Tag: education

Great Business Books to Read Following the Pandemic

On August 24, 2021

In Career, Education, Finance, Investing, Leadership, Nicholas Fainlight

Last year’s pandemic made running a business harder than it’s ever been. Even with government aid, business owners had no time to cope with their new way of living, causing over 100,000 small businesses to close for good. As the pandemic finally reaches its close, businesses are facing a promising future. This new future isn’t without its challenges, such as providing new strategies to help businesses succeed in the post-pandemic world. Below is a list of books designed to help business owners cope with new challenges after Covid.

Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life (And how anyone can harness it. Even you.)

Everyone’s had a rough year with Covid and politics. Tensions are high, and what better way to combat that with a little bit of humor? This book explains why humor is important in the workplace and how business owners can apply it to their own company.

Lives of the Stoics: The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius

If anything the pandemic has taught everyone, it’s that they need to be tougher in this unpredictable world. Self-discipline is key to facing new challenges facing business owners, and this book gives a complete guide on the history and application of Stoicism.

Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance

The pandemic has taught everyone a new way to do business, and that’s through the use of digital means. If someone wants to work remotely, that can happen. However, without that face-to-face value, building trust and communication is more difficult. This book teaches how to cope with not having employees around anymore to talk with, leading to a more successful business.

Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding from Anywhere

Remote work is still a staple after the pandemic. It opened a new way for employees to work for businesses, and it turns out that it’s very effective. Whether this trend will disappear with the pandemic or not, it’s still a good idea to learn the ropes of succeeding in a remote working environment.

No one knows exactly what the future is for businesses. So it’s best for business owners to equip themselves for anything. Whether it be another pandemic or if they want their business to go in a new direction, these books are here to help.

Overrated Business Tips to Forget

By Nicholas Fainlight

On January 28, 2021

In Career, Education, Finance, fitness, health, Investing, Leadership, Nicholas Fainlight, postgraduate, Technology, Uncategorized

Wherever you go, people provide unsolicited guidance on how to grow, run, or start a business. Out of the pointers they offer, some are valuable, and you must observe them. However, others are misinterpreted, outdated, or just plain wrong for the business you’re running. Here are some overrated business tips to forget.

1. Your Service or Product Must Be Unique

Businesspersons are often advised to outline what makes them stand out. However, it is not necessary to find an exclusive approach to achieve corporate success. A subtle change may improve the entire experience.

2. Customers Are Always Right

Do you need to make the customers happy? Yes. However, if your main goal is to please people, you may end up in a world of unnecessary suffering. It’s best to pay attention to the things that bring you a long-term profit, not the things that take your energy and time.

3. Do Not Start a Business With Your Friend

Many people think it’s a bad idea to start an enterprise with a friend, but that’s not true—friends whose expertise supplements each other may build a thriving business. Establishing a company may be straining to the relationship; however, the benefits of operating with a person you trust may be worth it.

4. Promote Your Business on Facebook

Companies have acknowledged that paid advertising is the only path to increase your Facebook image, which is still one of the world’s best social platforms. However, it is not always the top place to use up your advertising budget. There are other more effective means to reach your audience for a much lower price per lead, for instance, on platforms like Pinterest.

5. Concentrate on Your Site Instead of Building the Brand

It is important to have a brand that reverberates with ideal customers. However, investing all energy and time in the “perfect” site is not how to make it.

6. Never Reject an Opportunity

It is tempting to “do it all” and take all opportunities that cross your path at the beginning of your business. Saying “yes” to all opportunities in your corporate encounters will stifle your time and dilute your brand.

7. Gather as Much Cash as Possible

Each business needs cash to start and grow; however, not all businesses must seek that through financiers. While funding may help some companies grow significantly, other lifestyle corporations are at an advantage without it.
Finally, despite all the advice that entrepreneurs receive, they should filter what is right for their business.

How To Balance Profit And Purpose In Business

By Nicholas Fainlight

On January 28, 2021

In Career, Education, Finance, fitness, health, Investing, Leadership, Nicholas Fainlight, postgraduate, Technology, Uncategorized

Entrepreneurs need to build business empires while still staying committed to their purpose. A significant number of business people struggle to commit to their purpose while still keeping their enterprises profitable. Businesses need to demonstrate their contribution to humanity while still growing their profit margins. Here are ways businesses can balance profit and purpose.

