small business development center

A Playbook for Success – PHE America

Schooling and particularly scholastic sports activities have undergone important shifts during the last twenty years. The previous couple of years of the pandemic have sped up this course of and proven us the nice worth sports activities can have on a pupil’s complete life in addition to on a whole college neighborhood. At its core, schooling must be dynamic, progressive and on the forefront of at present’s altering panorama and college athletic packages must be no exception. At present there are extra faculties, extra leagues, extra packages, extra modifications to personnel, and naturally extra choices on how individuals spend their time. My hope is that when faculties concentrate on academic athletic packages they may even enhance their college tradition and make their complete college communities a greater place. Athletics can do issues that different areas of faculties can’t, and in lots of circumstances, athletics is the elemental material that holds faculties collectively – that must be realized and strengthened by all neighborhood members. As somebody who understands the aim of athletics, I’ve been working in the direction of the aim of widening the outreach and understanding of athletic packages for a while now and hope that my new e-book “A International Playbook” is a useful step in doing simply that.

This straightforward manner we name our packages can have a huge impact on how they’re considered by neighborhood members. “Instructional athletics” embodies the concept athletics is an extension of the classroom and that enjoying sports activities is an academic exercise that gives excellent alternatives to show life classes on the similar time. Utilizing this time period advantages a program in two methods. First, it must be that it’s not solely about wins and losses. Second, it reveals {that a} college, or membership for that matter, can be considering educating its athletes in areas apart from Xs and Os. One of many main advantages of athletics for younger women and men all world wide is that they’ve a better probability of succeeding in all elements of life due to the talents that they will purchase whereas enjoying sports activities. There are unimaginable correlations between profitable individuals and the talents they discovered whereas collaborating in athletics comparable to the power to place within the work to one in all their expertise over an extended time period, the power to point out up on sport day, and the power to be ready to compete. However the enjoyable half is that this record can go on and on.

For those that have performed a group sport, one necessary discovered ability is the will to be higher each single observe, each single sport, and each single day not just for themselves but additionally for the advantage of the complete group. No matter a person sport or group sport, enjoying athletics at a college lets student-athletes really feel like they’re part of one thing greater than themselves which may give lots of them a cause to come back to highschool which might result in making recollections that final a lifetime. I’ve centered my “playbook” round six key components that each one faculties must excel in: Core, Dedication, Care, Tradition, Competitors, and Communication. Nevertheless, inside these six key components, there are a ton of subsections that make up the nuts and bolts of top-notch athletics packages. Superintendents, Principals, Lecturers, Athletic Administrators, and Coaches all have a task to play in making a top-notch schooling athletic program, nonetheless, I’ve some suggestions that every particular person coach can do to assist “increase their sport” even when nobody else within the college is .

Trying first on the CORE of a program two phrases must be added to your vocabulary if they don’t seem to be already. The primary is the time period “academic athletics” which I’ve already talked about. The second is the time period “co-curricular” as a substitute of “extracurricular.” Co-curricular actions are these actions which can be exterior of a college’s curriculum however “complement” it in a manner that provides to a pupil’s general schooling. Extracurricular actions are merely outlined as these school-based actions that aren’t tied to the curriculum however are connected to the varsity day. Add these phrases to your vocabulary and begin utilizing them in something you print or put on-line and blend them into conversations and conferences.

As coaches, we ask quite a lot of our athletes however it’s typically our COMMITMENT degree that makes the distinction in a season and even in a few of our gamers’ lives. I implore all coaches to be dedicated to their athletes, not in hours and hours of labor however in exhibiting up and dealing exhausting for the scholars when they’re there. Specializing in college groups I feel it’s important that academics are additionally coached because it reveals the scholars that athletics is a crucial a part of a college. If academics can go from instructing all day to the gymnasium for observe, then college students can as effectively. For academics, it’s one other manner for them to attach with college students exterior of the classroom and actually make a distinction of their lives. Lastly, teacher-coaches should not only a signal to the scholars but additionally to the mother and father and the complete college neighborhood that the varsity’s dedicated to their pupil’s general schooling.

