Regardless of what methodology you normally use for your homeschool, unit studies can provide you with a nice break from the norm sometimes. They are especially nice whenever you’re trying to teach your child(ren) to think a little more about how the different parts of life actually fit together, and they can also give you a break whenever you’re faced with the doldrums.So, how do you decide what subjects to pursue whenever you’re ready to do a unit study? Well, take a look at your child and see what he/she is deeply interested in. Those are the subjects to pursue with your unit studies. Another way to decide what would make a great unit study is to look through your year’s studies and notice if there are any “holes” in subject matter that you think should be filled. Once you find that “hole,” you can find a unit study on that topic, and take a week or two to teach it. For instance, if your child finds black holes fascinating, but your science text book covers them in just a paragraph or two, then there is the perfect opportunity to do a unit study on astronomy.Once you’ve figured out what you’d like to do a unit study on, all you need is a little time and creativity, and you can create your own unit studies. Assembling your own curriculum around one topic sounds difficult, but if this wasn’t the case, then educational companies such as “Teacher Created Materials” wouldn’t publish and sell as many great unit studies as they do.There are 2 main drawbacks to designing your own unit studies. First of all, it takes time. If you’re a busy parent, this could be enough of a reason to take a trip to your nearest teachers’ supply store with your credit card in hand. Secondly, it may require access to a couple of grade-level subject books (ie science, language arts, or math) so that you know which skills are typically covered at a particular grade level. If you have a good library with an educational books department, then you may also have the perfect excuse to spend a long Saturday with a pocket full of change at the library with a stack of books. Another idea is that if you have a good set of Internet research skills, you can spend your Saturday tucked away at home.Now that we see the drawbacks, what are the benefits of a unit study? You can teach whatever your heart desires. Plus, if you decide to create your own unit study, you’ll find that it is cheaper and more economical than tracking down a pre-made unit study. Furthermore, nobody knows your child as well as you do, and therefore nobody can prepare a unit study for your child as well as you can.Whenever you’re creating your own unit study, you need to keep in mind that your unit study needs to cover all of the subjects that you’d normally teach, unless you plan to skip a specific subject and keep working through your regular curriculum for that subject. However, to create a complete unit study, you need to include the first 2 subjects from the following list and as many of the other subjectss as you can logically fit in there too. Now for the list:(1.) Math – You need to create math problems at your child’s level. For instance, if you’re working with a young child on a unit study about baseball, then you can practice addition with bats and balls, write a story problem that talks about number of pitches thrown until the team reached the final out, etc. However, older children would need something that is more on their level. For instance, you may discuss the speed of the bat, distance the ball travels, or the number of hot dogs that individual team fans eat.(2.) Language Arts – This area includes reading, comprehension, grammar and writing skills. While you don’t need to include every one of these items in every unit study that you write, you should have your child write something about the topic. A great suggestion here would be to have your child read a book about the topic then write a narrative telling you about what he/she read in the book.(3.) Science – Sometimes a unit study lends itself quite easily to science, but other times you’ll find yourself having to work a little bit harder. For instance, a unit study on bugs will let you off the hook since the entire unit study is about science. However, if you are doing a unit study about ancient Egypt then you may need to take some time to look at the creations of the Egyptian engineers, study mummification, think about ancient medicine, or consider the tools that the Egyptians used to do their work.(4.) Social Studies or Geography – This may be your main topic, but if it isn’t, then you’ll need to work some information into your topic. Some questions that can help you here include: Where was your topic first seen or invented? What culture surrounded the time or event? Where did this take place? You may also want to learn more about the people of that time period and place.(5.) Art – Take time to draw, build, act, design or create. You could design a Roman mosaic, sketch an insect’s genetic makeup, build a temple from clay or LEGOs, create a tapestry to illustrate the unit that you’re studying (felt shapes work for quick tapestries when needlepoint takes way too long), or paint the flowers that you’re learning about.(6.) Music – Sometimes music fits into a unit study nicely. For instance, you could always listen to some folk music while you explore the civil unrest of the 1960s. However, if you’re studying something more scientific, then you may need to work a little harder to fit music into that unit study.(7.) History – Adding history to a unit study should be relatively easy, regardless of the topic. You could simply research when an event began or an item was invented or you could talk about the events and times that affected an item’s inventor.