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Reusing Disposable Face Masks: How to Remove, Clean and Store Them Safely

Since it looks as though we’re going to be stuck with face masks for a while yet to come I wanted to go ahead and repost this short article from Yahoo! News about reusing disposable face masks. Yes, they’re supposed to be disposable and not reused but sometimes that just isn’t practical and for those times, here are some tips on how to remove them, clean and store them, and how to judge when it’s truly time to dispose of them.

Read in good health!

While many people are wearing cloth face masks to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, some are choosing to wear disposable ones. For those who wear disposable masks, there’s a frequent question: Can disposable masks like N95 and surgical masks be re-worn? In short? Yes, but only if you take care of them correctly.

To safely remove your mask and touch as little of its surface as possible, use the ear straps to remove and handle the mask.

Once the disposable mask is safely removed, place it in a convenient but safe storage spot, like a clean paper bag, plastic Tupperware or Ziploc bag. Once your mask is in a clean receptacle, leave it there for a few days and after 48 hours, it is safe to wear your mask again. Do not spray your mask with disinfectant, as these chemicals could be harmful to breathe in when you reuse the mask.

If a mask is visibly dirty, soiled or torn, it should be thrown out immediately. If you plan to reuse a disposable mask, it’s a good idea to have a few extra masks available so that one can be worn while others are being decontaminated.

Article and Image Credit: Yahoo!News

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Entrepreneur Home Office

Show Notes: Hang Out A Shingle

(UPDATED 2020-07-2020)


The following list of notes, links, and resources complement the Hang Out A Shingle – Starting Your Cybersecurity Company webinar featuring Daniel Ayala and Douglas Brush which can be found on the Denver ISSA YouTube channel

https://youtu.be/l7UnEGbHx78

While we titled the talk as a focus on cyber and information security, there are some fundamental resources you should work through when considering a start-up or entrepreneurial endeavor. 

Why am I starting a business?

20 Right and Wrong Reasons to Start Your Own Business

SWOT Analysis: SWOT analysis is a strategic planning technique used to help a person or organization identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to business competition or project planning.

Addressing Business Skills

Leaders vs. mangers: Leaders have people who follow them; managers have people who work for them. Leadership tends to be more strategic (e.g., looking at the horizon), and managers tend to be more tactical (e.g., looking down).

The Entrepreneur Myth (“E-Myth” by Michael Gerber)

If your business depends on youyou don’t own a businessyou have a job. And it’s the worst job in the world because you’re working for a lunatic!”

Business Plans

Mission Statement

Answer the question: “How will I know when I have succeeded?” 

If I Read One More Platitude-Filled Mission Statement, I’ll Scream

Writing Your Plan

Paying Yourself

Metrics & Finance

Corporate Structures

Choosing a Corporate Structure

LLC

LLCs have become an easy and efficient way to start many companies. There are pluses and minus to this structure, but it is something that most people can file themselves. For LLC registrations, you perform a name check, submit articles of organization, pay a fee, and you are off to the races. 

After the LLC is formed, you can and may have to get an Employment Identification Number (“EIN”) from the Federal IRS.

Planning, Strategy & Marketing

Lean Business Planning

Enterprise Operating System (EOS) & Traction

Growth

Marketing

The best tip we can provide: Give to get. Don’t go for vanity metrics like site visits, likes, impressions. Build evergreen content on blogs, podcasts, YouTube, webcasts, etc., which contribute something meaningful to your die-hard early adopters (see 1000 True Fans).

Solve problems and then socialize them via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, or wherever your 1000 die-hards “waterhole.” They will then, in turn, promote you. This gives you the most stickiness to your early customer base. Additionally, this material can be repurposed and referenced over and over again due to its contributing value (hence “evergreen”). 

Focus on evergreen content development first to build your brand. Then focus on other industry contributions such as speaking engagements, free tools/software, etc., keep giving to get.

A start-up marketing strategy should cost time more than dollars. When you are ready, you can then build marketing strategies where you can spend money on ad-words, inbound campaigns, press releases, and conferences. Don’t burn these dollars until you have a brand built on reputation. This is the single biggest pitfall start-ups make.

Financing

Board of Directors

Advisors

Advisors are a great way to gain insight and expertise. Generally, these advisors are “paid” in preferred stock or a position in the new company. This is an excellent way to fill gaps in your knowledge or network with relatively low costs. However, it is essential that the advisor relationship is well-vetted (legally and financially), and there are clear expectations and milestones for all parties. If you are name dropping headshots for your website to build our advisor “About Us” page, you are doing it wrong. Make the relationship transparent, accountable, and tied to measurable KPIs.

