Category Archives: Business planning

Customer service, reputation and call-out charges

Posted on August 9, 2013 by Jon Stow

In a professional service business a call-out charge is alien. If I meet a client for the first time just to get to know them, I am not going to charge a fee; that is unless I have to go … Continue reading →

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Payment issues and being the door mat

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Jon Stow

Everyone we meet in business is different; they have different visions, different ideals, different lifestyles and different ideas about paying their providers. It is the different ideas about paying that concern us here. My business is different from most accountancy … Continue reading →

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Keeping our nerve with unpleasant business experiences

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Jon Stow

If we run a tight ship in our business lives, for the most part we will avoid major problems. Sometimes things do go wrong, and it will not be our fault. It may be that we have simply come across … Continue reading →

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Service continuity, customer expectation and being as comfortable as an old shoe

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Jon Stow

  Our regular clients expect from us an excellent service and it is up to us to live up to their expectation. That does not mean that we never change what we do for them. In the last decade, advances … Continue reading →

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Insuring your business future

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Jon Stow

Some businesses are unique to the individual. If you are a successful writer, then what the clients or readers are buying is you. There are other businesses which are all about the owner; for example, performers such as actors, artists, … Continue reading →

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Take a break!

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Jon Stow

We know that work stress can burn us out  even when we are young.  One of my colleagues had a serious breakdown through stress when still in his twenties. Of course it is important to get on in our working … Continue reading →

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Ethics, confidentiality and loyalty in business

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Jon Stow

  Once upon a time My first job was with a bank which operated mostly overseas. When I joined I signed an oath of secrecy and promised not to divulge any aspect of a customer’s affairs. Having done that, even … Continue reading →

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Do you supply your services 24/7?

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Jon Stow

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 … Continue reading →

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More haste, less speed, less money?

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Jon Stow

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 … Continue reading →

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Dealing with time-wasters and tyre-kickers

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Jon Stow

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 … Continue reading →

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