(8.) Physical Education – Here again, you may need to be a bit creative. However, when you discover that physical education fits into your unit study, then you should definitely use it! For instance, if you’re studying the ancient Greeks, then you could run footraces like they did.If you’re still not certain what to do for your very first unit study, try “following” your child(ren) around for a couple days and watch what they do. For instance, if your child spends all of his/her time engrossed in books, then think about a literature-based unit study (ie how books are made). On the other hand, your child may spend his/her time outside digging for rocks. Then why not do an archeology or rocks and minerals unit study?Of course, there are some topics that you can use numerous times as your child(ren) grows older. These include:(1.) Animals, horses, or mammals(2.) Baseball, basketball, fencing, or sports in general(3.) Cooking or catering (which may include business and economics information)(4.) Kites(5.) Flight(6.) Transportation(7.) Weather(8.) Historical cultures (ie medieval history, ancient Egypt, etc.)The spark of a unit study is lit whenever your child(ren) mentions an interest. Whenever they do, you need to write it down somewhere. Keep a running list of interests and you’ll soon have more than you’ll know what to do with. However, even if your child only shows a deep interest in one or two topics, you should take time to explore those. You may discover that you’re able to create several unit studies based on the first one as new interests are developed.

A business loan is an effective financing tool that allows most entrepreneurs to leverage their resources to help start a business. However, after a company is already established a business might need to consider additional outside funding. Businesses often require extra capital when it becomes necessary to expand to larger offices, increase the number of retail outlets, or increase storage capacity. Starting a business as an entrepreneur in a competitive market is an exciting and difficult venture.Keeping that business alive through expansion is an even more difficult proposition. Careful consideration of current and future potential cash flows should be analyzed, so not to over leverage the core reason behind obtaining a business loan is essential. And therefore introducing new capital into the equation requires some serious attention to both current budgeting and future income and expenditures.Many times it’s common for businesses to require outside cash to expand their operations and profit potential. One of the classic examples is a business that started in someone’s garage and grew to the point where expansion was impossible without a major change of venue. In such cases, the company might lack true equity because of its small size and verifiable office space, so a traditional business loan might be difficult to obtain. Commercial loans may require equity that a small business in someone’s garage wouldn’t normally possess. In such cases, unsecured loans, a co-signer, or an extraordinary history of earnings would provide strong support on the loan application.When deciding whether the time is right to expand and apply for private lending or the different types of SBA loans, serious financial analysis is necessary. In addition, determining whether the business is strong enough to expand and has all of its vital pieces intact can play an important part in the success and implementation of this influx of capital.For example, an increase in new orders and a strong profit margin might appear to be the work of a strong company, but are all the support systems where they need to be to guarantee the expansion plan’s success? Is the company prepared to increase administrative staff and spend more on overhead after securing the business loan funds? Estimating the business’s expenses after expansion is an important step to ensure the right loan amount is chosen and that the company can expand in a fiscally savvy manner.It’s also important to figure out whether expansion into a new space is warranted or whether looking into small loans for less costly growth might be advisable. Perhaps a fledgling company might benefit from smaller, strategic spending rather than immediate expansion into a new space.For example, a company without a solid web presence could invest business loan resources in a dedicated server and information technology professional to handle the company’s network. A new business might also consider enhancing a marketing program or purchasing additional materials to accommodate an increase in sales or an expected holiday rush.Additionally, it’s important for businesses to consider that there isn’t just a single type of business loan or that loans of all types may be used for an incredibly wide variety of improvements, expansions, and development efforts. For example, government loans like the ones through the Small Business Administration come in a variety of types. Banks may offer general SBA loans, available under the 7(a) Loan Program, or a company might look at the CDC/504 loan if the time has come to purchase major equipment or conduct real estate transactions for expansion and construction.The lesson any entrepreneur should take from an investigation of loan types is that the process of obtaining new funding isn’t difficult. However, the planning of what type of funding to obtain, as well as the way that funding will be used, will impact the future health of the business. Making the decision to expand requires good timing and smart budgeting. And by proper planning, obtaining a business loan may provide the funding necessary to construct new offices, add personnel, and reach new customers.

