tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/how-to-12134/articlesHow to – The Conversation2020-12-09T15:37:34Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1513252020-12-09T15:37:34Z2020-12-09T15:37:34ZHow to start a business: a beginner’s guide by an expert in strategy<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373870/original/file-20201209-17-1hf6grf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=21%2C0%2C4865%2C3370&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">kelly sikkema G H qZOA unsplash</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/G_91H-3qZOA">Kelly Sikkema / unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://artlibre.org/licence/lal/en">FAL</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>2020 was the Chinese <a href="https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/rat/">Year of the Rat</a> – associated with the “rat-like qualities” of quick thinking and adaptability leading to success and wealth. After a year of challenges, with many people selecting or being forced into self-employment and starting a business, how can people mimic these qualities?</p>
<p>Online information meant to be helpful can instead be overwhelming. There are many predictions of where the <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/359953">future of business</a> lies and how the <a href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/11/our-post-pandemic-world-and-whats-likely-to-hang-round/">post-pandemic</a> world may create unexpected and surprising <a href="https://home.kpmg/xx/en/blogs/home/posts/2020/11/defying-expectations.html">global trends</a> towards growth and increased investment. But when you are starting from scratch, you first need to understand the basics.</p>
<h2>Who wants what I am selling?</h2>
<p>The first step is figuring out who your target customer, user or audience is. Where do they shop and how will they perceive you? <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/251666/number-of-digital-buyers-worldwide/">Data shows</a> that online shopping in 2016 involved 1.66 billion digital buyers around the world – this has been forecast to grow to 2.14 billion by 2021. </p>
<p>The founder of Microsoft, <a href="https://www.inc.com/don-reisinger/bill-gates-thinks-entrepreneurs-must-develop-these-skills.html">Bill Gates</a>, argues that <a href="https://www.gov.uk/growing-your-business/attract-new-customers">selling</a> is the one skill that entrepreneurs need. As your business grows, balancing sales with profit margins comes into sharp focus. </p>
<p>You can start your business in either structure, as a sole trader or limited company, without your offering being totally perfect. Build confidence incrementally, while testing the market with the “<a href="https://medium.com/@ClrMobile/planning-a-minimum-viable-product-a-step-by-step-guide-6f387d657870">minimum viable product</a>”. In layman’s terms, this means the most basic version of what you are offering that is saleable and works – and that a customer would want, without the bells and whistles that you can add later. It is normal to make changes after feedback. </p>
<p>Register your logo early. There are advantages, whether you are a limited company or not, such as avoiding anyone copying it. The <a href="https://www.bl.uk/business-and-ip-centre/industry-guides">British Library</a> has free comprehensive resources to register trademarks and patents. It is worth checking your design for <a href="https://www.gov.uk/search-for-trademark?step-by-step-nav=37e4c035-b25c-4289-b85c-c6d36d11a763">trademark</a> infringement.</p>
<p>Starting as a sole trader means less scrutiny and regulatory compliance than a limited company – a more formal <a href="https://www.gov.uk/limited-company-formation/register-your-company">legal structure</a> can follow. On the other hand, a limited company can make a better first impression to potential investors. Consider <a href="https://www.gov.uk/search-for-trademark?step-by-step-nav=37e4c035-b25c-4289-b85c-c6d36d11a763">trademarks</a> early on. You can <a href="https://www.gov.uk/limited-company-formation/register-your-company?step-by-step-nav=37e4c035-b25c-4289-b85c-c6d36d11a763">register a limited company</a> with dormant accounts just to secure the business name. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An illustration of a businessman sitting on a rat jumping up to a 2020 sign." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373373/original/file-20201207-23-9nwwcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373373/original/file-20201207-23-9nwwcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373373/original/file-20201207-23-9nwwcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373373/original/file-20201207-23-9nwwcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373373/original/file-20201207-23-9nwwcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373373/original/file-20201207-23-9nwwcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373373/original/file-20201207-23-9nwwcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">2020 was the year of the rat – challenges abound.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In both instances, insurance may be required to protect against public liabilities and <a href="https://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/insurance/faq/what-is-product-liability-insurance/">product</a> liabilities. If you employ staff, insurance is a legal requirement – and you will need to advise <a href="https://www.gov.uk/search/all?keywords=hiring+employees&level_one_taxon=d0f1e5a3-c8f4-4780-8678-994f19104b21&level_two_taxon=374b4837-cf2a-4529-a7f1-559d92b3d90d&order=relevance">HMRC</a> and pay <a href="https://www.gov.uk/browse/employing-people">PAYE</a>. If, as a sole trader or limited company, you are using your car, you need to tell your insurer.<br>