Additionally, your advisors need to call you out on your BS. You don’t want an echo chamber. For useful insight on how to surround yourself with advisors, Google “how President Lincoln built his cabinet by filling it with his rivals.” Avoid your cognitive biases as much as you possibly can. 

When to Exit (Bye Felicia)

Pitfalls

Imposter Syndrome

Biases – Sunk Cost Fallacy (aka Gambler’s Dilemma)

Biases – Bike Shedding

Biases – Confirmation

The Taxman Cometh

Note/disclaimer: Get competent tax and legal advice early in your start-up process. This is an overall guide, but not in any means meant to be tax or legal advice. Google ‘till your fingers hurt, take notes, then talk to a licensed professional. Missteps on taxes can really cut into your operating costs when you suddenly have to pay taxes + fines + interest because of a misfiled or overlooked form. Calculate professional service fees into your start-up costs as they are far less than the burden of a mistake which can cost far more, hurt your credit, and incur legal fees if you do not do things the right way.

Final note: learn sales tax regulations. This is a messy area, even for the most seasoned business owner and tax preparer. Services and products are taxed differently per state, per county, per city (fun!!!), and a mistake here can result in hefty fines and loss of a sales tax certificate, essentially shutting down your business. 

Also, recognize that bookkeeping and tax preparation (accounting) are two sides of the same coin that do not fully equate to each other. Bookkeeping is there for you to have the tactical insight into your cash flow and does not always relate to a line item on a tax schedule. Additionally, depending on your corporate structure, not every dollar is yours or the company’s depending on how the funds are reinvested, the number of shareholders, and how your specific structure and business needs calculate profits and losses. 

Resources

Take all of these with a grain of salt. These are here for reference purposes and do not constitute an endorsement, or legal, tax, or business advice. Your mileage WILL vary. Do your research, ask questions, and compare alternatives.

However, avoid analysis paralysis. Create rubrics that allow you to evaluate selections with weighted ratings to prevent bias.

Legal

Bookkeeping/Accounting

Some will also offer payroll services. You also MUST know the difference between W2 employees and W9 contractors!

Insurance

First, understand the various coverages you might need for you and your business from cyber, E&O, general liability, business interruption, disability (short and long term), workers’ compensation, health, etc. Then, work your network to find brokers. Brokers work for you at no charge to you. They are incentivized to place you with the best coverages which will renew year after year, even if you have claims (a.k.a. retention). They often have a lot of material they can send you, which will help you in the underwriting process and can answer a lot of questions about what you need. 

Cloud Tech – Desktop Apps (SaaS)

Cloud Tech – Infrastructure (IaaS)

Co-working Spaces

Business Accelerators

Virtual Assistants

Advisors/Mentors

Start-Up Schools

Networking and Speaking

1 Million Cups

1 Million Cups (1MC) is based on the notion that great ideas are discussed over a million cups of coffee. 1MC is not a pitch platform, nor is it a networking event. It’s simply a chance for 1-2 presenting entrepreneurs to tap into the knowledge and experience of the local community in a focused and encouraging environment.

Toastmasters

Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs.

Meet-Up

Meet-up is a bit of a catch-all for various networking and meet-up groups. Spend some time looking for events in your area that match your business need. If you can’t find something, start one! This has been a very effective free growth strategy to promote yourself as an influencer and community leader.

Blogs/Vlogs

Start-up Podcasts

Business Books

Reading is fundamental. These are books we found critical in our successes (I recommend reading in the order listed as they build on each other and have a compound effect. – Doug). Some of these are tactical and actionable, and others develop a mindset. This is not an exhaustive list, so find what works for you to build a vision, processes to support that vision, and a way to then step away from the business as fast as possible. You want to build towards simplicity and automation. Process flow your operation. Eliminate yourself from every box in the flow where the “factory” stops because you are personally needed to make a decision. 

Success is a business that can run itself and you are not essential to operations.

“I try to invest in businesses that are so wonderful that an idiot can run them. Because sooner or later, one will.”

Warren Buffett

Tooltip! Check out Readwise –  It’s a bit of a productivity hack as well.

Readwise fixes this using a scientific process called Spaced Repetition. We surface your best highlights back to you at the right times, and let you review them every day with the daily email and app.

This application will send you your highlights in books you read on Kindle (honestly, the best way to read the books recommended so you can highlight and search later). Audiobooks and summary services (see below) won’t work with Readwise, obviously.