With the economy on the rise and unemployment at its lowest for a number of years, together with the fact that online sales are growing significantly year on year, the answer would seem to be No. There has never been a better time to start an online business!Having said that, there is talk of economic growth starting to stall in certain parts of the world, so what’s the answer? Well the reality is that there will never be the perfect time to start a business whether it is online or offline and if you are waiting for everything to be just right, you will be old and grey and still waiting.Online business is certainly the growth sector at present and looks set to continue for the foreseeable future. It is also a viable addition to the marketing channels for many offline businesses.In a recent study carried out by the Centre for Retail Research, which looked at eight European countries and the USA, it was estimated that combined online sales for 2014 would be in excess of $518 billion (€379 billion). Which is an increase of 18.1% over the previous year. As far as Europe is concerned online sales are strongest in the UK, France and Germany, who together account for 81.3% of purchases.In terms of online sales as a percentage of retail sales, the UK currently tops the league table with 13.5%, followed closely by the USA on 11.6% and Germany on 9.7%.This impressive growth has been fuelled by the increase in mobile shopping using smartphones and tablets, which in 2013 accounted 8.3% of online sales in Europe and 13.8% in the US. These are final transaction figures, browsing numbers are considerably higher. After all it is worth remembering that the world carries the Internet around with them in their pockets and bags nowadays, making browsing and buying online ever easier.With a market of this size and projected growth rate, it’s almost goes without saying that online business is here to stay for the foreseeable future and offers an unrivalled opportunity for those who are either looking to start a business or to expand an existing enterprise.Of course this does not mean that everyone who decides to start an online business will be successful. There are record numbers of start-ups and closures in this arena. For those who make it though, the rewards can be staggering.So how can you ensure that you are one of the winners rather than the losers? Well a good place to start is by following some of the tried and tested rules of business. Your chances of success both online and off are greatly improved if you choose a business sector in which you have previous experience.However if you choose to venture into an area outside your range of knowledge, make sure that you get good advice on how to proceed. Again the success rate is greatly enhanced if you are advised and mentored by someone who has been there, done it and knows what works and what doesn’t.

IntroductionProviding instant value to very many people online has never been easier than it is today. This has also been compounded by social media platforms which have literally introduced us to new kingdoms almost overnight. The result, many millionaires being made every day. You have probably heard of the terms ‘new money’, ‘new rich’, ‘digital economy’ etc. As an example, when I really started understanding the power of Instagram, I was blown away. In 5 minutes, just by putting up 1 engaging post with entrepreneurial speak and targeted hashtags, I was able to converse instantly with other entrepreneurs in 3 different continents!But how do you and I become self-sufficient in starting a profitable online business in the first place?We must first understand the requirements and then get the right education. Self-sufficient to me means my skills for being profitable online are future-proof. Think about all-weather paint… or an all-weather road. Plan to play a big game. It is also necessary to think expansively as Robert Kiyosaki puts it.That said, here are 7 steps that I discovered to ensure sustainable business success online. Excited?! OK. Let us get into it.7 Steps To Starting A Profitable Online Business1. Passion & ClarityWe must be driven by passion. We need to know WHY we want to start the online business in the first place. As for me, I am extremely passionate about freedom and choice. I really needed a way to make money without having to report to a job that required me to work inside a brain numbing routine. I was in between boarding schools for 10 years when I was growing up and that was enough for me to find out I didn’t do routines very well. Then I started my work life and realised how much control I DID NOT have about what I wanted to DO. Become very clear about what is driving you towards starting a business online.2. GoalsThe online space can compare to a noisy street marketplace; lots of people, all