How we do business is continuously being revolutionised by digital transformation, from data-driven decision-making and streamlining processes to product innovation. This has challenged companies to address the increasing need for specialised talent requirements that has impacted every facet of the job market.

What next after getting a business degree?

You have graduated with a business degree and now you must set your sights on a career path. A variety of factors will influence your career choice, including the type of job you want, where you want to live, and how much money you want to make. No matter what type of business role you are looking for, you can use this guide on how to pick a business career path.

Business majors are some of the most sought-after graduates by employers. This is because they have the skills and knowledge that are essential in a wide range of businesses and industries. A business degree can provide you with the foundation for a successful career in a number of different fields, including accounting, finance, marketing, human resources, and much more.

Opportunities will get even better if you decide to pursue an MSC finance and management, which is a specialised field of study that combines aspects of both finance and management. The course covers a wide range of topics, from financial accounting and investment analysis to corporate finance and risk management.

In-demand career paths for business professionals

Choosing a business major can be overwhelming. With so many different types of businesses and industries, it can be difficult to decide which one is right for you. There is a multitude of career paths for business professionals. Here are five career paths that have a high demand for business professionals.

1. PR consultancy

One of the biggest trends in business is the increasing importance of branding and marketing. If you are good at this, then PR is a great way to build your career. Key skills that you need for this career path include strategic thinking, creativity and communication.

Working in a PR consultancy involves creating and implementing strategies and tactics to help a company achieve its goals. You will have to start by taking a business management course at university in order to get your PR qualification.

2. Sports team management

Sports teams need effective sports managers who have the skills to make impactful decisions for their teams and also deal with data analysis to help them improve performance. If you are a business major, then you will already be familiar with the maths and statistics that are essential in sports management.

If you are a sports lover, then this could be the perfect career path for you. Sports management firms handle all kinds of tasks related to the day-to-day operations of professional sports teams. This includes accounting, marketing and sponsorship activities.

3. Talent agency

Talent agencies handle all aspects of the recruitment and placement process for companies, which are completely dependent on the skills and knowledge of their staff. The best talent agencies have data analysts who use advanced analytics in order to find the best fit for a team or an individual.

Companies will always look for talent with specific skills, which is why it is important that you choose your profession carefully. Talent agencies help companies by matching their needs with the appropriate candidate.

4. Gallery management

Galleries need highly skilled managers who are passionate about art and have an eye for detail. A business degree will provide you with the skills to analyse the artistic value of an artwork, which is a key aspect of this field.

This job is well-suited for people who are passionate about art and aesthetics. Gallery management involves hiring, training and maintaining the gallery’s workforce. If you are a business major, then you will already be familiar with the skills required for this career path: adaptability, teamwork and a passion for art.

5. Publishing

What do the world’s most influential magazines and newspapers have in common? A publishing management degree. Publishing teams are in charge of everything related to the daily operations, including product development and marketing.

The job of a publisher involves compiling and editing content for publications, which can include everything from blogs to books. Publishing is an industry that relies heavily on technology and skilled employees. As a result, the publishing sector is a fast-growing one.

Skills that business majors need to have

To achieve success in any business career, it takes an organised deep thinker with excellent problem-solving skills – you should always strive to please your clients even if you are working remotely. New business graduates will have many options after graduation. Each field requires different skills and knowledge, but there are several skills that are universal and can be applied to most professions.

These are some of the specific skills you need to succeed in this career:

• Strategic thinking: You must be able to look at the bigger picture about what’s going on in your company and identify opportunities to improve its performance.

• Analytical problem-solving skills: Problems that arise in your business need to be solved efficiently to avoid escalations. You must be able to use data science and other analytical tools to draw insights that will help you make better business decisions.

• Economic understanding: To effectively plan budgets, analyse costs and make optimal business decisions, you must understand the concepts of cost and pricing. Economic understanding helps you to assess whether an investment will be profitable.

• Teamwork: This is one of the most important skills to have as a business professional. You will be required to engage with your co-workers, clients and superiors on a daily basis, so you must be able to work well in groups.

• Marketing understanding: You will have to develop a deep understanding of how people perceive and interact with your business or its products. Whether that is creating brand identity, marketing campaigns or advertising messages, you will have to be able to create persuasive content that speaks to your target audience.

• Networking: Networking is a key skill that is essential to achieving your goals. This can only be done by socialising with professionals in your industry and being open to opportunities that could become available in the future.

Bottom line

Business is a very rewarding career path and there are many fields to choose from. You can work in consulting, research, management or a number of other industries. No matter which business career path you choose to follow, you will have to be highly self-motivated, organised and hardworking.

Although power outages are less than ideal, especially if you’ve not been given much time to prepare, there are several steps you can take to ensure your business is as prepared as possible for a power outage. By being practical before a power outage occurs, you can ensure your business and your staff can remain safe and stay powerful – even without power.

