Practical guides for growing businesses
Straight answers on Microsoft 365, handling enquiries, automation, AI and search, written from the work we do with UK SMEs. No fluff, and we say when something is not worth doing.
Latest guides
Convert
Why do enquiries disappear after someone fills in the form?
The form is rarely the problem. The enquiry lands somewhere with no owner, and nobody notices until the customer has gone.
Tom Livingstone · · 6 min read
Attract
What should social media management do if you need enquiries?
Likes are not enquiries. Social is worth paying for when a buyer can find you, believe you, and start a conversation.
Tom Livingstone · · 6 min read
Attract
When is Google Ads worth it for a small business?
Paid search is worth it when you already know which search becomes an enquiry. It is an expensive way to find out.
Tom Livingstone · · 6 min read
Attract
How do you know if SEO is working?
Rankings and sessions will not tell you if search is paying for itself. Enquiries from searches you can name will.
Tom Livingstone · · 6 min read
Automate
ChatGPT for business or Azure OpenAI: which should a UK SME use?
Consumer ChatGPT, ChatGPT Business, ChatGPT Enterprise, the OpenAI API and Azure OpenAI solve different problems. Choose on data handling and how you will use it, not on the demo.
Dan Kennedy · · 11 min read
Convert
What should happen in the first hour after an enquiry?
Acknowledge it, name an owner, and record where it came from. The first hour is a process, not a favour.
Dan Kennedy · · 5 min read
Automate
What admin should a growing business stop doing by hand?
If a person is copying the same details between systems, that step should not still be a job. Judgement stays human.
Dan Kennedy · · 6 min read
Attract
What is a lead generation website (and how is it different)?
Most business websites are brochures with a contact page. Here is what changes when a site is designed backwards from the enquiry.
Tom Livingstone · · 6 min read
Foundation
What is a Microsoft 365 security assessment, and do you need one?
A straight answer to what gets checked, what you should expect to receive, and the signs that your tenant is overdue a look.
Dan Kennedy · · 7 min read
Attract
How to build a lead generation website that actually converts
The order matters more than the tactics. Research, structure, then pages, then measurement, then improvement.
Tom Livingstone · · 9 min read
Automate
What is business process automation? A plain-English guide
What it means, what it looks like in a real business, and how to pick a first process that will actually pay for itself.
Dan Kennedy · · 8 min read
Foundation
Microsoft 365 security best practices for small businesses
Ten things worth doing, ordered by how much risk each one removes rather than how easy it is to tick off.
Dan Kennedy · · 8 min read
Foundation
How much does a Microsoft 365 migration cost and how long does it take?
Why nobody can quote you accurately from an employee count, and what genuinely moves the number up or down.
Dan Kennedy · · 7 min read
Automate
The benefits of business process automation for small businesses
Time back is the obvious one. Consistency, capacity and knowing what actually happened are the ones that matter more as you grow.
Dan Kennedy · · 6 min read
Foundation
The benefits of managed IT services for small businesses
What you are really buying, where the value is, and the contract terms worth reading before you sign.
Dan Kennedy · · 7 min read
Automate
What is document automation, and where should you start?
Two different jobs get called document automation. Knowing which one you need changes the whole project.
Dan Kennedy · · 7 min read
Browse by section
Foundation guides
Setting up, migrating and reviewing Microsoft 365 for growing UK businesses. Related service: Foundation.
Attract guides
Search, paid search and websites that produce enquiries. Related service: Attract.
Convert guides
Responding to enquiries faster and following up consistently. Related service: Convert.
Automate guides
Practical automation and AI on Microsoft 365. Related service: Automate.
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