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Page 14 Tuesday, October 18, 2011 Red Bluff Daily News Tips for self-employed women diagnosed with breast cancer A breast cancer diagnosis can impact every aspect of a woman's life. While early detection greatly increases a woman's chance for survival, the imme- diate aftermath of a diagnosis can be nerve-wracking, especially for women who are self-employed. Fortunately, self-employed women can take several steps to ensure their business thrives and continues to gen- erate income in spite of a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment plan. * Seek help. Women diagnosed with breast cancer often need help in their personal lives, whether it's help around the house or help taking care of their children. Such help can also be espe- cially valuable for women in their profes- sional lives. Self-employed women dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis should seek temporary help to ensure their business stays afloat during treat- ment. Breast cancer treatment can be emotionally and physically draining, so women should allocate some funds for outside help while they are being treat- ed. Ideally, choose a friend or business associate who is familiar with the busi- ness. But even if such help is not avail- able, the high unemployment rate increases the likelihood that there are qualified professionals looking for work who should be able to help. * Do some spring cleaning with busi- ness records and files. If hiring tempo- rary help during treatment, be sure that records and files are easily accessible. Clear out old files and invoices to make things as easy as possible for newly hired workers. * Speak with a financial advisor. A financial advisor should be able to help develop a plan to save money while keeping the business afloat during the course of treatment. An advisor might offer some insight that helps save money and offer additional tips that help women absorb the financial impact that a breast cancer diagnosis can make on their business. * Read the fine print in your healthcare coverage. The cost of treatment could greatly impact your business if all aspects of the treatment are not cov- ered by a health insurance carrier. If not all parts of treatments are covered by an existing plan, consider purchasing dis- ability insurance. This can help self- employed women avoid using funds ini- tially allocated for their business to pay for treatment. Keep in mind there may be a period of time that has to elapse before payment begins. * Finish big projects if possible. Upon diagnosis, examine existing work proj- ects and prioritize them so any large projects are completed before treatment begins. Smaller projects will be easier to handle during treatment, and women may feel more comfortable and rest easier when giving associates or tempo- rary help smaller projects rather than big ones. * Embrace a lighter workload. Burning the midnight oil won't make treatment any easier; it actually could make things more difficult. Be more flexible with work hours and take on a smaller workload, working from home whenever possible. Lori Hale I have worked for Hospice Second Hand Store for 11 years. Both my children and I were born and raised in Red Bluff. My son is 15 and my daughter is 11. We are very involved in our community. My heart and soul is with the Hospice program. Lisa Elliott I have lived in Red Bluff for about 20 years. I started working for Hospice Second Hand Store June 2002. My son was born in Red Bluff and is a senior at Red Bluff High. My heart and soul is in this little store and we do wonderful things here to help out our community and would not be able to do all we do without all the volunteers we have. They work long hard hours. I want to thank everyone for all they do for this wonderful program. 320 South Main St.