Go Green

In the past few years, many businesses have shown their commitment to adopting more sustainable production methods. No matter the size, every organization can play a role in reducing its environmental footprint. Surprisingly, the current generation prefers to buy green products. Therefore, companies that will demonstrate high sustainability credentials will gain numerous customers who want to buy green.

For instance, manufacturers can reduce carbon emissions by sourcing closer to home. When raw materials are transported for short distances, it helps cut both transport costs and carbon emissions. Besides, leaders who have a passion for conserving the environment can shift to renewable energy sources.

Find an Inspiration

Walk away from your comfort zone and start doing something new that challenges you. Learn from these things and find inspiration in them

Leverage Technology

Technology is changing every aspect of life, including how consumers interact with brands and how they buy products and services. For example, online sales have doubled in the past five years. Additionally, organizations are using machines to understand customer needs better. This means that businesses must stay on top of the latest innovations to remain competitive in their respective industries.

Share Your Success

Entrepreneurship is a murky journey characterized by ups and downs. Therefore, successive entrepreneurs should consider sharing their experiences with novice business people. When you balance profit and purpose, your impact is significant and tangible, and more consumers will want to be associated with your business.

Understand Your Purpose

Purpose goes beyond providing high-quality goods and services to consumers. It also means that your business prioritizes the common good of the community. For example, some companies such as Unilever have already developed a unique living plan to track their progress of minimizing their environmental footprint. Business leaders should devote time to learn about societal impact and how to improve it.

To change business operations to meet new expectations requires exceptional and visionary leadership. In today’s versatile business world, leaders who will adopt agility will be in a better position to achieve long-term success.

Tips For Building A Great Resume

By Nicholas Fainlight

On July 18, 2020

In Career, Education, Nicholas Fainlight, postgraduate

Having a stellar resume is one of the most important aspects of applying for jobs. The hard part is actually building one. A lot goes into building a resume and you’ll likely hear many different things about what makes one great. It’s important that your resume is easy to read and that it highlights your relevant experience in a clear and concise manner. You might even want to seek out professional help when building or updating your resume to make sure it’s up to snuff and gets past the computers that screen resumes and into the hands of a hiring manager. Read on for a few tips to help you build the best resume you can.

Research Examples For Your Industry

A great place to start when building your resume is researching examples of great resumes that other people in your industry have used. This can give you a good feel for the type of experience you want to include and how you want to describe the roles or projects you’ve worked on previously. When looking at examples, you’ll notice that the best examples tend to be brief and simple to read for anyone looking at them. You’ll also notice that they tend to include numbers. Numbers are good because they help an employer get a better sense of the value you can bring to the position you’re applying for.

Put The Most Important Information First

Depending on how long you’ve been working, you may have a lot of relevant experience to put onto your resume. While you may want to share all of this experience with potential employers, it can end up causing your resume to be bloated with information which may ultimately lead to a hiring manager passing on it. You want to make sure that the information on your resume is only the most relevant information to the role you’re applying for and that you put that information at the top of your resume so it sticks out to employers. If you’re applying for a customer service role in an office, you likely don’t need to include that warehouse job you did in college.

Proofread

This might seem obvious but you’d be surprised how often employers receive resumes that have grammatical errors and the like in them. Before sending your resume off, be sure to proofread it several times. You should go through it yourself but you can also use various proofreading programs and tools on the internet. Ultimately, it may be best to have a few colleagues or friends who you trust to take a look at it and see what they say. An outside source is more likely to catch mistakes and unnecessary information than the person who worked on it.

Tips For Making Online Grad School Easier

By Nicholas Fainlight

On July 12, 2020

In Career, Education, Nicholas Fainlight, postgraduate, Technology

Attending grad school is a wonderful opportunity for anyone looking to further their education and become more successful in life. You’ll find that many students choose to attend grad school online because many go later in life while they have full time jobs or are starting families. In today’s day and age with issues such as COVID-19 affecting the world in many ways, even more students are beginning to attend graduate school from the comfort of their homes. Attending school in any capacity from home can be stressful but it doesn’t need to be as difficult as you might think. Here are a few tips to help make attending online grad school a little easier.

