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neither image?

OK, as you prob haven't got an English

Interesting stuff from the beeb. Internet access is low generally across Africa, but mobile usage is going through the roof "there are currently 695 million mobile phone subscribers in Africa"

So to successfully tap into this market, you have to adopt a different approach.

"Primedia Online supplies tailored news content in portals across the southern continent, in addition to providing technology and ad business to local publishers wanting to tap into the mobile market.

Primedia business development manager Susan Hansford explains that advertising on mobile phones is more competitive now amongst companies.

"E-commerce shouldn't be in desktop form for Africa, I think the focused efforts on the mobile side of e-commerce will change the way business is done in this continent," she says"

BBC News - How mobile puts business at the tip of Africa's fingers

But I'm still unable to get a signal sat in my living room

Thought we already were

Said it countless times, we live in a welfare dependant culture. From the older generation who believe it is the States duty to provide, to kids that refuse to do menial jobs because they can earn the same on benefits. Until we break this generation crossing cultural cycle of dependence, we are doomed.

Welfare should be a total last resort, the safety net that catches the vulnerable and those with a genuine need.

I still can't get my head around the healthy eating bonus all new parents got, which has since been stopped. Just one minor example of countless wasted benefits. To be fair the coalition is trying, but for every benefit that is cut or reformed, there is a national outcry and media driven hysteria, with the ever present extreme hardship case paraded around to show what a disaster stopping xyz benefit is.

But the average person in the street sees welfare and benefits as a god given right. Paying for it is someone else's problem

No idea what the answer is. Maybe education? Is it the decline of our social fabric? Dysfunctional families, lack of family support networks? Lack of discipline, self worth, pride?

Maybe we should look at some of the Asian cultures that are centred around the family, with the family acting as a self help group, providing support, finance etc.

I was going to say have you tried haggling, then saw the registrants address:

Registrant:
Name Administration Inc. (BVI)
Box 10518 A.P.O.
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands B.W.I.
KY

probably not in urgent need of the cash

So is that where all the plumbers go when they retire?

They are already here, they've been secretly infiltrating London Pret A Manger stores and plan to confuse troops and tourists by offering bizarre avocado sandwich fillings. Then they will kidnap Boris and ransom him on the district line.

Must admit, I haven't really tried to deliberately build a following, most are either members of the forum, my local services customers, but I've had a few followers from Linked in.

I guess it's a bit like twitter, follow people in a similar industry or like minded, and take it from there. Now I've decided to spend more time on G+, if I get any hints on building a following, I'll be sure to share them

But I don't want to steer this post away from the blog topic though

Well as I've failed at blogging, maybe I'll give this pinterest a shot as it looks like I was a little hasty

sjr4x4 on Pinterest

After seeing words of wisdom from another blog post:

I too have followed suit. Well to be honest, I think you have to have the right mentality to blog, and I haven't got it,

After half heartedly trying to get mine going, I've finally given up and laid it to rest with a final post to posterity that my stats tell me will be read by about 3 people a day

With all this new found freedom, I've decided to make a bigger effort on my Facebook and Google+ accounts (as well as the forum obviously).

Personally I like the shorter posts that you tend to do with forums or social media, plus the more immediate response, which makes you more likely to update a page, rather than let it get neglected.

With this in mind, are new businesses with time at a premium better off simply using a Facebook or Google+ page and linking to that, rather than creating a blog? Updates and traditional blog fodder could then be fed into a Google+/FB page, giving you social exposure, whilst also acting as a platform for company updates, announcements or general interest.

I know we have some great and successful bloggers on here, so would be interested to hear a good counter argument.

Maybe it's a case of lazy bloggers like me are looking for a valid excuse to justify our lack of blogging success?

Be interested to hear if pro bloggers would still advocate a new start up to invest time and energy in building a successful blog?

As the UK Summer 6 week school break approaches, so begins the annual challenge of juggling work and kids for many working parents.

Apparently according to the Day Care Trust, the average cost of childcare for an under 2 is