CARE is principally a no brainer, proper? You will need to care about this system and the scholars in it if you wish to have any form of affect on the lives of the scholars. As coaches, we are able to actually present we care about our college students by instructing character and life expertise in our practices identical to it’s a sport-specific ability. Coaches ought to find time for it of their observe plan, and let the athletes know they’re instructing it, and why it is crucial. In fact, many people do that already and a few even do it with out realizing it, however purposely speaking about it is a crucial step for our college students to acknowledge its worth.

CULTURE is the set of shared attitudes, values, targets, and practices that characterizes an establishment or group. Typically the tradition of a whole athletics program wants an overhaul however usually simply particular person groups can drastically enhance however simply specializing in themselves. How do college students really feel when they’re part of the group? How does the better college neighborhood embrace that group? One solution to construct your group tradition is to introduce a slogan for the season. A team-building slogan, or motto, is a catchphrase that summarizes your program’s spirit, mission, and character. These should not quotes from well-known figures however slightly quick and nameless taglines comparable to “The Eagles Means”, or “One Crew, One Dream”.

A league match or convention event is ripe with heated COMPETITION however additionally it is worthwhile for our athletes’ development to expertise competitors in different methods. Intramurals will be virtually something you need them to be from which sport, what time of the day or day of the week to single standalone occasions or a full league and will be a good way to put in lots of the values college students be taught whereas competing in a extra managed setting. The concept is to get college students out and be energetic whereas competing with fellow classmates in a enjoyable and arranged manner. Intramurals additionally assist college students grow to be acquainted with totally different sports activities that they may not have performed in any other case. For instance, if soccer at your college may be very widespread then perhaps an intramural flag soccer event would possibly solely deliver out these already good at it whereas a soccer occasion would possibly assist degree the enjoying discipline and put children out of their consolation zone.

The significance of correct, concise, and well timed COMMUNICATION is evident. As you look to implement or enhance elements of your group, it is very important hold that in thoughts. You’ll be able to have one of the best intentions on the planet, but when you don’t talk your concepts with the precise individuals and in the precise manner, and on the proper time, it could not really feel the identical solution to others. Then, as a substitute, a really constructive change might have the precise reverse impact than what you have been in search of. Communication along with your athletes is vital but additionally with mother and father, opponents, officers, and neighborhood members are simply as necessary.

A “playbook” is a doc that describes performs or schemes {that a} participant or group might run in a sport. Like in actual life, not all the performs are run every sport so I don’t count on that each college’s athletic program ought to exit and run all of those “performs” that I included in my e-book straight away. There merely isn’t sufficient time or sources to do all of these items directly. Let’s face it – some might merely not even work at each college with so many alternative packages all through the world. As a substitute, I hope that anybody who reads my e-book will hold it shut by in order that once they have time and need to enhance their program they will get it out, discover that particular part, and “run” a brand new “play.”

Nick DeForest who’s initially from Ontario, Canada has been in Vienna Austria since 2000 and works on the American Worldwide College Vienna. Nick has his BA in Historical past from Brock College and his Masters in Athletic Administration and Teaching from Western Kentucky College. He has additionally obtained his Licensed Grasp Athletic Administrator (CMAA) title from the NIAAA. Nick based the Globetrottin’ADs earlier than the onset of the pandemic and has continued to deliver the worldwide college neighborhood collectively together with his podcast and on-line conferences ever since. His first e-book, A International Playbook: How Each Worldwide College Can Increase Its Sport is an try to point out {that a} profitable athletic program can enhance the tradition of a whole college neighborhood. It hopes to lift the sport of all worldwide faculties by giving Administrators, Principals, Lecturers, Coaches, and ADs concepts from top-notch faculties world wide. You will discover A International Playbook on Amazon

To attach with Nick you’ll be able to take a look at his web site, ship him an e-mail, and observe him on Twitter.
https://www.globetrottinads.com/
[email protected]
https://twitter.com/Nick_GTADs

OatFi secures capital to energy BNPL companies for SMBs

The purchase now, pay later (BNPL) market was as soon as seen as a bulletproof funding, given the meteoric rise of gamers like Klarna and Afterpay through the pandemic. However elevated scrutiny over the enterprise — regulatory and in any other case — has put a damper on the keenness. The UK final 12 months introduced new insurance policies pertaining to BNPL firms, whereas the US Client Monetary Safety Bureau in September signaled it will topic BNPL distributors to stricter oversight.

