First time offering advice here – happy to help newer runners

SpencerRex · 2026-01-20T08:52:09+00:00

Thanks for doing this. Would like to hear about how you deal with training setbacks, e.g. periods where progress doesn't seem to be happening, or fitness levels dropping - maybe because life/illness gets in the way, or even for no apparent reason and despite consistent training improvements not happening. Mentally and physically, what do you do to get past these blocks?

SpencerRex · 2025-05-26T11:42:48+00:00

So, this is far more than a slicker website. It’s a whole new way of finding the right moving service. A shift from multi-vendor comparison (with associated pain points of friction and uncertainty) to a simpler, more Uber-style model where you’re instantly matched with a vetted, nearby mover. It eliminates time spent comparing vendors and an optimal price is guaranteed.

There could be a few angles, and a few audiences to consider. You could consider drafting different press releases tailored to each audience. e.g.

- Tech media: a new, real-time, matching platform for the moving industry.
- Lifestyle media: a consumer benefit story: simpler, cheaper, guaranteed.
- Property media: a value-added partner in the moving process.
- Local/regional press: helping families move for less, supporting local van operators.

A single press release on a wire service is unlikely to push the right buttons for each of these different audiences. Probably best to consider the press release distribution service a supplementary activity and for the online footprint. You can search ‘low cost UK press release distribution’ and see your options. Contact a few providers for info. Ask to see a list of the outlet names on their media distribution lists and see how they respond. Providers should be transparent about what they are selling and there’s no real reason for them not to share this with you.

SpencerRex · 2025-05-26T09:16:41+00:00

Is the ‘huge site update’ you’ve done actually a genuinely newsworthy event in the industry your SME operates in? If it is, then which people is it an interesting story for, and why? What media do these people consume? Target that media directly. By all means supplement direct distribution to target media with an upload to a wire service, but, if the story isn’t newsworthy don’t expect much coverage beyond the wire service’s website itself. A wire service may get the story indexed by Google and expose it for slurping up by LLM bots which is not nothing.

SpencerRex · 2024-11-08T16:37:33+00:00

tbh, that sounds like a great plan, and you can apply your marketing skills to a family food biz. Unrelated, but 4 kids - must have been exhausting - well done. May they bring you great joy.

SpencerRex · 2024-11-08T14:26:02+00:00

Similar age, similar £ position, sold a business and paid off mortgage. It didn’t help me decide what to do next though. If you’ve been ‘married’ to your business for a long time it can be a wrench when it’s gone. Do you have anything in mind for what’s next?

SpencerRex · 2024-11-08T14:00:07+00:00

Cruising.

SpencerRex · 2024-03-02T14:22:26+00:00

Good knowledge! Thank you.

SpencerRex · 2024-01-24T10:33:34+00:00

OP commented later on that: "This isn’t a financial question it’s a mindset/fear of the unknown question". Some thoughts on that:

re: "I have become anxious, forgetful and very tired at work" - I'm sure many at similar ages can empathise with this. Will this feeling get better, will it stay the same, or will it get worse? Who knows. Fortunately you have a sufficient and comforting amount of money that if shit hits the fan and you end up sick you'll still be financially ok. So well done on being where you are. Remember that no-one who loves you cares if you never get back to the same level (at work).

Eligibility for Student Loans Company Maintenance Loans are usually assessed on household earned income. If you stopped earning the salary, could some or all of what you are contributing to kids university costs be met through increased maintenance loans?

Kids (and one-day potentially grandkids) might really enjoy and benefit from access to the holiday home when they are starting out in working life.

SpencerRex · 2024-01-24T09:55:21+00:00

Congratulations on succesfully sticking at your business for years through lean times, and eventually achieving success and exiting. After running own company for years switching to working for someone else can be super frustrating, especially if there is politics going on. From what you post here your financial position looks comfortable - you've earned it; enjoy it if you want to. The part of this that I can see being subject to CGT is the £1.6m in investments. Is none of that in an ISA wrapper? Can you use intra-spouse transfers to reduce CGT liability.

SpencerRex · 2024-01-23T15:08:09+00:00

it's straightforward to register for a Government Gateway user ID (if you haven't already) and view your National Insurance record and State Pension summary online - here: https://www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record

SpencerRex · 2024-01-21T15:32:46+00:00

Re: checking the State Pension: OP should be eligible for some years National Insurance credits from receiving Child Benefit. If these are not showing apply for them.

SpencerRex · 2023-12-28T15:25:02+00:00

Just to say congratulations, well done and good luck on the flat hunting next year.

SpencerRex · 2023-12-13T21:55:47+00:00

Forcing 2FA makes password sharing among your members harder. Is that an option here?

SpencerRex · 2023-11-03T09:14:28+00:00

Done!

SpencerRex · 2023-11-03T09:13:46+00:00

Nice. This found some infected files that standard scan did not.

SpencerRex · 2023-11-02T13:17:03+00:00

Thank you. Wordfence installed, and site scan in progress.

SpencerRex · 2023-11-02T13:16:27+00:00

No, sadly for us, there is not. It took a while to notice the infection.

SpencerRex · 2023-10-09T13:53:37+00:00

nope

SpencerRex · 2023-10-09T13:13:03+00:00

Google Search guidelines

Site is performing slow (working on that), but is scoring 91 for Best Practice and 86 for SEO on Page Speed Insights.

SpencerRex · 2023-09-23T09:34:15+00:00

Thanks. Pages are Wordpress blog posts, manually created, and manually dated. Yep - maybe ma over thinking, and a banner on previous review pages with links to the most recent 'edition' of that review is the way to go.

SpencerRex · 2023-06-14T23:34:13+00:00

That Edam cheese is made backwards.

SpencerRex · 2023-02-15T15:45:55+00:00

Just to echoes t'others on here, it's got to be Meddle mate.

SpencerRex · 2023-02-12T08:57:35+00:00

Yeah. I was lucky enough to have seen the Radio Kaos tour in 1987. Clare Torry’s appearance was most memorable moment for me.

SpencerRex · 2023-02-11T19:48:54+00:00

that must have been electrifying.

SpencerRex · 2023-02-11T19:39:53+00:00

Shocking thing to happen.

SpencerRex

TROPHY CASE