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.

That's Food and Drink: Dead Flies and Disappointment: When a Smart Café ...

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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

Can AI Help Small Businesses Build Stronger Brands?

AI can produce a business name, logo and website in remarkably little time. 

But turning those ingredients into a brand that customers recognise, trust and return to requires more thought.

That is the challenge behind The Playbook for AI Brand Building, launched by Andy Parton, (PICTURED) founder of London AI marketing consultancy Destreza.

Designed for founders and lean marketing teams, the Playbook aims to make the structured brand-building methods used by major businesses accessible to companies with smaller budgets.

Parton brings more than sixteen years of brand-building experience, including roles at Diageo and BAT, alongside more than six years working with AI in marketing.

His central argument is straightforward: promising businesses often struggle because important research, strategy and planning decisions are overlooked. Faster content production alone cannot fill those gaps.

The Playbook begins by learning about the founder and their venture, tailoring examples, calculations and AI briefs to the business. According to Destreza, it can draw on 1,650 possible configurations.

Four foundation modules introduce marketing principles before users work through ten stages: Evidence, Insight, Strategy, Brand, Identity, Connections, Design System, Launch, Retention and Performance Cycle.

Each stage combines learning with practical tasks. Users give prepared briefs to their own AI assistant, such as ChatGPT or Claude, to help research markets, develop models, generate insights and create content.

A useful feature is the instruction for AI to source, date and label claims according to their reliability. That encourages founders to examine the evidence behind recommendations before making consequential decisions.

As they progress, users compile a “Launch Book”, bringing together their decisions, supporting evidence, resulting assets and launch requirements.

For small businesses, the appeal is clear. Many founders have products or services but limited access to marketing support. A structured workflow could help them identify weaknesses earlier and spend their resources more carefully.

However, the launch material’s headline failure statistics draw on different populations and research. They should not be read as a direct comparison or a guarantee of success.

Destreza says the Playbook costs less than its cited £2,500 senior consultant day rate. Buyers need their own AI assistant subscription, so should check the full costs before purchasing.

A free trial requires no payment card and includes the introduction, personalised setup and Stage 01. A 14-day money-back guarantee is advertised.

For founders curious about bringing more discipline to their brand development, that offers a practical starting point.

Find out more at theplaybookfor.ai.

Are Your Disabled Toilet Facilities Up to Standard?

Many businesses proudly display the familiar wheelchair symbol on the door of their accessible toilet.

But when did you last actually go inside and look at the facilities from the point of view of somebody who needs to use them?

Providing an accessible toilet isn't simply a matter of fitting a wider door and a couple of grab rails. 

Poorly positioned equipment can turn what is supposed to be an accessible facility into an obstacle course.

Can people actually reach everything?

One surprisingly common problem is the hand dryer or paper towels are mounted far too high. It might be perfectly convenient for an able-bodied person standing at the basin, but what about somebody using a wheelchair?

The same applies to the soap dispensers, mirrors, toilet paper and emergency cords.

Then there's the washbasin itself. Can a wheelchair user comfortably get close enough to use it? Is there sufficient space underneath? Are the taps easy to operate for someone with limited dexterity?

A beautifully fitted washbasin isn't much use if the person it was supposedly designed for cannot reach it.

Don't use it as a storeroom

Another complaint frequently made about accessible toilets is that they gradually become unofficial storage cupboards.

Cleaning equipment, spare chairs, boxes, highchairs and stock can creep into the room because there appears to be plenty of unused floor space.

Except that space isn't unused.

It is there to give wheelchair and mobility-aid users sufficient room to manoeuvre and transfer safely.

That red emergency cord matters

Emergency pull cords are another area worth checking.

They should be readily accessible to somebody who has fallen to the floor. Yet cords can sometimes be tied up, shortened or tucked away because somebody thinks they look untidy.

An emergency cord that cannot be reached in an emergency isn't doing its job.

Try looking at the room differently

Business owners and managers could carry out a simple accessibility audit.

Either ask a disabled friend to check it out, or sit in a chair and look around the room. Can you reach the soap, taps, dryer and toilet paper without standing up? Is the mirror usable? Could you get alongside the toilet? Could you reach the emergency alarm from floor level?

Better still, ask disabled customers and staff what works and what doesn't. Lived experience can identify problems that somebody following a checklist may never notice.

Accessibility also extends beyond the toilet itself. Is the route to it genuinely accessible? Is the doorway obstructed? Is it kept unlocked and available, rather than requiring customers to embark upon a hunt for the member of staff holding the key?

Accessibility is about people

Businesses can spend considerable amounts of money installing accessible facilities, only to undermine that investment with something as simple as putting the hand dryer six inches too high.

Good accessibility shouldn't be regarded as an inconvenience or a box-ticking exercise. It means considering how real people with different levels of mobility, strength, reach and dexterity will actually use your premises.

So here's a worthwhile challenge for every café, pub, restaurant, shop, office, hotel and visitor attraction:

Go and inspect your disabled toilet today.

Not while standing up and assuming everything looks fine.

Look at it from the position of the people it is actually intended to serve.

You might be surprised by what you discover.

That's Business believes good accessibility is good customer service, and often relatively small changes can make an enormous difference.

Why did I write this post? I visited a restaurant, checked the disabled facilities and thought: "No! This just will not do!"

Could Data Centres Help Heat Our Towns and Cities?

By Bryony Evans, Intermediate Environmental Consultant at chapmanbdsp

When we talk about data centres, we usually talk about electricity: how much they use and how demand for AI and cloud services is increasing the pressure on the grid. 

But there is another side to the story. Data centres also produce heat, much of which is released into the air.

Could that heat help warm nearby buildings?

That is the opportunity behind heat networks. These shared systems carry heat from a central source to buildings such as homes, hospitals, universities and offices. A data centre could supply some of that heat while continuing to provide the digital services on which businesses rely.

