenza symptoms appear. As a result, the demand for Tamiflu has skyrocketed as customers have rushed to their doctors to obtain prescriptions and gone online to buy the drug from online pharmacies.

Similar results have been documented with the swine flu. When Tamiflu is taken very early on it does appear to have a popsitive effect in combating the virus.

A Swiss drug maker, F. Hoffman La-Roche Ltd., at present has a tight hold on the manufacturing of Tamiflu. Biolyse Pharma Corp., when turned down in its bid to try to enter the Tamiflu market, had decided as of December of 2005 to attempt to mass produce several tons of shikimic acid, which is the main ingredient in Tamiflu, from the needles of discarded Christmas trees, as well as other pine, fir, and spruce trees. Such trees are the main source of shikimic acid.

Oseltamivir, sold under the brand name Tamiflu, is one of several medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment and prevention of influenza. The CDC has announced that a swine influenza vaccine should be available fall 2009.

Do You Know How To Survive Swine Flu? Get all The Information You Need In The Swine Flu Safety Handbook

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