<a href="https://www.gov.uk/introduction-to-business-rates">Business rates</a> will apply to a room in your home used only as an office, but there are <a href="https://www.cbi.org.uk/our-campaigns/progressive-business-rates-that-work-for-everyone/">exempted buildings</a> which you should check.</p>
<p>Whether you are a sole trader or a limited company, it’s a good idea to register a website. Note that a limited company has more protection than a sole trader online. Social media domains also need to be considered. Free services that can help are the <a href="https://www.fsb.org.uk/join-us/membership/insurance-service.html">Federation of Small Business</a>, the <a href="https://www.iod.com">Institute of Directors</a> and <a href="https://www.cbi.org.uk/what-we-do/">The Confederation of British Industry</a>. </p>
<h2>Will anyone buy my product or service?</h2>
<p>Sole trading gives the impression that there is a person behind the brand, but limited companies can also tell a story and build trust with the customer, client or user. Question your potential customers, and use real data to understand the market. <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk">Market research</a> will help you assess competition and risks – has someone already made what you are offering? What issues did they face?</p>
<p>An overlooked question is “why are you <em>not</em> using a product or service like mine?”. Ask yourself and your target customers this. The answer will reveal whether what has stopped this service being created before is linked to anything from price, to accessibility. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/299522">Do not be discouraged</a> with a negative answer. Try and come at it from a personal angle. Loyalty is key in building a strong customer base and <a href="https://hbr.org/2014/07/how-to-tell-a-great-story">telling people a story</a> helps them to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikekappel/2018/01/17/5-essential-tips-for-business-storytelling/?sh=1f5f1727454d">get to know you</a>. Marketing – or in other words, letting people know you exist – in the digital age means you cannot avoid social media. Use microblogging sites if you are time poor or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/linkedin-looks-to-become-dominant-ad-force-2017-9?r=US&IR=T">LinkedIn</a> and paid-for reports, that give you insights into nationwide statistics on things like <a href="https://www.statista.com/study/21306/cosmetics-market-in-the-united-kingdom-uk-statista-dossier/">the cosmetics industry</a>, market trends in your area of interest or information on social media use, although they can be pricey. </p>
<h2>What’s the plan?</h2>
<p>Deciding whether to be a sole trader or a limited company inevitably means you produce a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/write-business-plan">business plan</a>. For both, it is a thought exercise, a useful checklist of decisions, justification, contingencies and research, predominantly for your own purposes, especially when it comes to being a sole trader. To allow for growth you might need to create another version for possible investors.</p>
<p>The business plan is not a linear document. Think ahead to future trends to recession-proof your business. Follow government policy on climate change through the <a href="https://d423d1558e1d71897434.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Lord-Deben-CCC-NDC-Letter-to-BEIS-SoS-1.pdf">Climate Change Committee</a> – you don’t want your product to be banned a year after you set up due to changing policy on plastics, for example.</p>
<h2>Who should I speak to?</h2>
<p>When building a network of people with experience and relevant knowledge, limited companies are regarded more seriously. Businesses need different types of networks – and the chances are that you already know several helpful people. Recommendations establish trust and can accelerate relationships. Mentors do not need to know you exist – you can <a href="https://hbsp.harvard.edu/catalog/collections/editors-pick-entrepreneurship?cid=email%7Celoqua%7C11-19-20-entrepreneurs-day-email%7C563437%7Cproduct%7Ceducator%7Cfeatured-collection%7Cnov20202152&acctID=13134022&elqTrackId=13bb403d177f4e7691038cc280874de5&elq=acc993e4f4d4472e85ef7c57da85738e&elqaid=2152&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=2629">read</a> about <a href="https://resume.io/blog/15-career-lessons-from-successful-founders">successful business founders</a> and learn from them without ever speaking to them.</p>