wanting to be seen and heard.Define your goals clearly i.e. passive income, time freedom, geographical freedom or even one of my personal favourites, financial freedom. Then go in and start creating a business with those clear goals in mind.3. Re – Think What You Know About Being OnlineBeing profitable online can create a lot of freedom but it’s not an instant success. There’s a lot of learning and re-skilling that needs to happen. For me, this was a lot more like learning a new ‘language’. I knew the Internet very casually. It was a place to spend my free time browsing music videos, posting random Facebook posts and watching news that I did not need to know about. I had to change my beliefs and the mindset that was driving whatever I thought I knew about being online. Every time I saw an ad I thought it was a scam. Sure enough, there are a lot of scams out there but we live in a society where ‘good’ and ‘bad’ must exist in the same space. The mindset that is driving you to the online space must be one that sees the vast opportunity that exists on that platform. A chance for you to create a life that up to this point was only a dream.4. Focus On Providing ValuePeople buy from people they think they know, like and trust. As much as it is tempting to think that people are online waiting to be told what they need or don’t need, most people are online looking to solve real problems, and sometimes very painful ones.If you can understand this fact, then your focus must be genuine interest in wanting to help people, a lot of people. This focus becomes your guide for providing high-quality solutions that will fix their problems and reduce or eliminate their ‘pain’.5. Master The Art Of Marketing With All Your HeartFind a way to reach as many people as you can who have big problems that need to be fixed with your proven high-quality product or service on the Internet. With so many options available today, creativity is key. Pick 2 marketing strategies, for example, Facebook and email marketing that you have the patience to run with for the long haul. Don’t stop until you have mastered these 2 strategies.Think about Amazon today. They started with selling books. In fact, selling books is formally their core business! Think about that for a minute. That said, today Amazon sells everything under the sun. Why? Because today they are in the business of fixing peoples’ everyday problems using the Internet.6. Power Of BeliefHave the belief that it’s possible for you. Before I started online, all I had ever sold was personal electronics I wanted to dispose of using the ebays and gumtrees. However, I had heard about people making millions of dollars online… But then came the day I was contemplating my first online business. I had to face my own self-doubt. I needed to answer the following question very honestly:Eddie, “DO YOU ACTUALLY BELIEVE YOU CAN MAKE MONEY ONLINE?”If you are reading this today, this will be without a doubt the most important question you will ever ask yourself as an online entrepreneur.It is impossible to achieve before we believe. When the hard times visit, this is the only one thing that will push this ‘unwanted’ guest out the front door! I had to believe I could make it online and that it would change how I lived, worked and played period.7. Mentorship and Master Mind GroupsYou have heard the saying, “we become what we think about all day”. Thoughts make us act in a certain way, which then brings a certain type of results in our lives. To be successful we must think in a certain way and act in a certain way so that we can get the results we want. With that in mind, we must spend a lot of time with people who want the same results and those who have already created these results.The people who have already created the results then become your mentors. If I was going to create a lifestyle of freedom and choice using an online business, I needed to spend time with people who had already created one. I also needed to have mentors as part of this process. So that is exactly what I did. It really is that simple.Final ThoughtIn the end, all we really want is a better more fulfilling life experience, right? Money is good, very good indeed because it creates choice. Oh, how beautiful that word is! choice. With Money being a non-issue, we can freely choose any experience we want and go for it. When money is not an issue, I can choose to have a bucket of chicken at a local KFC (my personal favourite delicacy) or have a plate of honey glazed chicken dinner served at The Hilton, where service is absolutely top notch. In both cases, I get to have my favourite food, chicken but the experience is Worlds apart right?So go ahead & take action every day and make the decision to keep going until you get there. It is impossible to fail if giving up is not on your cards.

