I was on fire
I was at a Girl Guiding Day last week, helping out with some activities for Ukrainian and Afghan child refugees. I was on fire. Not literally, I just happened to be in charge of the fire activity, which as a casual pyromaniac, suited me down to the ground. What I WAS nervous about was the
Half-dead Dave
You know, half-dead Dave, right? He’s been in accounts FOREVER. Then there’s Yoda, who’s nearly as old as nearly deceased Dave, and MUST be close to retirement now. Of course, you’ll know Jimmy Savile – we call him that not because of any crime he’s committed, but because he’s called Jimmy and his surname starts
Birthday party booking
Running a business can be tough at the best of times. But with taxes rising, inflation spiralling and everyone going on about the ‘cost of living crisis’, things are even more challenging. Which – you might think – would result in companies trying harder than ever to acquire customers. But it seems there are some
Just mowing the grass
I was talking the Chair of Greens at a golf club recently, and they had a few challenges with getting enough greenkeepers to look after all the greens. No matter, he told me, they had a Plan B. The plan? “I know a chap who mows my lawn – I’ll just ask him to come
Off to the States
I’m off to America this week. It’s a holiday I’ve been anticipating for AGES, but the build-up has been fraught with anxiety, mainly thanks to the prospect of the flight being cancelled, or the baggage handlers going on strike. To try and counteract the latter point, I decided just to take hand luggage. And as
Pincher by name….
Unless you’ve sworn off the media completely (and I wouldn’t blame you if you had), you’ll be well aware of the Pincher saga – the bad behaviour of MP Chris Pincher, and the government’s various attempts to deal with the situation. What I’m more interested in is how the Carlton Club – the venue for
You’re fired. But before you go…
You’re fired. But before you go… The moment when Lord Sugar points the finger and gives the contestants their marching orders has gone down in TV folklore. But I’ve never seen him ask someone to complete a task after firing them. After all, they’re fired: why would they? Bizarrely though, we’ve seen employers attempting to
Fit note frenzy?
It’s not the easiest time to be a business owner, what with staff shortages, inflation, cost of living, Brexit and Ukraine. Which makes it the natural moment for the government to make your life even harder. From next Friday, sick notes (officially Fit Notes) can be officially signed by registered nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and
Just because you’re bored with it…
I went shopping last weekend. The official reason was to buy birthday presents for others, but you know how things go: I found myself in my favourite perfume shop, L’Occitane. I’ve been wearing Oud & Rose since last summer, which I really love, so I thought I’d treat myself to a new bottle. No. They
Dodgy WhatsApp images
Your employees, however well you get on with them, are there to earn money. Never forget this. So many small business owners make the mistake of treating employees like family or buddies. This is all well and good when things are going smoothly. But what happens when a downturn in business means you have to
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