Make Sure Your Computer Is Up To Date

If you’re going to be doing online graduate school classes it’s extremely important that you not only have a computer, but that you make sure it’s up to date and functioning properly. You’ll be dead in the water without a properly working computer and making sure it’s up to date will give you far less headaches. Nobody likes turning their computer on first thing in the morning and having to deal with surprise updates when they have to submit something or attend an online seminar. It’s also important to make sure your internet connection is up to snuff as well, otherwise the whole process may be a slog.

Establish Your Work Space

One of the most difficult aspects of taking online classes is doing your work from the comfort of your home. While that may sound nice, it can actually be more difficult than you might think. It’s easy to get too comfortable when at home and get distracted from your work. You’ll want to treat your online classes as if you’re physically going into the classroom. Try to continue doing any routines you might usually do when going into a physical classroom – if you shower every morning, make sure you do that now as well. Make sure your workspace is clean and avoid distractions such as television or social media websites.

Practice Self Discipline

This goes along with establishing your workspace, but having self discipline is of the utmost importance when doing any type of work or learning from home. It’s extremely easy to get distracted, whether it be by your favorite websites, chatting with friends or watching the television. You might be inclined to try and power through your lessons and get ahead of where your class is currently at, but it’s important to take things a step at a time. You’re going to have a lot of materials to digest and if you don’t let yourself absorb the material and truly understand it, you’ll end up struggling later down the road.

Learn During Grad School Nicholas Fainlight

How to Learn as Much as Possible While in Grad School

By Nicholas Fainlight

On September 30, 2018

In Career, Education, Nicholas Fainlight, postgraduate

Grad school can easily be the most intense experience most students face. A far cry from the course load of undergrad, graduate school often takes current students and prospective students by surprise with its challenges. Even if you went to a rigorous undergraduate college, grad school is completely different and very focused on your specific area of study.

Some grad students are often too overwhelmed to take full advantage of their grad school experience. However, students with the right mindset and study strategies will find grad school to be more rewarding than they ever thought possible. Read on for four ways to learn as much as possible as a grad student and make this time in your life just a bit less stressful.

Know your strengths

The first step to getting more done when in grad school is to know your strengths when it comes to productivity. Students that are well aware of their studying habits and schedules are better prepared to succeed in grad school. By identifying a schedule and pattern for when you’re at your most productive, you’ll be able to stay on top of your school work as easily as possible.

Focus on reading smarter

While many students in grad school attempt to read as much as possible, this method isn’t always an efficient way to study. Instead, students should try to read smarter by focusing on reading with a purpose in mind. This goal requires students to actively internalize the material they are reading rather than simply speeding through it. Moreover, when reading for a specific reason, such as for a research for a paper, if the material is irrelevant, it is inefficient to keep reading.

Make grad school about learning

Grades are important but aren’t a significant factor in the long run. While grades are what help a student get accepted into a particular program, once they are in grad school, they must shift their thinking to focus on learning. When pursuing your profession outside of grad school, the knowledge you have learned is what truly matters.

Choose opportunities wisely

Many grad students find themselves overwhelmed because they load their schedule with too much. Instead of trying to do everything, focus on specializing in a specific area. In grad school, it is especially important for students to truly zero-in on one thing that they want to focus on in their professional lives.

Getting through grad school requires a well thought out strategy. Take these suggestions into consideration when searching for balance while navigating grad school.

School Foreign Country Nicholas Fainlight

4 Tips to Prepare for Attending College in Another Country

By Nicholas Fainlight

On July 18, 2018

In Career, Education, Nicholas Fainlight

Lots of people study abroad in other countries, but a lot fewer people actually attend college and receive their degree in a foreign country. For college students from the United States, whether you’re looking to gain an undergraduate degree or are researching grad schools, there are many great options outside of the country. Sometimes, foreign schools even cost less (or are free) when compared to schools in the United States. If you’re planning on attending college in a different country, here are some tips to make this journey as easy as possible.

Choose your school carefully

The first step to take once you decide you’d like to look at colleges abroad is to carefully research the schools you’re looking at. Do not simply choose a school because it’s in a county you’d like to visit and you have a high chance of getting accepted. Much like schools in the United States, where you decide to earn your degree is important and can affect your employability in the future. Research the schools and learn as much as possible, such as how current students like the school, what it’s reputation is, and what your specific department would be like. Consider reaching out to current professors and students and asking any questions you may have.

