Skin
that bruises easily, unexplained and prolonged nosebleeds, and excessive
bleeding from an injury are some symptoms of haemophilia, a rare disorder
associated with impaired blood clotting. Bleeding is prolonged because of a
deficiency in certain proteins known as clotting factors.
There
is currently no cure for haemophilia, which tends to run in families and mostly
affects males, though recent clinical trials have shown promising results.
Patients
can suffer external bleeding – e.g. from cuts and wounds – and internal
bleeding – e.g. in the brain, abdomen and muscles/joints. In patients with
severe haemophilia, symptoms typically show up in early childhood, while in
mild to moderate cases, symptoms may appear in late childhood, adolescence or
even in adulthood, often after an injury, or dental/surgical procedure.
While,
you are usually born with haemophilia, in rare cases, you can develop it as an
adult when your immune system attacks the clotting factors in your blood. This
is associated with pregnancy, autoimmune conditions, cancer and multiple
sclerosis.
What
causes haemophilia?
Haemophilia
is typically caused by a mutation on the X chromosome. If the X chromosome of a
male carries the haemophilia gene mutation, he will develop the disorder but a
female who has the haemophilia gene on one of her two X chromosomes, is likely
to be a carrier and has a 50 per cent chance of passing the haemophilia gene to
her children.
The
two major types of haemophilia are haemophilia A and haemophilia B, caused by a
deficiency in clotting factors 8 and 9 respectively.
How
is haemophilia diagnosed and treated?
Haemophilia
is diagnosed with the help of a blood test for clotting factor deficiency.
Treatment is based on the severity of your condition and involves factor
replacement therapy via injections.
For
severe haemophilia, injections are administered regularly, while in mild to
moderate cases, injections are given only during episodes of prolonged
bleeding.
Internal
bleeding, particularly in the brain, can be life-threatening and requires
emergency treatment in a hospital.
If
you have haemophilia, you are advised to get immunised against hepatitis A and
B.
Tips
for living with haemophilia
1. Act quickly and control any bleeding with
first aid.Strengthen your joints and muscles and
lower your risk of internal bleeding with swimming and non-contact sports such
as badminton and table tennis.
2. Avoid contact sports, e.g. rugby and
football, which can cause injury to the abdomen and the head.
3. Maintain good oral hygiene to avoid gum
disease.
4. Avoid
taking aspirin and ibuprofen which can worsen bleeding.
Small children jumping on bosu balls on training
class.
There are business opportunities in a variety of
areas in the children's services market, including:
Quality
preschool education, including environmentally-focused offerings such as
outdoor preschools
If you enjoy working with children and have
instructional training and/or experience, why not turn it into a business?
05. Home Renovations
Contractor
If construction is in your blood and you think you
would enjoy making clients' home renovation dreams come true why not turn it
into a business?
Ask almost anyone who is needs repairs or
renovations done on their home (or business) - remodeling contractors are hard
to find and the good ones are always busy. Home renovation is one business that
always seems to do well, even in uncertain economic times.
Statistics show that the average home owner in the
U.S. spends approximately $3000 per year on home improvements - generating a
lot of business for carpenters, painters, drywallers, roofers, tilers, and
other tradespeople.
The home renovations business is ideally suited to
self-employed individuals for a number of reasons:
Most
renovations are performed on a contract basis
Startup
capital investment for tools and machinery is typically much less than required
for new construction
Business
premises are not required as the work is performed at the customer location,
making remodeling a perfect home-based businesses
Remodeling contractors provide services in a number
of different ways:
As
individuals, where the contractor performs most or all of the work themselves
As general
contractors, who hire and supervise employees or subcontractor who perform the
work
As specialists in a particular area, such as
bathroom or kitchen renovations, or niches such as restoring historic
structures, improving energy efficiency, or solar installations
To be a successful renovation contractor you should
have:
Extensive
experience in building construction, with hands-on expertise in at least one of
the trades and knowledge of the others
Good
contacts within the industry, so if needed you can call in sub-contractors to
get specialty work performed in a timely fashion (such as architects,
structural engineers, licensed electricians, plumbers, tilers, etc.)
