Recent content by StrategyDoctor

  1. StrategyDoctor

    Where’s the best place to do market research?

    Don’t quit the day job yet, but run this as a side hustle first so you protect your personal cash while you test market demand. Use your existing access to parents (plus Facebook groups, school networks, etc.) to validate or dismiss ideas quickly rather than overthinking “market research”. You...
  2. StrategyDoctor

    What type of decisions do you find most difficult to make?

    I think part of the challenge with the question is that there isn’t a universal answer. As others have already pointed out, every business is different and what feels like a difficult decision for one owner may be straightforward for another. That said, in my experience SME owners generally do...
  3. StrategyDoctor

    Royal Mail fee to pay?

    A couple of quick checks before assuming anything: Are your business names and home address publicly linked anywhere (e.g. Companies House)? That could explain why both businesses are being used. When you go to pay, are you being directed only to official Royal Mail channels (no QR codes or...
  4. StrategyDoctor

    Getting struggling businesses to try something different...

    What you are experiencing is very normal. Most don’t actually want change - they want results without changing behaviour. Human nature! In my experience you may also be surprised how many are listening and thinking about, but just aren't ready to take the plunge just yet. You need to be...
  5. StrategyDoctor

    What apps are trades using for quoting jobs now?

    In my experience with similar apps and dealing with a number of trade clients have to agree with the comments above that most of these platforms end up being overkill for a solo trade or small team. In reality, the issue isn’t usually the tool, it’s the process. If you don’t simplify that...
  6. StrategyDoctor

    BUSINESS MENTORS

    Agree with the replies above. You’ll get plenty of good, practical input on here, but it really depends on how specific you can be about what you need. At the moment it’s quite broad. “Mentoring” can mean anything from basic startup guidance through to sales, marketing, pricing, systems, etc...
  7. StrategyDoctor

    What’s my business worth? Built a tool for UK SMEs — looking for feedback

    Agree with a lot of the sentiment from the other replies (@Paul Kelly ICHYB @fisicx @Gecko001) in particular that valuing a business is more an 'art' than a 'science' :rolleyes:. There are a lot of variables and buyer v seller interpretation. Ultimately it does comes down to what someone is...
  8. StrategyDoctor

    An overlooked pressure affecting many small businesses?

    My experience is mainly with regular B2B clients, and as you describe @DavidAshdown these are examples of where things can drift. We can all take good customers for granted or get distracted chasing new ones. I’ve lost good customers where, looking back, the warning signs were exactly as you...
  9. StrategyDoctor

    School Work Experience?

    @Ozzy is spot on, if we don’t offer placements and make them genuinely engaging, we can’t then complain that young people aren’t interested in our businesses or “not work ready”. The reality is most businesses avoid it because it is time-consuming and a distraction — especially if you’re not...
  10. StrategyDoctor

    Hello from a UK same-day courier business

    Hello Andrew and welcome!
  11. StrategyDoctor

    Printing company changing lanes - How do I get local B2B orders?

    The advice in this thread is spot on - and it’s clear you understand your market. Some of my thoughts (and this reinforces many of the comments in this thread): You’re in a saturated space. You won’t be the cheapest. You probably won’t be the fastest. And you won’t have the widest range. If...
  12. StrategyDoctor

    Directors Loan Account

    You may also need to consider HMRC (see the links below), I am not an expert but one of my clients had a similar situation recently. You should talk to your accountant for professional advice if you are unsure. Many sets of accounts explicitly state the director’s loan is “repayable on demand”...
  13. StrategyDoctor

    Best place to sell profitable single-product skincare store?

    Reading the other replies, it seems like you know what you are doing. Message me if you need a sounding board on any next steps - I have a lot of experience in this area. Good luck, I hope it works out well for you :)
  14. StrategyDoctor

    Best place to sell profitable single-product skincare store?

    Rightbiz vs Flippa? Flippa buyers are looking for online businesses, I suspect they will want supply chain inplace? So they’ll run away or discount hard if supply chain is “to be set up later”. Rightbiz is broader UK brokerage — you might still find a buyer, but the same risk issue applies. So...
  15. StrategyDoctor

    Franchisee right to renewal and franchisor constructively trying to stop us.

    This does sound commercially damaging, and you’re right to question the basis for it. I assume one possible reason a franchisor might try this is if you’re entering customer contracts / taking deposits beyond the franchise term — if you then don’t renew, it potentially creates consumer and...
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