LinkedIn Lead Generation Starts with a Clear Proposition

Businesses struggling to generate leads from LinkedIn may be focusing on the wrong problem. 

According to social selling expert Dean Seddon, the answer is not simply to post more often or blame the algorithm. It starts with a clear commercial proposition and a joined-up sales strategy.

Dean, founder of social selling training company Maverrik, says businesses often treat posting, networking, outreach and engagement as separate activities.

But these tactics are unlikely to deliver consistent results if a company has not first worked out what it is selling, who is most likely to buy it and why they would pay for it.

“The three big reasons people don't get leads on LinkedIn are that they're unfocused on what they're selling, unfocused on who would buy it and unfocused on why,” Dean told That's Business.

It is a useful reminder for businesses tempted to focus on activity for activity’s sake. A regular stream of posts might attract attention, but attention alone does not explain what a company offers or give a potential customer a reason to take the next step. 

Likewise, networking and outreach need a clear purpose if they are to support sales.

Dean says consistent lead generation rests on three connected elements: content, newsletters and events. Each can help a business communicate its offer, build relationships with potential customers and create opportunities for further conversation. The key is to bring them together around the same commercial proposition, rather than treating them as isolated marketing tasks.

For businesses, that means starting with some straightforward questions. What problem does your product or service solve? Who is most likely to need that solution? And what makes your offer worth paying for? Clear answers can help shape the messages shared through LinkedIn content, the subjects covered in newsletters and the focus of events.

This approach also offers a more useful way to judge LinkedIn activity. Instead of asking only whether a post received likes or comments, businesses can consider whether their communications are reaching the right people and helping them understand the value on offer.

LinkedIn can be an important part of a sales strategy, but it cannot make an unclear proposition compelling by itself. Before changing the posting schedule or chasing higher engagement, businesses may want to review the foundations of their offer and how each part of their marketing supports it.

Dean Seddon’s comments were issued in London on 15 October 2026.

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Countryside Connections uses KeySIM multi-network IoT SIMs for Ajax alarm systems

Rural connectivity makes access to multiple mobile networks important for alarm installations across the areas served by the Welsh connectivity provider.

Countryside Connections is using KeySIM multi-network IoT SIM cards with Ajax alarm systems, helping provide cellular connectivity for security installations in rural locations.

Founded by Morgan Jones, Countryside Connections works to improve connectivity for rural communities and businesses. 

In areas where mobile coverage can vary from one location to another, a multi-network IoT SIM gives a connected device access to multiple available mobile networks.

That flexibility is valuable for Ajax alarm systems installed across Countryside Connections’ service area. By using KeySIM IoT SIMs, the company can support alarm connectivity with a SIM designed for connected devices and deployments where network availability matters.

Morgan Jones of Countryside Connections told That's Business: “We work across rural areas where mobile coverage can differ significantly from one place to another. 

"Having a multi-network SIM is important for the Ajax alarm systems we install, because it gives us more flexibility in finding the best available connection. KeySIM is a good fit for the way we work and the locations we serve.”

KeySIM provides multi-network IoT SIM cards for security, telemetry and other connected applications. Its SIMs help businesses connect devices in locations where relying on a single mobile network may not be suitable.

https://www.keysim.co.uk

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Self Assessment: Start Early and Give Yourself Less to Worry About

Running a business brings plenty of deadlines, but the annual tax return can be one of the most daunting. 

If Self Assessment is already hovering at the back of your mind, making a start now could help make the coming months considerably less stressful.

Ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10 October, HM Revenue and Customs has revealed that more than 26% of respondents to an HMRC-commissioned survey experienced anxiety as tax or financial deadlines approached. The survey explored the digital habits of more than 5,200 customers.

For sole traders, freelancers and other people completing Self Assessment, the message is straightforward: give yourself time.

The main deadline for submitting your online tax return for the 2025–2026 tax year and paying any tax due is 31 January 2027. Those using paper returns generally have an earlier submission deadline of 31 October 2026.

January might feel comfortably distant, but Christmas, busy trading periods and everyday responsibilities can soon eat into that preparation time.

HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, Myrtle Lloyd, encourages customers to tackle their returns in manageable stages, using the guidance available on GOV.UK.

That is a sensible approach. You do not have to complete everything in one sitting. A few practical steps can help:

Gather your records. Bring together income details, invoices, receipts and other relevant documents before you begin.

Make a start. You can save your progress and return to the online form, allowing you to work around other commitments.

Check carefully. Give yourself time to spot missing information and check that income and allowable expenses are recorded correctly.

Plan for payment. Knowing your bill earlier gives you more time to organise your finances.

Filing early does not bring forward the usual payment deadline. Eligible customers can also use HMRC’s Budget Payment Plan to make weekly or monthly payments towards their next bill. This is an advance payment arrangement, so any outstanding balance still needs to be paid by the deadline.

Some customers who already pay tax through PAYE may be able to have a Self Assessment bill of less than £3,000 collected through their tax code. To use this option, online returns must be submitted by 30 December 2026, and HMRC’s other eligibility conditions must be met.

