Managing financial stress during tough times
I will be the first to admit that I am stressed. In these past few months, I’ve found myself ruminating over my expenses and financial situation. The pandemic has certainly not been friendly to many of us, and it has affected many businesses. People have become furloughed or unemployed over the past few months. The stress of the virus coupled with financial stress can be overwhelming.
Dealing with anxiety about money and expense can be frustrating. However, there are practical steps that you can take to lower that stress.
Have a Plan & Track Your Expenses
The first actionable step that you can take to mitigating financial stress is by creating a plan and tracking your expenses. By taking creating a plan, and prioritizing your expenses, you’ll be able to get a realistic picture of your current financial situation. …
The power of efficient and effective processes
With the constant evolution of technology and advancements, it’s important for businesses to adapt and continually improve their processes. Streamlined processes are important for scaling your business as it continues to grow. Bad business processes can make a negative impact on customer satisfaction and the overall efficiency of the company. In order to grow as a business and keep up with today’s advancements, it’s important for businesses to continually seek process improvement. Process improvement starts by defining goals, taking steps towards recognizing inefficiencies, and finding solutions for better processes.
Recognize the Inefficiencies & Define Your Goals
The first step to process improvement is by recognizing the inefficiencies in your business. In some of the businesses I’ve worked in, people become used to the current processes and thus are hesitant to change. As a business owner, it’s sometimes important to take a step back and challenge current processes and recognize that there may be room for improvement. It’s important to ask yourself what is working, and what can be better. Figuring out the inefficiencies in your process is the first step to solving the problem. …
Dealing with stress before it consumes you
In the past few weeks, I’ve been under a lot of stress due to multiple factors building up in my life. And in turn, I’ve been noticing the stress affect me physically and mentally. Suddenly the smallest things bug me or cause me to freak out.
At first, I didn’t really realize how stressed I was. I felt like life was fine because there was no huge thing really making me upset. However, as I took some more time to evaluate my thoughts and feelings, I realize that my stress stems from multiple sources that have built it up.
Stress affects many of us, especially with everything going on in the world. I’ve learned that stress doesn’t necessarily have to be one big significant thing affects you can be built up of tiny little things that eventually burn you out. It’s important to take a step back and acknowledge stress early on before it consumes you. …
Modern-day songs that borrow from Pachelbel’s famous baroque piece
You’ve probably heard Canon In D numerous times by now. The classical piece is often heard on TV, in movies, and at weddings. While the exact date of when the piece was composed is unknown, the oldest surviving manuscript dates back to the 19th century. Despite being written hundreds of years ago, we still recognize this one-hit-wonder piece today. In fact, many artists in the modern world continue to use the famous Canon in D chord progressions in their music. Here are 5 songs that you probably recognize that are basically just Canon in D.
Memories by Maroon 5
When I first heard Memories by Maroon 5, I found it to have an instant familiarity to it. It felt like I’ve heard the song before, and that there was a nostalgic tune to it. Then I realized that the guitar chord progression in this song is just Pachelbel’s Canon in D. Even the melody is similar to the original Canon in D. …
Actionable tips for nailing your interviews
When I first graduated from college, the thought of interviewing was scary. I felt nervous at the thought of someone asking me questions and having to talk about myself. I also often found myself stumbling on my words, and letting my anxiety ruin my performance. But over time, I started getting better at interviewing. I started feeling less anxious and more confident in myself.
The truth is, there is no secret sauce to being great at interviews. The best way to get better is by practicing. It takes repetition to become more confident and less nervous.
But how exactly does one get practice? Luckily there are three actionable steps that you can take to get better at interviewing without spending a ton of time. …
What is it about lo-fi that makes it so great for working or studying?
I have been listening to lo-fi for quite some time now. It’s been my go-to genre of music whenever I work. In fact, I am listening to lo-fi right now as I write this article. A quick search on YouTube, and you’ll likely find tons of lo-fi playlists. You probably recognize the thumbnail of an anime girl perpetually studying with lo-fi beats playing in the background.
For me, there’s just something mesmerizing about lo-fi. The chill beats seem to give a nostalgic feeling. And the fact that the music is so relaxing makes it easy to work or study with it just playing in the background. I tend to get distracted by music with singing or words, but some songs without words tend to make me feel sleepy. …
Don’t make the mistake of not evaluating a company’s culture before taking a job
When I first got out of college, I didn’t have many expectations for the job I wanted. I figured, as long as anyone wanted to hire me, I would gladly take the job. At the time, I was very naive and didn’t think about what company culture really meant. The most important factor for accepting an offer for me was pay. But as I progressed in my career, and gained experience in different companies, I started understanding how important company culture is when finding a job.
Thinking about the culture of a company can seem a little difficult at first. When looking for a job, we often look at the job description to see if we qualify. We look at the commute time and salary. But trying to find out about the culture of the company without working there first can seem daunting. I know that when I looked for my current job, I was really worried that I’d end up in a toxic environment that wasn’t very obvious from interviews. However, there are a few steps you can take to spot good (and bad) company culture early on. …
A guide for those who hate the idea of “selling yourself”
I will be honest, the idea of “selling” makes me feel anxious. When thinking of salespeople, I often think of someone who is confident and persuasive. As someone who is rather shy and introverted, however, selling just feels daunting. It feels nerve-racking trying to pitch myself either in an interview or when finding clients. And most of the time I feel rather inauthentic doing it. I feel like I have to prove myself or try to convince others to believe in me. …
How to stay organized and keep your sanity when job hunting
Job hunting can sometimes feel like a full-time job. It takes time to fill out all those tedious applications. Each job seems to have a different process, and you’re constantly refining your resume. On top of sending in applications, you are also trying to balance interviews and different steps of the process. When job hunting, it’s important to stay organized which will save you from having extra stress.
Create and define your goal
When job hunting, it’s easy to feel lost and not sure which direction you want your career to go next. Are you thinking of switching careers? Do you want to find a job that has more flexible hours or a better culture? Are you looking for an increase in pay? …
A guide to creating a billing experience that helps you get paid on time.
Every business needs to get paid for their services. But what happens when customers don’t pay or when it’s hard to get a hold of your customers who owe you money?
Creating a good billing experience is an essential part of running a business. It’s important to have a billing process that is effective and easy to understand so that you get paid for your services on time. Your customers will also be happier when you make it simple to make payments and your terms are clear.
Clarify terms upfront
It’s important to make sure both parties understand upfront how the invoice will be paid and when. Make sure to clarify your preferred payment method. Will your customers pay with check or Venmo? It’s important to also figure out when the customer will pay. Do they pay at each milestone of the project, or do they pay at the end? Clarifying the payment process upfront will make sure there’s less confusion down the line so that you can get paid on time. …
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