Author Archives: TechNut

Taking Risks With Your Marketing Plan

Successful marketing is about taking risks. Whether you are launching a startup or expanding your business, every marketing opportunity presents the risk of failure. Rather than leveraging every idea, develop a principle of making smart moves in terms of approaching risk.

Evaluate the Risk

The first test should be to assess the risk. Get your compass by determining the results of a possible risk. What amount of money should you risk to test your marketing strategy? Understand, you are not experimenting for the sake of it. Ensure that your risk is well calculated. For instance, if you are running an email campaign, track the un-opens and unsubscribes. These metrics should tell you whether your tactic is working or not.

Invest in your Bottom Line with Innovation

You do not want your company to stay stuck in the status quo. Be careful to balance competing priorities including your drive for innovation and revenue model. Begin by finding out how your business niche is evolving and grab opportunities that might work for you.

If you do not leverage these opportunities, your competitors will fly with them and get a better competitive advantage over you. You need to break out of old marketing ideas if you are to reach your target market strategically.

Just because the industry standard is giving you some good results does not mean you cannot try out other strategies to push you further into the market. This could mean experimenting with new marketing channels such as TV, radio, and newspaper, among others.

Evaluate Every Opportunity

Do not grab every opportunity that presents itself. Start by examining each critically and gather as much valuable information about it as you can. Determine the course of action and weigh options to ensure you are not being led by fear or your emotional drive.

Remember to focus on your value proposition and find out if the new marketing opportunities address your core agenda of capturing an audience. Does the opportunity present you as valuable to your target market in your competitive space?

Addressing your audience strategically means taking their unique needs and preferences into account.  If the opportunities do not address the needs of your consumers, they may drift away from your company.

Balance Logic with Emotion

Entrepreneurs who are mentally stable hardly fear to take calculated risk in marketing. They understand that taking calculated risks could stand between an ordinary and an extraordinary life. However, risk cannot be calculated based on the level of fear.

Examine facts instead by drafting a list of pros and cons for your advertising campaign. You need to cut through the competitive noise of ads by being logical in decision-making and how you view risk. If you are excited about exploring a new opportunity, you may overlook the risk.

Be Ready to Adopt Changes

For every successful business, risk is an ongoing process. It can introduce new markets and possibilities. Once you have implemented ideas, you may at some point need to alter them.

Developing a new product or service can be risky, and these risks do not just disappear soon after your business has left the ground. Your company will need to explore other markets. Even if you create a great product, notice that failing to have follow-on will not keep you ahead of the competition.

You need to invest in a family of products. Take a calculated risk by setting a plan that will help you to expand your product line.

Why Your Business Should Take Risk

Many entrepreneurs have ventured into the market to get their companies to where they stand now. However, this does not mean taking risks blindly and expecting excellent results. It is about careful planning. So, why should you calculate risk?

1. Your Business Cannot Stagnate

We are in an era of agile, where things move too fast. Tactics change and are quickly rebuilt to be more productive and profitable. If today your business is missing out on top-class ad trends and tools, you are slowly losing your competitive advantage. There is a good reason top companies keep changing their ads. They understand that the market is growing and new ways have to be explored to maintain good client traffic.

2. Every Business Takes Risk

Quitting from a well-paid position to start a business is a risk. First, if you have not been on the market before, your reputation is put at risk. You also spend a certain amount to get the business up and running through adverts. There are many other risks involved such as the hiring of employees and investing in customer service.

3. To Eliminate “What If” in the Future

Starting a business and determining risk does not guarantee the risks will pay off. Calculating the risks heightens the chances of success. Although not every risk will pay-off, risk-takers take failure as a learning opportunity. The willingness to implement new ideas is an opportunity to grow business.

Now that you understand why taking calculated risk is critical begin auditing your campaign strategy. Different strategies and outlets can be approached to help you capture the needs of your target market.

The trick to successfully taking control of your finances

When it comes to learning to masterfully control your finances, it goes without saying that it is a learning curve. It is an unfortunate reality that the world revolves, for the most part, around the give and take that centres around financial currency. This means, at the end of the day, that it is practically impossible to escape the necessity of having your own financial backing, and being able to adequately handle that backing on an ongoing basis. Companies like Money Task Force are perfect for helping to bridge the gaps, but you should know how to handle your finances yourself for the most part.