Customers using Making Tax Digital for Income Tax should also remember that their 2025–2026 Self Assessment return is still required.

Unsure whether you need to file? Start with the Self Assessment checker on GOV.UK.

Here at That’s Business, we think setting aside a little time now is a worthwhile investment. Even gathering your paperwork today could make January feel much more manageable.

Is It Time Councils Sold Street-Name Sponsorship?

Could your local High Street become “High Street: Sponsored by Smith & Co”? 

It might sound strange, but perhaps councils are overlooking a potentially valuable source of income.

Local authorities are constantly looking for ways to raise additional revenue without simply increasing charges or putting further pressure on council taxpayers.

So here's an idea: why not sell sponsorship of street names?

We already accept sponsored football grounds, sporting competitions, festivals, theatres and countless other public events and spaces snd roundabouts. Businesses spend substantial sums putting their names in places where people will see them.

Street signs are certainly visible.

Importantly, we're not suggesting that historic street names should disappear or that residents should suddenly find themselves living at a completely different address.

Instead, the existing street name would remain, with a smaller sponsorship panel underneath:

CHURCH STREET

Sponsored by Bloggs & Co

That distinction is important. Actually renaming streets could cause problems for residents, businesses, postal services, emergency services, mapping companies and numerous databases.

Adding sponsorship should be considerably simpler.

It doesn't have to be big business

This could also be about much more than multinational companies buying prominent locations.

Local businesses could sponsor streets near their premises. Football, cricket and rugby clubs might sponsor nearby roads. Rotary and Lions clubs, chambers of commerce, historical societies and other community organisations could participate.

Imagine a local history society sponsoring an historic street and using a small QR code on the sign to direct visitors towards information about its past.

Suddenly street sponsorship becomes more than advertising, it becomes part of promoting the town.

Let the market decide the price

Not every street would have the same value.

A busy town-centre shopping street would clearly be worth considerably more than a residential cul-de-sac. Councils could create sponsorship bands, perhaps ranging from relatively modest sums for less prominent locations to substantial annual agreements for major streets, squares and pedestrian areas.

Contracts might run for one, three or five years.

Councils could also ring-fence some of the income. Imagine signs stating that sponsorship revenue helps pay for flower displays, street cleaning, public toilets, Christmas lights or maintenance of parks.

Residents could actually see where some of the money was going.

There would need to be rules

Clearly, councils couldn't simply accept money from anyone.

There would need to be restrictions on inappropriate or controversial advertising, protection for historically important signs and sensible limits on the size and appearance of sponsorship panels.

Residents and traders should also have a voice, particularly where prominent or historic locations are involved.

But these are practical issues rather than reasons to dismiss the entire idea.

Local government needs imaginative new revenue streams.

Selling the legal names of our streets might be a step too far.

Selling discreet sponsorship underneath those names, however, could be an idea whose time has come.

Would you be happy to see your street sponsored if the money helped pay for local services – or would you regard it as commercialisation gone too far?

Tell That's Business what you think.

To Start Up or Not Start Up? Asking the Right Questions Before Taking the Leap

“I can do that.” It is a thought that has launched countless business ideas. 

But being able to provide a product or service and building a sustainable company are different challenges.

For anyone contemplating the leap into self-employment, a book by entrepreneur and executive Pantelis Velentzas encourages a pause before committing money, time and energy.

To Start Up or Not Start Up?, published by LID Publishing, explores the questions aspiring founders should ask before turning ambition into action. Its central message is straightforward: enthusiasm matters, but it needs to be matched by preparation, clear thinking and an honest understanding of the journey ahead.

The book groups its questions into seven areas: mindset, opportunity, strategy, money, team, systems and context. Together, these offer a framework for examining both the business proposition and the person preparing to lead it.

Is there a worthwhile opportunity? What resources will the venture require? Who should be involved? And does growing bigger necessarily mean becoming more successful? These are practical considerations that can easily disappear beneath the excitement of launching something new.

Velentzas draws on two decades of experience founding and scaling ventures across European markets, alongside senior executive roles at Hellenic Duty Free Shops and Avolta. His business background includes franchise, distribution and representation partnerships involving brands such as Victoria’s Secret, Hershey’s, Superdry and Korres.

He describes the book as the one he wishes he had read before his first start-up. Rather than offering a rigid checklist, it is intended to support structured reflection on the forces that help businesses succeed or quietly undermine their progress.

His experience also challenges the assumption that every company must pursue rapid expansion. Some businesses achieve success through stable, profitable income while deliberately choosing to remain small. Others may benefit from strategic growth, while some ideas are best reconsidered before substantial commitments are made.

That is a useful perspective for first-time founders, existing small business owners considering expansion, and students exploring entrepreneurship. Investors, enterprise educators, accelerators and incubators are also among the intended readership.

For That’s Business readers, the appeal lies in its emphasis on making a considered decision. Starting a business can be rewarding, but deciding how, when and whether to proceed deserves attention.

Sometimes, the strongest entrepreneurial move is to start confidently. Sometimes it is to grow carefully or stay small. And sometimes, having asked the difficult questions, it is to walk away with your resources intact.

https://lidpublishing.com