The idea is attracting greater attention as England develops heat network zoning. Under the Energy Act 2023, the government has powers to identify areas where networks are expected to offer a cost-effective, low-carbon way to heat buildings. 

It expects zoning regulations to go live later in 2026, with support for at least ten large towns and cities to establish zones soon afterwards.

For data centre developers, that could change an early planning question. Alongside access to power and suitable land, they may need to ask: who nearby could use the heat?

Making the connection is easier said than done. Heat is most useful when there is demand reasonably close to its source. The heat leaving a data centre may also need a heat pump to raise its temperature before a network can distribute it. Pipes cost money, and operators, network providers, councils and building owners need agreements that work over many years.

Timing matters too. A data centre might open well before neighbouring homes or commercial buildings are ready to receive heat. If each development is planned separately, the chance to connect them could disappear.

Heat zoning offers a way to spot those opportunities earlier. By mapping where demand is likely to grow, it can help developers and local authorities consider shared infrastructure while plans are still taking shape.

This will not make every data centre a practical heat supplier. Location, cost and future demand will determine whether an individual project works. But where the conditions are right, capturing heat could give a local community a useful benefit from the growth of digital infrastructure.

As the UK builds more data centres, their heat deserves a place in the conversation from the start.

Bryony Evans is an Intermediate Environmental Consultant at building services and environmental consultancy chapmanbdsp. 

https://www.chapmanbdsp.com

Years ago District Heating was held up as a model method of using industrial waste heat to provide heating for neighbouring homes. Let's hope data centres can re-activate this idea.

Are Your Employees Holding Back Their Best Ideas?

Over four in ten UK adults say their experiences at work have led them to contribute less than they are capable of. 

That is the finding behind this year’s Psychological Safety Week, which runs from 21 to 25 September. The organisers have a name for the problem: Talent Hushing.

Business psychologists Pearn Kandola use the term to describe what happens when organisations fail to hear, recognise or make full use of people’s ideas and abilities. 

It can be as simple as an employee deciding that a suggestion will be dismissed, or that raising a concern will make their working life harder.

According to Pearn Kandola, 43% of UK adults in its July research said they contribute less than they could because of their experiences at work. That figure should make employers pause. 

It does not tell us exactly how much productivity is lost, but it does suggest many organisations may be missing useful contributions from people already on their payroll.

Think of the colleague who spots a flaw in a plan but stays quiet during the meeting. Or the person with an idea for improving customer service who has learnt that suggestions go nowhere. Sometimes the cost of silence is a missed opportunity; sometimes it is a problem that grows because nobody felt able to flag it early.

Professor Binna Kandola OBE, Pearn Kandola’s co-founder, warns that employees may hold back when they believe their ideas will not be heard or that staying quiet is safer. 

He suggests the scale of the finding could make Talent Hushing a national productivity issue.

For managers, the first step is to look at what happens after someone speaks up. Are questions welcomed? Are concerns taken seriously? When a suggestion cannot be adopted, does anyone explain why? Inviting feedback means little if staff repeatedly see it ignored.

Psychological Safety Week is offering free online sessions and resources on leadership, trust and the conditions that help people contribute. This year’s headline sponsor is Personnel Today. The remaining live sessions include discussions of whose ideas get heard and how teams handle disagreement.

Employers and individuals can register for free through the Psychological Safety Week website. It could be a useful prompt to ask a deceptively simple question: whose ideas are we currently missing?

https://www.psychologicalsafetyweek.com

Are Your Premises Still Too Loud?

We’ve raised the issue before on That’s Business: why do so many shops, shopping centres, pubs, cafés and restaurants insist on being so loud?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be going away.

Background music can help create an atmosphere. In the right circumstances it can make a shop feel welcoming or give a restaurant or bar some character. 

But there is a considerable difference between pleasant background music and noise which forces customers to raise their voices simply to hold a conversation.

And music isn't the only culprit.

Hard floors, bare walls, exposed ceilings and large expanses of glass may look fashionable, but they can create highly reverberant spaces where conversations, clattering crockery, coffee machines and other everyday noises combine into an exhausting wall of sound.

As we’ve mentioned in our previous posts about noisy retail premises, shopping centres and eating places, this isn't merely about personal preference.

For people with hearing difficulties, tinnitus, sensory sensitivities or certain disabilities, excessively noisy premises can be particularly difficult. Older customers may also struggle to distinguish conversation from background noise.

On a personal note, I use hearing aids, and I know first-hand that they don't necessarily solve the problem. 

In some very noisy environments they can actually make matters worse. Instead of simply making the person I'm talking to easier to hear, they can also pick up and amplify background conversations, music, clattering plates and other surrounding sounds. The result can be a confusing jumble of noise in which following a conversation becomes extremely difficult.

That's worth remembering when businesses assume that customers with hearing loss can simply turn up their hearing aids and carry on as normal. Modern hearing aids can be remarkably sophisticated, but they cannot always compensate for a badly designed or unnecessarily noisy environment.

There is a business issue here, too.

If customers cannot comfortably talk to each other, hear staff or concentrate on what they are buying, how long will they want to remain on the premises?

A restaurant might spend thousands of pounds creating a beautiful interior and developing an excellent menu, only to undermine the experience with excessive noise. 

A retailer may carefully train staff to provide good customer service, yet customers can't properly hear what those staff are saying.

And what about employees?

Customers can leave. Staff may have to endure the same noisy environment for an eight-hour shift. Businesses therefore need to think about noise as both a customer-experience and workplace issue.

The good news is that reducing noise doesn't necessarily mean turning somewhere into a library.

Businesses could start by actually measuring sound levels at different times of day rather than relying on impressions. Managers should also experience the premises from a customer's perspective: sit at a table, walk around the shop or try having an ordinary conversation. You could even look at hiring a specialist noise consultation who is a member of the UK Association of Noise Consultants     https://www.association-of-noise-consultants.co.uk

Simple changes can help. Turn background music down. Introduce sound-absorbing materials where appropriate. Consider acoustic panels, soft furnishings and better positioning of speakers and noisy equipment. Most importantly, ask customers and staff what they think.

