I recently asked a local government councillor if he could advise on a local issue. He was of no help whatever. Firstly he didn’t seem to understand the problem and secondly he wanted to pass the buck to someone else. Maybe he was having a bad day, though his emailed reply to me was barely…
Monthly Archives: August 2011
The blog post that never was
Since I started blogging in earnest (and do you realise that there are over 200 posts here at On Our Bikes?) I have found that in writing down my experiences I have helped my own business thinking. It has also often been good for me to let off a bit of steam. I was going…
What information should we share with our customers?
A lot of businesses are very secretive about how they work and how they deliver their product or service to the customer or client. I suppose they like to think they are protecting their expertise or intellectual property by not sharing the process. They must think that somehow the paying customer is going to steal…
Giving the bad news
In my business one issue that crops up quite often is telling clients things they don’t want to hear. Not every business has that problem, but quite often I am called in to clear up other people’s mess. They have got themselves into the proverbial yukky stuff and I have to get them out and…
Getting over telephone blues
You might have gathered from an earlier post that I had personal experience of running into trouble with an alleged rolling contract with the telecoms provider. I have now been advised that I have won my appeal to the OFTEL Ombudsman and the telephone company concerned has agreed to waive the penalty charge which they…
Poisonous cultures
I have already written about workplace cultures and how they can lead to poor standards. These cultures are usually not management led, and management may not know. However if a culture is there for all to see, there is no excuse except cowardice (is that an excuse?) for not dealing with it. I have elderly…
Rare weekend off
Someone in my line of business tweeted the other day “I am having a rare weekend off. I hope the weather stays fine”. Well, I think the weather probably held up and delivered, but what a statement, or should I say admission? Of course the world has changed. Because of technology, many people like me…
Consequences
While we know that planning ahead is what we all should do, the reality is that many people don’t like thinking beyond the here and now. If they are having a good time, the future doesn’t matter – except it does. I was in the queue at the fish and chip shop the other day…
No Hiding Place
If you Google “No Hiding Place” you will find that it was the title of a police drama series in the UK way back in the black-and-white days. I rather think my parents were quite keen on it. They used to talk about it when there was so much less TV to discuss than the…
Stupid inconsiderate people
You come across people who don’t think about their fellow human beings all the time. There are those who play loud music in their gardens on sunny Sunday afternoons when their neighbours want to have a peaceful time and read. There are those who park their cars on double bends. Sometimes people expect others to…
Monthly Archives: August 2011
The Peter Principle and the newly unemployed
I recently asked a local government councillor if he could advise on a local issue. He was of no help whatever. Firstly he didn’t seem to understand the problem and secondly he wanted to pass the buck to someone else. Maybe he was having a bad day, though his emailed reply to me was barely…
The blog post that never was
Since I started blogging in earnest (and do you realise that there are over 200 posts here at On Our Bikes?) I have found that in writing down my experiences I have helped my own business thinking. It has also often been good for me to let off a bit of steam. I was going…
What information should we share with our customers?
