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Now I have visions of you are trying not to fall out of the office chair as the van goes round a corner  

Have you seen what Facebook has just announced, Facebook shops.

All very brand new and only had a glimpse, but for someone like yourself Andy, could be beneficial rather than the hassle of maintaining your own site.

BBC - Facebook Shops: Online stores open on Facebook and Instagram

Time flies matey, so it's well overdue and it's all based on analytics and overhead. Part of the forum gets superb traffic, other parts are a waste of time and consume overhead (intros). The blog has also been pretty redundant over the last 2 years, so looking at replacing it with showcased forum posts. 

All very much work in progress, but hopefully end result will benefit anyone who adds valuable content, whilst keeping it interesting versus fending off spammy Karachi based SEO muppets

Very good, I like your HUGGs. I was taught BHAGs, Big Hairy Audacious Goals, same principle and still striving towards them 

As Rebecca is well aware and who has been doing a sterling job keeping the forum ticking over, deleting spammers and approving posts, the forum has been in long need of a good shakeup.

Over the last few years, I've been focused elsewhere so haven't had the time to dedicate to the forum that I used to.

But then someone ate a bat and the world fell apart and lots of us ended up working at home. So between homeschooling and shouting at the kids, it's time to focus some energy on the forum and give it an overhaul.

So apologies if there is any disruption over the next couple of weeks, while I move things around, try things out and remove a few hundred thousand ancient posts. 

My aim is to make posts more relevant, add more genuinely useful info and remove the tendency of self-promo and do away with the long over abused introductions.

Obviously, if there is anything you don't like, don't be shy in being vocal  

Originally Posted by Rebecca (PayforPrecision)

“That's strange that you say you're from Paddington but the server says you're based in the Czech Republic ”

Busted!!!!! (and link removed) 

I've just gone through it (I love directories, especially niche ones ) and I'm afraid its a big D from me

Full of waffle and irrelevant information. Plus not sure by telling the world you are using an off the shelf Wordpress site is a selling feature?

Potential customers couldn't give two hoots about your history, aims and objectives or what technology you use. Because it's all about you.

All they want to know is what possible benefit it will give their business. As Rebecca said, you can fit all that into a short concise doc.

Join our specialist skip hire directory and receive new leads. If they are really confident it will work, then throw in a guarantee, generate at least 10 new leads a year or we will refund you. Not that makes me pay attention. Guarantee that and I'd pay double 

I've got to be honest, this is probably the best time for funding.

Talk to your local authority and see if they have any new business start up grants. Can you tap into any of the 12 month free interest loans or do they specifically say you need to have been trading for a set period?

Failing that, if you haven't any trading history, then as long as you have a sound business plan, approach a bank for funding. Final option, if you are turned down by the banks, look at something like Funding Circle or similar crowd funding.

Hi Mark, welcome aboard and thanks for this. I'm sure people will find this useful 

Fascinating article on the Beeb a few weeks ago.

A study conducted by Cardiff University has shown that people in their 50's and 60's are knocking 7 bells out of each other after drinking too much 

The authors of the study said although this was "difficult to explain" it was likely to reflect the "growing" levels of drinking among older people in England.

And they suggested some older binge drinkers were still behaving as they did when younger, in the 1980s and 1990s.

"Current cohorts of older people exhibited higher alcohol consumption levels in the past and maybe continuing their relatively higher levels into older age," the study says.

"Since heavy binge drinking, and violence associated with it, were much more frequent three or four decades ago, it seems possible that this generational trait is also reflected in slowly increasing the risk of injury in violence."
BBC - Alcohol fuels rise in assaults on over 50's

As someone who has reached their 50's (boo), looking at youngsters today, they do seem to be a lot less interested in alcohol than my brethren of the 1980s. Or at least that's my perception. Obviously not a bad thing, but maybe society has changed. Back in  the day we were all smoking in the pub and particularly if you were in the military, alcohol was at the centre of any social occasion,  leading to regular interventions from the boys in blue.

These days we are better informed health risk wise and the price of alcohol in a pub is eye watering, with most of us oldies drinking our £3.50 Morrisons Pinot Grigio or inhaling Gin at home.

Instead, today's youngsters appear to be digitally hooked, covered in tattoos and sober, whilst socialising is done online in a game 

Maybe I am a dinosaur that enjoys a trip to the watering hole. But after a trip to Benidorm last year with some similarly aged dinosaurs, I'm not convinced about the over 50's assaulting each other if we are anything to go by. It's hard enough staying awake after 9pm 

What do you think?