 

People are often easily frustrated when handling their finances, because it can often seem like their finances are chaotic to handle. While it is certainly true that, if left unchecked, finances can be an especially chaotic subject to handle, if you stay on top of them they can actually be quite easy to adequately maintain and grow. So, what is the trick to successfully taking control of your finances? Ultimately, it comes down to three steps.

 

Create a self-imposed budget and work to actively stick to it

 

Before anything else, self-control is crucial. It can take some trial and error to work this through one’s mind and to realise the truth of it. Often what happens is that when someone gets a payday, they find themselves excited and end up overspending before they even have a chance to regulate that pay check into compulsory bills and other costs, spending money, and savings. This often (if not always) leads to a distinct imbalance in income, and savings – even if one is living generally quite within their means.

 

So, to get a handle on your finances, start by working out a self-imposed budget. This is the budget that you create for yourself. Separate your paycheck into different categories, always starting with the compulsory costs like bills and the like. From there, work in spending money, social money, savings for trips and holiday gifts, etc, and the savings pool that you are not going to touch – think of this like an additional Super…you can touch it, but treat it like you cannot, and watch it flourish and thrive.

 

Have separate bank accounts for everyday access, savings, etc

 

This might be obvious to some, but having separate bank accounts for everyday access and savings makes the world of difference. It is easy enough to spend haphazardly if all your money is in one place, but if you spread it out strategically over different bank accounts – even across separate banks altogether, at that – you will find that it is easier not to touch your savings. Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes. This is very important, and it is one of the most useful keys you can have that helps you to successfully handle your finances.

 

Set up direct debit so you can easily track ongoing expenses

Think about all the ongoing expenses that you have – bills, etc. These are payments that, like it or not, continue to come out of your account until they are paid off or you are no longer obligated to continue repayments. In setting up direct debits for these payments, you can click on ‘Upcoming payments’ in your bank app to get a real-time play-by-play of all the bills and upcoming payments that you have due soon. This makes it easier to keep track and thus stay on top of your repayments.

 

6 study tips for stressed students

It goes without saying that being a student can be a stressful experience. With so many assessments to study for and stay on top of, it can be easy to fall off the wagon sometimes. Thankfully, there are many effective and valuable study tips out there to assist in navigating your way through these decidedly stressful times. But with so many study tips out there, how can one tell which are the most effective of all? Well, these are the six most effective and popular study tips – especially for stressed students.

 Plan the semester study sessions ahead of time

 Believe it or not, taking the time to sit down and structure out your study sessions ahead of the semester’s start is one of the best study tips you can get. By organising as best you can ahead of time, you effectively allow yourself the time to get ahead. Map it out on a whiteboard in your study area, and copy it into a diary or your Google Calendar, so that as the semester progresses, you can fit in social and personal events around your study sessions and your work schedule.

 Form a reliable study group

 Forming a strong study group gives you the opportunity to bounce ideas and understandings of the course material off one another. This gives you a more wholesome perspective on the material, and allows you to look at it from multiple angles, rather than just the one perspective (i.e. your own perspective). As a bonus, your study group often become some of your best and most trusted friends in college.

 Break assessments into segments

 Sometimes a big assessment can seem particularly daunting. Breaking down the assessment into smaller segments is a fantastic way to alleviate the stress, while also ensuring that you are dedicating specific energy and time to each smaller segment of the assignment. When things look more manageable from the onset, they are easier to motivate yourself to complete – even if you are more stressed than usual.

 Take breaks to fit in life

 While of course the main sticking point of college is that you are focused, you also must take breaks to fit in life and everyday activities. Whether it is going to the gym, doing the groceries, having a family dinner, or even something as simple as reading a book that isn’t on any of your course material outlines, taking a break allows you to

 Try CBD oil to help focus the mind

 CBD oil has been found, time and again, in recent years to be a viable treatment for anxiety, depression, and other stressors. Making use of CBD oil to help focus the mind is a great way to push yourself into focus without doing anything too heavy to get there. THC-free, CBD is as organic a booster as you can find, and it also happens to be one of the most effective.