<p>2021 is the Year of the Ox, which signals hard work – but also recognition for that work. Choosing how to start your business ultimately lies with you doing your research and making an informed decision. Knowledge is power, after all.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/151325/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lianne Taylor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Starting as a sole trader means less scrutiny and regulatory compliance than a limited company - but also less protectionLianne Taylor, Programme Director UEA Africa Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Strategy, University of East AngliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/990212018-07-09T20:02:36Z2018-07-09T20:02:36ZProtecting your kids from failure isn’t helpful. Here’s how to build their resilience<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/225855/original/file-20180703-116152-btdfq7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Failure is a gift disguised as a bad experience.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>There has been <a href="https://carlsonschool.umn.edu/sites/carlsonschool.umn.edu/files/faculty/publications/baumeister_vohs_2018_perspectives_self-pspi_redux.pdf">a concerted effort</a> in recent years to protect children from failure to safeguard their fragile self-esteem. This seems logical – failure is unpleasant. It tends to make you look bad, you have negative feelings of disappointment and frustration, and you often have to start again. </p>
<p>While this is logical, it actually has the opposite effect. Children and adolescents <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-26/fixed-vs-growth-mindset-at-work-and-in-life/9897782">in Australia</a> appear <a href="https://www.missionaustralia.com.au/news-blog/news-media/mission-australia-releases-annual-report-2017">less able to cope</a> than ever before. </p>
<p>The problem is, in our efforts to protect children, we take valuable opportunities for learning away from them. Failure provides benefits that <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-human-beast/201302/the-benefits-failure">cannot be gained any other way</a>. Failure is a gift disguised as a bad experience. Failure is not the absence of success, but the experience of failure on the way to success. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-do-parents-fear-unwrapping-the-bubble-wrap-generation-30467">What do parents fear? Unwrapping the bubble-wrap generation</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The gift of coping</h2>
<p>When we fail, we experience negative emotions such as disappointment and frustration. When children are protected from these feelings <a href="http://www.centreforconfidence.co.uk/docs/EI-SEAL_September_2007.pdf">they can believe</a> they are powerless and have no control over mastery. </p>
<p>The answer is not to avoid failure, but to learn how to cope with small failures. </p>
<p>These low-level challenges have been called “<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2012.02615.x">steeling events</a>”. Protecting children from these events is more likely to increase their vulnerability than promote resilience. When adults remove failure so children do not have to experience it, they become more vulnerable to future experiences of failure. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/225856/original/file-20180703-116147-143rhto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/225856/original/file-20180703-116147-143rhto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/225856/original/file-20180703-116147-143rhto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/225856/original/file-20180703-116147-143rhto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/225856/original/file-20180703-116147-143rhto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/225856/original/file-20180703-116147-143rhto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/225856/original/file-20180703-116147-143rhto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Small failures can help your child become more resilient, if handled properly.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The gift of understanding natural consequences</h2>
<p>One of the greatest gifts failure brings is we learn natural consequences to our decisions. It’s a very simple concept developed by <a href="https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/Cognitive-Development-in-Children-from-Watson-to-Kohlberg">early behaviourists</a>: “when I do X, Y happens”. If I don’t study, I will fail; if I don’t practise, I might lose my spot on the team. </p>
<p>Allowing children to experience these outcomes teaches them the power of their decisions. </p>
<p>When parents and teachers derail this process by protecting children from failure, they also stand in the way of natural consequences. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10826-013-9716-3">Studies show</a> children who are protected from failure are more depressed and less satisfied with life in adulthood. </p>
<h2>The gift of learning</h2>
<p>Mistakes are <a href="https://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1207&context=research_conference">the essence of learning</a>. As we have new experiences and develop competence, it’s inevitable we make mistakes. If failure is held as a sign of incompetence and something to be avoided (rather than a normal thing), children will start to avoid the challenges <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797613514251">necessary for learning</a>. </p>
<p>Failure is only a gift if students see it as an opportunity rather than a threat. This depends on their mindset. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kkE1lC4CpIE?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Children with a growth mindset believe intelligence is malleable and can be changed with effort. Those with a fixed mindset believe they were born with a certain level of intelligence. So, failure is a signal for growth mindset children to try harder or differently. But for children with a fixed mindset it’s a sign they aren’t smart enough.</p>