Research the area

No matter where you’re thinking of attending school, even if you’ve already visited that country or city, research the area. You’ll be living there for at least a year, so you’re going to become immersed in the area and culture. Work on learning the native language beforehand, discover the history of the area, and check out the pop culture of that country. The more you understand when you start school, the more comfortable you’ll feel. Remember to take time to sightsee and travel the local area once you’re in school so you don’t miss out on anything.

Connect with locals

Once you get to your new home, and even before, find time to connect with the locals. Join groups or clubs or simply find an online forum where you can get to know some people and what life is like in the area. Remember to connect with other students as well because many of them will probably be from the country the school is located in.

Plan out what you’re taking

While you’ll be in a foreign country for a significant amount of time, it’s important to not overpack. Strategically plan out what you’ll be taking with you and research what people have found most useful when studying abroad in this country. Remember that you can always buy toiletries once you settle in, so avoid taking up space with something you can simply get once you arrive.

Young man in graduation robes facing auditorium, nicholas fainlight preparing for grad school

6 Tips for Getting Ready to Head to Grad School

By Nicholas Fainlight

On June 21, 2018

In Career, Education, Finance, Nicholas Fainlight

Once you’ve been accepted to graduate school, you might think it’s time to relax and that you can approach grad school like you did your undergrad college. However, grad school is vastly different from your previous college experience. You’re studying something much more specialized and are in an even more competitive program. You’ll have to work harder and produce higher level work in order to excel in your grad program. It’s important to remember that grad school is a much more professional environment than undergrad; you’re entirely focused on progressing your career and have a narrowed view of what you want to study. This focus doesn’t mean that grad school can’t be fun, it just mean you need to prepare for it differently than you did undergrad.

Network

Since grad school is all about getting ready for the future, take time to network before and during it. Attend local networking events over the summer and take advantage of any opportunities to connect with people from your school. The sooner you get to know professors and fellow students, the better.

Learn about the school

Once you’ve chosen your grad school, take the time to learn more about it. What’s the town or area around it like? How’s the campus? What are the classes and professors like there? Try to find current students to talk to or blogs to read. It’s never too early to start thinking about what classes you’d like to take or what organizations you’ll get involved with.

Choose where you’ll live

Some grad schools do not offer on-campus housing so it’s up to you to find your own place to stay while in school. Others do offer housing, but it’s often your responsibility to seek out your options and decide where to stay. The last thing you want is to show up on the first day with nowhere to stay.

Increase your knowledge

Before getting to grad school, it’s beneficial to increase your knowledge of the subject you’ll be studying and any other areas that could be useful. Take time to catch up with recent news and developments in your chosen field of study. Refresh yourself on the basics and do some research to find out if there’s any material you should know that you haven’t previously studied.

Get prepared

In addition to being prepared as far as your studies go, making sure you’re practically prepared is important too. Once you decide where you’re living, do you have all the essentials you’ll need for your new home? Do you have clothes that are appropriate for the climate? Are all of your papers in order? Make a list of everything you’ll need and tasks you to complete before starting grad school to be sure you don’t forget anything important.

Create some goals

Finally, set aside time to create a few goals for yourself. You’re entering grad school and need to have a plan for what you’ll do these years and afterwards. Are there specific internships you’d like to apply for? What do you want your career to look like once you’re done with school? Setting long-term goals helps you stay focused and organized during grad school.

Newspaper with finance graphs and information, Nicholas Fainlight teaching students financial literacy

Why Financial Literacy Should Be Taught in Schools

By Nicholas Fainlight

On March 12, 2018

In Career, Finance, Nicholas Fainlight

Financial literacy is important no matter what point of your life you’re at. However, the younger you begin learning how to manage your finances, the better you’ll be at managing money throughout your life. There are studies that show financial literacy education has a significant impact and affects students far past their school years. Students in high school who take at least one financial literacy class show themselves to be much more financially responsible as they grow older. With far too many Americans shouldering hefty credit card debt and the rise of immense students loans, it’s more important than ever before for people to understand their financial choices.