There is nothing wrong with a lively atmosphere.

But when lively becomes uncomfortably loud, businesses risk driving away the very people they are trying to attract.

Perhaps it's time to ask a very simple question:

Are your premises still too loud?

Could Smarter Employee Benefits Help Businesses Retain Their Best People?

With employers continuing to face rising costs, a Hampshire accountancy and business advice firm is urging businesses to consider tax-efficient rewards and benefits as a way of retaining valued employees.

HWB Chartered Accountants says organisations should look beyond simply increasing salaries and examine the wider range of incentives available.

The advice coincided with National Payroll Week, running from 7–11 September, and comes as employers prepare for the Chancellor’s Budget on 28 October and any further impact it may have on business costs.

Gary Brown, director at HWB (PICTURED) told That's Business that competitive salaries remain essential for recruitment and retention. However, businesses may be able to use their existing reward budgets more creatively to improve staff engagement and loyalty.

“For many businesses, the challenge is not simply attracting people but keeping the good people they already have,” he said.

“At a time when employers are facing significant cost pressures, increasing salaries across the board is not always the only, or most sustainable, answer.”

Options can include tax-advantaged employee share schemes, subject to eligibility requirements. These include Enterprise Management Incentives, Save As You Earn schemes, Company Share Option Plans and Share Incentive Plans.

Businesses may also use “trivial benefits” to provide small gestures of appreciation without creating an Income Tax or National Insurance liability, provided all relevant conditions are met.

Generally, a trivial benefit must cost no more than £50, cannot be cash or a cash voucher, must not form part of an employee’s contract and cannot be given as a reward for particular work or performance.

Long-service awards offer another opportunity to recognise loyalty. Qualifying non-cash awards may be exempt from tax where an employee has completed at least 20 years’ service and has not received a similar award during the previous ten years.

Other possibilities include employee suggestion schemes, recognition awards, staff social events, additional training, career development opportunities and flexible working arrangements.

However, businesses should avoid introducing benefits simply because they appear attractive. Employers need to understand what their employees genuinely value, what the business can afford and how each benefit will be treated for tax purposes. Professional advice may be appropriate before introducing a new scheme.

National Payroll Week is organised by the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals. It recognises the contribution made by payroll professionals who ensure millions of UK employees are paid correctly and on time.

HWB is based at Chandler’s Ford, near Southampton, and provides business and tax advice. Further information about its payroll services can be found at www.hwb-accountants.com.

From Royal Mail to ‘Royal Fail’: What Has Gone Wrong With Britain’s Postal Service?

There was a time when Royal Mail was regarded as one of those dependable British institutions. 

Post a First Class letter and there was a very good chance it would arrive the following morning.

Today, disgruntled customers increasingly refer to the service as “Royal Fail.” 

It is an unflattering nickname, but the official figures suggest that the dissatisfaction behind it cannot simply be dismissed as grumbling.

According to Ofcom, during 2025/26 Royal Mail delivered just 75.7% of First Class mail within one working day, against the then target of 93%. Second Class achieved 90.2% within three working days, against a target of 98.5%.

Even more strikingly, Royal Mail failed to achieve its local First Class target in any of the 118 postcode areas measured during 2025/26. It also completed only 77.4% of daily delivery routes against a 99.9% target.

There are some areas were mail deliveries have fallen from six days out of seven to once a week, or even worse.

Some areas report mail delivery staff repeatedly delivering mail to the wrong address which then has to be re-delivered to the correct addresses by residents.

So what has gone wrong?

Part of the problem is that Royal Mail is trying to operate a network designed for a very different age.

Twenty years ago it was handling around 20 billion letters annually. By 2025 that had fallen to approximately 6.5 billion. Yet Royal Mail still has to maintain a nationwide delivery network serving millions of addresses.

That creates a difficult economic equation: fewer letters travelling through a network that still has to reach virtually every home and business in Britain.

But declining letter volumes cannot excuse persistent poor performance. Ofcom fined Royal Mail £21 million in October 2025 for missing its 2024/25 targets, following fines of £10.5 million for 2023/24 and £5.6 million for 2022/23.

There is also the question of priorities. Parcels have become increasingly important commercially as online shopping has expanded. Ofcom's current investigation into Royal Mail's 2025/26 performance specifically says it will consider the issue of parcel prioritisation.

For businesses, meanwhile, unreliable letters aren't merely inconvenient. Late invoices, contracts, replacement bank cards, legal documents and appointment letters can have genuine consequences.

Are lower standards the answer?

Ofcom has now changed the Universal Service requirements. From April 2026, the First Class target became 90% delivered the next working day and the Second Class target 95% within three working days. Second Class letters can also move to alternate-weekday delivery.

Importantly, new safeguards require 99% of First Class letters to arrive within three working days and 99% of Second Class letters within five.

There is a danger, however, that continually changing targets can look suspiciously like redefining success rather than improving the service.

How can Royal Mail be fixed?

First, Royal Mail needs sufficient frontline staff and realistic workloads so that completing delivery rounds becomes the norm rather than the exception.

Secondly, modernisation is unavoidable. Sorting, route planning, tracking and automation should be used to make postal workers more productive rather than simply cutting costs.

Thirdly, regulation needs teeth. Repeated fines clearly haven't yet produced consistently acceptable performance. Indeed, Parliament's Business and Trade Committee concluded in May 2026 that Ofcom had failed to drive improvements quickly enough.

There are signs that change may finally be coming. Royal Mail has committed to investing £500 million over five years as part of its improvement programme, while the new delivery model is expected to be rolled out by Christmas 2026.

But ultimately the test is remarkably simple.

Customers buy a First Class stamp because they expect First Class service. Businesses use Royal Mail because they expect their post to arrive reliably. People should not have to wonder whether an important letter will take one day, three days or considerably longer.

Royal Mail doesn't need another slogan or corporate reorganisation nearly as much as it needs to rediscover something much simpler: reliability.