<h2>Praise should be focused on effort</h2>
<p>Praise can be used to compensate and help children feel valuable in the face of failure. We see this when children get a participation ribbon for coming in last in a running race. </p>
<p>But <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235667882_On_Feeding_Those_Hungry_for_Praise_Person_Praise_Backfires_in_Children_With_Low_Self-Esteem">research</a> indicates, paradoxically, this inflated praise has the opposite effect. In the study, when parents gave inflated praise (“incredibly” good work) and person-focused praise (such as “you’re beautiful”, “you’re smart” or “you’re special”), children’s self-esteem decreased. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/children-learn-from-stress-and-failure-all-the-more-reason-you-shouldnt-do-their-homework-47754">Children learn from stress and failure: all the more reason you shouldn't do their homework</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Praise that is person-focused <a href="http://www.cs4all.org/files/1831922.pdf">results in</a> children avoiding failure and challenging tasks to maintain acceptance and self-worth. This is because praise is conditional on “who they are” rather than <a href="http://mereworth.kent.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/growth_mindsets_dweck-praise-effort.pdf">their efforts</a>. </p>
<p>Praise for effort sounds like “you worked really hard”. This is better because children can control how hard they work, but they can’t control how smart or special they are. Children need to be free to learn without there being a risk to their sense of worth. </p>
<h2>Tips for parents</h2>
<p>So how do we do this well? Here are some tips to help parents support their children:</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/226111/original/file-20180704-73335-1o7cfbx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/226111/original/file-20180704-73335-1o7cfbx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=655&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226111/original/file-20180704-73335-1o7cfbx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=655&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226111/original/file-20180704-73335-1o7cfbx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=655&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226111/original/file-20180704-73335-1o7cfbx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=824&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226111/original/file-20180704-73335-1o7cfbx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=824&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226111/original/file-20180704-73335-1o7cfbx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=824&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided/The Conversation/Shutterstock</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>Protecting your child from failure isn’t actually helpful. Allow them to feel and live it, and let them have the gifts failure brings. Experiencing failure will make them more resilient and more likely to succeed in the future.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/99021/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mandie Shean does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Encouraging and supporting failure can make your child more resilient, better able to cope and help them grow.Mandie Shean, Lecturer, School of Education, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/867762017-11-06T19:21:01Z2017-11-06T19:21:01ZHow to use music to fine tune your child for school<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/193116/original/file-20171102-26438-11r0st4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Babies start their musical development in the womb.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Can music actually make us smarter? Research suggests that from as early as 16 weeks of pregnancy, when auditory function is forming, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4768527/">babies begin their musical development</a>. Their early adaptive exposure to sounds, including those familiar sounds of parents’ voices, enhance extraordinary processing skills. </p>
<p>Neuroscience teaches us that a child’s <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_merzenich_on_the_elastic_brain">brain is plastic</a>. By this, we mean it is malleable and has the ability to change. The first year of life, more than any other year, will see the most rapid change in brain size and function as all the sensory receptors activate. Intriguingly, neuro-imaging <a href="http://research.acer.edu.au/research_conference/RC2013/6august/8/">shows</a> that music alone turns on large sectors of a child’s brain, opening <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueqgenARzlE">crucial neural pathways</a> that will become the highways and byways for every piece of information the process. </p>
<p>We’d all love to think our children will grow up intelligent, blissfully free from academic struggle. Truth is, the learning journey is speckled with challenges, and each child will have a unique intelligence and learner disposition. One thing we know is that parental involvement in cognitive stimulation from the earliest years will help form solid foundations that underpin a more successful schooling journey. </p>
<p>So, what can parents do to prepare young learners for school?</p>
<h2>Sing like no one’s listening</h2>