Time Management and Efficiency Resources

Time is your most valuable commodity and asset. Don’t you (or let others) waste it. 

You cannot earn or manufacture more time.

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.”

Steve Jobs

Time Management – What gets measured, gets managed. How much of your time is being dedicated to specific tasks? What if you could measure what you do and adjust to get the most out of each hour (time arbitrage: not every hour of the day, has the same value or output, for different tasks). 

RescueTime: Automatic time-tracking, distraction blocking, and more! See exactly where your time goes, block your worst distractions, and get powerful reports and tools to improve every aspect of your day.

Productivity “Hacks”

The Art and Science of Learning Anything Faster

“If effectiveness is doing the right things, efficiency is doing things right.” 

Tim Ferriss

Content Summary Services – Cliff/Spark notes for business books. We are not going to lie, so many of the books we read and recommend can be trimmed down, but then they probably wouldn’t sell as books. Advantages are you get the essence of most. The disadvantage could be knowledge retention. Some of these also have audio synopses.

Speed-up play on YouTube videos, audiobooks, and podcasts

Audiobooks – Audio books are great ways to digest many of the books recommended, particularly if you commute or travel (ditch the news and drive time radio. Feed your brain instead). Additionally, with Amazon and Audible, many audio books come included with the subscription service.

Inspirational

“You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”

Jim Carrey

A few choice inspirational videos on life and business

“I can buy anything I want basically but I can’t buy time.” 

Warren Buffett
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Some Guidance on Providing and Recognizing a Safe Workplace

Free guidance and plans from the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

This includes specific industries such as:

  • Restaurants
  • Driver-for-Hire (ridesharing, Uber, Lyft, etc.)
  • Personal care (nail and hair salons, gyms)

https://www.backtoworksafely.org/

Getting Back to Work: Preparing Buildings for
Re-Entry Amid COVID-19

https://boma.informz.net/BOMA/data/images/Getting%20Back%20To%20Work%20Preparing%20Buildings%20for%20Re%20Entry.pdf

Lear has an extensive guide here, mindful that not everything in the guide is applicable to every type of industry.

https://www.lear.com/Site/Company/Safe-Work-Playbook.aspx

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Interested in learning more about remotely working, or which companies are hiring remote workers?

Teeny post this time!

This is a good resource: https://remote.co/

For those of you on LinkedIn, there’s also a Remote Work group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13657237/

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Some Tips to Help You Set Up An Ergonomic Home Work Space

These are just a few very basic tips to get you started. There are a lot of other things you might want to do.
If possible, get some natural light in the area where you plan to work. Natural light helps the brain retain its natural rhythms. If you don’t have any way to do this, there are lamps that can simulate natural light, and even an alarm clock that wakes you up by slowly brightening like a sunrise.

Consider setting up one of the many “Break Reminder” applications. These can help you remember to stretch your body, or get up and move around periodically. They come in all kinds of options such as cloud apps, browser extensions, phone apps, and desktop programs.
Those same reminder programs can help you stay hydrated by reminding you to drink water regularly, and maybe even to step outside every once in a while.

Some things to consider when setting up the physical portions of your workspace:

  • Choose a chair with back support that helps maintain the correct posture by supporting the natural curves of your spine. If your chair doesn’t support that posture, add pillows for back/leg support.
  • Make sure you sit back in your chair, in a straight but relaxed position.
  • Your shoulders should be relaxed with your elbows close to your sides at 90-degree angles when working. Most kitchen tables and desks are too high. Use a pillow as a seat cushion if you need to sit higher.
  • Your legs should be at a 90-degree angle and your feet should sit flat on the floor. If your feet are dangling, support them with a book or step stool.
  • Your monitor should be at eye level. Use books, old shoe boxes, etc. to raise it if needed.
  • If you use a laptop, use an external keyboard and mouse if you have them. It is essential that the monitor is separated from the keyboard/mouse so your eye level aligns with the top of the monitor.

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Reliable Malware-Free Global COVID-19 Infection Trackers

COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU)

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

University of Virginia Biocomplexity Institute COVID-19 Tracking Board

https://nssac.bii.virginia.edu/covid-19/dashboard/

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CyberSecurity / IT-related training for FREE due to COVID-19

So, you’re stuck at home with “nothing to do”. Here’s some stuff to do!

If you have a CompTIA account:
Now through August 31, CompTIA members can access a complimentary subscription to BizLibrary, a platform that offers thousands of on-demand courses and short informational videos. It’s a great opportunity to upskill and prepare your workforce to survive and thrive. Login to your member dashboard and start learning today!