All the marketing books are telling you that it is important to differentiate your brand. But it is not always clear how to do it in a way that is meaningful for your business and leads to brand sales.POSITIONING. DO I REALLY NEED IT?Positioning is all about differentiating your brand in the mind of the consumer. Positioning is creating the perceptions you want your target consumer to associate with your brand. Having a brand positioning is not an end in itself. It is just the beginning of the journey. It is the foundation on which your brand strategy, innovation, communication and brand plans and tactics are built. (The end of the journey should always be brand sales & brand growth! )POSITIONING. DO I REALLY HAVE IT?One of the very first questions I ask when I work with a brand team is about their brand positioning. It is sad to see how many use the terminology without actually understanding it clearly and, as a result, being unable to use it to drive brand growth. Examples such as “my brand positioning is premium” or “my products are made with natural ingredients” will hardly give the brand team a clear direction on what the next innovation is or how the next communication campaign will appear. If your positioning is just about fancy words and is not ACTIONABLE, your brand most surely is losing money, if not now, in the long-term. You need a clear brand positioning not because the books say so, but because you want brand growth.POSITIONING. HOW TO GO ABOUT IT?If you prefer to build your brand positioning on your own, you can use as guidance the 4 steps in positioning a brand as described by Jack Trout, the father of positioning:
1) Study your competitors and identify the attributes and / or benefits they own in the mind of the consumer
2) Assess your strengths and weaknesses (product, services, packaging, communication, distribution, customer help etc) and look for that differentiating idea.
3) Think long term: can you support your differentiating idea with facts?
4) Communicate the differentiating idea to your target consumers.From my experience with brands, a positioning that is actionable should consider as a minimum 4 elements:1. Brand’s target: clearly you want to differentiate your brand in the minds of consumers. For that to happen you have to know WHO your consumers are.Segment your market and chose your target. You can do that by using either sophisticated segmentation research or common sense. Chose the segment you want to target and try to find out as many things about them as possible (age, gender, where they live, how they live their life, what they like to eat, see, do, if they have any preferences, what their dislikes are etc). Knowing your consumers better will help you find the space in their minds and hearts that is relevant to them.2. Competitors: your brand does not exist in a silo. Consumers evaluate all the available brands and decide which one addresses their needs and shares the same values. You have to be very clear about who are your direct or indirect competitors and how consumers perceived them.Make sure you talk about consumers’ perceptions, not yours. You can quickly distinguish between what YOU believe consumers perceive and what consumers actually perceive by asking this question: “Where do I have this information from” – if it is from research, industry knowledge, consumers blogs or FACEBOOK, you know for sure that this is what the consumers think.3. Consumers’ need: as a marketer you should be able to know what needs your consumers have.Obviously, you want to address with your brand those needs that are stronger. Even if your brand has “state-of-the-art” features and benefits, if there is no need for them or consumers are indifferent to them, it might be a lottery for your brand to win in the marketplace.Here are a few of the most common needs that brands address: to be loved, to achieve something, to have fun, to be free, to stay clean, to have friends, to be accepted, to get attention, to win, to be healthy, to be beautiful. What about your brand? What kind of needs does it address?4. Brand’s benefits: this is the trickiest part of the positioning exercise. Most marketers are so attached to their brand or know it so well, that it is difficult to stay objective. Even more, valuable features are sometimes taken for granted. When you build your list of benefits, 2 pieces of advice here:- Look outside your category. For example, if you are a gifting chocolate brand, look at cosmetics or fashion. See what other brand benefits are appreciated by your target consumers and see if you have those to offer.
- Stick to your core expertise – do not force onto the list benefits that your brand does not have, just because the consumers want them. Your company must have the capabilities to support delivering these benefits over the long-term. For example, if your product is not made with natural ingredients and therefore doesn’t give the consumers a natural, wholesome experience, do not claim it just because the trend is towards natural. There are many other trends you can tap into. Stay true to yourself and to your brand. Consumers will appreciate it.You can spend one day or a whole month to define your brand positioning – depending on how thorough you want to be. In both cases, the output should be a positioning statement. This is the positioning statement template I use when I work with my clients:For (target consumer) who want (the need), (name of brand) is (the category or frame of reference) that delivers (benefits) because only (brand name) is (reasons to believe).I hope it will help you define your brand’s positioning, clarify it or refine it.Do you have a particular positioning challenge? Let me know about it!