Up-to-date
knowledge of the local building codes and safety regulations
Licensing
and certification if required in your jurisdiction. In the U.S., the National
Association of the Remodeling Industry offers various levels of certification
for remodellers.
Good
organizational skills
06. Bike Sales, Service and Rentals
Bicycles for sale in shop
Given the health and environmental benefits, it's no
wonder that bicycling has become the second most popular outdoor activity in
America by frequency of participation. According to peopleforbikes:
U.S. bike
commuting has grown 47 percent nationwide and 73 percent in the largest cities
over a 10-year period. North American cities are trying hard to increase the
number of people using bikes rather than cars to commute to work.
Americans
spend $81 billion on biking annually, generating 770,000 jobs.
Anything that’s healthy, popular, good for the
environment and heavily promoted by government is a pretty good business bet.
In addition to pedal-only powered bikes, E-bikes have become very popular.
E-bikes can be pedaled without electric power or use electric power to assist,
and sales are expected to hit close to 50 million units by 2018. Regular pedal
bikes can be converted to E-bikes with a kit that allows replacement of the
front or back wheel hub with one containing a small electric motor and adding a
battery and cabling.
If cycling is your passion and you want to become an
entrepreneur, this may be the perfect business opportunity for you.
07. Senior Care Services
Carer holding hand of senior woman
Senior care services continue to rank as one of the
best business opportunities. Demographics play a big role. The first baby
boomers hit age 65 in 2011. The entire baby boomer generation will have will
have reached age 65 by 2030. Seniors will make up 1/4 of the entire U.S.
population. Unfortunately, although they are expected to live longer lives than
previous generations, it's also expected that they'll spend more years in
sickness, according to a report on senior’s health by the not-for-profit United
Health Foundation.
Fortunately, baby boomers are a wealthy demographic
compared to previous generations. For the most part, they can afford to pay for
the services necessary to maintain their lifestyles. This includes continuing
to live at home in their own communities. According to research by the American
Association of Retired Persons (AARP), nearly 90 percent of seniors have this
goal.
Many affluent seniors suffer from various health
and/or mobility issues and are increasingly uncomfortable or unable to drive
their own vehicles. They may find it difficult or impossible to take care of
household chores such as landscaping, cleaning, cooking or caring for their
pets. Others travel extensively and require house sitting or pet sitting and
property maintenance services. All in all, a wealth of opportunities exist for
entrepreneurs who wish to take advantage of the senior care trend. If you're
not interesting in starting your own business from scratch, various senior care
franchise opportunities are available.
08. Body Decoration Services (Piercings and Tattoos)
Tattoo
According to statistics, the tattoo industry
generated $3 billion in revenue in 2014 and continues to grow rapidly:
40 percent
of American households have at least one member with a tattoo, up from 21
percent in 1999
22 percent
of young millennials have at least one tattoo
30 percent
of people aged 25-39 have tattoos and 40 percent of adults aged 30-39
Tattoos
are also popular with middle-aged adults — 30 percent of those aged 40-49 have
at least one
Most tattoo artists learn the trade via an
apprenticeship alongside a professional (typically three years or more). For
health and safety reasons, some jurisdictions require classroom experience.
If you have artistic and creative skills, becoming a
tattoo artist can be an excellent business opportunity.
09. Counseling and Therapy
The mental health field is another profession that
is experiencing increased demand for services. The BLS expects the need for
marriage and family therapists to grow 41 percent by 2020.
The nature of mental health counseling makes it
suitable for private practice. Many professionals in the field make the
occupational choice to start their own counseling businesses. This typically
requires extensive schooling, however, and often post-graduate degree.
10. Financial Advisor/Planner
Businessman meeting with clients
Financial advisers/planners are expected to be in
high demand with a projected growth rate of 30 percent through 2026, according
to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Studies in Canada indicate that only 20
percent of Canadians have confidence in their math and money skills as they
relate to planning for a secure financial future, according to a 2011 survey by
Ipsos Reid for ABC Life Literacy Canada.
Becoming a financial adviser/planner normally
requires a bachelor's degree and additional training in securities management,
leading to licensing/certification. But this is another business that is riding
the demographic wave. A huge pool of baby boomers are headed for retirement,
and they need and want help with their finances. Financial advising and
planning is an ideal business opportunity.
