As a professional person it is important to respond to clients’ questions promptly. Gone are the days when generally a client would write a letter and would be happy to have had a reply within a week. Now they mostly expect a reply to an email fairly promptly, by which I mean within hours. However…
Author Archives:
Losing an ungrateful customer
Usually we are not happy about losing a client. Sometimes it is our own decision of course when keeping them on is not cost-effective. They might be very demanding but will not reward us by agreeing a higher fee. It might be that we do not have a good relationship because we seem to have…
More haste, less speed, less money?
It is a cliché to say that people are always in a rush these days, but unfortunately it is true. In business, generally, it does not pay to be in a rush. We may make poor decisions without considering all our options, or may miss them even if put in front of us. I have…
The ignorant blunderbuss approach to sales and marketing
Knowing our abilities and our limits My business is helping people with their tax issues, and finding help to support their businesses. I know a lot about how to do that, and that is down to hard work, training and experience. I am not an expert in health and safety or financial advice or insurance…
Dealing with time-wasters and tyre-kickers
Many of us who offer professional services get enquiries from people who do not really want to buy. The problem has been the subject of a debate among several of my colleagues and friends, and we have different ways of dealing with the email and telephone enquiries we get. Some people may have a simple…
Tailoring your offering to suit the client
Package deals In many businesses, including my general area, it is customary to quote package prices. For example, there might be a price for a tax return, and then a price for self-employed accounts and a tax return, one for lettings accounts and tax return, and one for company accounts and tax return. Clients and…
Purchasing mistakes for small businesses
My salad days, when I was green in judgement Remember when you started your business, whether it was a few months ago of a few years? You wanted to buy computers, tools and gadgets. You needed to buy in services. There was so much choice, but what did you need? When I started my business…
Short-term business follies
Sometimes I meet people who do not so much have a business plan as be after just making a fast buck. They try to follow every trend, or start implementing a strategy they just thought up in the middle of the night without thinking it through. The trouble with ideas they have in the middle…
Small business: doing, not being
One of the advantages of having my own business is, I have always thought, that I am doing something I enjoy and having responsibility for my own working life. In fact, having responsibility for all of my life. In employment, we may think we have a career, but if we work for someone else, however…
Poor customer service on the carpet
The long wait We have an apartment for sale. We don’t live in it. It was my Mother-in-Law’s home but sad-to-say she is no longer with us. The flat is empty of furniture and redecorated, but the carpets need cleaning. My wife telephoned a local carpet-cleaning business and left a voice-mail. They called back (rather…
Author Archives:
Do you supply your services 24/7? Sage advice?
As a professional person it is important to respond to clients’ questions promptly. Gone are the days when generally a client would write a letter and would be happy to have had a reply within a week. Now they mostly expect a reply to an email fairly promptly, by which I mean within hours. However…
Losing an ungrateful customer
Usually we are not happy about losing a client. Sometimes it is our own decision of course when keeping them on is not cost-effective. They might be very demanding but will not reward us by agreeing a higher fee. It might be that we do not have a good relationship because we seem to have…
More haste, less speed, less money?
It is a cliché to say that people are always in a rush these days, but unfortunately it is true. In business, generally, it does not pay to be in a rush. We may make poor decisions without considering all our options, or may miss them even if put in front of us. I have…
The ignorant blunderbuss approach to sales and marketing
Knowing our abilities and our limits My business is helping people with their tax issues, and finding help to support their businesses. I know a lot about how to do that, and that is down to hard work, training and experience. I am not an expert in health and safety or financial advice or insurance…
Dealing with time-wasters and tyre-kickers
Many of us who offer professional services get enquiries from people who do not really want to buy. The problem has been the subject of a debate among several of my colleagues and friends, and we have different ways of dealing with the email and telephone enquiries we get. Some people may have a simple…
Tailoring your offering to suit the client
Package deals In many businesses, including my general area, it is customary to quote package prices. For example, there might be a price for a tax return, and then a price for self-employed accounts and a tax return, one for lettings accounts and tax return, and one for company accounts and tax return. Clients and…
Purchasing mistakes for small businesses
My salad days, when I was green in judgement Remember when you started your business, whether it was a few months ago of a few years? You wanted to buy computers, tools and gadgets. You needed to buy in services. There was so much choice, but what did you need? When I started my business…
Short-term business follies
Sometimes I meet people who do not so much have a business plan as be after just making a fast buck. They try to follow every trend, or start implementing a strategy they just thought up in the middle of the night without thinking it through. The trouble with ideas they have in the middle…
Small business: doing, not being
One of the advantages of having my own business is, I have always thought, that I am doing something I enjoy and having responsibility for my own working life. In fact, having responsibility for all of my life. In employment, we may think we have a career, but if we work for someone else, however…
Poor customer service on the carpet
The long wait We have an apartment for sale. We don’t live in it. It was my Mother-in-Law’s home but sad-to-say she is no longer with us. The flat is empty of furniture and redecorated, but the carpets need cleaning. My wife telephoned a local carpet-cleaning business and left a voice-mail. They called back (rather…
-
-
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
- Twitter is currently flying the fail whale
-
-
- 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
-
- Twitter is currently flying the fail whale