Dealing with the headwinds, reasonably than pull out of BNPL altogether, traders seem like shifting batches to what they understand as a safer subcategory of BNPL: business-to-business (B2B) BNPL. The beneficiaries are startups like OatFi, which at the moment emerged from stealth with $8 million in new fairness and $50 million in debt for its platform that gives working capital infrastructure for B2B funds platforms.

QED Traders led OatFi’s newest funding spherical, with participation from Cambrian Ventures, Portage Ventures, Picus Capital, Fin VC, Sprint Fund and Lorimer Ventures. Bringing the corporate’s whole raised to $11.25 million, the proceeds shall be put towards increasing OatFi’s danger, engineering, customer support and go-to-market groups, in response to CEO Mike Barbosa.

“We based OatFi to raised serve small- and medium-sized (SMBs) companies. Money circulate has all the time been an issue for small enterprise, coping with mismatched fee phrases with suppliers and clients,” Barbosa, who co-founded OatFi with ex- Disney+ staffer John Jordan, informed TechCrunch through e-mail. “We discovered that the platforms bringing these B2B funds on-line did not need to sacrifice their software-as-a-service a number of by launching a credit score product, regardless that they see the information wanted to correctly underwrite working capital instruments. OatFi was inbuilt response to the wants of fee platforms and SMBs.”

Barbosa, who spent 5 years with Morgan Stanley and Bloomberg and co-founded a local weather tech startup earlier than launching OatFi, positions OatFi as a approach for B2B funds platforms to launch embedded working capital instruments with out having to launch a credit score enterprise. By means of the platform, clients can configure their very own person expertise that embeds (through API) inside their current instruments — together with instruments for invoice pay, credit score checks, collections, invoicing and spend administration — by basically constructing their very own BNPL or receivables financing resolution .

“Whereas there are different ‘B2B BNPL’ that concentrate on market or ecommerce platforms, we’re the primary to offer the end-to-end infrastructure for B2B fee platforms to offer financing on each side of each B2B transaction,” Barbosa claimed. “Rising rates of interest and elevated inflation continues to compress SMBs working money circulate. Whereas the credit score high quality of SMBs could endure, the present surroundings presents a singular alternative for OatFi and it is platform companions to assist SMBs by working capital instruments the place not beforehand accessible.”

Even assuming OatFi is as aggressive as Barbosa claims, nonetheless, it’s a tight race for market share within the rising B2B BNPL area. Kontempo lately secured contemporary capital for its BNPL product for companies, as did Billie and Mondu. Different top-raising distributors embrace B2B Affirm spinout Resolve, Tillit, Vartana and Slope.

OatFi is beginning small with 5 platform companions. However whereas Barbosa would not reveal names, he stated that OatFi has originated “thousands and thousands” in quantity throughout B2B fee use instances, together with invoice pay and invoicing, vertical software-as-a-service and spend administration clients.

“The pandemic has accelerated the transition of B2B funds from offline to on-line. This helps our enterprise mannequin as we’re capable of higher distribute working capital instruments to SMBs through our companion platforms experiencing important development pushed by this shift,” Barbosa added.

New York-based OatFi presently has 15 staff, and the corporate expects to finish the 12 months with round 22.

A Dietitian’s Summer season Health Routine & How I Gas For It – Osinga Vitamin

After wrapping up my marathon this spring, I’ve determined it is time to run one other one this fall – and I am aiming to beat my time!

Let me take you thru what my summer time marathon coaching routine will appear to be, together with how I gasoline and get well from that coaching.

As I spotlight fueling and restoration routine, I’ve partnered with the Canadian Beverage Affiliation (CBA) to showcase the position of 100% juice in my weight loss plan for Juice Celebration Month. 100% juice is implausible gasoline and restoration for my exercises because of the pure sugar content material (the quickest gasoline), electrolytes and the water content material – extra on that shortly.

Let me begin by explaining the coaching routine:

Coaching

My coaching can be consisting of about 5 exercise days every week, with two relaxation days. These exercises will include:

Weekly Lengthy Runs
The weekly lengthy runs are the important thing to construct endurance. I can be doing them on Saturdays most weekends. These runs I take at a slower tempo, as I’m working to construct my distance again up slowly. I’ll improve the space of those by not more than 10% every week.

