how ordinary businesses make money

How I'd choose

31 so far, page 2 of 3

July 2026

A plain manila document folder, a plain closed black ink pad, a black fountain pen, two black bulldog clips and a blank invoice sheet on a soft pink paper board

How I'd choose a lawyer for a house purchase

The fee is on a scale. The attention isn't.

Four square ceramic tile samples in plain white, beige, grey and charcoal stacked loosely, a steel notched trowel with a wooden handle, a small handful of white tile spacers and a folded white quotation sheet on a deep green paper board

How I'd choose floor tiles I won't hate in ten years

Looks second. Slip, water and a spare box first.

A stainless steel dental probe, a small white paper cup, a small blank appointment card and a long curling thermal receipt on a deep green paper board

How I'd choose a dentist

Start with the register, then ask for the fee list.

June 2026

A plain steel water bottle, a small black rubber dumbbell, a small plain steel padlock with a key, a plain white membership-style card and a blank invoice on a soft pink paper board

How I'd choose a gym without signing my life away

Read the exit clause before you look at the treadmills.

Three sharpened yellow pencils, a plain white eraser, an exercise book with a blank grey cover, a wooden ruler with no markings and a blank fee slip on a deep green paper board

How I'd choose a tuition centre

Registered first. Results posters last.

May 2026

A yellow tape measure partly unrolled, a fan of plain paint swatches in greys, a screwdriver, a carpenter pencil and a folded blank quotation on a soft pink paper board

How I'd choose a renovation contractor

Check the register before you fall for the 3D render.

April 2026

A short offcut of black tyre tread, a black valve cap, a plain steel tyre lever, a plain grey wheel balance weight and a till receipt on a deep green paper board

How I'd choose a tyre shop, starting with four small digits

The date's on the tyre. I'd look before the price.

A car key on a plain ring, a small black torch, a black fuel cap, a plain clipboard with a blank sheet and a blank deposit slip on a soft pink paper board

How I'd choose a car rental company and get my deposit back

Take photos at pickup. Future you will want them.

A folded grey microfibre cloth, a plain white unmarked spray bottle, a black rubber squeegee, a wooden scrubbing brush and a blank invoice on a soft pink paper board

How I'd choose a cleaning company to leave my keys with

Ask what the cleaner actually gets out of that hour.

March 2026

A pair of plain black glasses frames with clear lenses, a soft grey lens cloth, a tiny steel screwdriver, a plain black hard glasses case and a till receipt on a deep green paper board

How I'd choose an optician and who I'd want checking my eyes

A shop can sell glasses. Who's holding the practising certificate?

A plain black lens cap, a soft grey lens cloth, a blank black memory card, a coiled black sync cable and a blank quotation on a deep green paper board

How I'd choose a photographer who lets me keep the photos

Who owns the photos? Ask before the shutter, not after.

A car key on a plain ring, a small orange traffic cone, a small plain dull rear-view mirror, a plain clipboard with a blank sheet and a blank lesson receipt on a deep green paper board

How I'd choose a driving school beyond the cheapest one

A suspiciously cheap course has to earn it back somewhere.

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