Sip-sized tips

Short, strong tips for anyone running a business, each one over in just a few seconds.

Fill in your own form

Send yourself a test enquiry from your website once a month. Check it still reaches the right people with the details they need, so the enquiry gets followed up. Ask them whether there’s anything they’d change or add, because they’re usually best placed to know.

Put your card’s expiry date in your calendar

Hosting, domains, software licences and plenty of marketing tools are often paid on one company card. When it expires, renewals can fail, and in my experience it’s rarely the first thing people check. Providers send reminders, but they can be easy to miss. Add the expiry date to your calendar a month early, with a note of which services are paid on that card (just their names, not the card details), so you can update them all in one go.

Find out who actually owns your domain name

Your domain name and DNS settings are the keys to your kingdom. Look up who the domain is registered to and make sure it’s your business, in an account you control, then lock that account down with two-step verification.

Make your phone number a link

Plenty of people look at websites on their phone. If your number’s a link, they can tap it to ring you. Make yourself easy to talk to.

Turn off normalise on Spotify

I play drums, and I’d had this setting on for years. It evens out the volume between songs, which can take the punch out of them. Turn it off in Settings, under Playback.

Keep a list of every account your website needs

Domain, hosting, email, analytics, add-ons, you name it. Keep one master list of who holds each login and when it renews, with the passwords themselves in a password manager. If someone leaves or a supplier disappears, you’ll know exactly what to chase.

Make your business details match everywhere

Check your business name, address, phone number and website are written the same way on your website, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn and any directories you’re listed in. Matching details help Google and customers know they’ve found the right business.

Keep a folder of nice things clients say

Every time someone says something kind in an email, drag it into one folder. When you need a testimonial, they’re all there, and you only have to ask permission.

Search your business name in a private window

Every so often, search for your business on your phone in a private or incognito window, so your own browsing doesn’t affect the results. Scroll through the first few pages and see what comes up. Fix anything that’s out of date, and look for anything you could make more of.