If that happens, perhaps the “Royal Fail” nickname will eventually disappear.

Until then, unfortunately, Royal Mail has given its critics plenty of ammunition.

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Multi-network SIM technology supports sensitive remote surveillance by private eyes and others

The Covert Group is using KeySIM’s multi-network Internet of Things (IoT) SIM cards to provide reliable connectivity for remotely operated CCTV cameras and surveillance applications during sensitive security deployments.

The company designs and manufactures its own covert cameras, apps and supporting technology for professional investigators, surveillance teams, law enforcement organisations and councils. 

Its equipment can be deployed for both short-term and long-term operations in urban, rural and remote locations.

The Covert Group has worked with KeySIM for four years, and its connected equipment is now used by hundreds of private investigators.

Reliable connectivity is vital during surveillance work. Authorised users must be able to access footage, manage cameras and respond to changing operational requirements without visiting the deployment site.

However, covert cameras are often installed in places where fixed broadband or Wi-Fi is unavailable. Mobile coverage can also vary significantly, making a SIM card tied to a single mobile network unsuitable for many operations.

The Covert Group selected KeySIM’s unsteered multi-network IoT SIM, which can connect through Vodafone, O2, EE and Three in the UK, as well as participating networks overseas. This gives deployed equipment a better opportunity to establish and maintain a mobile connection, even when the strongest network cannot be identified beforehand.

KeySIM’s cards are installed in Teltonika routers connected to The Covert Group’s cameras and applications. Authorised investigators can use the KeySIM VPN and the SIM’s private IP address to access and control the router and associated equipment remotely.

Teltonika routers can also receive SMS commands, providing an alternative way to control or reconfigure equipment if the normal data connection becomes unavailable.

Another important consideration is the possibility that covert equipment may be lost, damaged or discovered during a deployment. KeySIM operates without a minimum contract, enabling The Covert Group to cancel a subscription immediately if a camera or router cannot be recovered.

Vernon Griffiths, founder of The Covert Group, said connectivity was a critical part of the company’s complete surveillance system.

“If equipment loses its connection at the wrong moment, vital footage can be lost or become inaccessible, which can have serious consequences for an investigation,” he explained to That's Business.

Graham Robinson, Managing Director of KeySIM, said the combination of multi-network access, secure VPN connectivity, private IP addresses and SMS control gives investigators several ways to communicate with deployed equipment.

For The Covert Group, bringing together purpose-built cameras, supporting applications and flexible connectivity provides surveillance professionals with a practical system designed for the unpredictable conditions encountered during real-world investigations.

https://www.keysim.co.uk

Rural Broadband Adopts KeySIM for Flexible Countryside Connectivity

Rural Broadband founder and Managing Director Richard Dix is using KeySIM’s multi-network Internet of Things (IoT) SIM cards to provide temporary and ad hoc internet connectivity in rural locations.

Dix has over 40 years of experience in computing and communications technology. His interest began when he acquired a Sinclair ZX80 in 1980, at the dawn of the home computer revolution. 

He became a Mac user in 1989 and subsequently developed extensive expertise in computer support, mobile broadband, fixed connectivity, event Wi-Fi and broadcasting.

In 2000, Dix established Rural Broadband from his former family farm in Heacham, West Norfolk. This rural background gave him first-hand knowledge of the connectivity difficulties facing homes, farms and businesses situated beyond the reach of dependable fixed-line services.

Today, Rural Broadband specialises in delivering internet access in places where conventional solutions are unavailable or unsuitable. Its services include mobile broadband, fibre-to-the-cabinet solutions and temporary Wi-Fi for businesses and events, including festivals and county shows held in fields and other challenging locations.

Dix is also a director of West Norfolk community broadcaster KL1 Radio and is involved with local information platform Town and Around.

KeySIM provides Rural Broadband with another flexible tool for temporary installations. A single SIM can connect to Vodafone, O2, EE or Three, removing the need to carry and swap several network-specific SIM cards.

Through KeySIM’s Network Steerer, the SIM can also be remotely directed towards a selected mobile network. Its pay-per-megabyte pricing model is particularly suitable for temporary internet services, occasional assignments and equipment that only connects intermittently.

“For temporary internet access, events and ad hoc work, KeySIM is a great option,” Dix told That's Business.

“We can arrive with one SIM that has access to Vodafone, O2, EE and Three instead of trying to predict which network will work best.

“That flexibility is particularly valuable in the countryside, where coverage can change considerably from one location to another.”

Graham Robinson, founder of KeySIM, said Dix understood that there was no universal answer to rural connectivity.

“KeySIM gives him another practical tool, particularly for temporary installations and ad hoc work where access to all four major UK networks through one SIM can make a real difference,” he explained.

The collaboration brings together Dix’s technical experience and understanding of rural communities with KeySIM’s flexible approach to mobile connectivity, helping Rural Broadband respond more efficiently when reliable internet access is required at temporary, remote or unpredictable locations.

https://www.keysim.co.uk

https://ruralbroadband.co.uk

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Pressat and SWNS Partnership Opens Businesses to 65 Regional News Websites

Businesses seeking to raise their profile across the UK now have a new way to place their announcements before regional audiences, following a collaboration between press release distribution platform Pressat and news agency SWNS.

The partnership introduces an optional distribution circuit through which Pressat clients can have their press releases published on 65 regional news websites. 

Content will appear as a clearly identified branded feature for sharing company announcements.

For businesses, regional visibility can be valuable. A national campaign may generate broad awareness, but coverage tailored to particular towns, cities and regions can help a company reach customers, partners and stakeholders closer to the markets it serves. It may also benefit international organisations looking to build recognition and credibility among UK consumers.

SWNS was founded in the 1970s and has supplied breaking news, features, photographs and other multimedia material to publishers for around 50 years. Its longstanding relationships with national and regional media organisations underpin the distribution option now available to Pressat users.