 Step away from the books now and then

 This might be the most surprising study tip of all, but sometimes the best thing you can do for your grades is to take a step back from the books for a while – even a few days. Essentially, this is the larger iteration of taking study breaks. Your mental health is just as important, if not more so, than your physical health – and it is certainly more important than academic success. Taking a few days for yourself allows you the head space and time to regroup and replenish your mindset.

The Five Best Part-Time Jobs for College Students

College is demanding. If you’re doing it right, it should feel like a full-time job. But business and academia are worlds apart, and more and more employers are saying that they’re not very confident in the abilities of newly minted college graduates to transition smoothly into a professional life. As college prices continue to rise, it becomes increasingly more difficult (even impossible) for students to pay their way through college with a side job, but regular paychecks, even small ones, can help pay for room and board, textbooks, and other course fees. Even if those are all covered, the extra money can help students unwind at a cafe (or a bar, if they’re old enough) and is a nice added benefit to having useful work experience and something that looks nice on a resume. But what are the best kinds of jobs to take?

  • Internships

The single most important factor in choosing a job is how much it will interfere with your daily class schedule and much-needed study time. What’s great about internships is that not only are they usually networked through the university, but employers enter the relationship understanding that school takes priority. The downside is that many internships are unpaid, but they more than make up for lack of cash with unparalleled networking opportunities and professional experience. 

  • Campus jobs

Campus jobs share similar benefits to internships. Because the university is the employer, they’re usually strictly prohibited from enforcing too rigorous a work schedule on the students. If the idea of working for the people who get your tuition money irks you, you can always take your culinary talents – or develop some – and set up a small food stand or food truck to serve students on their way to and from class. There are plenty of options for coffee shop point of sale that can make running your tiny business a breeze. 

  • Retail

Retail is not high on the list of people’s favorite jobs, but it’s an honest salary and so many employees come from high school or college backgrounds that employers are generally understanding when it comes to scheduling, and if you get to know your co-workers they can help you cover your shifts if you need emergency study time. If you do good work, it can also segue into being a real post-college career if you decide you want to move into management.

  • Freelancing

Freelancing allows you to work directly in your chosen career path and build a portfolio of respectable work while earning money at your own pace. It’s ideal for forward-thinking students, especially those in the creative arts, with entrepreneurial spirit and good time management skills. 

  • Seasonal Work

Seasonal work can be in a variety of fields and disciplines, but the main perk is that it can help you fill that downtime between semesters that many traditional employers would rather avoid hiring you for if they know you’ll be gone again before the end of the year. Seasonal work also tends to be high-volume in a short period of time, so as soon as it’s over the next semester will be coming around the corner and you’ll have sufficiently deep pockets to pay for your textbooks and course fees, and maybe even a little recreation on the side. 

How Education Benefits from Technology

Technology is the driving force behind every aspect of human life and education too falls within its sphere of influence. Education has always been a pillar of development and any advances made in this arena will impact the whole world for the better. And ever since it has embraced technology, it has witnessed a dramatic forward leap. With globalisation giving technology a world-wide reach, more and more people are reaping in the benefits of education that is spurred on by technology.

  • Interactive Education

Learning from textbooks can be tedious and many students find it hard to retain facts and figures simply from reading a book. But interactive classroom technology can be utilized by teachers to craft instructional materials that can bring even the most boring subject matter alive, engage more learners through feedback and keep tabs on their progress. Interactive technology is beneficial in research as well, for example, most students simply refer to Google Maps or Google Earth to help with their geography projects instead of learning about the earth through 2D maps or globes.

  1. Simulation And 3D Models

Through educational simulation, learners get to experience or witness a scenario that without technology would have been impossible to recreate. A virtual reality through computer simulation is constructed to help students grasp a concept. For example, simulations or 3D representation of how a hurricane develops, the evolution of mankind or how dinosaurs walked can captivate young minds and inculcate in them a passion for learning more.

