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Do Ad/Marketing Agencies use freelance writers?

B
Many shops stick to in-house teams to protect their margins, but your real "in" is that manufacturing background. Most agency editors spend half their lives fixing technical errors from generalist writers; if you pitch yourself as the expert, you’re solving their biggest problem.

At £110 per article, you’re actually a bit of a bargain for them. Most UK agencies will be billing the client £300–£500 per post, so your rate leaves them with a large margin. Try targeting Content Leads on LinkedIn instead of generic info@ boxes. Sell the fact that you won't need your hand held through a technical brief.
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Looking to Partner With an Independent Google Ads Specialist (Home Services / Roofing)

Paul Carmen
@cp. It's an odd ask, as the key to running and getting good Google Ads search lead gen results is building and testing ads, landing pages, tracking, and funnel's.

It's very difficult, if not impossible, to do one aspect well; e.g. just the ads, without working on and testing all those other elements in tandem, and having control of all the processes needed to generate leads.
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Accounts filing software

G
macScot said:
Taxcalc is a good application, we use it for both our CT600 and SA100 Self Assessments, so I would have no hesitation to recommend them though we have never needed to contact their support team so cannot confirm how good they are. The CT600 does not really require and foreign currency postings as far as I am aware, any values reported would have to be translated to £GBP on the return.

We were in a similar position where we could no longer use the free online option for submitting both accounts and tax for a micro-entity because we started investing some of our company cash into financial assets (stock market) and were forced off that platform and found Taxcalc.com to be good for our needs as it allows us to file our CT600 as well as SA100 returns.
We have not really changed how we report the balance sheet and have included the financial assets as part of our fixed assets total.

If you are filing your accounts using FRS 105 (Micro-entities) then you do not need to submit a P&L, you only need to file a Balance Sheet (currently) and a very limited set of notes. You generally do not have to disclose the specific amount of FX gains or losses in the filing.

However saying that, I would think you still need to use correct HMRC published rates or actual bank rates depending on the transactions and correctly account for gains and losses as they would impact your profits and therefore your taxes.

Under FRS 102 (Small, Medium to Large Entities) you have more strict disclosure requirements and must include notes on the accounting policy for translating foreign currency items and how you treat the resulting gains or losses. You must disclose the total amount of exchange differences recognised in the P&L for the period (unless you are a "Small" entity using Section 1A, where this disclosure is encouraged but often technically optional unless it's necessary for a "true and fair view").

How currency gains and losses or revaluation of contracts in foreign currency are worked out or translated would vary depending on whether you are using FRS 102 or FRS 105, so you have to read up on this if you deal in foreign currency accounts, especially if you don't use an accountant.

For now you should be able to file your accounts directly with Companies House separately and then use a separate application for your CT600, however going forward Companies House will also require you to use software to submit the accounts, so you will need to find products that do the accounts production as well as the tax returns, or use an accountant who can do all 3 things (Accounts Product, Corporation Tax and Self Assessments)
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Thank you for spending the time to type all that. I have just (this minute) submitted my accounts with Ftax. I have been doing currency stuff for decades and always use the HMRC published rates unless there is an actual exchange done at a specific rate. Everything looks like it worked and I really don't see why I couldn't have done it through the HMRC website but that wouldn't work next year, so I might as well get used to a new way of doing things. With luck I will be retiring in a couple of years anyway.........
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Premises rent increases

T
WaveJumper said:
Couldn't agree more with Michael above and before you disappear down a rabbit hole, I would as suggested, take some proper advice before doing anything else.

If need be to find someone local and loads of useful info check out the RICS website

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Thank you x
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How do you balance competitive pricing with premium service positioning?

StrategyDoctor
@Stuart_Walker this really resonates, especially your point about the emotional side of pricing. Even when we’ve done the numbers and are clear on our positioning, it can still feel uncomfortable when we see competitors coming in cheaper? That sense of “we’re missing out” never fully disappears – the discipline is exactly as you say: make a conscious choice about where you sit in the market and then stick to it, rather than wobbling every time someone undercuts.

I also completely agree with your warning about not trying to mix a bargain-basement offer with a quality brand under one roof. That’s exactly where customers get confused: “Are you the safe, premium option, or the cheapest bloke in town?” Once you blur that line and cut prices to chase volume, it becomes very hard to move them back up to a level where you’re actually making a sensible margin. It is also important to define and understand your Ideal Customer and offer them 'value' that they appreciate.

If anyone wants to go a bit deeper on this, The Discipline of Market Leaders (Treacy & Wiersema) is a good, practical read. The core idea is that you can’t be everything to everyone – you choose one primary discipline and build around it : Lowest cost / operational efficiency, best product/service or best customer relationship / service

There’s usually room in any market for the low-cost operator, but it probably can't be wearing the same badge as the “quality, long-term partner” brand.

