how ordinary businesses make money

How I'd choose

31 so far

November 2026

A notebook open to a blank page, a black pen, a plain grey wireless mouse, a cork coaster with a coffee cup ring and a blank monthly report cover sheet on a deep green paper board

How I'd choose an SEO agency

Anyone who guarantees number one gets shown the door.

October 2026

Three keys on a plain ring, a yellow tape measure with plain tick marks and no numerals, a plain white doorbell button, a plain clipboard with a blank sheet and a blank booking slip on a soft pink paper board

How I'd choose a property agent

Ask for the REN tag before the sales pitch.

A kraft paper mailer, a strip of clear bubble wrap, a black tape gun, a plain cardboard sheet and a blank quotation on a soft pink paper board

How I'd choose a packaging supplier

The unit price is the bit they want you to look at.

A plain black oil filter, a steel combination spanner, a small steel funnel, a grey cotton rag and a blank job sheet on a soft pink paper board

How I'd choose a car workshop

Ask for the old parts back. See how they react.

A weekly pill organiser with plain white lids, a folded grey cotton blanket corner, a clipboard with a blank chart, a plain white mug and a blank invoice on a soft pink paper board

How I'd choose a care home for a parent

Which law is it under? The answer tells you a lot.

September 2026

A plain grey document folder, a black pen, a plain blank white plastic card, a few steel paper clips and a blank policy schedule sheet on a deep green paper board

How I'd choose a medical card

The premium today matters less than the premium at 60.

A small plain grey child's backpack, a small plain navy child's shoe, a plain wooden block, a plain steel child's water bottle and a blank fee slip on a soft pink paper board

How I'd choose a childcare centre

Look for the plaque, then count the carers.

A fan of plain paper swatches in white and grey, a steel paper cutter blade guard, a small ream of plain white paper, a small stack of blank white cards and a blank quotation on a soft pink paper board

How I'd choose a printer for a small job

Ask for a proof. Then ask what happens if it's wrong.

August 2026

A small plain dark blue photovoltaic cell sample, a black multimeter with blank display, a coil of black cable, a steel hex key and a blank quotation on a deep green paper board

How I'd choose a solar installer

Panels are the easy part. The paperwork and the roof aren't.

A grey desktop calculator with blank display and plain unmarked keys, a roll of white receipt paper, a plain black ring binder, a stack of three blank invoice sheets with a paper clip and a wooden pencil on a soft pink paper board

How I'd choose an accountant for a small company

Ask who actually does the work.

A corner of a kraft cardboard box, a roll of brown parcel tape, a small stack of plain grey poly mailers, a black marker pen and a blank waybill on a deep green paper board

How I'd choose a courier for a small online shop

The cheapest rate is rarely the whole bill.

July 2026

The corner of a closed grey laptop, a plain silver USB drive, a notebook open to a blank page with a few pencil boxes drawn, a coil of grey ethernet cable and a blank invoice on a soft pink paper board

How I'd choose a web designer

Ask who owns the domain. Get the answer in writing.

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