“The UK media market is highly competitive, and visibility in this region is crucial for any organisation looking to grow, whether they are based here already or international firms looking to reach UK consumers,” Alison Lancaster, CEO of Pressat told That's Business.

“This partnership with SWNS gives our clients a direct route into some of the most trusted regional media outlets in the country.”

Martin Winter, managing director at SWNS,told us: “We have been supplying trusted news content to publishers for 50 years. By working with Pressat, we’re enabling brands and businesses to connect with readers through established, respected platforms.”

Pressat has operated since 2010 and has developed into one of the UK’s leading press release distribution services. 

The platform disseminates content and images, helping organisations reach journalists, publishers and audiences.

The new collaboration broadens that offer by allowing users to add regional online placement to their campaigns. As the resulting articles are branded features, businesses should regard them as a complement to traditional media outreach rather than a substitute for independently selected editorial coverage.

Nevertheless, for organisations that want greater reach, a stronger regional presence or more opportunities for their announcements to be discovered online, the partnership could provide a useful additional route to market.

The new SWNS distribution circuit is now live and available to Pressat users. Further information is available from Pressat https://pressat.co.uk

When Digital Becomes a Barrier: Why Vital Services Still Need a Human Alternative

Technology is supposed to make life easier. Quite often, it does.

Apps let us manage bank accounts without visiting a branch, or when we aren't near a branch. 

QR codes can take us instantly to menus, information and payment pages. 

Online portals allow appointments to be booked at any hour, while automated chatbots can deal with straightforward enquiries without leaving people sitting in a telephone queue for hour after hour. Taxis can be booked in seconds.

But there is an increasingly important question we need to ask: what happens to people who simply cannot cope with all this technology?

There is a danger that, in the understandable rush towards digital services, organisations are confusing digital convenience with universal accessibility.

They aren't the same thing.

Not Everyone Can Simply "Go Online"

We've probably all encountered instructions such as:

"Scan the QR code."

"Download our app."

"Use our online portal."

"Speak to our virtual assistant."

For somebody comfortable with smartphones and computers, that's usually straightforward.

For others, it can represent an almost impenetrable barrier.

Some people suffer from technophobia, a genuine fear or severe anxiety surrounding the use of technology. 

Others may have learning difficulties, cognitive impairments, poor eyesight, problems with manual dexterity or conditions affecting memory and concentration.

There are also people who simply haven't developed the digital skills many organisations now assume everyone possesses.

Age can sometimes be a factor, but we should be careful about assuming this is exclusively an issue affecting older people. 

There are younger people who struggle with technology too, just as there are people in their 80s and 90s who happily use smartphones, tablets and computers.

Poverty matters as well.

"Use our app" assumes somebody owns a compatible smartphone, has sufficient storage space to install another application and can afford a reliable mobile data connection.

"Visit our website" assumes internet access.

"Scan this QR code" assumes somebody knows what a QR code is and has a device capable of using it.

Those are considerable assumptions when access to healthcare, banking, utilities, transport, housing, government services or other essentials may be at stake.

Chatbots Aren't Always the Answer

Automated systems present another problem.

A well-designed chatbot can be useful for simple questions. But anyone who has spent ten frustrating minutes repeatedly explaining something to a bot only to receive irrelevant answers will understand their limitations.

Some areas of the UK be they heavily built up urban areas or rural areas simply do not have mobile digital access for a variety of reasons. 

Sometimes people need to speak to another person.

That's particularly important when somebody has an unusual problem which doesn't conveniently fit into the options anticipated by the software developer.

"Computer says no" was once a comedy catchphrase. Increasingly, it can feel uncomfortably close to reality.

Digital First Mustn't Mean Digital Only

None of this means we should abandon technological progress.

Far from it.

Apps, websites, QR codes, artificial intelligence and automated systems can make organisations more efficient and services dramatically more convenient. For millions of people, they are the preferred way of doing things.

The problem begins when the alternative disappears.

Organisations providing essential or important services should maintain reasonable non-digital options. That might mean a telephone number answered by a person, a staffed counter, paper documentation or simply an employee who can help somebody through the process.

And those alternatives shouldn't be deliberately made difficult to find in an attempt to force customers online.

There's an important principle here.

Good technology gives people more ways of accessing a service. Bad implementation uses technology to take choices away.

Digital transformation shouldn't mean leaving behind those who cannot transform with it.

Perhaps the real test of technological progress isn't how sophisticated our apps, bots and online systems become.

It's whether the services behind them remain accessible to everyone.

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Don’t Buy Blind: £1.99 Area Autopsy Report Checks What’s Beyond the Front Door

When buying a home, it’s normal to spend considerable time and money checking the property itself. 

Surveys are commissioned, mortgages arranged and searches carried out. 

But how much investigation goes into the neighbourhood you’ll actually be living in?

UK property-tech start-up Area Autopsy believes checking the area should become just as routine as checking the house.

Its new online service costs just £1.99 per report and carries out 47 graded checks on a UK location, helping homebuyers and renters discover more about an area before making a potentially very expensive commitment.

The checks cover subjects including crime, schools, transport, housing, local amenities, the environment, demographics, parking, accessibility, noise and other factors that could influence someone’s decision to move there.

As Area Autopsy co-founder Zaradan Rumbelow points out, there’s an important distinction between a property and its surroundings.

“You can change the kitchen, decorate the bedrooms and replace the bathroom. You can’t move the road, the railway or the neighbourhood.

“We want checking the area to become as normal as checking the house.”

Importantly, Area Autopsy isn’t attempting to label neighbourhoods as simply “good” or “bad.” What makes an ideal location is highly personal. Excellent transport connections and a bustling town centre might appeal enormously to one buyer, while another might prioritise peace, quiet and fewer people.

Instead, the reports are designed to highlight information users may wish to investigate further.

There could also be benefits for the rental sector. Giving prospective tenants more information about an area before they sign up could help them decide whether a location genuinely suits their lifestyle. 

