Monthly Archives: August 2011

The Peter Principle and the newly unemployed

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Jon Stow

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 →

Posted in Business planning, management | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

The blog post that never was

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Jon Stow

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 … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, marketing, networking, Social media | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

What information should we share with our customers?

Posted on August 21, 2011 by Jon Stow

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 … Continue reading →

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Giving the bad news

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Jon Stow

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 … Continue reading →

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Getting over telephone blues

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Jon Stow

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 … Continue reading →

Posted in Customer service, Start-up | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Poisonous cultures

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Jon Stow

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 … Continue reading →

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Rare weekend off

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Jon Stow

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 … Continue reading →

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Consequences

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Jon Stow

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 … Continue reading →

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No Hiding Place

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Jon Stow

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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Stupid inconsiderate people

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Jon Stow

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. … Continue reading →

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