Straightforward Restoration Runs
These runs I can be doing about twice every week. The aim of those is to get my physique used to operating on drained legs. They are going to be accomplished after my lengthy runs and after a pace exercise all through the week. They may even assist pace up my restoration from these runs.

Pace Work
Speedwork is definitely one of the essential components of marathon coaching (along with endurance and power coaching, in fact). It will get you out of your consolation zone, forces you to run with extra environment friendly kind, teaches you restoration instruments, and prepares you for the push of adrenaline you will expertise on race day. In case you at all times practice on the similar pace, you may’t count on to race any otherwise. Pace exercises additionally assist improve your VO2 max, or how effectively your physique makes use of oxygen. The extra oxygen you may eat and use correctly all through your run, the longer you can maintain a tempo.

I can be doing about two periods of interval/ speedwork throughout marathon coaching.

Energy Coaching
Personally, that is what I’ve to work on. Energy coaching would not come naturally to me. Nonetheless, operating sooner requires stronger muscular tissues. Your legs, hips, and core all must be sturdy to prop you ahead with extra energy in every step. I am incorporating two power coaching periods every week by way of movies from Youtube or the Pelaton app. My desire is to make use of physique weight power coaching exercises or mild weights.

gasoline

Fueling accurately is equally necessary as doing the correct coaching. Particularly within the heat, summer time months, when your physique is working further laborious through the exercises.

I’ll do my simple runs fasted, nevertheless I have to have gasoline in my physique through the lengthy runs and pace exercises. I additionally convey gasoline with me throughout my lengthy runs. The right pre-run and during-run gasoline is 100% juice. Let me clarify why.

100% juice comprises solely naturally occurring sugar from fruit. The sugar content material in a single 250 ml glass of orange juice is about the identical as two medium oranges. I want to drink juice proper earlier than a long term vs consuming the entire fruit, as a result of I do not want the fiber earlier than a run. Having fiber earlier than a run can decelerate the pace that our physique can uptake or use the sugar for gasoline. An excessive amount of fiber may also result in gastrointestinal cramps – which isn’t fascinating throughout a long term.

In the course of the summer time lengthy runs, I like to make a do-it-yourself electrolyte drink with 100% fruit juice. 100% fruit juice is a good supply of important vitamins and phytonutrients. In actual fact, those that drink 100% fruit juice have a greater high quality weight loss plan than individuals who do not! Individuals who drink fruit juice have increased intakes of nutritional vitamins A, C, folate and magnesium. The 100% fruit juice electrolyte drink will substitute minerals misplaced in sweat and likewise present the wanted hydration for through the run.

My favourite do-it-yourself sports activities drink is beneath. Merely combine every little thing collectively and retailer in pitcher.

2 cups of 100% juice (my desire is Orange Juice)
2 cups chilly water
2 lemons, juiced
tsp salt
1 tsp magnesium citrate

Proper after my lengthy runs, it is necessary to gasoline inside a half hour – I normally make a smoothie after I get house with (you guessed it) 100% fruit juice, a banana and a few protein powder. I’ll then have a full meal an hour or two later with carbohydrates, veggies and protein.

There you could have it – my summer time exercise and fueling routine! Thanks once more to the Canadian Beverage Affiliation for working with me to convey you this put up. I hope this has offered some info for the way 100% fruit juice will be a part of and improve your nutritious diet.

US Small-Enterprise Optimism Improves for a Third Straight Month

(Bloomberg) — Optimism amongst US small companies edged up in September as companies grew much less downbeat concerning the outlook for gross sales, whereas a smaller share mentioned they raised costs.

Most Learn from Bloomberg

The Nationwide Federation of Impartial Enterprise total optimism index rose 0.3 level to 92.1 final month, the group mentioned in a report Tuesday. 5 of the gauge’s 10 elements elevated. Regardless of rising for a third-straight month, the measure is traditionally low.

The survey’s inflation metrics continued to ease. The online share of householders elevating costs fell 2 proportion factors to 51%, the bottom in a 12 months however nonetheless well-elevated. Virtually a 3rd of householders plan to extend costs within the subsequent three months, the smallest share since January 2021, and labor compensation plans additionally eased.