Keep the Number of People In-House as low as Possible

Sometimes power outages take you by surprise and you’re left without any time to prepare, but most of the time you’ll be given a couple of days’ notice about a potential outage. In this case, allow your staff to work completely remotely if possible. If staff do need to be present, try to keep the number of people to the minimum to ensure that the operations are still running but that the smallest number of people are put in any danger as a result of the outage.

Invest in Surge Protection and an Uninterruptible Power System

When thinking about preparing for a power outage, it’s important to consider the after effects on your power supply, including when the power comes back on. It’s common for power surges to occur after a power outage, so it’s important that these risks are managed.

This is why it is essential to invest in quality surge protectors and an uninterruptible power system (UPS). You should also make sure all fire detectors are in proper working order because, if not controlled, power surges can do a lot of damage to your equipment, and also potentially your staff. Investing in surge protectors and a UPS power supply is the best way to keep your assets safe.

Have an Emergency kit Prepared

If the power outage is the result of a storm, you’re going to need more than just a first-aid kit to see you through. Whether the kit is prepared for your work colleagues or your family, it’s always better to be over prepared than under prepared, so go wild with the emergency kit. Pack as many non-perishable snacks as you want, along with plenty of bottled water.

Of course, don’t forget about things like candles, lighters, batteries and torches. When in doubt, pack it all. It’s better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

Ensure that Staff are Fully Trained in Safety Protocols

One of the best tools during a power outage, not including those physical items previously discussed, is knowledge. When staff know what to do during a crisis, they’ll be able to ensure everyone is kept safe without panicking. So, you need to establish a safety protocol and train all members of staff in it. As part of this protocol, there should ideally be some kind of communication system in place, so everyone knows how to get updated about the situation.

Your safety protocol might include some of the following information:

• What to do immediately after a power outage
• If customers need to leave the premises
• How authorities are going to be contacted about the outage
• Who, if anyone, will be allowed to leave early.

With these tips and ideas in mind, you have all the basic information you need to begin mitigating the risk and after effects of a power outage in your business.

Managing a business can be challenging. Whether you’re a small startup or a large enterprise, it can be difficult to make sure everything is in perfect order. After all, a business that runs well is less likely to come across legal troubles or struggle with stagnating sales. When everything runs like a well-oiled machine, you’re more likely to see growth and see your business steadily progress. After all, when you’re an entrepreneur you don’t want to see that business is stalling or risk bankruptcy. But in order to achieve favorable outcomes, you need to ensure that your equity management policy is in place. 

Here are some aspects to keep in mind when you’re looking to upgrade your management policy. 

What is equity management? 

The equity of a company stands for the money that would be returned to the owners in the event the business would be dissolved, all of the assets were liquidated, the debts paid off and the assets sold. The management of these factors is the process through which stakeholder-related ownership is controlled. 

Equity should be a part of every balance sheet, as its figures are some of the most important markers that can determine a company’s financial health. The calculation is the sum of the assets from which the sum total of the liabilities is extracted. Equity is also used to determine several financial ratios. ROE, the Return of Equity, which measures the profitability of a business, is one example. 

The importance of equity 

Through the simple equation of removing liabilities from assets, you get a comprehensive image of your company’s finances. Equity is employed for the purchase of various assets, the investment in projects and the funding of operations and processes. In this sense, equity is one of the two main forms of raising capital, the other being the issue of debts, typically through a loan or bond. 

The stakeholders of your company have the potential for capital gains and dividends, based on the number of shares they possess. This also gives them the possibility to vote on corporate actions and decisions, as well as elect members for the board of directors. When it comes to shareholder equity, the importance is so great that you don’t even have to conduct very serious assessments to determine the fiscal state of your company. 

All you need to do is check whether the equity is positive or negative. In the case of the former, your business has sufficient assets to cover the liabilities, while in the event of the latter, the liabilities are greater than the assets and overcome. Obviously, the latter is not an ideal situation and, if it continues unchecked for a prolonged amount of time it constitutes balance sheet insolvency. While stakeholder alone is not the only indicator of a company’s well-being, it is the most popular element investors base their decisions on. 

Choose online resources 

In the age of tech developments and automation it would be a mistake not to use specially-designed platforms to help keep track of your balance sheets and tables. If you’re running a small enterprise, you’ll definitely benefit from cap table management for startups. This table is crucial for the commencement of sound, informed financial decisions that can impact your business in the long-term. It helps calculate and establish your market value. 

The right software can also help you make sense of your equity insurance management. In this way you ensure that you can manage your shareholders, employees and portfolio under one single platform. You’ll be able to save time, improve transparency and create better financial inclusivity. You’ll also gain access to a multitude of financial and KPI reporting tools that’ll keep investors and other participants engaged and well-informed. 

