'Early Adopters' are people who adopt a new idea, technology, or other concept before the majority of people have accepted it. Are you one of them? If you are, you will want to check out the information on the Nurse Entrepreneur Network web site about Wellness Coaching.

In Wikipedia, early adopters are discussed using Everett Rogers' "Diffusion of innovations theory." This theory provides a framework for the categories of product adopters. Considering myself to be an early adopter, I found this information to be interesting. Do you fall into one of these categories?

"The Everett Rogers Diffusion of innovations theory" - for any given product category, there are five categories of product adopters:

Innovators - venturesome, educated, multiple info sources;

Early adopters - social leaders, popular, educated;

Early majority - deliberate, many informal social contacts;

Late majority - skeptical, traditional, lower socio-economic status;

Laggards - neighbors and friends are main info sources, fear of debt."

If you are an early adopter, you will want to be on the look out for what is new in the field for nurse entrepreneurs. By being an early adopter, you will have little competition, you will likely be able to have an impact on how the profession takes shape.

One of the downsides of being an early adopter is that you will have to take an active role in creating the marketplace. You will be involved in an educational sale versus a competitive sale. You will want to check out the following nursing opportunities if you are an early adopter:

• Wellness Coaching 
• Travel nurse
• Independent contracting
• Perioperative and new equipment training
• Completing Medicare set aside reports

If you know of other early adopter opportunities, please share these with the other Nurse Entrepreneur Network members on the member discussion forum.