April is Free with PluralSight:

https://www.pluralsight.com/offer/2020/free-april-month

ECCouncil is making some of their paid offerings free:

https://www.eccouncil.org/free-cybersecurity-resources/

Selection of free courses through Udemy:

https://www.udemy.com/courses/free/

CodeCamp put this list of over 450 free online courses from Ivy-League schools and even wrote a how-to guide and included tips & tricks:

https://www-freecodecamp-org.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.freecodecamp.org/news/ivy-league-free-online-courses-a0d7ae675869/amp/

Elastic / ElasticStack / ELK – specific training from Elastic:

https://training.elastic.co/learn-from-home

University of Cincinnati Comp Sci/Engineering Department just made their graduate-level Malware Analysis class public, current contents are from 2020:

https://class.malware.re/

MITRE Training on using the ATT&CK framework:

https://attack.mitre.org/resources/training/cti/

Cisco Networking Academy (these may always be free, doesn’t specify):

https://www.cisco.com/c/m/en_sg/partners/cisco-networking-academy/index.html

Free Autopsy forensics training: 

https://www.autopsy.com/support/training/covid-19-free-autopsy-training/

Free SANS training posters:

Penetration testing: https://www.sans.org/security-resources/posters/pen-testing

Attack surfaces: https://www.sans.org/security-resources/posters/pen-test-attack-surfaces-tools-techniques/70/download

30 Things to Get You Started via Black Hills Information Security: https://www.blackhillsinfosec.com/30-things-to-get-you-started/

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Resources for Children

This can be an especially trying time for those with children. It’s difficult to explain why we’re doing what we’re doing, and there’s the necessity of juggling the role of full-time teacher and caregiver in addition to anything else you might be doing (like working).

Here are some resources that happened across my radar, in case any of them are helpful.

Setting a daytime schedule can be helpful for you and for children to keep in a regular cycle. Set aside certain time blocks for certain activities, and do them at the same time every weekday. Continuing to have weekends as a time to relax and blow off steam will help you and your child return to a regular schedule when the emergency is over.

Schedule example:

I personally think this is wonderful. We don’t like to sit our kids in front of a screen of course, but sometimes we need them to be still for just a little while so we can get something done. This might help.

Kids’ books read out loud:

https://www.storylineonline.net/

Here’s a young lady who is volunteering her time to do entertainment live on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/misstaulbee/

Grade-specific exercises and resources:

http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/

National Geographic science experiments:

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/classroom-resources/learn-at-home/

Make math part of the routine with Bedtime Math:

Scholastic’s website:

https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html

The Body Coach – Exercises for kids to do at home:

Activity Suggestions:

  • Make an obstacle course in the back yard or in your basement and see who can complete it the fastest (if you’re solo, capture your feats on video to share)
  • Plan a picnic in your yard. Pack your favorite meal and make it even more special by playing a mix of your favorite tunes on a portable speaker or your phone
  • Set up a tent in your living room – or better yet, create a fort with couch cushions and blankets. You can tell camp stories or read a book under the make-believe stars
  • Plan a meal where everything you prepare is food you can eat with your hands – or make it more challenging and don’t use hands either
  • Schedule video chats with loved ones and spice them up by wearing a wig, costume, funny makeup etc. and surprise your friends and family
  • Make your own post cards and send them to people who you miss the most. They’ll love getting good-old-fashion mail and hearing from you
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Hospital List for Colorado

This is a community-assembled list of hospitals listed by counties and cross-referenced with hospitals in adjacent counties.

Link to live Google doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pwYWMgHBpiSkhFnSk4VqMVDkZZlrtZShGtiWYmByDso/edit

The list on this page is a copy of the list at the Google Docs link, in case that goes down. It is not the most updated list.

Last updated: 2020-04-08

Boulder County Hospitals

Foothills Hospital

765,000 square feet of floor space; 2,000 rooms. Staff when the hospital is in full operation: 1,200-1,500.

