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Shopclicks · 2026-09-05T00:50:08+0100

Steve Jones2 said:
I will be asking the specialist a lot of quesions before appoiting someone, including case studies i can follow up on.

Interested to know if you actioned any of the advice offered in your previous thread:

https://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/threads/getting-many-location-pages-indexed-help-needed.430956/

Lucan Unlordly · 2026-09-04T23:29:50+0100

On the Jeremy Vine show this morning they made a statement that youngsters are putting their hard earned shekels into Iced Latte, Phones and living rather than taking on the expense and overheads of a car!

Is this purely a financial decision or because most of the cars these days look the same? The Citroen C3 Aircross is re-modelled for Peugeot, Vauxhall and Jeep. Back in my day the choice was a 2CV at the lower end and the beautiful DS series at the top!

Anything remotely eye catching at the smaller end of the market these days - the BMW i3 - a Mini Cooper or an old model Beetle?

Lucan Unlordly · 2026-09-04T23:19:16+0100

I was put on Statins a couple of years ago but kept forgetting to take them. My test results were ok, within the acceptable parameters but I made a conscious effort to comply. My next test showed no change to the point where my doctor wanted to double the dose.

Around 8 months ago I stopped taking them, a sort of ill advised home experiment, had a test a few weeks ago and no change. Do I need them?

Lucan Unlordly · 2026-09-04T23:06:26+0100

Why do Migrants fleeing persecution travel through 'safe' countries to reach the UK if they get nothing more?

peppermintlover · 2026-09-04T18:38:15+0100

Thanks, everyone, for sharing your perspective; much appreciated. You raised lots of valid points (and a few I haven't considered, admittedly). Recording "why" is definitely one of them, and it's going straight to my must-have list. I'll book a couple of calls and take it from there.

ctrlbrk · 2026-09-04T16:19:12+0100

gpietersz said:
@ctrlbrk it looks like Claude and Grok were worse affected. OpenAI were probably affected because people switched adding load.

Thanks @gpietersz - I actually wanted to post that because of the funny (however accurate) quote.

ian turnbull · 2026-09-04T13:45:19+0100

TaxBix said:
Long shot, but someone on the Sage forum had this exact error and it turned out MTD signup hadn't actually put the business on his MTD record. He added it manually in the HMRC account and the software picked it up straight away.

Interesting... not sure how I can add that manually, though... When I log onto HMRC, with the Gateway ID for self assessment, it tells me I am already signed up.

Thanks for the info - I can, at least, mention this to the HMRC advisor...

kordan.walker · 2026-09-04T12:33:39+0100

chenmichael said:
This firm could be my first client ever. So the proposal needs to hit the right spot. I just started my own marketing agency apart from what I do for work.
Hoping this works.

Please share your insights.

For a first client, I’d keep the proposal simple and focused on their goals. Show that you understand their target market, identify a few specific problems or opportunities, and explain exactly how your marketing can help them generate more leads or enquiries. Clear deliverables, timelines and pricing will also make you look much more professional.

kordan.walker · 2026-09-04T12:33:01+0100

Lucan Unlordly said:
With a new law coming into play in September that limits the number of school uniform items parents have to buy, there will undoubtedly be a hole in the income that schools have relied on for many years.
My only toe in this market was for end of year 'Leaver' t-shirts featuring all of the pupil's names which were never a must buy but one school I served would use money from uniform sales to ensure poorer children didn't miss out. Another relied on the uniform income to buy basic essentials such as pencils and paper.

Has this loss of income been considered by the powers that be?

It’s an important point. Reducing the cost of uniforms for parents is welcome, but schools still need funding to cover basic essentials and support families who are struggling. Hopefully the government has considered how schools will make up any shortfall.

davidleo7557 · 2026-09-04T12:30:20+0100

dtommy1979 said:
Hi,

Is it possible to find out official financial/revenue information about British companies? Or is it not publicly available?

Thanks

Yes, you can check official information through Companies House. Most UK companies file annual accounts, although the amount of financial detail available depends on the size and type of company.

davidleo7557 · 2026-09-04T12:29:37+0100

Botyb9220 said:
Need advice , commercial lease / fire safety requirement

Hi everyone, I would really appreciate some advice from other UK business owners, especially anyone with experience of commercial leases, landlords and insurance requirements.

