French bread and letters We all like a bit of a moan sometimes. At least, I do. Recently on Twitter I complained that I had missed the post as the local collection was made early. I just saw the back of the van as it drove away. To give them great credit, @royalmail responded…
Category Archives: Customer relations
Taking our business lives seriously
Playing at business You may think the title states the obvious, but some people don’t use their heads. They take short cuts in their work, such as the carpenter who does a quick botch job, or they take long holidays and wonder why their business income falls and they are broke. It would be hard…
Can small businesses live off referrals?
In my work I talk to many small business owners, and on a daily basis. Some in professional services are doing pretty well without making any effort to market. This is because they provide their clients with reliable, dependable support, and in return their clients recommend them to others. That way they have a steady…
Careless talk costs business
One rule of business is “never rubbish the competition” because it creates bad feeling in your profession, you make your potential customers uncomfortable, and people wonder about your character. Something else we have to consider is careless talk about our clients or careless talk in front of our customers. It is easy to fall into…
Common sense pricing
Value pricing Now we all know (I hope) that when we offer a knowledge based service we bill for value. So if you deliver a huge cost saving to a manufacturing business by helping it re-source its raw materials you should charge it according to the value it receives in savings. If you offer…
Advice, logic, principles and beliefs
Yes, business is tough at the moment, so it is hard to believe that some owners are making more obstacles for themselves rather than trying to make running their business more profitable and less stressful. Somehow people get ideas in their minds which prevent their taking action. For example: Social media marketing wouldn’t suit my…
Why we must manage our business relationships carefully
“Almost all of our sorrows spring out of our relations with other people.” – Arthur Schopenhauer Certainly I think that we can bring misery on ourselves by bad behaviour which upsets others. The other day I was in a local store which is part of a small chain. I was browsing in the aisles when…
Small business is a life of hard knocks: discuss!
I wrote a little while ago about the tough economy and what might we do in the face of it. We can all write the best advice we can and we can try to take advice in a positive way. However certainly since I have run my own businesses these are the hardest times we…
New beginnings and old habits
Tonight we will no doubt have some Saturday Night Fever to celebrate the coming New Year. Never can I remember so much doom and gloom in the media about the next twelve months. There are two ways of looking at the New Year. Either we believe everything we read and give in to accept a…
Why we need to be realistic about our business ambitions
“We pay a price for everything we get or take in this world; and although ambitions are well worth having, they are not to be cheaply won, but exact their dues of work and self-denial, anxiety and discouragement.” LUCY MAUD MONTGOMERY, Anne of Green Gables Or, as we might say, there is no such thing…
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Jon Stow Consulting Tax Blog
- 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
- Business tax – what business owners should expect of their accountant
- Property taxation for smaller investors and developers
- 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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4G TV interference: Up to a million homes 'need filters' http://t.co/1A3Mp8NE /Comes from playing fast & loose with radio frequency spectrum
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BBC News - Rangers administration: HMRC says club was 'treated fairly' over tax debts http://t.co/uzUPzNFm /Hmmm
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Despite the stiff breeze, crows loitering with intent to destroy windscreen wipers along our road. Our defences ready. http://t.co/hbZhGIQf
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BBC News - Journalists Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik 'die in Homs' http://t.co/OasCaFhE /In dreadful situation for all civilians
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Report and opinion on capital gain re property disposal out the door. Just going to Rayleigh for a little while.
