Posts - me:now

It’s time to let the High Street die

It’s a controversial statement, but how will the high street change if it doesn’t die? Two years ago we wrote that the country is sleepwalking towards an empty High Street. And since then, nothing has changed. Almost 10,000 retail jobs have been lost in the last year. The High Street is no longer a town’s…

Are you sick of being asked for money

Do you feel like you’re constantly being hounded for money by charities and schools? If so, with charity giving in decline it will only get worse. While there are fewer ‘chuggers’ (charity muggers) on the streets, we’re bombarded by TV advertising with celebrities asking for our hard-earned cash. I like to use a Mars bar…

It’s not about us, it’s always been about you

We’ve written more than 60 blog posts and each one has had a common theme. They’re not about us. Obviously we get a mention, but whether you’re a small business, a customer, a charity or a school PTA… it’s always been about you. The app was built to give business owners a new way to…

The problem with Small Business Saturday

I have a major problem with Small Business Saturday. Actually, three problems. The first is the origins of the event in the first place. Small Business Saturday was started in the US in 2010 and sponsored by credit card company American Express (Amex). Amex bought advertising on Facebook, which it gave to its existing merchant…

It’s that time of year – school Christmas fete time

School Christmas fetes are fast becoming as traditional as Nativity plays. Christmas fetes and markets are a great way for pupils to prepare for the festive season, but they’re also a valuable source of fundraising for the PTA. Parent Teacher Associations are having to think of new ways to raise funds that don’t seem like…

At 50 years old I find myself still learning.

They say it’s never too late to learn, well over the last couple of weeks, I have found myself back at school, and I’ve been learning a lot. I’m 50 years old and still learning… the lessons I have been taught have come from multiple schools, and not just from some wonderful teachers. What I…

It’s only a matter of time before a school goes bust

We recently wrote about Bellfield Junior School Birmingham having to reduce the number of days that they are able to teach. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-48770759 I will admit to thinking that this was an isolated case. I was very wrong. Devon Devon County Council’s Children’s Scrutiny Committee, is convinced that Devon schools will soon join those nationwide closing…

School funding cuts are affecting YOUR child’s education

Over the past few months, there has been a surge in reports relating to school funding cuts across the country. A recent BBC Radio 4 interview with head teacher Nigel Attwood of Bellfield Junior School in Birmingham, highlighted the extent that cuts to the education budget are having on the pupils at the school. Bellfield…

me:now is going back to school

Schools of all sizes are finding that pressures on budgets mean they need to come up with new ways to raise much-needed funds. So, with the summer break over, we have decided that the affiliate scheme is now open to schools as well as local charities. Most affiliate schemes are limited to a one-off payment…

me:now US is going back to school

Schools of all sizes are finding that pressures on budgets mean they need to come up with new ways to raise much-needed funds. So, with the summer break over, we have decided that the affiliate scheme is now open to schools as well as local charities. Most affiliate schemes are limited to a one-off payment…

Launching our new 40% affiliate scheme with SSAFA – the Armed Forces charity

If you’ve followed me:now and our way of doing business, you’ll know that fairness is a big part of our DNA. One of the reasons we created me:now is because small businesses need a level playing field. That sense of fairness should extend to wider society too, but there are still those who need help,…

Are you smart enough to keep it simple?

How do you advertise your business? It doesn’t matter if you are a large business or a small one, you’ll encounter the same challenge: getting noticed. Firms of all size tend to make the same mistake – they create advertising that over-complicates the message. All too often they will beat around the bush with fluffy…

We must give back to ex-armed forces personnel

Last week, our CEO, Barry Thompson, chaired an event about the benefits ex-forces personnel can bring to industry. It was organised by the Federation of Small Businesses in the South East and X-Forces Enterprise, and the event also highlighted the benefits of the Armed Forces Covenant, especially with Armed Forces Day coming up on 29 June.…

The me:now app arrives in the United States

The me:now app has arrived in the United States. After successfully running in the UK for the last year, the time has come to give small businesses in the US the help they deserve. By helping small business owners advertise when they’re available, the app cuts down on time wasted by ringing through cancellation lists…

Introducing the me:now affiliate program

We’re pleased to announce the start of the me:now affiliate program in the UK and the US. Unlike other affiliate programs, ours shares earned revenue over a period of time, rather than a single payment following a purchase. You can apply for an affiliate code on the form below. We’ll give you a unique code…