I run a restaurant and have a 10-year commercial lease (2025–2035). My landlord has recently contacted me saying that their insurers have sent a form for tenants with a functioning kitchen. They are asking me to complete it and also provide our Fire Strategy and Fire Risk Assessment.

The insurer has also identified a requirement for a fixed kitchen fire suppression system, including automatic fuel/gas shut-off, to be installed within a specified timeframe.

I understand that we need to comply with reasonable fire safety and insurance requirements. However, my concern is who is actually responsible for paying for a completely new system installation.

I have checked my lease, including the repair, insurance and compliance clauses and Schedule 6. The lease says that the landlord insures the building, while the tenant pays Insurance Rent and must comply with insurers’ requirements. However, I cannot find a clear clause saying that the tenant must pay for the installation of a new fire suppression system required by the landlord’s insurer.

My questions are:

Can the landlord require the tenant to install and pay for this system simply because their insurer has introduced this requirement?

Should I ask the landlord to identify the specific clause in the lease that makes the tenant responsible for the installation cost?

Would you recommend getting a solicitor specialising in commercial leases to review this before I agree to any works or costs?

Has anyone else been in a similar situation, and roughly how much did a compliant kitchen suppression system cost?

I obviously want to cooperate and make sure the premises remain properly insured and compliant, but I also don’t want to agree to a significant expense if the lease doesn’t actually make me responsible for it.
Any advice or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I’d definitely ask the landlord to point to the specific lease clause that makes you responsible for the installation cost. Complying with requirements doesn’t always automatically mean you must pay for major new improvements. Given the potential expense, having a commercial lease solicitor review the lease before agreeing to anything sounds sensible.

davidleo7557 · 2026-09-04T12:28:29+0100

Pete-W said:
I run a small creative studio (photography, videography, design & print) in the east midlands, I am currently in the middle of a push online to get new work in and clients, and looking for ways to differentiate my studio from others.

As there is quite a big push-back against AI in design I was considering putting something on my promotional materials stating that my studio is "AI Free" - A bit like the "GM Free" movement of yesteryear...
I don't use AI at all in image creation, post processing, design etc - I am something of a purist, I prefer to get it right in camera. I don't use it to create "quick & lazy" posters that all look the same (literally all the car shows in my area have a nearly identical poster this summer ) - I create from scratch.

But before I do this I just wanted to ask what your thoughts are?

I can see some creatives being happy to see this, I don't see it driving off any new potential clients... Or should I just say nothing?!

I’d focus on the positive message: human-made and created from scratch. That sounds better than simply AI Free.

DontAsk · 2026-09-04T11:48:15+0100

Newchodge said:
What, by the way, is a paystub?

Am Americanism.

The Resolver · 2026-09-04T11:09:39+0100

Newchodge said:
I think that is a really useful tool for approaching settlement of claims. However, the employer does not yet know if there is a claim that needs settling! Many employees ask ACAS to conciliate, but, if that does not produce any money they don't bother actually lodging a tribunal claim.

I should add that once the negotiation has been set up the parties can negotiate at any time and on any number of occasions before and/or after ACAS have become involved or even during the case. it also of course can be used to help resolve any dispute or court case or negotiate a sale.

peppermintlover · Thursday at 7:57 PM

We use Zohomail, had no issues so far. Didn't need to contact support, so I can't really say anything about that aspect. And just to add, decided not to go with Protonmail exactly for the reasons mentioned here: many recipients have their servers blocked, and I wouldn't recommend it for business use.

DontAsk · Thursday at 11:58 AM

Newchodge said:
Eg One Drive needs my permission to sync icons. I HATE One Drive. I don't, knowingly, ever use it. What happens if I allow it to sync my icons?

Just say no if you don't intend to use ne Drive. I never use it.

Newchodge said:
Or Lenovo wants to activate Vantage. What does that do?

That's Lenovo's way of checking for updates, managing the machine, etc. Nothing, or very little, you can't do anyway if you are used to doing such things in Windows.

Gecko001 · Wednesday at 2:09 PM

Newchodge said:
No. Why would I need that?

I didn't say that you needed to, but your knowledge of employment conditions in America seems so good that I thought you might have once worked there.

Gecko001 · Wednesday at 12:36 AM

I have seen channels which have been resurrected and been a success. I cannot see how old videos will hold you back.

gpietersz · Tuesday at 12:28 PM

Michael Loveridge said:
I would think it's somewhat easier to change one's own way of speaking than change the entire business world's way of listening!

I do not think the entire business world has one way of listening.