Better understanding of life choices

Nearly any aspect of life requires some kind of financial knowledge and means. If you want to go to college, buy a house, get married, have kids, etc., you’re going to be spending money. There are options to take out loans for nearly anything, but is that the best option for you? When you’re researching student loans or working on purchasing your first car, understanding basic financial ideas like interest rates, down payments, and financing is vitally important in order to make the best financial decisions. Being financially literate helps you make informed choices on these topics.

Successfully avoid debt

Most people living in the United States have some kind of debt and that number isn’t going down. People eagerly charge credit cards for purchases, slowly paying off the bill over years and spending more than they would have initially thanks to huge interest rates. Taking out loans for college or a mortgage simply adds to this debt. With financial literacy, it makes it much easier for adults to avoid excessive debt and helps educate them on how to strategically pay off any debt they do accumulate.

Find greater happiness

While money cannot buy happiness, concerns over money cause excessive stress. The number one topic couples argue about is money and people who have to live paycheck to paycheck often feel stressed out, wondering if they’ll be able to pay their bills each month. With financial knowledge, it makes becoming financially secure much easier and lowers levels of stress. WIth less stress, you’ll lead a healthier life. You might not have as large a house or as nice a car as other people, but you won’t be using up all of your money paying off debt you didn’t need to have in the first place.

Increase monetary gains

The better educated you are about finances, the more likely you are to have financial security and increase monetary gains over your lifetime. Understanding the basics of investing and the importance of saving for retirement leads to people being more financially stable as they get older. If you understand the importance of making a fair salary, you’re more likely to advocate for a great starting salary and fair pay increases.

Create a secure future

Like I mentioned above, students who are taught financial literacy early in life are more likely to understand the importance of many financial decisions, such as saving for retirement. The younger someone realizes they should be saving up for their future and making wise purchasing decisions, the sooner they’ll start investing and saving. Planning for your future early helps create a secure future that leads to less monetary concerns.

Room full of people, person at front of room giving a presentation, nicholas fainlight blog about the importance of continuing your education

5 Reasons You Should Continue Your Education After College

By Nicholas Fainlight

On March 1, 2018

In Career, Investing, Nicholas Fainlight

Up until your college graduation, a large portion of your time has been spent furthering your education. While post-graduation feels great because you can stop worrying about attending classes, paper deadlines, and finals week, it’s important you continue your education in some other way. You might be done with a formal education, but you need to keep learning even after graduation. There are plenty of invaluable reasons to continue your education; here are just a few of them.

Career advancement

One of the biggest benefits of continued education after official graduation is how it can help your career. No matter what your job is, there’s more you can learn and there’s someplace to advance to. Maybe you want to get promoted, but lack management skills or another business skill. You might want to pursue an entirely new career, but lack some of the necessary skills. Luckily, by continuing your education, you have opportunities to learn more skills and pursue a new direction in your career. It also showcases your work ethic to your boss and proves that you care about your job and can work hard.

Improves your mind

Plenty of studies have shown the benefits reading and continuous learning have on your mind and overall health. You strengthen your mind, which can help reduce memory loss. You’ll find it’s easier to recall facts and teach yourself other skills if you make a point to keep learning. While general learning is also helpful, you can teach yourself specific skills that help prevent other health issues, such as reducing stress or learning about proper exercise and nutrition.

Makes you interesting

The last kind of person you want to be is someone others find boring to talk to. Whether it’s a conversation with your family, friends, or strangers, continually educating yourself provides you with insightful ideas and interesting topics to discuss. You never know when some interesting fact or skill you learned could come in handy. Being able to hold an interesting conversation improves your personal and professional lives as well.

Discover new passions

You might not realize you’re incredibly interested in photography or the history of Australia until you begin teaching yourself about it. Even if a topic doesn’t seem like something you’d really want to learn about, try reading a book or taking an online class about it. You never know what strikes your interest or where it’ll take you.

Learn useful skills

Unfortunately, most schools do not teach students basic life skills. Once you graduate, you’ll realize you need to know a lot of information no one told you about, like signing a lease, filing taxes, opening a credit card, or maintaining upkeep on your home. Take time to read books, blogs, or watch videos that address these issues. Any question you might have about a certain life skill can be found either in your local library or online, so teach yourself these skills and make your life that much less stressful.