Take control – don’t let Brexit fears hijack your business

Before you read, take control by downloading our free app on Android and on Apple. No matter which side of the debate you’re on, the one thing that everyone can agree on about Brexit is that it’s generating a lot of fear and uncertainty. For Leave voters, there’s a fear that the country will never part…

Small businesses are clueless about GDPR

It’s quite a scary statement, but more than 50% of small business owners are ‘clueless’ about GDPR, according to this article in the Independent. It’s important to note that the actual survey was compiled for insurer AON, so it will be of no surprise to see that there is a line about how many businesses are not…

You’re lazy, you moan too much and you can’t be bothered

Welcome to the new way to reach the British public. GoCompare has recently launched a new product called WeFlip. It does exactly what it says on the tin, and will ‘flip’ you to a cheaper energy supplier if they identify savings of £50 or more. Your involvement? None. WeFlip will take care of it for…

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Dropping your price devalues your business

The high street has endured one of its most challenging environments since the 1970s. The steady move to online shopping has been further impacted by low wage growth and – to kickstart the New Year – an increase in rail fares. The restaurant industry has been one of the worst-affected, as under-30s eat out less…

Is it ever too early to get a head start?

Everyone likes to get a head start. Any advantage to give you an upper hand. But when is it too soon? Today is the 29th of December and as you would expect the 2019 holiday adverts have begun on TV. I certainly wasn’t expecting to see Easter eggs in the supermarket or advertisements for Valentine’s…

How much are you missing out?

FOMO, or Fear Of Missing Out, is an interesting concept. It’s where we get worried that someone else is having a rewarding experience that doesn’t include us. If you run your own business, this could be translated as a regular customer using a competitor. You might be fearful of that happening, but if you aren’t…

We’ve teamed up with Veteran Owned to support ex-military business owners

As you know, is the world’s first time-based marketing platform, and we’ve partnered with Veteran Owned UK to offer our premium service for free to ex-servicemen and women across the country. Ex-military personnel with their own small business who are members of the Veteran Owned directory will now receive a free six-month subscription to our premium…

The times they are a-changin’

Watch this video: We’ll come back to it shortly. Times change, we all know that. But no matter what it is that changes, we adapt and we carry on (eventually). The internet isn’t going to take away everyone’s jobs and it won’t actually be the death of the high street. New jobs will still be…

We’re sleepwalking towards an empty high street

See that headline? It’s true. We’re sleepwalking towards an empty high street. Let’s face it, we’re shopping more online or in edge-of-town superstores and retail parks. So why do we need a high street? Most of the United Kingdom’s GDP comes from single person businesses. They are the lifeblood of our economy. If GDP is…

Would you like a cookie with that?

Cookies, data harvesting, even people-tracking is increasing on the apps we use every day. Researchers from the University of Oxford found that 83% of all free apps on the Google Play Store share your data with Google. Forty-three per cent of those apps then shared data with Facebook, plus other firms such as Twitter, Microsoft…

Helping small business: is it time to look to the older generation?

JP Morgan Chase recently launched Advancing Cities, a $500 million initiative to create economic opportunities in cities around the world. This funding is focused on providing small businesses with the critical resources needed to grow, with the plan that it will result in the revitalisation of local communities. JP Morgan Chase has identified (following similar projects in…

How does a small business stand out from the crowd?

When you advertise on a social media platform, you’re relying on others to do something for you. If you don’t want your post/image/ad to be static, you need people to share it. The problem is – depending on how many people your customers follow, their news feeds are going to be moving pretty fast. So you have to…

Are you gambling with your business?

You frequently gamble with your business. You will pay out huge sums of money in the hope that you will see a return on your investment. Who’s guaranteeing that you will see a return on what you are spending? Nobody. You would have a better chance of betting on the outcome of the Grand National.…

Winter is coming

Make no mistake, winter *is* coming. Just take a look at social media and you’ll see plenty of people complaining about the tumbling temperatures. Grumbling won’t make a difference though – it’s happening. So let’s be bold and face another brutal reality. How much money have you lost this year? Any small business that relies…

How do you make an appointment fit into your hectic life?

We’ve all been there. Where do I need to be? What time to I need to be there? Where do I need to be afterwards and by what time? Who’s having the kids? Who’s having the dog? These thoughts have to be considered before we start trying to book an appointment. It doesn’t matter if…

You’re a time-waster

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle What an inspiring quote. It’s not quite so inspiring when you realise that what you repeatedly do is waste time. You’re a habitual time-waster. It’d be bad enough if you were wasting other people’s time, but you’re not,…

The definition of insanity

Einstein said: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Most people are guilty of that. For example: You want to book a restaurant, beautician, cleaner or even a driving instructor. You search online for someone (and there may be a big list of them), and…

Who gives a XXXX about small business?

