About two months ago Demon Thus made the business decision to cap my service due to what they said was a misuse of my privilages. See my original BLOG on the subject HERE. They can of course make any policy they want and customers like our business will either have to put up with it or move to another supplier. I decided to move away from them as they crippled my company without any way to sort out the problem. What doesn’t make sense is that when I phoned to get a MAC code which is a Migration Code that I can give to my new supplier, who will then move me to their company, I was messed about for about a week! continue

It is with a sad heart that we say goodbye to Bill Gates. It’s been an affair that stretched twenty seven years. But like all good things it finally had to come to an end. I’m not shedding any tears though as Microsoft has cost me dearly in the past three decades. With license structures the way they are I will continue to have to spend more money to keep up with my competitors, to keep a high web presence and of course stay legal. continue

This is an article I never thought I’d have to write but I thought it wise to alert other small businesses to the concept of the ever lower and creeping broadband usage bar being undertaken by not only my provider THUS/Demon but others as well. In a shocking discovery that we weren’t pre-alerted to our business has been crippled by this buried policy and apparently there is ‘not thing one’ that THUS can do about i. We are being punished for going over our non-contracted data usage amount. I do agree that we went over this one time in last five years I thought it a little over the top when they insisted that nothing can be done to reverse the decision. Apparently we must be punished for thirty days! continue

Do you run a small business? Are you so busy that its hard to follow up on poor payers? Have you had a client play the game of putting off payments for so long you feel like your head is about to explode? Me too. So I did something about it legally thinking I was doing the right thing and the situation spiralled so far out of control I had to get even more legal help.

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Well today was a mixed bag. I started the day at a customers rental property where the tenant was reporting a large noise in the boiler. When they turned off the stop tap the knocking sound went away. I went by very early in the day and discovered that they had filled the boiler when the pressure was low and left the valve open a bit. When the boiler pressure hit three bar the system started dumping water via the pressure relief valve as it is supposed to do. Problem fixed in about five minutes. continue

Got extra time to waste? Of course you do! We all do. At least that’s what financial organisations must think. After spending my whole day today trying to sort out my insurance, car tax, banking issues and accounts receivables I’m sure that’s what they think.

As a small businessman I try to keep up a professional heir no matter what. Today however I felt at the end of my rope after spending hours on the phone sorting out issues that frankly weren’t directly my problem. All the problems that were sorted out today were administrative mistakes or technical glitches caused by the very institutions that rape my bank account every month for their service fees which frankly just aren’t worth it.

There are alternatives of course. I could walk around with a big wad of cash in my pocket. Pay for everything in cash and take only cash payments. I know a few contractors who do that. They have a lot less stress than me because they don’t deal with any institutions. Cash in and cash out. No records, no accounts or accountants, no banks, no credit cards, no invoices and no receipts. They also pay a lot less tax than I do, have no insurance premiums and therefore no responsibility. They pay there workers in cash so don’t have to worry about payroll records. The only warranty they give; five minutes or five miles whichever comes first.

Perhaps there is a better way. Maybe it’s time for small business owners and small business organisations to get together and let the big corporations know that we’ve had enough. How about setting up a specific cooperative bank run for the exclusive use of small businesses by small businesses. By the time I pay my memberships dues, insurances, vehicle payments, telecommunications charges, tools, clothing, banking fees all of which allow me just to on the business I’m out of pocket thousands of pounds. Even a small savings of even twenty five quid a month, the cost of basic banking fees, would make a difference. As for all of my wasted time making phone calls today, perhaps this new bank could offer a SLA (Service Level Agreement) to its customers, us, that says if they screw up you receive reimbursement for your time. Maybe a small fee paid back into your account at month end.

I’m not asking for the world really. Perhaps just an acknowledgment that when a mistake is made or and overcharge is taken out of my account that you apologise for the mistake and reimburse me for the time and effort taken to call you on your 0870 number. If I treated my customers financial institutions treat me I’d be living in a cardboard box and selling big issues.

In an increasingly casual world there are right and wrong places for treating people you don’t know like they’re your mate. Here are some tips for looking for work in any industry. No matter how cool and funky you think you are, do not send text messages, emails or leave call back messages for work hoping someone will call you back.

The following messages (names removed to protect the innocent) were all received via our receptionist or directly via email. I have not corrected the spelling mistakes.

Phone call: Please call if you would like him as an apprentice plumber. He has 2 years experience.

Phone call: phoned to ask if you had any placements for an apprenticeship available. Please call back, he will send you a CV.

Phone call: Please call regarding an apprenticeship in plumbing.

Email: I am just wondering if your company is looking to take on any plumbing apprentices.I have just completed my Level 2 technical cerificate in Pumbing at Salford nd i am currently looking for an apprenticeship.I would be grateful if you coul e-mail me back with anyinformation regarding this

Phone call: Please call back, regarding any apprenticeship for plumbing/gas available.

If you are looking for a chance to show off your talents you need to sell yourself. No one really expects a new comer to any job to be polished or have loads of experience so don’t worry about how much content is on your CV. Tell the truth, spell check your document many times, have other people read it too. When I receive a posted CV with a Cover Letter I  always read it. If you’ve taken the time to post it I take the time to read it. On the other hand when I receive a message asking me to call someone that I don’t know about a job that may or may not exist I wonder just what that person is thinking. Why would I call you?

I run a business and I call all of my clients Mr, Mrs or Ms Surname unless other wise requested. Why? Respect! If you want people to take you seriously you need to consider what a business person is going to think when you phone up and say ‘Hey! Uhh, hi! Uhh, I’m like lookin’ for a job in, well, like plumbing and that, so if its what you’re looking for I’m like your best pick. Ok?’

You will always get further by calling up a company and asking to whom you may send your CV and Cover Letter and then post it to them. We’ve all had to do it. We’ve all been rejected at times and we all eventually found work. It is disheartening not to hear back after sending out hundreds of letters. Remember though by posting you are increasing your chances of being picked because ‘no 1 sgona get bck 2 u if u send msgs like this.’ Really!