  1. Availability of Information

Gone are the days, when books alone used to be the only source of information. Libraries contain a finite number of books, and many schools and institutes have an insufficient repository of books. But this shortfall has been met by the internet. With the rise of the ‘flipped classrooms’, both teachers and learners can tap into open educational Resources and digital libraries where documents are available either free or at nominal costs. There is a plethora of online educational websites and forums such as Khan Academy, Coursera, TED.com, JSTOR and innumerable podcasts, and essay online. Moreover, there are cyber learning technologies that are redefining education and helping students and scholars.

  1. Increased Collaboration 

With the advent of technology in education, classrooms are no longer isolated units and the scope of education has been expanded. Classrooms across the country and the world are connected where students can collaborate on different projects through video conferences, Skype, Google Docs, web seminars and interactive software. This brings uniformity to education across the spectrum fosters interaction and understanding among students from all over the world.

  1. Online Education

Online courses are the most rewarding outcome of technology’s foray into education. It has made education and skill training reachable to more people than ever before. All that is needed is a smart device/laptop and an internet connection and anyone can acquire a degree of their choice with the added benefits of online courses such as lower costs, flexible timing and the opportunity of furthering their career.

Technology has brought education, a basic human right, to the fingertips of the masses. Digital tools and platforms are modernizing education by making it more relevant, impactful and in tune with the spirit of the time.

 

The exciting benefits of online learning on a global scale

Education is something that those of us who are lucky enough to have access to, often (unfortunately) take for granted. It is a given that education is a privilege, but more than that it is also something that has historically been somewhat exclusive – up until now. Of course, this exclusive nature has not been intentional, but nonetheless it is the reality. Not anymore, though. Thanks to technological disruption, the likes of which the academic industry has never seen before, there is change always happening, and more on the horizon. This is an industry that has historically been traditionally-run, and now it is modernising to realign itself with the rest of the world. It is a wonder to behold, and it is an enormous benefit to all students who want the opportunity to study, but have perhaps not had the geographical proximity or the financial means to make it possible for themselves – now, at long last, they can, and they do.

Traditional education requires proximity

The nature of traditional education demands that students live, or have the finances and the means to travel to, their chosen school. Geographical limitation is something that education has always endured, and it has been a constant thorn in its side since the dawn of its inception. And while it has been an ongoing issue, it has also been an issue that students have had no choice, no option to resolve. Until now. The rise of technology in education is changing everything, and this is a very exciting time to be a student, an educator, or anyone who pays attention to the seemingly-constant ebbs and flows of the worldwide education industry. Times are changing, and will continue to do so.

Online learning allows for unparalleled inclusivity

The introduction and further advancement of online learning has enabled for geographical freedom to be the new norm in education, all around the world. Up until this point, students have had to content with the limitations imposed in the wake of traditional education, but no more. These days, students can study wherever, whenever, and however they choose to – all they need is a reliable laptop or tablet to complete their work on, and a stable – and preferably speedy – internet connection to stay in the know at all corners and edges of their academic experience.

Why online learning is such an incredible benefit

Not only does online learning allow students to learn outside of geographical proximity to their chosen campus and school, but they can learn on their own terms. Whether students are studying Python interview questions and answers in preparation for internship applications, or cramming for their art history finals (or any other manner of studious activities or exercises, for that matter), they can now do so freely, with nothing but their own mindset blocking them from achieving good grades and a strong sense of work/life balance. The world is changing, and digital transformation is heading that change. In education, online learning is the bread and butter of modern (and future) education. And it is here to stay.

Technology education can be learned at any level

Most bigger companies and organizations have their own IT (information technology) department. For those times when a computer crashes or worse, just won’t turn on, the IT guys are there to help. Sometimes mornings in the office might consists of spending 45 minutes on the phone with the IT help desk trying to reset and account or a password. Although it may seem like an annoying thing to have do, many office workers are thankful for their very helpful IT team. Not all of us are completely tech savvy, but it can help to know a little more about a technology. From DevOps experts to simple online videos, there are many ways to find training in the technology field.

For those born in the 80s and 90s, they essentially grew up with technology used in classrooms. The 2000s generation grew up with screens readily available to them. For the older generations, they grew up using landlines and sending handwritten letters. For them, technology didn’t come as easily because they were not taught how to use a computer in school. The most technology they had was a typewriter, a television, or a radio. This generational gap in technology knowledge can create communication barriers between the two. For example, a teenager trying to explain how to use an iPhone to their grandparent can be frustrating for both parties. The teenager grew up with a phone essentially attached to them while the grandparent is using a cellphone for the first time. This difference in technology usage does create necessary barriers. The older generation simply has to be self taught when it comes to in home technology. Thankfully, many online programs can now help teach all types of technology.