The components of equity 

When we’re discussing the elements of equity management, we can’t neglect bringing retained earnings to the table. These are the cumulative net profits of a company without the amount owed in dividend payments, the distribution of the earnings to stakeholders as it is determined by the board of directors. When you’re focused on dividends, the sum you pay in dividends should be quite small. Some enterprises choose to pay nothing at all, particularly if they’re very focused on growth. This allows them to use the retained earnings to fuel expansion activities. 

The earnings can also be used to increase production capacities, branch out to a new niche of the market, launch a new product or improve their marketing strategy. This is usually done in the form of adding more people to the sales team. The amount you own in retained earnings is an important marker of your company’s overall financial condition. they signify how much you’ve managed to save over time, showing the extent of your ability to comfortably reinvest or distribute your resources. 

As your company continues to expand and reinvests a portion of its income again and again, the accumulated retained earnings will exceed the amount of the equity capital. In the case of companies that have been in business over a large period, the retained earnings tend to become the largest component of equity. 

Shares and stocks are part of the discussion as well, with businesses sometimes performing repurchasing actions when they cannot mobilize all equity capital in a way that’s expected to deliver the best returns. When your business needs to raise money, you may also reissue shares back to stakeholders. 

Other types of equity 

While using equity as a definitive marker to evaluate how a company’s going, it’s not the only application of the concept. And as such there are many variations to equity, including: 

• The amount of securities minus what is owed to the brokerage in margin trading. 
• The amount of funds contributed by either management or shareholders, to which the retained earnings or losses are added. 
• In the case of bankruptcy, the liable capital, the amount you’re left with after paying off creditors, counts as another type of equity. 

Equity is an important thing, for both the well-being and continuation of your business as well as for investors interested in your company.

American University of Beirut and Harvard Business School alumnus Karim Khayat serves as CEO of Seeds Education today. Under Karim Khayat’s stewardship, Seeds Education has risen to prominence as an industry leader supporting education providers as the facilitators of lifelong learning. This article, based on published research, will explore the explosive growth seen in Kuwait’s education sector in recent years.

According to report published by Ken Research in 2022, Kuwait’s education market remains in its growth stage. The report cites overhauls and changes made to the curriculum via government interventions and subsidies as a major market support parameter.

Two organisations oversee operations in Kuwait’s education sector today, namely the Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Education. The market registered almost 6% market growth for the period 2012 to 2017.

In 2016, Kuwait’s Ministry of Education allocated KWD 2 billion in funding in its annual budget for the K-12 education sector, meeting targets set out in its Integrated Education Reform Program and School Education Quality Improvement Project, both of which are geared towards developing the curriculum, improving learning outcomes, encouraging effective teaching and refining the efficiency of education.

According to the Ken Research report, Kuwait’s education market is predicted to reach more than KWD 900 million in 2022.  Growth in the country’s K-12 education market is attributed to a rising schooling population and increased demand for private education, as well as an increase in scholarships with foreign universities and others.

Kuwaitis enjoy a relatively high disposable income compared with citizens of other countries, which is driving a shift to private schools due to the enhanced educational value and improved future prospects they offer. Between 2012 and 2017, the number of private schools in Kuwait grew by 2%.

Currently, 40% of all Kuwaiti students attend private schools. The market is somewhat fragmented, incorporating a variety of different school types, each presenting their own curricula. The majority of private schools are individually owned, presenting more scope for large-scale operators to take over.

Experts predict that Kuwait’s test prep market will continue to expand, with a combination of both international and local players operating in the market. Major catchment areas include Kuwait City, Salmiya, Hawalli, and Fahaheel.

As of 2016, around 80% of the Kuwaiti population was online, spawning increased demand for e-learning services. Although some technological limitations remain in terms of bandwidth and low internet speeds, with security concerns also presenting barriers to e-learning implementation, the future is promising overall due to mobile penetration and the increasing popularity of online portals to read e-books. Smart classes have received largely positive feedback from K-12 schools.

Meanwhile, in Kuwait’s teacher training market, despite budget cuts, the steady rise of the student population has driven considerable growth in recent years.

About Seeds Education

With offices in Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Lebanon, and the United Kingdom, Seeds Education unites the expertise of a group of related companies, drawing on a wealth of experience with different areas of the education sector to provide clients with a seamless service provision. Established in 1968, the company operates with the ethos that effective learning is underpinned by strong values combined with a commitment to helping every individual attain the success they are capable of. Seeds Education’s products and services are tailored to the unique needs of each client, with the company and its subsidiaries boasting decades of experience in providing customised publishing services and educational products.

Out of home (OOH) advertising refers to any type of advertising that is experienced outside of the home – it’s exactly what it says on the tin.

There are many benefits of both city centre OOH advertising and OOH advertising in the suburbs. However, it can certainly be difficult to decide which location is best, and it can depend heavily upon the type of advertisement being shown, and who the advertisement is aimed at.