A lot of businesses are very secretive about how they work and how they deliver their product or service to the customer or client. I suppose they like to think they are protecting their expertise or intellectual property by not sharing the process. They must think that somehow the paying customer is going to steal…
Giving the bad news
In my business one issue that crops up quite often is telling clients things they don’t want to hear. Not every business has that problem, but quite often I am called in to clear up other people’s mess. They have got themselves into the proverbial yukky stuff and I have to get them out and…
Getting over telephone blues
You might have gathered from an earlier post that I had personal experience of running into trouble with an alleged rolling contract with the telecoms provider. I have now been advised that I have won my appeal to the OFTEL Ombudsman and the telephone company concerned has agreed to waive the penalty charge which they…
Poisonous cultures
I have already written about workplace cultures and how they can lead to poor standards. These cultures are usually not management led, and management may not know. However if a culture is there for all to see, there is no excuse except cowardice (is that an excuse?) for not dealing with it. I have elderly…
Rare weekend off
Someone in my line of business tweeted the other day “I am having a rare weekend off. I hope the weather stays fine”. Well, I think the weather probably held up and delivered, but what a statement, or should I say admission? Of course the world has changed. Because of technology, many people like me…
Consequences
While we know that planning ahead is what we all should do, the reality is that many people don’t like thinking beyond the here and now. If they are having a good time, the future doesn’t matter – except it does. I was in the queue at the fish and chip shop the other day…
No Hiding Place
If you Google “No Hiding Place” you will find that it was the title of a police drama series in the UK way back in the black-and-white days. I rather think my parents were quite keen on it. They used to talk about it when there was so much less TV to discuss than the…
Stupid inconsiderate people
You come across people who don’t think about their fellow human beings all the time. There are those who play loud music in their gardens on sunny Sunday afternoons when their neighbours want to have a peaceful time and read. There are those who park their cars on double bends. Sometimes people expect others to…
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Jon Stow Consulting Tax Blog
- HMRC targets property rentals
- Business tax and snake oil schemes
- Income tax issues with ownership of rental properties
- Capital tax issues with ownership of rental properties
- Urgent – Important changes to tax treatment of Furnished Holiday Lettings losses
- A brief tax guide to buying and selling family and owner-managed companies
- Furnished Holiday Lettings – the latest news
- Jon Stow’s Ezine Articles
- Why Customer Service is Important Even to Those Who Are Not Customers Yet
- Why Quality is Important - Lessons From BMW
- Why We Need to Take an Outside View in Business
- Avoid False Economies in Business - Seeing Value Over Cost
- Why a Business Plan is Not Just For the Bank
- Why We Need Need to Respect the Feelings of Our Prospects and Clients
- Responsibility and Leading From the Front
- Networking - The Folly of Hunting Rather Than Farming
- Networking is a Long Game
- How to Avoid Giving Free Advice
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Should You Edit Guest Posts Others Send to You http://t.co/AUK49WqbyQ
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BBC News - Co-operative Bank halts new business lending http://t.co/hkq3mHaW0Q
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Wife caught cheating: Lover makes Hilarious escape http://t.co/lQcbweh2tr #paperli
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Creepy or Cool? Portraits Derived From the DNA in Hair and Gum Found in Public Places http://t.co/1WgrxwELDV #paperli via@SpinSucks
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Lost Apollo 11 Moon Dust Found in Storage http://t.co/fdv6hGNXZx via @mashable
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-
- Jon Stow Consulting Tax Blog
- HMRC targets property rentals
- Business tax and snake oil schemes
- Income tax issues with ownership of rental properties
- Capital tax issues with ownership of rental properties
- Urgent – Important changes to tax treatment of Furnished Holiday Lettings losses
- A brief tax guide to buying and selling family and owner-managed companies
- Furnished Holiday Lettings – the latest news
- Jon Stow’s Ezine Articles
- Why Customer Service is Important Even to Those Who Are Not Customers Yet
- Why Quality is Important - Lessons From BMW
- Why We Need to Take an Outside View in Business
- Avoid False Economies in Business - Seeing Value Over Cost
- Why a Business Plan is Not Just For the Bank
- Why We Need Need to Respect the Feelings of Our Prospects and Clients
- Responsibility and Leading From the Front
- Networking - The Folly of Hunting Rather Than Farming
- Networking is a Long Game
- How to Avoid Giving Free Advice
-
-
Should You Edit Guest Posts Others Send to You http://t.co/AUK49WqbyQ
-
BBC News - Co-operative Bank halts new business lending http://t.co/hkq3mHaW0Q
-
Wife caught cheating: Lover makes Hilarious escape http://t.co/lQcbweh2tr #paperli
-
Creepy or Cool? Portraits Derived From the DNA in Hair and Gum Found in Public Places http://t.co/1WgrxwELDV #paperli via@SpinSucks
-
Lost Apollo 11 Moon Dust Found in Storage http://t.co/fdv6hGNXZx via @mashable