Alan - Profile

Alan
Forum titleGrowing Business
JoinedMay 2013
Posts15
Thanks9
Thanked11
Latest activity 2nd Sep 2013 3:16pm  


Recent Posts
Now at risk at inviting controversy, and please no racist slurs, but our local highstreet is following the trend of whitewashed windows, poundland shops, more charity shops etc.

Then today I had to head into the centre of Birmingham, so followed the usual route up the A34, taking me through Sparkhill and Sparkbrook, predominantly Asian areas, and the High Street looks no different than it did 5 or 10 years ago. The majority of shops are small independents, and the streets are jampacked with people and footfall. In otherwords business is booming.

So why is Sparkhill booming and Stratford is a ghost town? Why do Asian independent shops survive? Is it a culture thing? I know they are much more focused on family than white counterparts, and Asian friends talk about responsibility of helping out family members, and utilising skill sets within the family circle.

As the traditional UK highstreet is set to be transformed into housing, eateries and coffee houses, I wonder if there is something we can learn from Sparkhill and similar towns?

Yes, leave the car at home and shop locally, spend slightly more for fresh, healthy, quality food & ingredients that still taste like food used to (and stays fresh longer when stored in your cupboard) then cook tasty meals in old fashioned pots & pans, instead of driving to your local supermarket and buying cheap prepacked microwave rubbish that's been sourced from some dodgy unknown producers (or horse abattoir) before being frozen and shipped half way round the world.
One in five shops could close by 2018!

Well lets hope they're all Tesco's then.
Have some adverts had their day? 21st May 2013 6:43 PM
I hate the popups which invite you to "Visit our dodgy website" click "YES" or click "NO" close this window, You constantly click "NO" before trying the "X" at the top right hand corner, but the bloody thing refuses to close because the "YES" button is the only one that works.

I usually end up closing my browser and logging on again to get rid of the bloody thing.
Tesco - Every little didn't help! 17th May 2013 10:26 PM
Next you'll be saying large corporations can get away with paying less tax than they have to, and we all know that's not true.. perish the thought

Just sitting here placing my latest order with Amazon and nearly choked on my Frappuccino when I read that.
Copyright? 17th May 2013 8:02 PM
I have been looking into protection of copyright for logos and custom art work on the websites we design. I was under the impression that if you made it, it is yours and no-one else can use it.

As sjr4x4 stated copyright is automatically assigned to the creator of any artistic or literary work, you don't have to ask for it and you certainly don't have to pay for it!

This of course is all well and good but how do you find out if someone as stolen something?

If the logos are online it may be possible to conduct a search for duplicates and copies using either 'Google search' or 'Tineye'

It seems you have to pay to register for copyright (the little c), is it worth doing this?

Using the (c) symbol may look good but it isn't really necessary.
Tesco - Every little didn't help! 17th May 2013 10:44 AM
It's also possible that they failed over there because the American authorities refused to bend over backwards to accommodate their selfish demands for growth.

Unlike here in the UK where councils are allegedly persuaded to grant planning permission etc. with the promise of new community buildings and jobs etc.
Do you run a business from home? 17th May 2013 10:23 AM
You missed of Don't Get Done, Get Dom! lol

I also failed to mention 'The Jeremy Kyle Show' but then who's going to admit to missing that anyway.
This doesn't surprise me one bit. I was dealing with a new client only a few months ago. . . when I pointed out that whoever had set up this listing had entered the wrong address on the listing. Nobody had noticed this for over 3 years!

I have the same problem with a number of online directory listings I have, But it's because they still have my old address listed as I couldn't remember the login details I used for each directory, therefore couldn't edit my details.
It would probably be easier if 99.9% of the pretty much worthless web directories closed down instead.......

Well that would probably wipe out my online exposure campaign, and leave me listed in one proper directory.
Do you run a business from home? 17th May 2013 9:42 AM
I work from home, and have for the last 7 years or so. While I love the freedom of being able to work how and when I want, I am sometimes very easily distracted. Plus motivation can be a toughy when the tv is just a click away.

Yes I know exactly what you mean, The right stuff, Ripoff Britain, Bargain hunt, news at One. etc. etc. etc. the list is endless.

I wouldn't change it for the world though, I just couldn't imagine having to work for a 'boss' again in a 9 to 5 thumbsdown

I thought the OP was relating to the self employed working from home compared to having commercial premises to work from,

I think very few of us would choose to work for a boss again unless it was unavoidable.