Do you really need an MBA? graduation cap link Subscribe slash link View in browser slash link Invite a friend 1 OCTOBER 2021 Courier Weekly provides inspiration and tools to help you work better and live smarter. Brought to you this week by link Bureau at Design District dot SMARTS STUFF SKILLS MORE Your weekly round up of briefings, trends and news. heading level 2 Creatives need business skills, too When designer link Stacie Woolsey first started looking into a Master's program, she was quoted an unaffordable amount to study and live in London. So, she proposed an experiment: could she work on live industry briefs with artists and designers in the field, just to learn about what they did? Stacie's story of reaching out to industry professionals quickly spread in the design community that's how her creative education program, link Make Your Own Masters , came about. In January last year, she brought on her first cohort of 11 creatives to follow the same formula of crafting their own education alongside industry professionals. Financial inaccessibility is still a huge issue in the higher education space. MB As can set people back five or six figures, and they're usually only available to people with some prior knowledge of business or management. That not only excludes creative entrepreneurs, but also widens the knowledge gap between them and other business owners. So, creatives are starting to take matters into their own hands. A new formula Carolyn Dailey had worked in the creative industry for 20 years, and it was only when she started her own business that she noticed that knowledge deficit. We all had a lack of business training and networks, which made everything a struggle. That led her to launch link Creative Entrepreneurs , an online membership based platform that tailors business concepts to creative people. Today, the platform attracts people in a number of creative sectors, including architecture, film and video games. And there's an even larger gap in newer creative spaces, like content creation, influencing and podcasting, according to Ranbir Arora, CEO and co founder of link Dorm , which pairs aspiring business owners with established entrepreneurs. You can best learn from an experienced entrepreneur when you are in the trenches with them as real partners of a project, Ranbir says. This is where you can really see first hand how they tackle deep operational issues and how they keep calm under pressure. What's unique about Dorm is that the entrepreneurs are rewarded with equity or a share of revenue if the business they’re mentoring is successful. The accessibility question A lot of these alternative education providers are offering their services at a fraction of the price of traditional universities. A membership to Creative Entrepreneurs which has a rich library of on demand educational content and events will only cost £30 a month or £300 on a yearly plan. Berlin based link d dot MBA costs just shy of €3,000 for a six week business course that's tailored for designers a far cry from the six figure price tags of one or two year MB As offered by universities. Prospective d dot MBA students can even gauge whether the course is right for them before applying, by opting for a free seven day trial that's delivered over email. Accessibility isn't just about lowering prices, says d dot MBA founder Alen Faljic. How a course is structured also has to be fundamentally different for creative professionals. Having small groups of 30 people per cohort means that they can all hold each other accountable. Adding a community based element to education also increases the likelihood that people will see the whole course through. That's why d dot MBA completion rates are at 97 percent , while for most online courses, only 5 percent to 10 percent of learners finish the program. Alen and his team are already finding that they have lots more designers applying than they can serve. More people are starting to realize that not having this knowledge is keeping them from growing in their careers. For more on how creatives are navigating the business world, check out our latest print edition, link out now dot SMARTS STUFF SKILLS MORE Inspiration for the home, plus things to eat, drink and wear. heading level 2 The e bike boom One e bike was sold every link three minutes in 2020. Experts predict that 30 million will be sold link every link year by 2030 , with advances in technology, accessibility and the need for easier commuting being a few reasons behind it. Here are five brands leading the way. bullet Crowdfunded in 2017, Swytch wants to bring electrical biking to everyone. The easy to assemble link Universal e Bike Conversion Kit , including a front motor wheel, power pack, handlebar bracket and a universal pedal assist sensor, converts any regular bike into an e bike. bullet The link Cowboy 4 is Cowboy's newest and most advanced edition, winning the link Red Dot Best of the Best product design award in 2021. With 50 percent extra torque power compared to previous models, the bike is made of 200 components and integrates with the Cowboy app, which connects bike to phone to monitor activities. bullet Cake is a Swedish electric bike company blurring the line between bicycle and motorbike. The