Guides and insights
Guides for small businesses
Practical advice on websites, Google, sales and AI, written for small business owners.
Fractional CRO, Agency or First Sales Hire? What an Early-Stage SaaS Business Needs
Comparing a full-time head of sales, a fractional CRO, a RevOps agency and doing it yourself, with UK costs, for SaaS businesses between first customers and €2M ARR.
WebsitesWhat Should a Tradesperson's Website Include? A 12-Point Checklist
The 12 things every plumber, electrician, builder or roofer's website needs to turn local searches into phone calls and quote requests.
Get found on GoogleHow to Get Roofing Leads: Buy Them or Build Your Own?
Where roofers get their work, what bought leads really cost per job, and a 12-month plan to bring in your own roofing enquiries without paying for each one.
WebsitesHow Much Does Checkatrade Cost in 2026? Fees, Contract and Cancelling
Checkatrade's membership prices, the 12-month contract, the £250 vetting fee and how to cancel, with a simple way to work out if it pays for itself.
WebsitesCheckatrade vs MyBuilder: Which Is Better for Tradespeople?
Checkatrade charges a monthly membership on a 12-month contract. MyBuilder charges a fee each time you're shortlisted. How they compare on cost, leads and risk.
WebsitesCheckatrade Alternatives for UK Tradespeople: 8 Options Compared
The main alternatives to Checkatrade for UK trades, from MyBuilder and Bark to your own Google profile and website, and how each one charges you.
Get found on GoogleWhy Is My Business Not Showing on Google? 10 Common Reasons and Fixes
Can't find your business on Google or Google Maps? Ten common reasons small businesses don't show up, and what to do about each one.
SalesWhatsApp Business for Small Businesses: How to Set It Up and Use It Well
How UK small businesses and tradespeople can use the free WhatsApp Business app to answer enquiries faster, share quotes and photos, and win more work.
WebsitesWhat to Write on Your Home Page: A Simple Template for Small Businesses
Not sure what to put on your home page? A simple, section-by-section template for small businesses that helps visitors understand you and get in touch.
WebsitesWhat a Hair Salon or Beauty Salon Website Needs to Fill Your Diary
The pages and features a salon or barber website needs in 2026, from online booking and prices to Instagram and Google Maps, so more visitors book.
WebsitesWhat Must a UK Small Business Website Include by Law? A Plain-English Guide
The legal basics every UK small business website needs in 2026, from business details and a privacy notice to cookie consent, explained in plain English.
WebsitesShould You Show Prices on Your Website? Pros, Cons and How to Do It
Should a small business put prices on its website? The pros and cons, and simple ways to show prices even when every job is different.
Get found on GoogleArea Pages for Tradespeople: How to Rank in Every Town You Cover
How tradespeople can use service area pages to show up on Google in each town they cover, without copy-and-paste pages that Google ignores.
SalesMissed Calls Are Costing You Jobs: How to Catch Every One
Tradespeople and small shops miss calls every day. Simple ways to catch every enquiry, from missed-call text-back to voicemail scripts and AI answering.
Sales15 Low-Cost Marketing Ideas for Local Shops and High Street Businesses
Low-cost marketing ideas for independent shops, cafés, salons and high street businesses in the UK to bring in more customers and keep them coming back.
Get found on GoogleLocal SEO Checklist for Small Businesses in the UK (2026)
A simple local SEO checklist for UK small businesses. Twenty practical steps to show up on Google Maps and in local searches, in plain English.
AIHow Tradespeople Can Use ChatGPT: 10 Practical Ways to Save Time
Practical, everyday ways plumbers, electricians, builders and other trades can use ChatGPT and other AI tools to save time on quotes, emails, reviews and admin.
SalesHow to Write a Quote That Wins the Job
How tradespeople and small businesses can write clearer quotes that win more work without cutting prices. What to include, plus a simple template.
WebsitesIs Your Website Too Slow? How to Speed Up a Small Business Website
A slow website loses customers and can hold you back on Google. How to test your website's speed for free, what the scores mean and the fixes that help most.
Get found on GoogleHow to Show Up in "Near Me" Searches on Google
Why your business doesn't appear when people search "near me", and the practical steps that help local shops and tradespeople show up in Google's local results.
SalesHow to Get Your First 10 Customers: A Practical Guide for Start-ups
A practical guide for founders to winning the first ten customers for a start-up or small software business, from picking who to sell to through to the close.
Get found on GoogleHow to Get Your Small Business Recommended by ChatGPT and AI Search
More people now ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Google's AI answers for local recommendations. What small businesses can do in 2026 to be the one they suggest.
Get found on GoogleHow to Get More Google Reviews for Your Small Business
A practical guide to getting more Google reviews, with a direct review link, text templates you can copy, and what Google and UK law don't allow.
SalesHow to Follow Up a Quote Without Being Pushy (With Scripts)
Most quotes die in silence. A simple three-step follow-up plan for tradespeople and small businesses, with text, email and phone scripts you can copy.
WebsitesHow to Choose a Web Designer: 12 Questions to Ask Before You Pay
Choosing a web designer for your small business? Twelve questions to ask before you pay, plus the warning signs that a website project could go wrong.
Get found on GoogleGoogle AI Overviews: What They Mean for Small Businesses in 2026
Google now answers many searches with an AI summary at the top. What AI Overviews and AI Mode mean for small businesses, and how to keep getting enquiries.
SalesDo I Need a CRM? A Simple Guide for Small Businesses
What a CRM is, whether a small business or sole trader actually needs one, and the simplest way to start tracking enquiries, quotes and customers.
WebsitesCheckatrade vs Your Own Website: Which Gets Tradespeople More Work?
Lead sites like Checkatrade, MyBuilder, Rated People and Bark can bring in work, but they cost money every month. How they compare with your own website.
Websites9 Simple Ways to Turn Website Visitors Into Customers
Getting visitors but no calls? Nine simple, low-cost changes that help small business websites turn more visitors into enquiries and sales.
WebsitesDo I Need a Website If I Already Have Facebook or Instagram?
Why most small businesses still need their own website in 2026, even with active social media accounts, and what the website should include.
Get found on GoogleHow to Get Your Trade Business on Google Maps (Google Business Profile Guide)
A step-by-step guide for builders, plumbers, electricians and other tradespeople to set up and improve their Google Business Profile and get more local calls.
WebsitesHow Much Does a Small Business Website Cost in the UK in 2026?
A guide to UK small business website prices in 2026, from DIY builders to freelancers and agencies, plus the hidden costs to watch out for.
WebsitesWhy Bespoke Beats Off-the-Shelf for Growing Businesses
Template websites and off-the-shelf software are quick to start with, but they can hold a growing business back. This guide explains when custom-built makes more sense, and when it doesn't.
AIAI Applications for Business: What Actually Works in 2026
Where AI really saves small businesses time and money in 2026, where it doesn't, and how to get started without wasting your budget.
SalesWhy SaaS Companies Lose Customers and How to Stop It
Why subscription customers cancel, the warning signs to look for, and simple steps small SaaS and software businesses can take to keep more of them.
SalesHow to Build a Sales Process from Scratch
A simple, step-by-step guide to building a sales process for a small business or start-up, so you win more of the enquiries you already get.
SalesWhat is a Fractional CRO and Does Your Business Need One?
A fractional CRO is a part-time head of sales. This guide covers what they do, how the cost compares with a full-time hire, and how to tell if your business is ready for one.