I’ve thought long and hard about this particular topic. Ever since we started the me:now project, the small business has been at the forefront of what we do and why we do it. And it’s become obvious to me that the main reason there aren’t many B2B resources available to small business owners, is because…

Choosing the right social media for your business

Advertising when you’re a small business is hit and miss at best. Especially on social media. We’ve written previously about how all businesses need to take an active part in marketing themselves. It’s time to change The days of putting out a static advert and hoping people will flock to you are gone. What is…

Oh! You’re on your own?

Do we assume that a small business is more likely to rip us off or be less reputable because they are just one person? Would we rather use a bigger company than a small business because of their reputation and the customer support they offer? The perception is that a bigger company has the people…

Is doing the right thing a new thing?

England made the semi-finals of the World Cup, and that’s a huge achievement. It’s not just our team performance that has stood out, but individual progress too. Just look at England manager Gareth Southgate and his methods. He’s come a long way since his penalty miss in 1996. It’s the small things that stand out.…

Are you a victim of your own success?

Being a successful small business is fantastic. You’re making money, filling your appointments, covering all your bills… life is good. But there’s a negative side. Customers will only wait so long for an appointment with you – if you’re too busy they’ll go elsewhere. If that happens, your business no longer has the demand, which means…

Who benefits?

Just who benefits when a small business is successful? The easy answer is ‘everyone’, but the devil is in the detail. So here are some numbers… There are 5.4 million private micro-businesses in the United Kingdom*. A micro-business is classified as any business that has fewer than 10 employees. You might be a little surprised…

Be active in marketing yourself

While we were building the me:now playtform, I listened to a lot of marketing people. Some offered pretty generic advice, talking about LinkedIn and Instagram, while others went into greater details discussing the minutiae of SEO, PPC & AdWords. The platforms are important: if your customer base doesn’t reside on your social media service of…

What have you done for me lately?

I wonder how many people read the title but hear it in their heads as if Janet Jackson was singing it? It’s a very selfish and expectant line, but also reflective. It questions whether a relationship can be considered an equal partnership. There is also a suggestion that someone has given more than the other.…

Should big businesses support small businesses?

It’s an interesting question. Why should a bigger, potentially more successful company, support a small business? Do they have anything to gain by providing any help and what form should that help take? Without getting too detailed, let’s look at some of the numbers surrounding the small business community in the UK. *ONS 2017 UK…

How do we find stuff anymore? Adverts?

It’s rare for me to write a blog post on the back of a previous one, but I can’t shake the feeling that I should have approached it from a different point of view. The more I think about it, the more I see how we (customers) are being sold stuff, or rather, how we’re…

How do you advertise when everyone skips the ads?

Skipping the ads is the norm online, but it presents even the youngest of viewers with an unusual problem: what products are out there? I’ll give you an example. My son is 11 years old this week and I asked him what he would like for his birthday? His response was “I don’t know”. So I asked…

I’m free to work – but nobody knows!

We previously talked about the double-sided nature of “free” stuff for customers. Very often, when confronted with something free, a customer’s next thought will be “what’s the catch?” Business owners are no different. We all love getting something for free, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that we’re being conned somehow. There’s another kind…

But it’s not fair!

How many parents hear “it’s not fair” on a daily basis? Whether the kids aren’t able to do what they want or just not being able to get their own way, it’s a mantra familiar to most households. Did you know that Amazon in the UK has 29 different children’s books with the title It’s…

I’m free to do what I want, but I can’t be bothered

Everyone likes something for free. At least, we do when it’s truly free. But how often is there a catch? If the ‘free’ thing requires some effort on your part, do you not bother because it’s not worth the effort? What’s more, if the thing is being given away for free, what does that say…

Be selfish. Work to your schedule, not someone else’s

Selfish? Who writes a blog about being selfish?! Being selfish isn’t usually seen in a positive light, but we think if you look at it from a different angle, being selfish can be a good thing. I know… it’s a tough sell, but stick with us, we’re going somewhere with this. is free to all businesses…

Life doesn’t have to be so complicated

After writing 17 blog posts about the same problem, it feels a little strange to be finally writing about the solution. To save you looking back to see if there was an underlying pattern I’ll help you out. Life is hectic, stressful and at times damned complicated. We’re constantly running around to fit other people’s…