Patient capacity: 766 beds, 116 bassinettes, 15 day care beds. Number of acute-care beds: 92

Number of ICU beds: 12. Level 2 trauma center

Avista Adventist Hospital – Centura  Health – Louisville

100 Health Park Dr., Louisville  (off 88th St. south of Dillon) –   (303) 673-1000

114 beds     Level 3 trauma

Good Samaritan Medical Center – SCL Health – Lafayette

200 Exempla Circle, Lafayette  (off of Rte. 42 & 287) – (303) 689-4000

234 rooms    Level 2 trauma

Longmont United Hospital – Centura Health

1950 Mountain View Ave., Longmont  – (303) 651-5111

186 beds; ED 32 rooms     Level 3 trauma

UC Health Long Peaks Hospital– Longmont

1750 E. Ken Pratt Blvd., Longmont  — (720) 718-7000

51 beds       Level 3 trauma                                       

Total rooms: 1,487 (inc. ED rooms)

Neighboring Counties

UC Health Broomfield Hospital  (Broomfield County)

11820 Destination Dr, Broomfield (near Hwy 36 & Wadsworth Blvd.)   – (303) 464-4500

18 rooms  (likely a large ED operation)

North Colorado Medical Center (Banner Health) – Greeley (Weld County)

1801 16th St., Greeley  – (970) 810-4121

378 beds      Level 2 trauma.   A tertiary care facility.

Regional Hospitals in nearby counties

St. Anthony North Health Campus – Centura   (Adams)

14300 Orchard Pkwy., Westminster   720-627-0000

100 beds Level 3 trauma center

Children’s Hospital Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus   (Adams)

13123 E. 16th Ave., Aurora      720-777-1234

470 beds Level 1 pediatric

North Suburban Medical Center   (Adams)

9191 Grant St, Thornton 303-451-7800

127 beds; 24 ICU beds  Level 2 trauma center

UC Health University of Colorado Hospital (at the Anschutz Medical Campus)  (Adams)

12605 E.16th Ave., Aurora  720-848-0000

678 beds Level 1 trauma center

Medical Center of Aurora  – Health One (Arapahoe)

1501 S. Potomac S., Aurora 303-695-2600

346 beds Level 2 trauma center (Level 1 Cardiac Center)

Swedish Medical Center – Health One (Arapahoe)

501 E. Hampden Ave., Englewood   303-788-5000

408 beds Level 1 trauma center

Denver Health Medical Center   (Denver)

777 Bannock St., Denver 303-436-6000

525 beds; 24 ICU beds Level 1 trauma center

National Jewish Health (specializes in respiratory)   (Denver)

1400 Jackson St., Denver 303-398-1355

46 beds

Porter Adventist Hospital – Centura   (Denver)

2525 S. Downing St., Denver 303-778-1955

368 beds Level 3 trauma center

Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center    (Denver)

1719 E. 19th Ave., Denver, 303-839-6000

680 beds Level 4 trauma center

Rose Medical Center – HealthONE   (Denver)

4567 E. 9th Ave., Denver   303-320-2121

422 beds Level 4 trauma center

St. Joseph Hospital – SCL Health   (Denver) 

1375 E. 19th Ave, Denver  303-812-2000

365 beds Level 4 trauma center

St. Anthony Hospital – Centura   (Jefferson)

11600 W. 2nd Pl., Lakewood  720-321-0000

224 beds Level 1 trauma center

Lutheran Medical Center -SCL Health   (Jefferson)

8300 W. 38th Ave., Wheat Ridge  303-425-4500

543 beds Level 3 trauma center

McKee Medical Center – Banner   (Larimer)

2000 N. Boise Ave., Loveland 970-820-4640

132 beds Level 3 trauma center

Medical Center of the Rockies – UC Health   (Larimer)

2500 Rocky Mountain Ave., Loveland    970-624-2500

174 beds Level 2 trauma center

Banner Fort Collins Medical Center   (Larimer)

4700 Lady Moon Dr., Fort Collins 970-821-4000

Acute-care 23 beds (inpatient diagnostic and therapeutic services)   ICU beds 12 

UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital   (Larimer)  

1024 S. Lemay Ave., Fort Collins     970-495-7000

270 beds Level 3 trauma center

North Colorado Medical Center (Banner Health)      (Weld County)

1801 16th St., Greeley     970-810-4121

378 beds      Level 2 trauma.   A tertiary care facility.

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Coronavirus Protection – Facemasks incl. 3D Print

Pattern for N95 mask: https://www.makethemasks.com/

The CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html
This site has several other sets of instructions to make masks so if this one won’t work for you try checking this site for alternatives.

NIH Collection of 3D Print Instruction Sets for face masks and shields including how to assemble and wear: https://3dprint.nih.gov/collections/covid-19-response

Simple no-sew mask:

The original blog with these instructions:

http://blog.japanesecreations.com/no-sew-face-mask-with-handkerchief-and-hair-tie