For landlords and letting agents, tenants who have researched an area before moving could potentially mean fewer avoidable early departures.

“We’re not trying to make the decision for people,” explains Rumbelow to That's Business.  “We’re trying to give them more information before they make it.”

With no subscription required, the £1.99 price is deliberately low. Area Autopsy hopes this will encourage buyers and renters to make an “area check” another standard part of moving home.

The service is also working with property professionals interested in offering the reports to their clients.

Considering someone might be preparing to spend £200,000, £300,000 or considerably more on a home, £1.99 to learn a little more about what surrounds it could be money well spent.

Area Autopsy’s message sums up the concept neatly: “Don’t buy blind.”

https://www.areaautopsy.co.uk

Freelancer Financials celebrates milestone of 1,000 five-star Google reviews

Specialist mortgage broker Freelancer Financials is celebrating a significant milestone after receiving its 1,000th five-star Google review.

Part of Mortgage Quest Limited, Freelancer Financials has spent more than 20 years helping contractors, company directors and self-employed people secure mortgages, particularly those whose income arrangements may not fit comfortably within the traditional criteria used by high street lenders.

The achievement reflects a reputation built not simply on finding mortgage products, but on understanding the often complicated circumstances of people working outside conventional salaried employment.

John Yerou, Managing Director of Mortgage Quest Ltd, told That's Business: “I'm delighted to hit this significant landmark of positive feedback from clients. We find the right mortgage for each client's specific individual circumstances, and everyone is different.

“The reviews show that our brokers use their expertise to make our clients' property aspirations a reality, and I love seeing how much that is valued.”

Head of Mortgage Sales George Yerou added that buying a home can be particularly stressful when a borrower's income does not fit the standard high street model.

“We’re incredibly proud to have reached one thousand five-star reviews,” he told us. “This milestone cements the fact that we excel in helping contractors and the self-employed buy their dream home, while offering consistently excellent customer service.”

Complex cases need individual attention

Looking through the company's reviews reveals recurring praise for clear communication, patience and brokers willing to understand unusual or complicated financial circumstances.

One client approached Freelancer Financials after three other brokers had declined to help because she was contracting abroad and did not yet have a first year's accounts. Broker Archie Hogg subsequently helped the couple secure a mortgage and, when market conditions changed, found an improved deal reportedly saving them more than £200 a month.

Other reviewers describe brokers persevering with difficult property chains, challenging circumstances and lengthy applications, while keeping clients informed throughout the process.

That specialist knowledge is underpinned by Freelancer Financials' long involvement in contractor mortgages. The business pioneered “contract based underwriting”, where a contractor's day rate can be used to establish affordability rather than relying solely on conventional payslips, accounts or tax documentation.

The company says it has now worked with more than 40,000 contractor clients.

Freelancer Financials is also a multi-award-winning, independent family business directly authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.

However, perhaps the most telling measure of its success is considerably simpler: 1,000 customers have now taken the time to award it five stars.

For a business operating in an industry where trust, communication and expertise really matter, that's a milestone worth celebrating.

https://mortgagequest.co.uk

How to Promote Your Town, Village or City District

Every town, village and city district has a story to tell. 

It might be known for its independent shops, historic buildings, beautiful countryside, lively markets or simply its strong sense of community. 

The difficulty is making sure people beyond the immediate area hear that story.

Promoting a place does not necessarily require a huge advertising budget. It requires local businesses, community groups, residents and public bodies to work together and present a clear, attractive identity.

Decide What Makes the Place Special

The first step is to identify what makes your area different. Avoid vague claims such as “a great place to visit.” Instead, focus on something tangible.

Does the area have an unusually good selection of independent retailers? Is there a historic market, attractive canal, famous local product or thriving food scene? Perhaps it is an excellent base for walkers, cyclists or families looking for an affordable day out.

A distinctive identity helps people understand why they should visit.

Build a Recognisable Local Brand

A simple name, logo and visual style can give promotional activity a consistent appearance. This does not mean replacing the town’s existing identity. It means creating a recognisable banner under which businesses and organisations can work together.

The branding can be used on posters, websites, shop windows, social media posts, event programmes and reusable shopping bags. Local businesses could also display stickers showing that they are part of the campaign.

Make Better Use of Social Media

Social media offers one of the least expensive ways to promote an area, but accounts must be active and interesting.

Rather than continually posting advertisements, share photographs of attractive streets, introduce local business owners and publicise forthcoming events. Short videos showing markets, cafés, parks and unusual local landmarks can perform particularly well.

Encourage residents and visitors to share their own photographs using a consistent hashtag. Always obtain permission before reusing somebody else’s images.

Give People a Reason to Visit

Regular events keep an area in the public eye. These could include food festivals, Christmas markets, heritage weekends, book fairs, live music, art trails or late-night shopping evenings.

Smaller activities can be effective too. A scarecrow trail, shop-window competition or local history walk may attract families without costing a fortune.

Businesses should plan together so that cafés, pubs, shops and attractions are open when visitors arrive. Nothing damages a promotional campaign more quickly than inviting people into an area only for them to find locked doors and outdated opening times.

Work Together

Individual businesses can promote themselves, but a coordinated campaign will usually reach a much larger audience.

Traders’ associations, parish councils, Business Improvement Districts, tourism groups and community organisations can share costs and expertise. A café might provide refreshments for an event, a printer could produce programmes and a photographer could supply images.

Local schools, churches, sports clubs and voluntary groups can also help spread the word.

Make Information Easy to Find

Every campaign needs a reliable online home containing current information about parking, public transport, accessibility, toilets, attractions, accommodation and opening hours.

A visitor should not have to search several outdated websites to plan a simple day out. Google Business Profiles should also be checked regularly because inaccurate opening times can cost businesses customers.

Clear street signs, maps and information boards remain important. Not everybody wants to download an app simply to find the town centre.

Tell Stories, Not Just Statistics

People connect with stories. Introduce the baker whose family has worked in the village for generations, the entrepreneur restoring an empty shop or the volunteers protecting a local landmark.

