Month: May 2017

by John Ross Jesensky on Education

When Is The Right Time To Apply For Scholarships?

If you just graduated from high school or you are about to, you probably are pondering what you will do to raise the required tuition fees for college. Your parents might be willing to support you fully but due to one or several problems, they might be facing difficulties and the only way you can join college is if you found an alternative sources of financing. One of the best options you could embrace is applying for scholarships through institutions such as Groza Learning Center, which give you links to scholarships that can benefit you. If you are wondering when it is the perfect time to apply for scholarships, here is a guide that should help you to raise your chances of getting an approval.

After January

The government offers the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which should allow you to finance your college education. If you want to raise your chances of getting approved for this scholarship, you should send your application after 1st January. The reason this is so is because you must prove your financial need by backing your claim on the income tax you filed in the year that just ended. You should move fast and make sure you complete your application before February. Note that some states have earlier deadlines, so you need to keep in touch with yours to learn about what they propose.

Observe the scholarship’s deadline

Scholarships are given against a deadline, which all applicants must honor. Sending your application within the time stated increases your chances of getting picked, and if you want to further raise these chances you can submit your application immediately applications are opened. If you would like to apply several scholarships, you could easily sort them based on their deadlines. It makes your work easier and you also make sure you pick scholarships that matter to you.

Before graduating high school

It is also a perfect idea to begin sending your applications for scholarships before graduating from high school. During this period, you will get several types of applications, some from the government, others from colleges that would like to admit you, as well as scholarships from non-profit organizations. It is up to you to choose between these options by weighing the amount each offers versus what you are looking to save. You need to apply the scholarships by the deadline given and make sure you submit a strong and relevant pitch that will easily convince them to pick you.

Every fall semester and spring

You will come across many scholarships each year, which means you can apply for one after joining college. These scholarships are suitable for students who are struggling with financials and looking to supplement what they have. They come with varying deadlines and are a good way to access the support you need to pursue your course. The more applications you send, the more you raise your chances of winning one, so you should commit yourself to sending many applications through Groza Learning Center during spring and fall semester.

 
by John Ross Jesensky on Uncategorized

Inject Life into Your Brands to Guarantee Long-Term Growth through Branding

Brand building is not just for the big players and conglomerates. It is about taking what is in your inventory to people’s households. Strong brands create lasting identities among consumers. This means that more people have your brand in their minds and are ready to buy your stuff. They will instantaneously think about your brand when they consider a specific product or service.

Marketing and advertising include actual ad placement on mainstream media; corporate and brand identity including below-the-line visibility; digital and social media marketing. Building a brand creates customer loyalty, which guarantees return business and enables the company to make growth projections. Branding is an excellent way to grow your business regardless of the size. Big companies are known to leverage their infrastructure, technology, and presence to accelerate the uptake of their brands.

Building a brand is not a complicated process. The first step is pushing it up on your priority list. Most businesses make the common mistake of pushing their branding and marketing budgets to the bottom of the list. This is one of the reasons brand uptakes from small businesses struggles.

Consistency in product quality and service delivery by the brand is key. Make sure your production, packaging, distribution, and marketing sections all carry one harmonized message. When potential customers get the same message over and over, they remember it and associate it with your brand. Create strong brand identities comprising of consistent elements such as color scheme, logo, graphics, and the narratives. In addition, have a strong mission and value statement to help you stay on course and avoid the costly habit of frequent rebranding.

Nancy Behrman, a leading lifestyle brand activist, entrepreneur and founder of Behrman Communications, is vocal about the need to be both clear and definitive in your efforts to grow your brand. She has achieved tremendous success taking ideas that look small and building them into multi-million dollar global names. Branding needs to be factored into the overall marketing plan so that it is executed right from the start. Employ a consistent and sustainable strategy to ensure a cohesive branding campaign.

It is also crucial to identify the markets the brand is targeting early. This enables you to research and reach out to other popular establishments, brands or personalities who have a bigger presence. Traditional business networking can help catapult your brand to success. People love to identify with the famous and successful. Presenting known personalities as brand ambassadors can help accelerate brand loyalty and build trust with consumers.

Leverage the power of technology and online platforms to grow your brand. Create an amazing online presence and take advantage of social media, digital video platforms, and mobile apps to help grow your brand. Aim to create discerning brand ambassadors who can inject life into your brand without waiting for your intervention.

An ingenious social media campaign can rapidly elevate your brand to a global level. However, to avoid shooting yourself in the foot, consider engaging a professional public relations service such as Berman Communications. The service will help you navigate through the various dynamic elements of social media marketing enabling you to maximize on known trends while staying clear of avoidable pitfalls.

 
by John Ross Jesensky on news

Sound Mission Statements Help Donor Organizations Stay on Course

Philanthropy is mutually beneficial to both the giver and the receiver. There are direct gains that improve the quality of life to both parties. People have a visceral need to connect and communicate with others. This creates the foundation for a thriving community. It involves minding about the well-being and growth of other people around you including neighbors, the local community, and causes important to you. Giving triggers your brain’s reward-pleasure system enabling you to realize happiness.

 

This premise explains why donor organizations go to great lengths to identify causes that are close to their hearts and by extension, closer to their ideal communities. The Denver Post has a great post on how philanthropy positively impacts the givers. Let us look at some of these benefits.

 

  • Donors have a general feeling of happiness and joy derived from their actions. As pointed out above, the brain responds to giving by producing “happiness-chemicals” into the body that reward us with joy. Additionally, investing in the growth and happiness of others directly improves our sense of prosperity.
  • Philanthropy works to improve the health and quality of life of both donors and receivers. Donors experience lower stress levels, an enhanced level of emotional maturity, and health. This consequently leads to better physical health and quality of life.
  • Givers are able to find meaning in their lives through philanthropy. They enjoy an increased sense of purpose. Additionally, starting a culture of giving early sets the stage for a longer, happier, and healthier life later on.
  • Deeper and stronger connections with people that share your beliefs create stronger communities. Donors care deeply concerned about the causes they support. Receivers are able to realize their life goals, improve their quality of life and end up feeling better towards their givers.

In a recent interview, River Cohen stated that it is vital for donor organizations to create a considerate mission statement. Cohen is a renowned financial technology expert who has dedicated his life to giving through RiverCohen Giving. He suggests there are three elements that should clearly illustrate the aims and values of the donor.

 

  • Identify a core philosophy including mutual beliefs, shared goals, and individual principles. This should be bold enough to serve as the pillars of the framework for giving.
  • It is prudent to consult widely to ensure the principles and frameworks created are flexible and robust enough to support the organization into the future. This ensures the donor organization stays on its intended course. It is also important to factor in the dynamic nature of deserving causes in relation to the fundamental beliefs of the founder.
  • Refine the mission statement to focus on activities that empower the organization to achieve the intended goal. Avoid over-reaching or getting derailed by issues that are not on the organization’s scope of operations

Serving others brings you joy and happiness. It enables stronger relationships between the donor and the receiver. Articulating clear mission statements helps the donor organization stay true to its cause and achieve the goals set out by the founders.