Recent content by DavidAshdown

  1. DavidAshdown

    An overlooked pressure affecting many small businesses?

    Completely agree Graham. Good structure and communication habits make a huge difference. What we’re increasingly seeing though is that even where agreements and processes exist, people often drift away from them gradually once pressure, stress or relationship strain starts to build. That’s...
  2. DavidAshdown

    93% of operators face sanctions at Public Inquiry – what's the one thing you've checked today that could save your licence?

    Appreciate that Invergold, thank you. You’ve nailed the shift, it’s no longer about having records, it’s about being able to stand behind them under scrutiny. What’s becoming clear to us is that most operators aren’t short of data, they’re short of a consistent way of challenging it and...
  3. DavidAshdown

    An overlooked pressure affecting many small businesses?

    That’s a really interesting angle, and a good example of how easily people can find themselves exposed without realising it. What’s interesting is that even when things are clear from a legal point of view, a lot of situations don’t actually play out in a strictly legal way at the start...
  4. DavidAshdown

    An overlooked pressure affecting many small businesses?

  5. DavidAshdown

    An overlooked pressure affecting many small businesses?

    That’s a really good point Graham, and I agree that having a clear process set out in contracts can make a big difference once something is formally raised. What I tend to see though is that many situations don’t get picked up at that stage. They sit earlier on, where expectations are drifting...
  6. DavidAshdown

    Alternatives To Quickbooks Online

    I am glad I am not the only one frustrated with QuickBooks new look. I complained to them shortly after it was launched and also when speaking to an agent. She claimed it was because of the new rules surrounding MTD. Personally, I think it comes down to organisations thinking it's a good idea...
  7. DavidAshdown

    Mettle + Experian credit report = disaster

    Have you spoken to Mettle? Credit reference agencies report the information provided to them by the lender. As far as I am aware, they are not able to report anything other than that, so anything you see, is the information Mettle would have sent to them. I would suggest you contact Mettle asap...
  8. DavidAshdown

    Hello from eServers! Glad to join UKBF

    Welcome Olivia, hope you enjoy.
  9. DavidAshdown

    When your business grows, does clarity grow with it — or fall behind?

    This is exactly it, assumptions don’t feel like a problem at the time, which is why they get missed. In my experience, it’s rarely one big issue. It’s small gaps that quietly build: – “I thought you were handling that” – “I assumed we’d agreed this” – “I didn’t realise that had changed”...
  10. DavidAshdown

    93% of operators face sanctions at Public Inquiry – what's the one thing you've checked today that could save your licence?

    This really hits the mark. None of this is new in isolation, brakes, tyres, PMI discipline, we’ve all known the importance for years. What’s changed is the level of scrutiny and the expectation that operators can evidence not just what they did, but why. That’s where good operators are getting...
  11. DavidAshdown

    An overlooked pressure affecting many small businesses?

    No need to apologise, that’s exactly the kind of situation I was thinking about when I wrote the post. What’s interesting is that everything you describe was visible early on… just not obvious enough at the time to act on decisively. I think a lot of us fall into that “it’ll improve” mindset...
  12. DavidAshdown

    An overlooked pressure affecting many small businesses?

    This is a great addition, especially the point about things being “just the symptom.” What you’ve described is exactly what I see as well: by the time it shows up as a payment issue or complaint, the relationship has already started to slip. The interesting bit is that most of what you’ve...
  13. DavidAshdown

    An overlooked pressure affecting many small businesses?

    This is a great example—and exactly the kind of situation I think gets missed. What strikes me is that everyone assumes things are “probably fine”… right up until they’re very much not. By then, it’s no longer a conversation, it’s a position. The challenge (and opportunity) seems to be...
  14. DavidAshdown

    Looking to Borrow £1,300 – Weekly Repayments + Interest | Urgent | Irthlingborough, UK

    Adding interest to the debt is somewhat counterproductive. Why not arrange payment terms with your creditors instead?
  15. DavidAshdown

    How do you gauge value when starting out?

    That’s a very sensible way of looking at it. I particularly like your point about separating the infrastructure and data ownership from the development/support relationship, as that can give the client greater comfort around continuity and security. I think the key commercial question then...
See more
Top Bottom
Community
Articles
Menu