People have lots of different reaction to the same accent. A person might have different positive reactions to the same accent - people might regard one accent as trustworthy or someone they can identify with, another accent as indicating status, another as indicating competence, etc.

kordan.walker · Tuesday at 11:32 AM

projectsmithso said:
Hi, looking to find out who the best lawyer / Law Firm in England for fighting the Insolvency Service for a Director defending against the Insolvency Service against them coming after him for a company being wound up (compulsory court wind up). Also they allege he was acting as a shadow director so also defence against director disqualification, and personal liability claims etc etc.

There are so many law firms out there and its hard to tell which are the best for this (especially as most seem to be jack of all trades….), so am really looking for the best in England specifically for these matters who have the best success and specific expertise in this area. Money/cost is not a problem. Thanks so much in advance.

You’d be better off looking for a solicitor or barrister who specialises specifically in insolvency litigation and director disqualification rather than a general commercial firm. I’d also ask about their experience defending shadow-director allegations and personal liability claims, as these can be quite specialist areas.

kordan.walker · Tuesday at 11:30 AM

The Soup Dragon said:
Can a person be taken on for a trial period and if successful say 3 or 6 months be made permanent?

Yes, it’s quite common for an employer to offer someone a trial or probationary period before confirming the position permanently. The terms should be clear from the outset, including the length of the trial, pay and what happens if the role isn’t made permanent.

kordan.walker · Tuesday at 11:29 AM

Steamsnapper said:
I had a Company which undertook a Member’s Voluntary Liquidation some years ago. For unconnected reasons, the Insolvency Practitioner involved had to stand down, and the case transferred to a new Practitioner. I have a query relating to something that may, or may not, have been done when the original IP had control. The new IP has said that he does not think it is cost-effective to pursue this, and appears not to have the full case files e.g. time sheets showing how time was used and billed. What rights do I have to request details of the work that the original IP undertook? For instance, can I ask for his time recording records directly? Or do all such requests from members have to be routed though the new IP? As a supplementary, apart from the various Gateways, what scope do members have if they fear that something is amiss but are unable to gain access to records to gather evidence?

You could ask the new IP in writing what records were transferred from the original IP and specifically request details of the time recorded and fees charged. If records are missing, ask why and whether they can be obtained. If you remain concerned about possible misconduct, you can also raise the matter with the relevant insolvency regulator.

TCH · Tuesday at 11:11 AM

DontAsk said:
Do watch out for first year low prices, followed by real pricing in subsequent years.

yes that's one of the things I like about Mythic Beasts

"No loss leaders or introductory deals followed by inflated renewal pricing that penalises loyalty. We charge a sustainable price from the start and offer the same price to both new and existing customers."

Joseph Bartosiewicz · Tuesday at 10:02 AM

We had the same “clubs don’t have EORI / don’t want to deal with import paperwork” headache after Brexit. What ended up working for us was to stop treating it like courier parcels and instead ship into the EU in bulk under our own setup, then distribute locally. If you’re trying to personally deliver larger orders, it’s still doable but you’ll need the export/import declarations lined up before you travel, and someone has to be the Importer of Record (either you with an EU EORI/VAT presence, or an EU-established partner who’ll take the liability). In reality, getting an indirect rep can be a pain because they’re on the hook for duties later, so most smallish shippers I know either set up an EU entity or use a partner/3PL in NL/FR who can import and then do domestic deliveries.

evanc · Monday at 7:56 PM

Interesting thread — I've been doing something similar (feeding bank exports/expenses to ChatGPT for a first pass), and it's genuinely decent for structuring/categorising as long as you sanity-check the output, especially anything involving director's loan vs capital treatment.

One thing I'd flag though: be careful what you're pasting in. If there's anything with employee data mixed in alongside the bank data — payroll runs, NI numbers, salaries — that's now sat on a third-party server. Got nervous about this myself and ended up building a small tool that strips the personal bits out (emails, NI numbers, postcodes, amounts) before it goes into ChatGPT/Claude, then restores them locally once you've got the answer back. Happy to share the link if it's useful — no idea if it applies to your exact setup, but seemed worth flagging given what you're feeding it.

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MTD WITH KASHFLOW SOFTWARE - Anyone had issues?

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School Uniform - should Government pay the shortfall?

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Commercial Lease Advice – New Kitchen Fire Suppression Requirement

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Getting rid of accountants - Are we any nearer in 2026 ?

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