Send these stories to newspapers, magazines, bloggers, radio stations and regional television programmes. Good photographs and accurate contact details make it much easier for journalists to use the material.

Look After the Basics

Promotion can attract visitors, but their experience determines whether they return. Clean streets, welcoming businesses, tidy shopfronts, accessible pavements and well-maintained public spaces are all part of marketing a place.

The most successful destination campaigns are not built around slogans alone. They grow from local pride, cooperation and a genuine determination to give visitors a good experience.

Promote what is distinctive, make information easy to find and give people something worth talking about. A place’s greatest ambassadors will always be the people who live and work there.

I have worked as a member of a team that helped promote a small market town. The town hosts walking festivals, a short story competition and an arts festival, but all, successfully, operated on a tightly controlled budget.

How AI Could Help Governments Listen More Effectively to Citizens

Artificial intelligence could make public consultations more accessible, efficient and inclusive, according to a new Policy Brief from the Bertelsmann Stiftung.

Produced in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Citizen Participation examines 50 case studies from 22 countries.

The research shows how governments and civil society organisations are already employing AI to analyse public feedback, moderate discussions, answer questions and help more people take part in democratic processes.

One of AI’s most valuable abilities is making sense of large quantities of information. Public consultations can attract thousands of comments, suggestions and personal accounts, creating a considerable administrative task. AI systems can organise these contributions, recognise recurring themes and produce summaries for human officials to examine.

This could allow public bodies to understand people’s opinions more quickly without overlooking contributions simply because too much information has been submitted.

The study identifies nine principal uses for AI in citizen participation: sense-making, information development, translation, transcription, virtual assistance, facilitation, moderation, simulation and participation architecture.

Sense-making, automated translation and virtual assistance are currently among the most widespread. Translation and transcription can remove some of the barriers preventing people from participating, while chatbots can help residents locate information and discover how to contribute to consultations.

There are already encouraging examples. In Cambridge, an AI tool was used in 2024 to help analyse qualitative responses to a public consultation. It reportedly reduced the time required by approximately 50 per cent.

In Finland, the innovation agency Sitra used the AI-powered Polis platform during its “What do you think, Finland?” consultation. More than 18,000 people took part.

For governments, and for businesses supplying technology to the public sector—the potential opportunities are considerable. AI could enable participation exercises to reach larger audiences without producing an unmanageable administrative burden.

However, the report also highlights some serious risks.

Biased training data could distort the interpretation of public opinion, while systems that cannot explain how they reached their conclusions may undermine confidence in the process. People without reliable internet access or adequate digital skills could also find themselves excluded.

Public bodies may lack the specialist knowledge needed to evaluate AI systems properly. There is also the danger of becoming dependent on proprietary platforms controlled by individual technology suppliers.

The Policy Brief recommends action in three broad areas: guardrails, enablers and public engagement. Governments should establish clear rules for the use of AI, develop internal expertise and involve citizens in the design and supervision of participation systems.

The central message is that AI should support democratic judgement, not replace it. Technology may be able to sort thousands of comments or translate contributions almost instantly, but decisions must remain accountable to people.

Used carefully, AI could help governments listen to more voices and respond more effectively. Used without sufficient transparency or oversight, it could damage the very trust that citizen participation is intended to build.

The Policy Brief, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Citizen Participation, can be downloaded from the Bertelsmann Stiftung website, here:- https://www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/en/publications/publication/did/artificial-intelligence-and-the-future-of-citizen-participation

What’s in a Name? The Pros and Cons of Giving Your Business a Memorable Moniker

Choosing a business name can be surprisingly difficult. Do you play it safe with something solid and professional, or choose something clever, amusing or downright quirky that people are unlikely to forget?

There are plenty of businesses that have taken the second route. 

A good example is estate agency EweMove, a name that immediately suggests both property and moving while throwing a sheep-related pun into the mix. 

Whether you groan or smile, you've probably remembered it... and that's rather the point.

For a new business, memorability is one of the biggest advantages of an unusual name. If somebody sees ten estate agents advertised and nine have conventional names while the tenth is called EweMove, which one are they most likely to remember later?

An entertaining name can also give a business an instant personality. It suggests that there are human beings behind the company rather than an anonymous corporate machine. That can be particularly useful for independent businesses competing against much larger organisations with substantially bigger advertising budgets.

There's also considerable marketing potential. Clever names can make good vehicle graphics, shop signs and social media content. People might even photograph a particularly funny business name and share it online, providing valuable publicity that didn't cost the company anything.

But there are drawbacks.

A joke that seems hilarious when you launch the company might feel rather tired after you've explained it for the 10,000th time. Humour also varies enormously between people, generations and cultures. What sounds witty to one person can sound childish, confusing or even inappropriate to somebody else.

There's also the question of credibility. Calling a café, brewery or pet-grooming business something amusing may work beautifully. Customers might be less enthusiastic about handing their life savings to an investment company whose name sounds like a punchline.

And before falling in love with your brilliant new name, there are practical matters to consider. Is the company name available? Can you secure a suitable website domain and social media accounts? Could it be confused with an existing brand or potentially infringe somebody else's trade mark?

Most importantly, does the name still work when the business grows?

A wonderfully specific name could become restrictive if you later expand into different products, services or territories.

Perhaps the best business names manage to combine personality with practicality. They are distinctive enough to be remembered, simple enough to spell and search for, and flexible enough to survive as the company develops.

After all, being called something slightly unusual can be a tremendous business asset.

Provided, of course, that customers remember the name for the right reasons.

London Entrepreneur Charles Reay-Smith Opens Search for UK Business Acquisitions

London-based entrepreneur Charles Reay-Smith has launched a search for further UK business acquisitions, a year after purchasing ecommerce brand AlloyArmor.

Reay-Smith, who founded and runs specialist HMO management company Reay Smith Property, is reviewing opportunities across the ecommerce, services and light industrial sectors.