Being at home is more than just being at home

Whether you’re housewife, stay-at-home dad or you work from home, it’s never just being at home. During the day the home is a hive of activity and often it’s no more than a base we return to, to drop stuff off before heading out again. Take an average day in our house… Empty dishwasher –…

Change – without it progress is impossible

Change is a funny thing. Some hate it, some embrace it and some people try to ignore it. But change is inevitable. We’re constantly changing, whether that be as we age or as we grow as individuals. So, what is it about change that causes people to react so differently? Change has an air of…

How much do you put up with at Christmas?

It’s quite a strange question, but how much do we put up with just because it’s Christmas? We put up with having hoards of people over for dinner, we put up with food we don’t like and maybe (just maybe) we tolerate people that we possibly wouldn’t so easily do at other times of the…

Life is full of lists. Christmas edition

Even as I create this blog post there’s a list of ‘features’ down one side of my screen. Our lives have become one big endless list. There’s the bucket lists, shopping lists, to-do lists, the check list and – as we have previously discussed – waiting lists.

Dream cheese and business misunderstandings

‘Sweet dreams are made of cheese’ – not sung by Annie Lennox It’s one of the world’s greatest misheard lyrics and possibly the only one mentioning cheese, but then there are other misheard gems such as: ‘We built this city on sausage rolls’ – Starship ‘It doesn’t make a difference if we’re naked or not’…

Time: how much does yours cost?

It’s interesting just how much value an advertiser puts on your time. Or rather, how much monetary value is put on it. How much value would you put on your time? If you’re paid hourly, then I guess you’d apply your hourly rate to your personal time. So, say you earn £10 an hour, then…

Automatic booking – but it’s good to talk

Maybe the headline above should read – are we becoming less social? It might seem a strange question to ask given the amount that is being shared on a daily basis across Facebook and Twitter, but sharing thoughts and experiences online is easy. Let’s face it, with the advent of the emoji you don’t even…

The Problem With Traffic

The problem with traffic is that it effects us all. In the UK, the average motorist will spend on average 32 hours a year stuck in traffic. In the US that increases to 42 hours a year, and it’s getting worse. The impact this has on small businesses is immense.

Shirking our responsibilities

So here’s a thought… with the growth of the service app, are we shirking our responsibilities? Which responsibilities? Well, usually if we want someone to come into our homes to fix the cooker or repair the heating we would do due diligence with regards to how competent they are. We might ask friends for a…

Let’s hear it for the little guy/small business

In the Western world (rather than the Westeros world), the bulk of an individual country’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) comes from small business. They are businesses that provide some form of service to other companies or individuals, such as accountancy, computer support, hairdressing or even dog walking. The fact that the service sector is so…

Rip-off Britain… but who’s being ripped off?

I don’t like being ripped off, taken for a ride or simply overcharged. No one does, do they? Yet increasing numbers of us are being ripped off, and worse still, we’re blind to it. You see, for years there have been services (now apps) that offer to find you the right business depending on what…

What are you really looking for?

So, you want to find a local business? It might be a hairdresser, a plumber or even a dog groomer. The problem is always the same no matter what you’re looking for or where you look. When are they available?

To show up or not show up – That is the question

Recently I have found that more and more businesses are sending text reminders for appointments to make sure customers show up. My doctor, my dentist and even my chiropractor all either call or text me to remind me that I have an appointment with them. The doctor sends a text straight after the appointment is…

Waiting lists – how long is waiting too long?

Waiting lists – how long is too long? Have you ever tried to book an appointment somewhere only to be told: “We don’t have any free bookings right now, but would you like to go on our waiting list?”

Growth of the micro business

Micro business are very special and they have one major thing in common with small businesses… There are so many of them.

Trust and Advertising. Do you trust online adverts?

Wherever we go online there are adverts of all shapes and sizes. They are on Amazon, Facebook and even on some of the more high profile brand sites. Given that a lot of such advertising is linked to your searches, do you trust what they are advertising? Are you nervous when you see adverts in…

Online Advertising – does it work?

Interesting article in the Harvard Business Review regarding online advertising. https://hbr.org/2017/03/do-search-ads-really-work The article briefly summarises a working paper by Michael Luca of Harvard Business School on the subject of Reviews, Reputation and Revenue: The Case of Yelp.com.

An end to hunting for home delivery slots?

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