<p>Singing nursery rhymes to your child, however old fashioned you may think it is, will get them off to a flying start. Children become particularly responsive because <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4768527/">reciprocal communication </a>occurs as they begin to mimic you - pre-empting certain sounds, tones or words that they recognise. Using pitch and rhythm in the rhymes and lullabies we introduce to our children will begin to create neural stimulation that develops the brain’s auditory cortex, transforming their ability to communicate. </p>
<h2>Bang on those pots and pans</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/193123/original/file-20171102-26438-1rk48re.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/193123/original/file-20171102-26438-1rk48re.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193123/original/file-20171102-26438-1rk48re.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193123/original/file-20171102-26438-1rk48re.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193123/original/file-20171102-26438-1rk48re.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193123/original/file-20171102-26438-1rk48re.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193123/original/file-20171102-26438-1rk48re.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While it may fray the nerves, banging on the pots and pans is a fantastic way to <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-music-education/article/timespace-structuring-in-spontaneous-play-on-educational-percussion-instruments-among-three-and-four-year-olds/47CE835FBF1B938421EDBD4FF74F737A">improve spatial reasoning</a>. With background music blaring, children first develop the coordination required to hit the metallic targets, and as their sensory cortex develops, they begin to keep in time. <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1196/annals.1360.015/full%20shows">Research</a>shows that spatial reasoning, along with a sense of beat and rhythm (which invariably includes an aural and tactile sense of measure and counting) will enhance mathematical abilities.</p>
<h2>Join a children’s music group</h2>
<p>Early childhood music-based playgroups offer a unique learning context for children. The songs and activities employ beat patterns, movement, repeated chorus lines and echo singing to engage with young participants. The cerebellum at the base of our brains is responsible for movement and balance, and interestingly, is where <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3227856/">emotional reactions to music form</a>. Universally, early childhood educators use rhyme and song to teach children how language is constructed, and with good reason. Movement, foot tapping and dancing to a beat are also good ways of developing the brain’s motor cortex.</p>
<h2>The ‘Mozart Effect’</h2>
<p>There is a popular hypothesis that listening to Mozart makes you smarter. The <a href="http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/lerch1/edpsy/mozart_effect.html">“Mozart Effect”</a> refers primarily to a landmark study in 1993, where participants listening to Mozart’s music (rather than to relaxation music or silence) achieved higher <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-9280.00345">spatial-temporal results</a>. Importantly, spatial-temporal reasoning is crucially active when children are performing science and maths tasks. Listening to music in any capacity induces endorphin production in the brain, causing improvement in mood and creative problem solving.</p>
<h2>Learn an instrument</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/193124/original/file-20171102-26448-1pdmvll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/193124/original/file-20171102-26448-1pdmvll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193124/original/file-20171102-26448-1pdmvll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193124/original/file-20171102-26448-1pdmvll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193124/original/file-20171102-26448-1pdmvll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193124/original/file-20171102-26448-1pdmvll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193124/original/file-20171102-26448-1pdmvll.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Many parents wonder when a child should start learning their first musical instrument. Importantly, instrumental tuition is not about producing the next Mozart or Delta Goodrem. Music lessons, for even the briefest of periods, are enjoyable and establish a life-long skill. It has also been noted that musicians’ brains develop a <a href="http://www.jneurosci.org/content/29/10/3019/tab-figures-data">thickened pre-frontal cortex</a> - their brains are actually bigger. And this is the area of the brain most crucially involved in memory. One thing researchers and music educators endorse is the amazing impact it has on the development of executive functions <a href="https://academic.oup.com/cercor/article/19/3/712/436400">such as working memory, attention span and cognition</a>.</p>
<p>Many schools are putting research into practice, and Queensland is leading the way with <a href="http://musicaustralia.org.au/discover/music-education/music-education-in-australia/">music taught in 87% of schools</a>. Immersion music programs, where all students learn an instrument for a one-year minimum, have become commonplace. The results speak for themselves. </p>