Nonetheless, 30% of respondents see inflation as the one most essential subject impacting small companies, a slight enhance from August.

Labor stays the next-biggest downside. House owners continued to report problem attracting certified candidates and filling open positions.

“Inflation and employee shortages proceed to be the toughest challenges going through small enterprise homeowners,” NFIB Chief Economist Invoice Dunkelberg mentioned in a press release. “Even with these challenges, homeowners are nonetheless in search of alternatives to develop their enterprise within the present interval.”

One in 10 homeowners expects decrease actual gross sales within the subsequent three months, the fewest since March. A web 5% of companies mentioned gross sales fell over the previous three months, a slight enchancment from a month earlier.

Some 44% of householders mentioned they count on enterprise situations to worsen over the subsequent six months, up 2 proportion factors from August.

The smallest share of householders since June 2021 reported open positions final month, however at 46% it is nonetheless traditionally elevated. Companies are principally struggling to rent within the transportation, manufacturing and development sectors. The variety of respondents planning to rent within the subsequent three months climbed to the very best stage since Might.

Most Learn from Bloomberg Businessweek

15 Best Small Business Ideas for 2023

There are so many great small business ideas out there that it can be tough to choose which one to pursue. And if you’re currently employed full-time, it can be even tougher to find the time to start a business on the side.

But it is possible. I know firsthand because I’ve done it myself. In fact, some of the best businesses are started by people who are already working full time.

If you’re feeling motivated to start a business in 2023 but don’t know where to start, here are 15 great business ideas you can pursue.

1. Start a blog

If you’re passionate about a certain topic, why not start a blog about it? You can share your knowledge and expertise with the world, and if you’re lucky, you might even be able to make some serious money from your blog through advertising or affiliate marketing.

On average, serious bloggers make around $45,000 a year. Keep in mind that the first six months is a building phase of creating content, driving traffic and building your following. The real income tends to kick in during the second six months, with the $45,000 a year figure for an established blog.

One of the best things about blogging is that it’s relatively inexpensive and can be done in your spare time.

2. Start an e-commerce business

If you’re good at finding products that people want to buy online, an e-commerce business could be for you. You can sell just about anything, from physical goods to digital products. And the best part is, you can get started without investing a lot of money.

The trick is to find products you can purchase for a low amount, sell for substantially more and that people want to buy from you.

T-shirts and other personalized items can work really well for this and entire 6 figure businesses have been built with a few super catchy and timely t-shirt slogans along with good graphics and marketing.

3. Start a service business

If you have a particular skill or talent that you can offer others, why not start a service business? You can offer your services to clients on a freelance basis, or you can even start your own service-based business.

If you are particularly good at any aspect of online marketing, for example, then this could be a good fit for you. Content creation, graphic design, reputation management and business coaching are all good possibilities.

4. Start a subscription box business

If you’re looking for a unique business idea, why not start a subscription box business? You can curate boxes of products based on a theme and people can subscribe to receive them on a monthly or quarterly basis. This is a great way to build a loyal customer base and generate some recurring revenue.

I’ve seen this work in crafting niches such as crochet and knitting, as well as pet niches, personal care items and even snack foods.

5. Start a drop shipping business

If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of shipping products yourself, you can always start a drop shipping business. This type of business allows you to sell products without having to worry about inventory or shipping. Instead, when a customer orders a product from your store or from Amazon, you simply order it from your supplier and have it shipped directly to the customer.

The key here is to identify savvy product opportunities. Finding products from overseas that will sell well while giving you a good profit margin will take some research, but it can be well worth it.

6. Start an affiliate marketing website

If you’re good at driving traffic to websites, you could start an affiliate marketing website. This type of site earns revenue by directing visitors to other websites via your affiliate link where they can make purchases. As an affiliate, you earn a commission on every sale that you refer.

Your first step is to choose a niche. Find products that you want to promote in that niche and then create content to bring in prospects. Build your list and market these affiliate products to your list as well as on your website.

7. Start a social media marketing agency

If you’re good at marketing on social media, you can start your own social media marketing agency. You can help businesses grow their online following and get more leads and sales from their social media accounts.