Learning more about technology and troubleshooting can make an individual’s resume more attractive to potential employers. Understanding how to use the internet and type on a keyboard is not the same as understanding the science and development that goes into computers and their software. Online courses are available to those looking to expand their knowledge and skills in information technology. This can be beneficial to employers and the employee because they will not have to call IT every single time one little thing goes wrong with the computer. Being able to individual troubleshoot problems saves all parties a lot of time and hassle.

Along with individual troubleshooting, some online programs now offer courses for students wanting to learn more about website development. Full stack developers are increasing in demand in the workforce. Traditionally, websites were created by front end and back end developers that did varying tasks including writing in script and code language. Full stack developers are able to do both front end and back end development for websites. For some, technology comes easy, for others that is not always the case. Technology courses can be taught for any level. So whether a student is a beginner or they have an advanced degree in a technology field, it can always be beneficial to keep learning.

Evolving society pioneers growth in education

In the ever-shifting realm of education, the only constant is change. The world has gone through many an evolution since the dawn of academics, with generation after generation of students finding themselves navigating different terrain to the generations that came before them. Of course, evolution of our species’ reach is not unique to education; it is a reality everywhere. Nonetheless, it is interesting to note that the change is most prominent in traditionally-inclined industries like education. It does make sense. After all, all industries are essentially globally-scaled businesses, and society are the consumers. If society’s expectations change, then surely the education system must also change.

Education is often the predecessor for an individual’s introduction into the workforce. As such, even the workforce has changed dramatically – especially in recent years. Everything from the professional corporate training components in businesses, to the way that brands market themselves to consumers, has been fundamentally changed. And all thanks to society pivoting and changing their sense of comfort. Society’s expectations today are that the education industry is going to be able to keep up with their shifting alliances with technological progression and widespread digital adaptation. Society today has changed dramatically in the face of digitalisation and technological progression, and education has been forced into an evolution because of this.

The reasoning is simple. The exceedingly potent waves of digitalisation the world over have in turn created a sense of philosophical reasoning that society has become more comfortable with these turns of digitalisation, than without them. So much so in fact, that to conceive of a world without digitalisation and technological advancement seems crazy, even seemingly impossible. Society is ripe with individuals who value digital progression, and so their attitudes towards industries like education is that digital devices and technological solutions should be a central key focus in education going forward. This makes sense. It feels like the logical next step. And students today, and in the future, would certainly agree.

The growth upwards in global education is centred around the realisation that traditional methods of learning and teaching are not quite cutting it on their own anymore. Students today are expectant that tech will be included in their academic experience. Because they have grown up in a world that is ripe with tech-savvy solutions and digital progression, they know it well – you could even say that they are fluent in it. And so, the education industry has had little choice but to embrace digitalisation and tech in the sector. The refusal to do so would almost certainly mark the beginning of the decline of one of history’s most concrete industries. Adaptation is necessary, and education is not immune to this necessity.

The evolution of present-day society has kick-started the growth of a historically traditional industry. We have never before seen such a sturdy inclusion of technologies and digital devices in the academic industry, and this is only the beginning. The rise of this new age in education is thanks largely to the pivoting nature of modern society. This is where it begins, and there is no telling as yet where it ends.

 

The importance of GMAT for business students

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) examination is one of the most competitive exams in the world. It is mandatory for gaining an entry into most business schools the world-over. Business schools insist on GMAT scores for a variety of reasons. The GMAT exam provides standardized criteria to assess candidates drawn from diverse academic, cultural, career and work spectrum. It gauges an applicant’s commitment, aptitude for business studies, and ability to excel in the grueling MBA courses and the challenging work environment of the future. The GMAT scores also serve as a yardstick for awarding scholarships to the candidates. Moreover, the business schools are selective about admitting students as the value of a school’s MBA degree hinges considerably on the quality of incoming students, with faculty reputation and educational facilities being a given.

