By Cherie Kloss, founder and chief executive officer for SnapMedTech
For a long time, entrepreneurship has been male-dominated, with a glass ceiling difficult to break. However, women have been finally receiving well-deserved recognition for their entrepreneurial skills evident by the rise of women-owned businesses nearing 13 million in the last year. At the highest corporate levels, 2022 has so far seen the highest number of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies at 74, up from 41 in June 2021. Although this is progress, it is still far from achieving full equality and equity for women in business.
With the emergence of smart technology, women have been jumping at the opportunity to build innovative startups which offer solutions poised to succeed in the marketplace. In 2017, a former anesthetist, Cherie Kloss, saw an opportunity to continue to chip away at the entrepreneurial glass ceiling with the idea of completely revolutionizing the way healthcare staffing works with a tech-enabled healthcare staffing platform.
The healthcare industry has been at the center of the national conversation due to the pandemics’ disastrous effects and the toll it’s taken on healthcare personnel leading to crippling staffing shortages. As a result, the healthcare industry had to reconsider and pivot its staffing practices for more efficient methods to ensure nurses were present where they were needed most. In 2017, Kloss saw the opportunity to modernize staffing practices and launched SnapNurse, a tech-enabled platform that pairs nurses with healthcare facilities, supporting her vision for more efficient and effective process to staff nurses and allied healthcare professionals.
With direct experience with the tedious, manual and paper-based staffing system, Kloss knew there was an opportunity to dramatically cut down the traditional staffing model of up to a 14-day hiring period. She looked to tech giants like Uber and built SnapNurse, which gives nurses the flexibility to choose the length and location of their assignments, helping avoid burnout.
SnapNurse quickly became the leading healthcare digital staffing platform in the country, not just in nursing but for all healthcare providers. With a network of over 250,000 nurses, SnapNurse deploys staff in less than 48 hours and has a 100% fill rate. Its innovative model led to SnapNurse’s explosive growth. From Q1 2020 to Q1 2021, the company held a growth rate of 40,000%, one of the fastest growth rates of any company in any industry in recorded history.
Amidst SnapNurse’s tremendous growth and success, Kloss shares her insights with women entrepreneurs so they too can achieve success:
Pick your team wisely
When you are founding a company, you must surround yourself with a smart and agile team. Your team must be able to strengthen your vision and bring forth effective and efficient ideas to propel your company forward. Without the right team, you won’t go far.
Be Ready to Work Hard
If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, chances are you already have incredible ambition and drive. However, do not underestimate the amount of work and hours it takes to build your vision from the ground up. From investor relations to product development and managing teams, be ready to work long hours and know sacrifices will be made. So, though you may part ways with your favorite hobbies while you’re in the thick of funding your venture, know it will be worth it in the long run.
On the same note, you also need to take time away and not feel guilty about it. There must be a balance between work, your interests, and your family; otherwise you’ll inevitably suffer from burnout. Though that balance may be hard to find as you start your business, the more you grow, the more you need to let go and delegate to your team. This will allow you to focus on more strategic objectives, continue business growth and also have a life.
Make Your Voice Heard
Unfortunately, women in business are often overlooked. As women entrepreneurs, we must make sure our voice is heard loud and clear in every room. We can do this by presenting ourselves and our expertise with confidence, without worrying whether we are liked by every person in the room. Don’t silence yourself. Follow your instinct, share your thoughts and offer a strategic approach to every situation.
Dive In and Learn More
It’s never too late to learn something new and the resources are out there – often for free. When you don’t know something or could use more training, find a way to learn it. In our modern age, you can find the answer, how-tos and online classes on almost any subject, from coding to digital advertising. Set aside time to learn about every aspect of your business every day. As a result, you’ll become a stronger leader for business.
About Author:
Founder and CEO Cherie Kloss is founder and chief executive officer for SnapMedTech, the parent company for SnapNurse and its technology brands InstaStaff and Paymint.With more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry, Cherie guides the SnapMedTech family, building technologies and service businesses around the automation of booking, credentialing, and payment processes crucial to healthcare staffing.She also has a history of creating and executive producing major cable television series on History Channel, Discovery Channel, Syfy, A&E, TLC, TLC International. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Cherie served for more than 18 years as an anesthetist at hospitals throughout Atlanta. She holds a BS in biology and premed from Westmont College and a master’s degree from Emory University School of Medicine.