This article is going to give you some advice on how to choose the best location for your OOH advertising.

Benefits of OOH Advertising in the City

The cost of advertising via digital billboards in city centres differs depending on the size, exact location, type of advert and the cycles that the billboard follows. However, research shows that advertising in Glasgow City Centre, for example, is significantly more than in somewhere like Esher, Surrey.

Undoubtedly, the population within city centres is a lot larger than those within suburbs, ensuring an increase in brand recognition. According to statistics, 75% of commuters have seen a digital billboard in the last 30 days. Imagine how many more people this would be in a city than in a suburb.

OOH advertising displays information in unique and very visible ways that inform potential customers about your brand and the services that it provides. Another benefit of this is that it enables you to target specific consumers to a greater extent than would be possible in the suburbs.

Benefits of OOH Advertising in the Suburbs

There is less advertising competition in the suburbs than in the city centre, making outdoor advertising better able to connect with the audience. It strengthens the bond between brands and customers and improves return on investment rates. OOH advertising is the most efficient driver of engagement with potential customers, especially if it connects with the audience somewhere where there isn’t much competition.

Age plays a big factor in where people live. Families with children and older generations are more likely to live in the suburbs, where it’s quieter, whilst younger people often prefer city centres because of the convenience that they offer. Thus, if your target market lives in the suburbs, so should your advertisement.

It’s easier for a sense of community to be built in the suburbs than in big cities where a mass of people promotes anonymity. As an advertiser, this makes it easier to target certain audiences or communities, especially if you’re on a budget.

So, Which is the Best Location for Your OOH Advertising?

Ultimately, it depends on the type of company you have and what you’re looking for when advertising. If you’re advertising for a mainstream audience, it’s likely that OOH advertising in the city centre will be best for your purposes. However, if your intended audience is more niche, such as retired people or new mums, it will probably be easier and more effective for you to advertise in the suburbs where you can better target your demographic.

Billboards are one of the most effective advertising methods and are as effective as they once were 20 years ago, so when applied in ways that are proven as effective, this, among other OOH advertising methods, can be used to great benefit for brands.

The world of television is changing rapidly and so too is the way we view it. In the past, we used to watch a handful of stations on a TV set. Go far back enough, and that TV set was a considerably chunky thing that took up a big part of your room. The programmes were set in stone and if you missed something then that was that—you’d missed it. Even the most sophisticated channels went off the air at some point.

Now, though, television is accessible everywhere. Yes, there is still television—albeit a slim-downed version of it that we can hang on our walls like a picture. But now we can also view it on our mobile phones, our tablets, our laptops, and our PCs. Furthermore, we can pick what we watch, when we watch it, from a range of advanced TV options. These include streaming services, pay-on-demand, subscription services, and catch-up options. In fact, according to a poll by YouGov, one in two people in the UK have multiple paid streaming services to which they subscribe. Despite the fact that this poll was taken during the pandemic, when many people were looking for new ways to entertain themselves, there is evidence that the trend will continue.

In this ever-changing world, one thing does seem here to stay: ad-supported TV streaming. Especially as finances grow tighter during a cost-of-living crisis and people try to find ways to cut their bills down.

What is Ad-Supported TV Streaming?

When people think of a streaming service, they mostly think of something like Netflix; an ad-free service that requires you to pay a subscription fee per month in order to access its content. However, this isn’t always the case. Netflix may well be the giant of the industry but there are actually plenty of ad-supported streaming services available as well.

Ad-supported streaming is any streaming video service that includes adverts on its platform. Ad-supported streaming services tend to either be free (for example, Tubi) or come at a basic rate. Some paid subscription services, such as Hulu, will even offer an ad-supported version of their services as part of their basic plan. The streaming service can ask less for a subscription because it’s making up some of its revenue via advertising. Meanwhile, viewers are happy to watch through a few adverts in order to get something for free or at a discount. Advertisers know that a cheaper service will garner a lot of interest and that they are likely going to be able to target their adverts, so their investment will pay off.  As such, it tends to be a system that works for everyone.

People can access these kinds of services in a variety of ways. Sometimes they subscribe directly through the internet (Over-the-Top media), while other times they will connect their TV to the internet (Connected TV) or use a Smart TV.

What Does the Future Hold for Ad-Supported Streaming?

During the pandemic, as people were forced to stay home more, they looked for new ways to entertain themselves. During this time, most streaming services saw an increase in subscribers and this included ad-supported varieties. A heightened interest in ad-supported services has naturally attracted more companies to the idea of offering this kind of service, and many new kids on the block are starting to appear. Furthermore, some ad-supported services are being bought out by bigger companies, raising their profiles. All of this can complicate the buying space but provides an exciting and interesting environment for would-be advertisers.