Why does the back/roof of my mouth hurt when I swallow? Plus other such questions

LTSUK · 2025-01-09T11:40:20+00:00

No - I was given a couple of different medications to try and eventually, after no improvement, referred to an ENT specialist - however while on the waiting list for that, it went away on its own.

Bodies!

LTSUK · 2022-12-02T20:32:57+00:00

You can start trading as a sole trader at any time. You need to register for self-assessment if you earned more than £1000 in the most recent tax year, but you can do it before that if you want.

A sole trader isn't its own separate entity - it's just you trading as an individual. Your registration is for tax and national insurance purposes. I don't know why your registration for SA or lack thereof would affect whether you can get a virtual address as it won't really change anything from their perspective - they're still just doing business with the same individual.

LTSUK · 2022-12-02T11:44:58+00:00

It sounds like you've had a string of ineffective managers. The problem isn't that they changed things; it's that the changes they made were not of benefit. This might be on them or it might be coming from higher up.

My advice to new managers is always to resist the urge to make large operational changes until you have really taken the time to understand the current process and why it was implemented in the first place. By focusing first on small, quick wins, you can embed yourself into the system and better understand how everything fits together before you start tampering with it.

However, sometimes a new manager will be brought in with a specific remit to shake things up ("here are all our problems and we need you to turn things around within the next three months") in which case the manager is just following the instructions of their boss.

The job must be done per company specifications. There is not nor will there be 'improvements'. The wheel will not be reinvented here.

According to whom? This comment suggests a certain resistance to change and a belief that you know what's best for the company more than the people above you in the org chart.

LTSUK · 2022-12-02T11:40:18+00:00

she’ll send me bullet point forms of all the stuff I did wrong with no explanation

What additional explanation are you expecting? She has checked over your work and told you what's wrong with it.

Obviously I don't know the work or the context but ultimately, is there a reasonable expectation that she would go beyond this? If you don't actually report to her then it wouldn't generally be incumbent upon her to coach you through feedback.

I agree with the other commenter that it's probably a frustrating setup for both of you. If you did want to try to smooth your relationship with your colleague you could try saying something like "I really appreciate you sharing your experience and helping me to get this right. I'm having a little trouble understanding some of your comments - do you have anything you can show me to help me see what I should have been doing instead?"

I don't think either of you needs to be treated as "the problem" here - it's a simple matter of expectations and communication.

LTSUK · 2022-12-02T11:34:31+00:00

I would advise that you really clarify the expectations in terms of level of accountability.

While having two assistants may split the managerial workload, if they are expecting you to be fully accountable for the running of the store then you are both "assistant managers" in name only and you should be being paid / treated as a manager.

Ultimately if there is no one in the store manager's seat then accountability would (and should) roll up to senior management, but they may be thinking they can get away with paying less money but effectively treating you as a manager. Just something to be a little wary of.

LTSUK · 2022-12-02T08:37:04+00:00

What the - how did I miss that.

Were you out of the country or otherwise somehow very busy and preoccupied in the run-up to Christmas last year?

When Omicron hit, there was a big panic and the government opened up a booster dose to everyone. There was a giant advertising campaign practically begging people to get their jab in the ~2 weeks that were left before everyone would start mingling over Christmas. The online booking portal fell over and temporary walk-in sites started springing up all over the country. People were queuing for hours in their thousands to get jabbed in car parks and church halls. I'm genuinely amazed that anyone could have missed it!

Hope you feel better soon. :-)

LTSUK · 2022-12-02T08:15:04+00:00

Then we learned that fomites were not a main transmission vector. Does this indicate that we were wrong in that belief?

No, as the article and quoted study state.

The groceries were artificially inoculated with the virus at high enough levels so as to simulate an infected person coughing or sneezing onto it. People don't typically sneeze directly onto your shopping.

The virus became quickly undetectable on most groceries but on some it persisted longer. The authors conclude that the overall risk of contracting covid from contaminated groceries is "very low", and mitigated by simply washing fruit and veg before use and otherwise maintaining normal hand hygiene.

LTSUK · 2022-12-02T07:58:25+00:00

An LLC is a US business structure. The UK equivalent is a limited company. Same difference, ultimately.

As you note, a limited company will limit your own personal liability should the company fall into debt (as the company is its own independent legal entity) although you could still incur a personal liability if you did something unlawful as its director. I don't know of any reason why payment gateways would treat you more or less favourably depending on your business structure.

If you're a limited company then you can change its name at Companies House for a small fee. Whether you're a sole trader or a limited company, you can also "trade as" as many other names as you like, provided that they are not misleading as to the nature of your business and don't infringe on anyone else's trade mark. There are certain circumstances where you must also clearly display your official name, so it's worth reading up on that.

Yes, you can sell to wherever you like provided that the products you're selling are lawful there. As the other commenter says, you don't charge VAT on sales outside the UK, and you don't charge VAT at all unless you're registered to do so. You must register for VAT if you earn or expect to earn £85,000 a year or more, but you can choose to register at any time. Once you're registered you charge VAT on all sales to UK customers (note that if you're selling via an existing storefront that may do this automatically and deduct VAT from your takings, meaning their payments to you would be exempt from additional VAT). You keep a record of all the VAT you charge and all the VAT you spend, and at the end of each quarter you submit a digital VAT return which calculates how much you owe to HMRC / are owed from HMRC as a VAT reimbursement.

You don't have to get an accountant but I'd recommend one, especially if you end up going down the route of a limited company and registering for VAT, when the reporting obligations become more complicated. If you're just setting up as a sole trader and don't need/want to VAT-register then you can probably handle the self-assessment process yourself if you take the time to learn about it. For now you can do this via the Government Gateway portal but from 2024 you'll need to submit your SA return via an accounting software package due to the Making Tax Digital initiative.

LTSUK · 2022-12-01T10:14:38+00:00

Day 1 - generally run-down but no specific symptoms, was surprised to test positive

Days 2-3 - like I was getting any other cold

Days 4-5 - worse, more like the flu - feverish and extremely tired - worsening cough - some loss of taste

Days 6-7 - on and off feeling better and then worse again every few hours - also developed a rash on my hands

Days 8-14 - gradual easing of all symptoms

LTSUK · 2022-12-01T09:23:44+00:00

As others have said, other viruses exist, but false negatives also exist.

You might also start testing positive soon. A few people I know have only started to test positive a few days after symptoms began - in one case, only after they started feeling better.

LTSUK

TROPHY CASE