Forum Help and Frequently Asked Questions


  • Help - I've forgotten my password

    You can either select this reset password link or go to the log-in page and choose the lost password option under the email address box. If you don't receive a new password or have a problem, then either email us at info@mylocalservices.co.uk or use our contact form.

  • Is it free to join?

    Short answer yes! It is 100% free to join and use and there is absolutely no charge to be a forum member. If you have a free or full business listing with My Local Services, then you can display these details on your forum signature, but this is optional.

  • How do I join?

    If you don't have a business listing with My Local Services, then you need to select the join the forum button at the top of the page. You will have the option of joining the forums using your Facebook account if you have one, or by just adding an email address and password.

    If you have a business listing with My Local Services, then you can join using your normal log-in details, and log-in with your email and password. If you are unsure, then go to the log-in page and enter your email address as a new user. If you have already registered, our system will tell you and prompt you to reset your password.

    You can also choose to use your Facebook account if you wish, but rest assured we will never post anything on your behalf, or communicate with any of your contacts. It is just to give you a quick and convenient way to log-in to the forum.

  • I am a forum member, how do I log-in?

    If you look at the top right corner of any forum page, you will see a log-in tab. If you have forgotten your password, you can request a new one.

  • What on earth is a business forum?

    A forum is simply a community of people who share similar interests, in this case members are interested in business, marketing or are business owners. The forum is a self-help group where members can post topics of discussion, answer or ask questions, or simply share a bit of humour or banter that you take for granted working in a larger office, but can be missing when you work for yourself.

  • I've joined, now what do I do?

    Why not visit your profile, add any details, such as a forum signature, any social media links, and decide if you want any notification emails. You view and edit your profile by going to the top right of the page and visiting my profile.

    After that, if you look at the top of the page, you will see a tab for latest posts that will show you the most recent activity. Or select the forum home tab and have a look through the various forums to find a topic of interest and contribute, or feel free to start a new one.

    You can also search for any topics by selecting the search forumtab at the top of the screen.

  • How do I reply to a post or start a new one?

    When you get to a post any comments will be underneath. After the last comment will be a yellow post reply button. Once you select this button, a box will open with an editor. Simply type whatever you want to say in the box, and select the preview button to see how your post will look. If you are happy, close the preview and select the submit this post button.

    The editor has a lot of functionality, and depending how adventurous you are feeling, you can add bullet points, indent the text, and upload images. If you are not quite so adventurous, then why not select the smiley face, and this will give you a selection of faces you can use to set the mood of your post.

    Once you have submitted your post, you have 10 minutes to go back and edit it, just in case you have forgotten something or made a typo. After that, you will need to ask a moderator to edit it for you.

    To create a brand new post, topic or what we call a thread navigate to the relevant forum that you would like to start a discussion. You can use the forum home tab to see a list of the forum topics. Once you have found a relevant forum, you will see a yellow button at the top left of the forum page called new thread. Simply select this, and follow the same procedure as you would for creating a post.

    When you are happy, press submit, your new thread will be live, and other members will be able to leave comments.

  • How do I know if anyone has replied to my comments or posts?

    Any thread (ie topic of conversation) you have either started, or contributed to by adding a reply becomes a subscribed thread. If anyone else adds a comment after you, then this thread will display in your profile, allowing you to keep track of any conversations you are participating in. You can also choose to unsubscribe from any threads from your profile.

    You will also receive a single email a day which will contain any of your subscribed threads that have had new posts. You can switch this off by editing your profile and saying no to forum post notification.

  • How do you protect against abuse, profanity and spam?

    The forum has sophisticated anti-spam techniques incorporated into it and all content, including profiles and all posts are scanned by our built-in profanity filter. On top of that we have moderators who are keeping an eye out for spam that has slipped through the net, any abuse or member disputes.

    This is a professional and friendly forum, so we expect a certain level of common courtesy and maturity from members. Sometimes a message in text can be viewed out of context, which is why it helps to use smileys to convey a mood, especially if you are joking. As with all discussions, people have different opinions, and sometimes debates can get heated, but we will not tolerate any bullying, racist comments, abuse, trolling or spam.

    This is a public forum, so content is the responsibility of the individual poster, but any post that causes any concern can be reported. There is a red report post button on the top right hand side of every post. Selecting this option will immediately notify a moderator who will investigate. If the option says reported then someone has beaten you to it, and it is currently being investigated.

    Any member seen to be causing abuse, making racist comments, trolling or general spam will be deleted and banned. They may also have their details submitted to the Stop Forum Spam database, and if they have a business listing with us, this may also be removed. We take abuse very seriously and if you want to talk to us directly regarding any comments or have an issue with a member, then please contact us.

  • How do I contact a forum member or send a private message?

    We have a private messaging system on the forum, which is only to be used if you need to speak to a member for a particular reason, such as you are interested in their products or services or they have asked you to contact them. It is not to be used for unsolicited sales or marketing communication, and any abuse or complaints will be investigated.

    To send a member a private message, simply go to a member's profile which can be found by selecting a member's avatar or username. On desktop devices, hovering your mouse over a member's avatar will also display a profile summary, which will take you to their full profile when selected.

    Once in a member's profile, under the member's image or avatar you should see a send me a private message option. Select this and follow the onscreen prompts. Any member can choose to opt out of receiving private messages by editing their own profile and switching them off. This will mean the send me a private message option will disappear.

    The private message is simply a secure contact form that allows you to contact a member, and your message including your email address is emailed to the member so they can respond directly to you. If the member decides to reply to you, then you will have their email and contact details for future conversations.

  • The forum's not for me, how do I close my account?

    We are sad to see you go, but if your mind is made up, then contact us and tell us you would like your forum account removed. Make sure you tell us the email address you use for the forum.

  • More help, hints and tips

    We have a general help forum, so if you need any help, are a bit stuck or have a question, don't be shy! This is a friendly and professionally run community, and if you don't know the answer, then no question is too daft!