8. Start writing ebooks

The beauty of ebooks is that while content matters, length does not. As long as you deliver on the promise of the title, your ebook can be of almost any length. This means that if you get busy and focus, you could possibly write a new ebook every month or two. Heck, I’ve known people who wrote their first ebook over a two-day weekend.

Use each ebook to recommend the other ebooks as well as any services you provide.

In fact, an ebook can be a great way to get customers for your service. For example, if you’re a web designer and you write the book on web design, clients are going to be much more eager to hire you for your services.

9. Start teaching online courses

If you’re an expert then there is likely an audience willing to pay to learn what you know. Teachable is perhaps the easiest and most affordable platform to host your course and they have plenty of free resources to help you get started.

10. Start an SEO agency

If you’re good at optimizing websites for search engines, you can start your own SEO agency. You can help businesses improve their ranking in search results and get more traffic to their website.

11. Start a web design agency

If you’re good at designing websites, you can start your own web design agency. You can help businesses create beautiful and functional websites and entire sales funnels that convert visitors into customers.

12. Start a content marketing agency

If you’re good at creating compelling content, you could start your own content marketing agency. You can help businesses attract more website visitors and convert them into customers with high-quality content.

13. Start Instagram marketing

Build a loyal following on Instagram and could get deals with major brands to promote their products and services related to your content. If you have enough followers, you can charge $500 to $5000 or more per post.

14. Start an online coaching business

This can be the perfect way to teach beginners in your field. One-on-one coaching is a dependable side business that can grow into a full time income. If you charge by the hour, then you’ll want to use a system like Teamwork to keep track of billable hours while managing client projects at the same time.

In addition to helping you give others, you can also build an online community using a private Facebook group or Slack for your clients to interact and learn from each other.

15. Start a podcast

If you enjoy telling stories, chatting and doing interviews then this is a great opportunity for you to build an audience around a specific topic. You can use your podcast to get sponsors, to promote affiliate products or your own products. Even a new podcast with a built-in audience or a podcast that is building a strong audience can secure advertisers at $200 to $500 per 90 second slot.

You can research and create your own content, or you can interview experts on your podcast. Be sure to do plenty of storytelling to get and keep your audience, as well as conveying your enthusiasm for your topic, using emotion and humor to keep listeners coming back for more.

Of course, these are just a few ideas to get you started. There are endless possibilities when it comes to starting your own business. So, if you’re feeling motivated, take the first step and see where it takes you!

How Mastercard is supporting female entrepreneurs

Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth President Shamina Singh joins Yahoo Finance Live to discuss the company’s commitment to women-owned small businesses and discusses some of the challenges small business owners face.

Video Transcripts

[AUDIO LOGO]

RACHELLE AKUFFO: Mastercard is doubling down on its commitment to financial inclusion. Announcing that it’s already reached its 2025 goal of providing 25 million female entrepreneurs with solutions to help grow their businesses. Shamina Singh, Mastercard center for inclusive growth president, joins us now. Great to see you again, Shamina. So–

SHAMINA SINGH: Nice to see you, Rachelle.

RACHELLE AKUFFO: –talk about these landmarks. Very good to see you. Talk about this landmark that was reached because this wasn’t supposed to get– this landmark wasn’t supposed to hit until 2025.

SHAMINA SINGH: Well, we’re really fortunate that we like many people, didn’t know that the pandemic was coming, but we prepared in advance. And it happened to be in the right place at the right time to ensure that women entrepreneurs, women small business owners, received the support they needed to not only open some small businesses but grow them. And get through the pandemic and then come out even stronger than before. So we’re really proud of the achievement but really grateful that we were able to provide those kinds of resources to the amazing women who need them.

RACHELLE AKUFFO: And so in terms of the stories that stand out when you think about the impact, the economic impact that this can have for these women and the broader community, what sort of stories stand out for you?

SHAMINA SINGH: Well, it’s really– the way I think about it is when you invest in women entrepreneurs, think about it as they pay it back and they pay it forward. They pay it back because their loan repayment rates are over 90% normally for the size and the amount of loans that they are taking. So they’re really big risks because they paid the loan back, and they pay it forward.

What we also know is that when you invest in a woman entrepreneur, she pays it forward to her family, to her community, to all of the things that surround her and her small business. So the impact of investing in a woman entrepreneur is double, triple, quadruple what you get when you invest in a single entrepreneur.