<p>Psychologists from a Californian University <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01616412.1997.11740765">conducted research</a> on pre-school aged children, and proved that those who had weekly keyboard lessons improved their spatial-temporal skills 34% more than those who didn’t. The benefits did not stop there. Children developed fine motor skills, reading, auditory recognition, resilience, and increased their memory capacity. All of these benefits of instrumental tuition bode well for the classroom journey ahead.</p>
<p>You may never have considered the impact of music on the development of your child’s brain, but it’s not too late to start. Just because you can’t sing, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Your little one’s brain is far more malleable during infancy, and there is a “window of opportunity” where <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=2uhP2CBnaGwC&oi=fnd&pg=PP6&dq=huttonlocher+neural+plasticity&ots=O6g8TZherH&sig=pTZRW3KxoR3ijNIZODNBuWJrtoQ#v=onepage&q=huttonlocher%20neural%20plasticity&f=false">intervention is most effective</a>. If you engage your child in musical activities, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4768527/">then research shows </a>you are directly helping to fine tune them for success in later years.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/86776/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chelsea Harry does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>There a number of ways you can use music to shape your child’s brain for success, from 16 weeks gestation right up until they start school.Chelsea Harry, Academic Researcher and Music Educator, University of the Sunshine CoastLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/817402017-08-09T00:23:03Z2017-08-09T00:23:03ZHow to kill fruit flies, according to a scientist<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/180252/original/file-20170728-9675-d7oet.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=4%2C174%2C3067%2C2129&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A scourge of kitchens everywhere, _Drosophila melanogaster_ — the common fruit fly — stares down the electron microscope that captured its image.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portrait-fruit-fly-drosophila-melanogaster-scanning-262057940?src=ZMYzI72Gn6rd81ET-f5JtA-1-7">(Shutterstock)</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As a <a href="http://theconversation.com/sex-matters-male-bias-in-the-lab-is-bad-science-80715">researcher who works on fruit flies</a>, I often get asked how to get them out of someone’s kitchen. This happens to fly researchers often enough that we sit around fly conferences (these actually exist) and complain about getting asked this question. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, we watch the same fruit flies buzz around our beers instead of discussing pithy and insightful questions about the research that we’re pursuing. </p>
<p>But I get it: Fruit flies are annoying. So, fine, here’s how we get rid of them in my lab: We build a trap. It’s not perfect, but it’s OK.</p>
<p><strong>1.</strong> Take a small jar (we use small canning jars) and pour in cider vinegar to about two centimetres deep.</p>
<p><strong>2.</strong> “Cap” the jar with a funnel. You can use a plastic funnel if you have one, but a makeshift paper one works well. </p>
<p><strong>3.</strong> Tape the funnel in place so there are no gaps for the flies to crawl out.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/180241/original/file-20170728-30401-1wujjup.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C352%2C839%2C874&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/180241/original/file-20170728-30401-1wujjup.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C352%2C839%2C874&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/180241/original/file-20170728-30401-1wujjup.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180241/original/file-20170728-30401-1wujjup.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180241/original/file-20170728-30401-1wujjup.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180241/original/file-20170728-30401-1wujjup.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=545&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180241/original/file-20170728-30401-1wujjup.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=545&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180241/original/file-20170728-30401-1wujjup.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=545&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Thomas Merritt, who researches fruit flies, shows you how to kill them.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Thomas Merritt)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Flies fly in and can’t find their way out. Every day or two, replace the vinegar.</p>
<p>Instead of vinegar, you can also use beer or wine, but I prefer to drink one of these while making the traps.</p>
<p>There is actually a little science behind the trap. Fruit flies — at least <em>Drosophila melanogaster</em>, the most common fly buzzing around your bananas — are attracted to aging fruit, rotting fruit in particular. They lay their eggs there and the larvae hatch and feed on the soft, overripe flesh. </p>
<p>To find that fruit, flies use their sense of smell, what we call their olfactory system. What they are sensing, smelling, are things like acetic acid — the molecule that gives vinegar its pungent punch. So, you could bait your trap with fruit, but vinegar jumps right to the chase and lures them in.</p>
