Recent content by DavidAshdown

  1. 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”...
  2. 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...
  3. 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...
  4. 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...
  5. 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...
  6. 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?
  7. 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...
  8. DavidAshdown

    How do you gauge value when starting out?

    I agree the recurring fee model makes sense where there is ongoing support, updates and training. The only note of caution I’d add is not to build the pricing purely around replacing a salary. For me, it still comes back to the value to the client, the level of support commitment and the risk...
  9. DavidAshdown

    How do you gauge value when starting out?

    I wouldn’t lead with “what’s your budget?” just yet. A better first step is to understand the scale of use, how many users, what level of support they expect, likely development requests and, crucially, what the current problem is costing them in time, errors and visibility. Once you have...
  10. DavidAshdown

    How do you gauge value when starting out?

    I completely understand that instinct, but the price is rarely linked to what the end users are paid. The real comparison is the cost of mistakes, rework and lack of visibility in the process. If the tool prevents even a handful of costly errors or saves management time, the value can very...
  11. DavidAshdown

    How do you gauge value when starting out?

    You may be looking at this from the wrong end. The question is less “what did it cost me to build?” and more “what is it worth to the business using it?” I suspect the real question is all about what commercial value it creates for them. If it reduces errors, improves auditability and saves...
  12. DavidAshdown

    MTD – more admin than expected?

    That’s a really helpful real-world perspective, Paul. I think you’ve hit on two of the biggest issues. Firstly, there are still many self-employed people who don’t yet realise that, at some point, the way they keep and submit records is going to need to change. Secondly, for those already...
  13. DavidAshdown

    Selling a business with debt?

    Out of interest, what industry are you in?
  14. DavidAshdown

    MTD – more admin than expected?

    I think that’s a fair reflection of how a lot of people are feeling about it. And you’re right, for some businesses, especially simpler ones, the quarterly updates won’t necessarily add a huge amount of value in themselves. But I suspect the intention is less about the individual update, and...
  15. DavidAshdown

    MTD – more admin than expected?

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