For others reading, what has your experience been of these three in your own business – competing on lowest cost, being the best product/service, or winning on customer service and relationships?
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Do these still impress people?

M
Many, if not most of these `awards' are complete rubbish, and are just a marketing device.

I'd been surprised to see how many firms of solicitors that I knew to be dreadful had these silly little badges all over their website, so just as an experiment I entered the `competition' for an SME Enterprise award.

I filled in a questionnaire, which asked for references, testimonials etc. I deliberately didn't give any at all, so I was rather surprised to receive an email saying I'd been nominated for an award.

Not long after, imagine my delight and amazement to discover that I'd won an award as the Best Independent Legal Advisor in the whole of North West England - https://smenews.digital/winners/michael-a-loveridge/

That was when the hard sell kicked in. I was told that I could have one of various `upgrade packages', for example:

Upgrade Package 3 - 575 GBP + VAT
- Bespoke Trophy
- Digital Winners' Badge
- Bespoke Digital Certificate

Or:

Illuminate Package: 625 GBP / 805 USD
SEO optimised web article written by our dedicated team with backlinks
Bespoke trophy
Personalised digital logo

Tempted as I was by these wondrous and no doubt very impressive items I declined their offer, which is perhaps why to my deep disappointment I still haven't been contacted by one single client wanting to deal with the Best in the North West!

Whilst it was a mildly amusing exercise, and it explained why the websites of so many crap law firms are littered with such awards, it does concern me that these `awards' are grossly misleading, and it even occurs to me that they may constitute an unfair commercial practice under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. When I have some time I intend to take it up with Trading Standards, but "when I have time ..." is the story of my life!
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Corporation tax returns

Newchodge
UK Contractor Accountant said:
  1. Sign in to HMRC online services using your Government Gateway user ID and password.
  2. Navigate to your business tax account. (Note: This is separate from a personal tax account you might use for Self Assessment or PAYE).
  3. Ensure the Corporation Tax service is enrolled in your account. If it is not, you can add it by selecting 'Services you can add' in the menu and enrolling for the service.
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All of that works fine. Under Corporation Tax there is a section 'Your returns'. In that section there is a button to complete a return and a button for more details.

That takes me to a section to complete a return and an option to select More Corporation Tax Details.

That goes to the older interface where I can choose options and get to select previous years which just show the amount of tax due.

Perhaps, completing the joint return via Companies House means HMRC don't show a copy.

Never mind - I can reconstruct it, I still have the working papers, but I just thought it should have been there.
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A will and codicil

ethical PR
CertaxBexley said:
A solicitor or other legally trained person could have answered with the info given, FWIW the solicitor who drew up the Codicile was contacted and despite holding a Financial LPA for the individual they refused to discus without that individual being present, who currently doesnt have the mental or physical capacity to engage, hence why an LPA was created originally and registered with the Public Guadian.
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This is a business forum as already advised you need legal advice from a solicitor.
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Starting an online business which sells cleaning fluid for glasses.

C
A quick look on Amazon finds lots of competition at £5.00 (one selling 3 for £9) all selling on prime, I guess you would find it hard on those prices along with Amazon costs plus your purchase costs to be able to make any real money as a single identity shop
Maybe if you brought them unbranded and applied your own labels you could start your own branding but quiet honestly i think it's just a price driven market (a race to the bottom)
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Contractor fees for full-time role

GLAbusiness
As a data point:

I have a standard day rate
Every April I increase that by average of inflation and wage growth
I offer a discount based on usage. e.g. 10% if they use more than 50 days in a 12 month period
I am open to a negotiated fixed price for a well defined project
I cover all my own travel and subsistence which means I am not subject to the client's normal employee rules.
My contract has all the usual terms to prove IR35 does not apply.

As to your actual day rate I have no idea what the market rate is for your skills and experience.
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Buying a commercial property

alamest
This comes up a lot, and the honest answer is that buying a commercial property can make sense, but only if you go into it with your eyes open.

The biggest thing people underestimate is how different commercial property is compared to residential. Financing is tougher, deposits are usually much higher, and lenders care far more about the strength of the tenant and lease than the building itself. If the unit is vacant, or the tenant leaves, you’re still on the hook for business rates, insurance, and maintenance, which can add up quickly.

That said, if you’ve got a stable tenant on a decent lease (5–10 years, ideally with rent reviews), the numbers can be predictable and less hassle than residential in some ways. Fewer regulations, no tenant deposit schemes, no constant rule changes like you see with buy-to-let.

I’d strongly suggest getting a proper survey done, understanding the lease terms inside out, and speaking to a commercial mortgage broker before committing. Also worth budgeting for longer void periods — they’re normal in commercial, not the exception.

In short: it can work well as part of a wider plan, but it’s not a “set and forget” investment and definitely not something to rush into.
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