His focus is on profitable, owner-operated British businesses whose founders are ready to retire, step back from day-to-day management or pursue other interests. 

He is particularly interested in established companies that are already working well but could benefit from fresh investment and operational improvements.

Reay-Smith acquired AlloyArmor in July 2025 for an undisclosed sum. The direct-to-consumer brand produces designer protective cases for Apple products, including iPhones and AirPods.

Its range, available through alloyarmor.store, includes the Invisa Case, the Hercules Case and The Serpent. AlloyArmor works with manufacturers and independent artists to develop its products, ships to customers worldwide and offers a 60-day returns window.

Reflecting on his first year as the owner of the brand, Reay-Smith said the experience had given him a realistic understanding of what business acquisition involves.

“AlloyArmor taught me what the first year of ownership actually looks like, which is mostly unglamorous work on the operation behind the product,” he explained to That's Business.

“That year is the reason I’m confident taking on the next one. I’d rather buy something that already works and fix the parts nobody has had time to fix than start from nothing.”

Alongside AlloyArmor, Reay-Smith continues to operate Reay Smith Property, which specialises in managing houses in multiple occupation across south and west London.

His long-term ambition is to build a portfolio of successful small UK companies. Rather than buying businesses to sell them again quickly, he intends to retain and operate them over the longer term.

This approach could provide a valuable succession option for founders who have spent years building viable businesses but do not have a family member, employee or management team ready to take over.

“There are a lot of good businesses whose owners want out and have no obvious successor,” Reay-Smith added. “Those are the ones I’m interested in. I’m not looking for a turnaround and I’m not looking to strip anything back.”

Business owners considering their next move, together with brokers and other intermediaries representing suitable UK companies, are invited to make contact with Reay-Smith to discuss potential acquisition opportunities.

https://reaysmithproperty.co.uk

https://alloyarmor.store

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The Website From Hell: Is Your Online Shop Driving Customers Away?

There are few things more frustrating for a customer than knowing exactly what they want to buy, having their debit or credit card ready, and discovering that the company apparently doesn't want to take their money.

My wife and I recently experienced what I can only describe as the website from hell.

We needed a replacement part for a piece of domestic equipment. Generic versions were readily available online, and we could probably have ordered one within minutes.

But we decided to do the sensible thing. We'd go directly to the internationally recognised manufacturer, buy the genuine replacement part and have the reassurance that we were getting exactly the right item.

How difficult could that possibly be?

The answer was: over an hour of astonishingly unnecessary difficulty.

Welcome Back to the 1990s

The manufacturer's official retail website looked and behaved as though it had been designed during the early days of the World Wide Web and subsequently forgotten about.

Finding the correct replacement part became an exercise in detective work.

There were no obvious part numbers to help identify what we needed. Even more remarkably, many of the replacement parts didn't have photographs.

This is 2026. Almost every member of staff presumably has a perfectly serviceable camera in their pocket in the form of a smartphone. Surely somebody could spend an afternoon photographing the spare parts?

Instead, customers are apparently expected to look at vague descriptions and hope for the best.

Was this the part we needed?

Possibly.

Did it look like the existing part?

Who knows? There wasn't a photograph.

And Then the Website Threw Me Out

As frustrating as identifying the part was, things became considerably worse.

The website repeatedly threw me out of the search process, forcing me to go back and begin again.

And again.

And again.

I estimate that I had to restart my search at least ten times.

At this point, buying the generic replacement elsewhere was beginning to look extremely attractive. But stubbornness had taken over. I was determined to discover whether it was actually possible to give this company my money.

Eventually, somehow, I reached the checkout.

Surely the nightmare was nearly over?

Not quite.

Apparently I Don't Live at My Own Address

The checkout system decided that I didn't live at my address.

I do.

I've lived there for quite some time.

Nevertheless, the website and I had a fundamental disagreement about the matter.

Then it refused to recognise my telephone number as a valid telephone number.

So, after spending more than an hour trying to purchase a replacement part directly from the manufacturer, I found myself battling an online checkout seemingly determined to prevent the transaction from taking place.

I won't name the company. It is an internationally recognised brand and, frankly, I'll spare its blushes.

But the experience raises a serious business question.

CEOs: When Did You Last Try to Buy Something From Your Own Website?

If you're a managing director, CEO or senior executive of a company selling products online, here's a simple challenge.

Go onto your website as an ordinary customer and try to buy something.

Don't ask the IT department whether the website works.

Don't rely solely on conversion statistics, reports or dashboards.

Actually sit down and use it. Or better yet, get several friends and relatives do also do this.

Search for a product. Find the information you need. Add it to your basket. Enter your address and telephone number. Get all the way to the point where a genuine customer would pay.

You might be surprised by what you discover.

Every unnecessary click, broken search, missing photograph, incomprehensible product description and rejected address is another opportunity for a customer to say: "Forget it."

And unlike us, many of them will.

They'll open another browser tab, visit a competitor and spend their money there.

Your Homegrown System Isn't Sacred

There's sometimes a temptation for businesses to persist with ageing, homegrown e-commerce systems because they've invested years developing them.

But that investment doesn't make a bad customer experience good.

If your online retail operation has evolved into a Byzantine nightmare that only your own staff understand, perhaps it's time to ask whether you really need to keep reinventing the wheel.

Platforms such as Shopify and other established e-commerce providers exist precisely because creating reliable product catalogues, searches, baskets, checkouts and payment systems is difficult.

That doesn't necessarily mean every business should immediately abandon its bespoke platform. It does mean companies should be prepared to question whether their existing technology is actually serving their customers.

Because there's an important point here.

We wanted to buy the company's product.

The marketing had already worked. Brand recognition had worked. Customer loyalty had worked. We had deliberately rejected cheaper generic alternatives because we wanted the manufacturer's genuine replacement.

The company had effectively won the sale.

Then its website did everything it could to lose it.

That's not merely a website problem.

That's a business problem.

And before you ask, yes, writing this post was cathartic!