RACHELLE AKUFFO: And I want to ask you because, obviously, we’re in an era of tighter lending conditions. And I know that it’s a philanthropic side, but it’s also a corporate side and really a partnership here. Have you seen any sort of pullback or perhaps more strategic investments in this space?

SHAMINA SINGH: Yeah, it’s interesting because– and that’s why I think it’s important to say that it is a combination of commercial and philanthropic activity coming out of Mastercard. Because, again, during this time of transition, we have to make sure that we’re using every tool and lever at our disposal to ensure that women small business owners and all small business owners come out of this transition period on the other side.

And so for the commercial side, we have a whole set of solutions. From the philanthropic side, we have a whole set of enabling solutions. But the point is that as the economic conditions change and as we see the loan terms change, we have to make sure we’re doing everything we can.

And that also means, Rachelle, that we have to think about lending to women sometimes differently. The notions of credit or collateral are different for some women than they are for other borrowers because sometimes they don’t have the same types of assets that their male counterparts have. And so that’s another creative way and an innovative way that we’re looking at partnering with women entrepreneurs.

RACHELLE AKUFFO: And one thing that you focus on is an inclusive digital economy. What does that mean now in 2023? Especially when you factor in things like AI and how that’s really making sort of a borderless economy when it comes to being inclusive.

SHAMINA SINGH: Yeah, I mean, you know, Rachelle, in some respects, digitization, and digitalization for small business owners, it really has to be table stakes. And so, again, before the pandemic, we saw really good adoption of digital processes.

During the pandemic, I think it became quite clear that if you weren’t able to digitize if you weren’t able to operate in a way that allowed you to meet your customers, sometimes remotely, to offer remote payments in a safe and secure environment, you were going to have a really tough time surviving the pandemic. And we’ve seen that knock-on effect even today that the minimum is digitization of processes and resources. And that’s, actually, one of our — the cornerstones of our strive program globally.

We have a strive, small business signature initiative, where we focus on getting capital that we talked about earlier. Going digital, which is table stakes now, but really making sure that we adapt to the new technologies. And growing your networks and know-how. So we have to think of three parts of the stool to support all small businesses but look at them intricately and differently to make sure that we’re adapting to the needs of women small business owners.

RACHELLE AKUFFO: And so when you look at some things like recession fears that are coming up, sort of another potential shake up for some of these small businesses that maybe would like to hire but aren’t able to find people. And would like more funding but perhaps aren’t able to get it. How are you preparing them in terms of the resources available that they can use?

SHAMINA SINGH: Well, I’d love for any small business owner and for any organization that works with small businesses to really make sure that in the United States, they’re working with CDFIs. And those are Community Development Finance Institutions that are mission led and very close to the small business community. In the sense that sometimes they act as a bridge between banks and the small business owners.

So that if you are in an environment where you need that extra help, you need the time and attention it takes to get that first loan, the CDFI community, the CDFI space in the United States, and the microfinance institution community outside of the United States are really great places to go.

I’ll just give you an example. In the United States, we work with Grameen America. We also work with the Community Reinvestment Fund. We work with Momentus Capital.

When we work with those organizations, and I would encourage you to look at those organizations, they ensure that not only are they providing the training and the wraparound support and services and the accountability but also access to the capital that the small business owner needs. So especially for women, I would definitely advise you to have a look at Grameen America if you’re in the United States and make sure that you connect with the fabulous work that they’re doing.

RACHELLE AKUFFO: Well, I do appreciate you especially laying out the resources because sometimes a lot of people just really don’t know where to start and where to find them. Thank you so much, and congratulations on that milestone there. Shamina Singh, Mastercard Center for inclusive growth president. Thank you for joining us this morning.

SHAMINA SINGH: thank you

The Power of Time – PHE America

(Article 3 of 5)

[5-Part Article Series]

People with physical disabilities hold limited positions as scholars, teachers, or leaders in physical education, recreation, and sports. Perhaps the reason is that the field is flooded with able-bodied people who think they know best. But do they? Michael Oliver, imminent writer, and scholar argued that people with physical disabilities should be the only ones in the field of disability studies because they have a bodily experience with disabilities. The following five-part article series shares the perspective of a scholar in the field of sports disability who has his own physical limitations. In each article, he discusses a different issue a person with a physical disability faces in the profession of physical education, recreation and sport.

