(Updated to add following-day reactions) With 5 million self-employed workers in the UK, from builders to hairdressers, fitness trainers to driving instructors, the government will pay grants to those who have lost their livelihoods because of the coronavirus pandemic. The self-employed who have been adversely affected will receive a taxable grant, Chancellor of the Exchequer… Read more »
At the start of Lent, whether or not that’s a religious or cultural event for you, it’s not a bad time to think about our habits: established, faltering, new and lapsed. This blog is a brief exploration of resources and ideas out there. Future blogs will delve deeper. So whatever your approach to habits (Email… Read more »
“You’re the best of us,” I often tell Scout as I scratch that velvety ear or rub her under the chest. (Ever met a hound who dislikes that?) Dog-niece looks back at me, modest and dignified. While we were on the sofa recently, the idea for this blog came to me: five reminders about work… Read more »
“You’ve got to get up every morning/With a smile on your face/And show the world all the love in your heart.” It’s hard to argue with those Carole King lyrics. Here are seven ideas – some obvious, others perhaps less so – about how we can show our local traders some love. 1) Spend some… Read more »
As we mark Remembrance Day with two minutes of silence, here’s a selection – a tiny selection – of events, resources and media that you too may have spotted recently. Draw a deep breath; stop thinking; count fifteen, And you’re right as rain… Siegfried Sassoon Lest we forget. Regeneration Long overdue on my reading wish-list… Read more »
“You’re approaching a certain age,” a kind and diplomatic person said on the phone recently. As that, ahem, milestone approaches, here are six ideas (notes to self) to get outside more often… way beyond the screens. Much as I enjoy working, do I want to spend hour upon hour hunched over these here screens? No… Read more »
So you’ve written that blog. Now you want to encourage more and different people to read it and comment, from new and existing clients to prospects and referrers. Inviting and responding to comments is a great way to keep your website content fresh while engaging with your readers. An open question, or a “call to… Read more »
Like any skill, it takes effort, practice and perseverance to write clearly and in a way that engages your loyal clients – and attracts new ones. Whether it’s writing a business plan, a blog or an award entry, here are 8 ideas that will help you to boost your writing skills – and, if writing’s… Read more »
What better excuse to celebrate the language and turns of phrase of Ireland than the feast day of St Patrick, patron saint and myth magnet. Beyond the tales of snakes chased into the sea and a herd of swine rustled up for hungry sailors, would you ever spare a thought too for St Brigid, another of… Read more »
Wee tim’rous beastie: wouldn’t you be with that bird of prey in pursuit? As Burns Night beckons, what better occasion to savour some of his poetry. Celebrations to mark the birth of Robert Burns are held in venues from eastern Scotland’s Glamis Castle to the Birmingham Whisky Club 7 hours south. Then there’s the homage… Read more »