GMAT is a 3½-hour standardized computer–adaptive test (CAT) test administered by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), a global association of 223 leading graduate business schools. GMAT measures analytical, quantitative and verbal skills of a business school aspirant for a wide range of courses such as Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Finance and Master of Accountancy. GMAT consists of four sections, viz. Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, Analytical Writing and Integrated Reasoning. The 75-minute Quantitative section consists of problem-solving and data questions. The 75-minute Verbal Reasoning area contains questions pertaining to sentence correction, reading comprehension, and critical reasoning. The 30-minute Analytical Writing Assessment tests the flow and internal coherence of arguments in an essay. The 30-minute Integrated Reasoning section covers table analysis, graph interpretation and multi-source reasoning.

GMAT is a challenging exam, with estimates suggesting that only 25% of GMAT takers score more than 650 and a mere 12% cross that magical 700 figure, which is universally considered as a good GMAT score. Given the computer-adaptive format of the test, the candidates do not enjoy the leeway of skipping a difficult question and coming back to it later. The test is designed in such that high level / harder questions are thrown up depending on the most recent answers and these, in turn, yield a higher score. The examinees need to answer difficult questions in quick time in order to get a good score. A GMAT course would be handy in preparing the candidates for such an arduous test.

The GMAT is not a pass/fail test. Business schools evaluate candidates on the basis of a final score out of 800, which is the consolidated score for the Quantitative and Verbal sections. The remaining 2 sections have their independent percentile scores. The score is valid for 5 years. The GMAT exams are conducted in around 100 countries throughout the year and the exam fees are $250 US dollars. Stanford Graduate School of Business, Harvard Business School, Wharton, Kellogg School of Management and Columbia Business School are some leading B-schools that accept GMAT scores.

To conclude, business school admissions officials consider a candidate’s past academic records, work experience and recommendation letters. Nevertheless, the GMAT score is a crucial matrix in the admission decision.

EdTech rising as popular avenue for careers in technology

Technology and digitalisation have more than done their part for revolutionising the world and our modern societal values. The education sector is one of the industries that has been most profoundly impacted by the rise and steady increase of technological disruption. Completely changing and strengthening the education sector, technology has been so widely utilised now that career interest in the field is positively soaring. This is not necessarily unexpected, but it has been more profoundly felt far sooner than first anticipated. Students going through the education system currently – as well as all future generations of learners – are technologically efficient, something that past generations have not necessarily been on such a complete scale. As such, education needed a change.

With such a constantly active community that thrives on communication, honesty, and genuine assistance, EdTech (education technology) is fast becoming one of the most popular career choices for those individuals who have specific interest in technologies. From the code that balances devices, platforms, and other innovations of EdTech, to the implementation in the education industry, the process has been both exciting and overwhelming, to say the least. EdTech is all about making things easier, and using code and digitalisation to do just that. In this new era, this technology is making considerable headway, proving its value all the time.

Education is, historically speaking, a traditionally-inclined industry. As such, the pull for educators and the whole sector to be accepting of EdTech innovations was slow – at least, it was in the beginning. It made sense. The traditional ways of education were not technically broken, after all. educators were concerned that EdTech would spell the end of their career path. Alas, the concerns were proven to be unnecessary. In the last two years, EdTech investments have risen astronomically, breathing new life into an industry that, quite frankly, was falling behind the times. Education woke up just in time, too.

With current – and all future – generations being more technologically efficient (and even dependent) than ever before, they did not just want tech included in their learning experience, they positively expected it. Now, with constant innovations in EdTech, they always will. If anything, the reliance will only grow and expand more. This is the way of the world, and individuals with interest in tech career fields have noted the profound impact and further scope of potential in EdTech, and have reacted accordingly.

More people than ever are working in career fields with specific focus on these types of technologies. Why would they not? Education is one industry that is going to be around no matter what changes occur elsewhere and for any reason, and with the world being increasingly technologically advanced, forging a career in something as profoundly positive as EdTech is not just smart, it is a stroke of modern genius. We will always endeavour to learn, to better ourselves, but there is nothing wrong with allowing technology to make the academic process easier and more efficient.