<p>The flies flying around your kitchen likely came from outside. <em>Drosophila melanogaster</em> are originally an African species, but they’ve spread across the globe. We call them a “cosmopolitan” species — they’re found wherever people are.</p>
<h2>Where flies come from and why we research them</h2>
<p>The story of how they’ve adapted to so many different environments (like, for example, the tip of Florida or even northern Ontario, where I live) is an interesting one and a hot topic of <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep42766?WT.feed_name=subjects_evolutionary-genetics">current</a> <a href="https://petrov.stanford.edu/pdfs/Flatt-2016-Molecular_Ecology.pdf">research</a>. The flies that buzz around my fruit bowl, at least in the summer and fall, likely came from a local population. I’ve actually done work on flies we collected from the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10528-012-9523-3">composter</a> in my backyard.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the combination of a tropical species, a cool day and a warm house is likely why there seem to be more flies in the fall. As the temperature outside goes down (and even on cool summer nights where I live), the flies come inside where it’s warm. Where do the flies go in the winter? We actually don’t know. We know they can’t freeze and live, so our best guess is they hide away in basements waiting for warm weather. There’s actually a name for this idea. We call it the “Root Cellar Hypothesis.”</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/180250/original/file-20170728-3400-vsesus.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/180250/original/file-20170728-3400-vsesus.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/180250/original/file-20170728-3400-vsesus.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=340&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180250/original/file-20170728-3400-vsesus.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=340&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180250/original/file-20170728-3400-vsesus.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=340&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180250/original/file-20170728-3400-vsesus.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180250/original/file-20170728-3400-vsesus.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180250/original/file-20170728-3400-vsesus.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A trap Thomas Merritt made from a plastic cup, a sheet of printer paper, and about a quarter cup of cider vinegar.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Thomas Merritt)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The second question that I, and every other fly researcher, get asked is: Why flies? Good question. The first answer is: Because they’re small. Seriously. </p>
<p>Much of the research I do involves asking how individuals, or small groups of individuals, are similar and different. Asking this question is best done with thousands of individuals. An average experiment in my lab can involve tens of thousands of flies. Imagine doing this kind of work on zebras. That’s a lot of zebras. It also helps that flies grow quickly, reproduce constantly and are super easy (usually) to keep in the lab. </p>
<p>The second reason why we research flies is because they are strikingly similar to humans — or any other animal on our planet. Because life on Earth shares a common ancestry, we have all evolved in complex and interwoven paths from a common ancestor. We share much of our genetics and almost all of our biochemistry. </p>
<p>Sixty to 80 per cent of genes found in humans are found in flies, and essentially all our biochemistry and metabolism is identical. So when we ask a question using flies, we can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4022039/">answer a question that interests us about humans</a>. </p>
<p>It is this relatedness, and the ease of working with them in the lab, that have led to research on <a href="https://theconversation.com/ode-to-the-fruit-fly-tiny-lab-subject-crucial-to-basic-research-38465">flies</a> being the foundation of no less than <a href="https://blogs.brandeis.edu/flyonthewall/translational-findings-how-fruit-fly-research-has-already-contributed-to-human-health/">four Nobel Prizes</a>.</p>
<p>Ironically, as I type this there is literally a fruit fly — <em>Drosophila melanogaster</em> — walking the lip of my coffee cup. The little devils are everywhere.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-O9K3TdejJs?wmode=transparent&start=13" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Why Fruit Flies Are So Hard To Kill (YouTube/Scientific Insider)</span></figcaption>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/81740/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Thomas Merritt receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Canada Research Chairs Program.</span></em></p>How do you rid your kitchen of pesky