newest model, the link Makka , is available in two versions, the Range and the Flex. With top speeds of upwards of 25 km slash h, it can be customized with Cake accessories, from a topbox to an additional passenger seat. bullet The link Folding by Ahooga is a lightweight hybrid bicycle, weighing in at 13kg. Combining the comfort and performance of a full sized bike, the Folding is available in several motorizations, and can easily unwind in and out of its compact position within 10 seconds. bullet Designed and engineered in Austin, Texas, the link MOD Easy is an e bike celebrating World War II motorcycles, featuring a retro frame with a large built in battery and a powerful motor placed in the center. It can reach up to 45km slash h and is available with a sidecar to carry any extra cargo. BRAND PARTNER: Bureau at Design District Find your new creative home After a year of working from home, it's time to reconnect with your community. Meet Bureau, a new members' club for desk based creatives located in the heart of Greenwich Peninsula's new Design District. Bureau offers space to work and space to connect, with options for hot desking, fixed workspaces and studio space for four to eight people, thoughtfully designed with creative work in mind. link Get your free month's membership. link click u equals a 583d 27476c 21500f 30b 2b… SMARTS STUFF SKILLS MORE Tips and tools to become better at life and work. heading level 2 Supporting employees' mental health With link one in six employees experiencing mental ill health, organizations are – now more than ever – expected to have measures in place supporting workplace wellbeing. Nike, for example, hit headlines at the end of August for giving its staff a week long mental health break. But what can smaller businesses, with limited time, money and resources, do to help their staff? We asked link Dr Nick Taylor , a clinical psychologist and co founder of workplace mental health platform link Unmind , for some practical advice. Nick’s tips 1. Train managers in supporting mental wellbeing Training managers for effective leadership, organization and planning is essential, but small businesses need to go further. They need to provide managers with specific training on how to offer mental health support to colleagues – both in person and virtually. Managers should be able to encourage and help employees to use the available resources. 2. Move beyond standard, treatment centric employee assistance programs (EA Ps) EA Ps are critical for those already experiencing mental ill health. But small businesses also need to put preventative measures in place. These measures should focus on seven crucial areas: connecting with people to find support, monitoring stress levels, taking time off from work, drawing the line between private life and work, staying physically active, getting enough sleep, and finding purpose. By encouraging staff to proactively take care of these seven crucial areas, employers reduce the risk of mental ill health from appearing in the first place – and create a healthy, happy team. 3. Fight the stigma Employers should position mental health as something to be understood, nurtured and celebrated in the daily routines of any business. To achieve this, employers and managers can start by talking about their own struggles with mental health, and encourage honest conversations across the workforce. 4. Underline the relationship between inclusivity and mental health Lackluster initiatives to promote diversity and equality often lead to mental ill health among minority groups who might struggle to access support. Offer resources that cover a wide range of topics, delivered on various channels, which are accessible by everyone. 5. Provide employees with connected mental health tools Since the pandemic hit, we have seen a rise in virtual mental health tools, such as apps, videos and articles. These tools should be accessible to all employees and, most importantly, work in tandem with them. Employers should organize these tools on a single platform that employees can easily access from anywhere. separator Want more tips and tools on working effectively and living smarter? link Visit Courier Workshop SMARTS STUFF SKILLS MORE Other great stuff we loved this week. 1. The couple that launched a link home bakery dot 2. What on earth is link productivity dysmorphia’ 3. A link fresh take on tech investing. 4. Inside a link mini mart in LA’s Chinatown. 5. The Native American women link shaking up craft beer dot separator Did a friend forward you Courier Weekly? Sign up now. link Sign up to Courier Weekly link click u equals a 583d 27476c 21500f 30b 2b… heading level 2 It's the 1st. Start something! Get inspired by the latest cohort of creative business owners that are making money on their own terms. link Buy the new issue link click u equals a 583d 27476c 21500f 30b 2b… link click u equals a 583d 27476c 21500f 30b 2b… link click u equals a 583d 27476c 21500f 30b 2b… Drop us a line anytime at link hello at couriermedia dot com to tell us what you think. Update your preferences link here dot Unsubscribe link here dot link click u equals a 583d 27476c 21500f 30b 2b… Courier, Level 1, 88 Hanbury Street, London, E 1 5JL, UK Illustration: Lauren Humphrey.