Part III: The Power of Time

I have heard able-bodied teachers say, “I don’t have time to teach inclusion.” I believe what they are really saying is the extra preparation is not worth his/her time. Fact: it does take more time to fully include students with physical disabilities in physical education, recreation, and sport. The very idea of ”giving more” time can be overwhelming. However, if pressed would these professionals argue that failing to provide inclusion actually denies their able-bodied students a truly challenging physical education experience? I believe that time is the real issue and but I also believe every student, able-bodied or not, can have a great experience.

We live in a fast-paced able-bodied society. When able-bodied professionals become experts they will create general physical education lessons plans for the able-bodied class in a timely way. But what happens when they have a student with a physical disability who wants to fully participate in the activity? The teacher then must take the time and create adaptations for the student to succeed. As a person with a Traumatic Brain Injury, I understand it takes more time.

I grew up around able-bodied individuals in my house, at school, and when playing sports. I have the mindset of an able-bodied person and I believe I can do anything. Growing up with my physical limitations, however, I was always in a world of rush. I myself believed I was behind everything, and I was consistently trying to keep up because I knew it would take me more time. I was worried I did not have enough time, just like teachers worry they might not have enough preparation time. I would think to myself that I did not have enough time to complete a physical task, and then I would stop trying. It wasn’t until my doctorate program that I learned to slow down. My mentor understood the concept of time and that it takes time to include a student with a physical disability in the classroom. She understood the importance of being a mentor and took the extra time that I needed because of my Traumatic Brain Injury.

A teacher must make time for students with physical disabilities to be successful and when they make the time the benefits are never-ending. By my mentor taking the extra time that I needed, I knew I was worthy and capable of doing tasks that I never imagined I would be doing. Physical education teachers and coaches who take the extra time are heroes to students with physical disabilities. Those students have found someone who sees them as worthy of time. These teachers are willing to teach and coach them. Taking the time will be life-changing for you, the professional, and for the student with a physical disability. Take the time, you won’t regret it.

Follow the 5-Part Series this Month

Leading as a Scholar with a Physical Limitation

This series was written by Aubrey Shaw, Ph.D. and edited by dr. Sharon Stoll (University of Idaho)

Easy PROTEIN Hot Fudge Sundae

Who wants to come over for the BEST protein Hot Fudge Sundaes?

My son can’t get enough of my protein ice cream! I agree, it’s the BEST keto ice cream recipe I’ve made! I had to make a homemade hot fudge sauce to make the BEST protein hot fudge sundae!

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE HOT FUDGE

To make my Easy Protein Hot Fudge sauce, I used chocolate Equip Prime Protein powder!

I love Equip Prime Protein powder so much, I even pack it in my carry on with me when I travel! I am in LOVE with it! It helped me get quality protein when I was on a 36 hour flight to Bali!

Equip protein powder works great for making recipes like my protein-packed keto hot fudge sauce. I used the chocolate Equip. Equip Prime Protein powder is an all-natural, comes from 100% grass-fed beef protein powder! No fillers, no additives, no chemicals and it’s so delicious!

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Easy Protein Hot Fudge Sundae

Prep Time 5 min

Cook Time 3 min

Total Time 8 min

Course Dairy Free, Dessert, Egg Free, Nut Free

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 239.2

EASY KETO VANILLA ICE CREAM (Link Below)

OPTIONAL: PROTEIN WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING

While the protein ice cream is chilling, make the hot fudge.
To make the hot fudge sauce, place the heavy cream, sweetener in a medium pot over high heat. Once hot, remove from the heat and add the Equip chocolate and chopped chocolate. Stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in the vanilla. Taste and adjust sweetness to your liking. Set in fridge to cool for a 15-30 minutes.
To make whipped cream topping, place heavy cream in a whipped cream canister (click HERE to find) and add Equip and 1/4 teaspoon of stevia glycerite to sweeten. Seal and shake well. Spray on top of hot fudge sundae and top with Nuts for optional garnish.

CLICK HERE for the Protein Ice Cream recipe.

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