fruit flies? A scientist who researches them explains.Thomas Merritt, Professor and Canada Research Chair, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laurentian UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/305292014-09-01T04:18:34Z2014-09-01T04:18:34ZHealth Check: how to get pregnant<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/57806/original/6khmyhs4-1409536958.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Timing matters.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-197128130/stock-photo-blue-themed-bed-sheets-and-pillows-messed-up-after-nights-sleep.html?src=Lv7ZbKL__Y3Fe3U4UnQ_XA-1-1">Stacey Newman/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>For couples trying to conceive, the chance of this happening within a year <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1576/toag.13.3.161.27668/pdf">depends on their age</a>. The <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1576/toag.13.3.161.27668/pdf">monthly chance</a> of pregnancy for couples where the woman is 35 years or younger is about 20% and 80-90% become pregnant within 12 months. </p>
<p>By age 40, the <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1576/toag.13.3.161.27668/pdf">monthly chance</a> has dropped to 5% and half of couples conceive within 12 months. </p>
<p>The age of the father-to-be matters too. Women with partners aged 45 or older are <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0015028203003662">almost five times as likely</a> to take more than a year to conceive compared to those with partners in their 20s.</p>
<p>While there is little we can do about our age, timing sex to coincide with the most fertile days of the month can <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7477165">reduce the time</a> it takes to conceive and could even save you a trip to the fertility clinic.</p>
<h2>Finding your fertile window</h2>
<p>At ovulation, an egg is released from the ovary and if there is sperm waiting around at that time, there is a good chance it will be fertilised and grow into a baby. </p>
<p>Conception is only possible from about five days before ovulation through to the day of ovulation. These six days are the “fertile window” in a woman’s cycle and reflect the lifespan of sperm (five days) and the lifespan of the egg (24 hours). But the likelihood of conceiving is dramatically increased if sex occurs in the three days leading up to and including ovulation. </p>
<p>The fertile window varies depending on the length of a woman’s cycle. The time from ovulation to the next period is approximately 14 days, irrespective of cycle length, but the time before ovulation varies between women. </p>
<p>In a 28-day cycle, ovulation typically occurs around day 14 and the chance of conceiving is greatest between days 11 and 14. In longer cycles, say 35 days between periods, ovulation happens around day 21 and days 18 to 21 are the most fertile days. In a 24-day cycle, ovulation happens around day ten and the most fertile days are days seven to ten.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/57808/original/nt6qsr8y-1409537321.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/57808/original/nt6qsr8y-1409537321.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/57808/original/nt6qsr8y-1409537321.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/57808/original/nt6qsr8y-1409537321.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/57808/original/nt6qsr8y-1409537321.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/57808/original/nt6qsr8y-1409537321.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/57808/original/nt6qsr8y-1409537321.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Women are more likely to conceive in the three days leading up to and including ovulation.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dafnecholet/5374200948">Dafne Cholet/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If a woman has sex six or more days before she ovulates, the chance she will get pregnant is virtually zero. Then, the probability of pregnancy rises steadily. If she has sex in the three days leading up to and including ovulation, she has a <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7477165">27-33% chance</a> of becoming pregnant. </p>
<p>From that point, the probability of pregnancy declines rapidly. Twelve to 24 hours after she ovulates, a woman is no longer able to get pregnant during that cycle.</p>
<p>Knowing your body and how it changes when ovulation approaches is <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22764878">also important</a>. A few days before ovulation, the vaginal mucus changes and becomes clear and slippery (the consistency of egg white), which is perfect for sperm to swim along. Mucus changes provide an early and useful cue that ovulation is approaching. </p>
<p>If you want to reassure yourself about getting your timing right, you can use ovulation predictor kits which are available at pharmacies and supermarkets. A few days before you think you will be ovulating you start testing your urine each day. You can expect to ovulate 24 to 36 hours after the test turns positive.</p>
<p>If all this seems too complicated, an alternative is to have sex every two to three days. That way all bases are covered without getting too technical about when the chance of conceiving is greatest. </p>
<p><em>For more information about the factors that affect fertility, visit <a href="http://www.yourfertility.org.au">www.yourfertility.org.au</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/30529/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karin Hammarberg does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>For couples trying to conceive, the chance of this happening within a year depends on their age. The monthly chance of pregnancy for couples where the woman is 35 years or younger is about 20% and 80-90…Karin Hammarberg, Senior Research Fellow, Jean Hailes Research Unit, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.