Tag Archives: small business

Don’t compare

No one can have missed the incessant TV adverts for car insurance and car insurance comparison websites. They are nearly all very annoying and I think insult my intelligence (no snide comments, please). Discounting the one-in-twelve of British motorists who … Continue reading

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Commuting a life sentence Part 2

All our yesterdays It is almost ten years since I was an employee with a large firm, and at the time they were just thinking about the concept of hot-desking. I must admit I did not like the thought of … Continue reading

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Commuting a life sentence?

Here in the UK there was news recently that commuter rail fares may rise by 8% in January 2012 at a time when the economy is struggling and fuel (petrol / gas) prices are very high. We are told that … Continue reading

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The Frank Sinatra guide to running a small business

The local councillor who couldn’t help me might have been a local version of one of those politicians who think it is sufficient to reach high office and do not have a vision or a plan to do anything when … Continue reading

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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. … Continue reading

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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 … Continue reading

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Don’t follow your dream? You can if you plan it.

  I am all in favour of dreams. I have them myself. The trouble is that as a tax and business adviser, I have come across a lot of shattered dreams.   Life by the sea I was reminded of … Continue reading

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Let another brain take the strain

Are you good at everything? I’m not. I doubt many people are. Do you like having to do everything in running your business: both the creative and the mundane? Of course what is mundane to some is interesting grist to … Continue reading

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The fear of the unknown

The premise of this blog is my story of starting my own business by accident, because I became unemployed and couldn’t find another job. I had no choice. Of course prior to my involuntary arrival in what was a freelance … Continue reading

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First impressions

  There are an awful lot of cliches. You know the sort.   You have thirty seconds to make an impression on a first meeting. You’ll never get a second chance to make a great first impression. Psychologists tell us … Continue reading

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