PDC Musings
Busy Week in View
Really delighted to be looking forward to a very busy week!
New client signed up last week so need to start on that on Monday. It's used car sales so I need to set up a sales site that doesn't directly sell. Need to make it as flashy and slick as evryone elses!
Got a meeting on Wednesday with the owner of a hotelwho is looking for an update and linkage to Trip Advisor and Facebook. An area I've never worked in before - could be interesting.
Hoping to set up a meeting with a third new client as well.
Work to do on Safeselect and Platts Pens too!
All this and the normal updates and maintenance as well. Phew!!
Good Friday
Really moving services last night and this morning - looking forward to a celebration on Sunday, followed by Messy Church.
Nice stroll this afternoon with a select band from church. Didn't really raise a sweat but a very sociable time was had by all followed by a pint of Black Cat Mild in the Heaton's Bridge pub.
OK, I know I should have done this before and that I always tell clients they need to use Facebook, but I have, at last, put the 'Like' button on my site so please like me..............doesn't that sound sad!
Platts Pens
The Platts Pens website is definitely benefitting from some full time looking after. Sales up, views up........everything looking optimistic.
Blog set up on the Leyland Road site too and I've managed to find another blogger!
All this and three approaches from prospective clients this weekend. Things seem to be looking up!
Last day at the shop?
Final clean around tomorrow in order to avoid the dreaded dilapidations schedule. I don't quite see who gains if we return the shop to the grotty state it was in when we took it, but that seems to be what the landlords want us to do!
www.plattspens.co.uk
Finally sorted Worldpay and now www,plattspens.co.uk is fully functional. Making sales and getting plenty of hits. Next stage is making plenty of sales and getting loads of hits!
Also the blog on www.guardiansecuritylocking.co.uk is now active - Thanks Kelly!
Still clearing the Platts shop in Preston but, as the lease expires on Friday, the end is nigh.
Major E-bay success! The engraving machine I put on auction starting at £35 made £158. I can see now why people get a bit fixated with E-bay
Changing Direction
OK, hate the bullhorn but it doesn't want to move! Give up.
This week has been a milestone. We have closed our shop in Preston and transferred Platts Pens on line. Platts has been on Preston high street for nearly 170 years and in some ways it's a great shame to see it close, but, with high rents and business rates, there was no way we wanted to extend our lease. Everyone seems to say they want small independent shops on their high streets, but then not enough people use them. The end result of this is that all high streets start to look the same, with the same multiples and the same high proportion of empty units. So, the next time you complain about how dull your town centre is, remember the answer is in your own hands.
Other Stuff
As you can see this comes under the heading of other stuff. I've just watched Barcelona play at about half pace and beat Bayer leverkusen 7-1 with the incomparable Lionel Messi scoring 5 and it got me thinking. If Pep Guardiola wants a challenge, how about swapping Messi fore Andy Carroll. Liverpool get a regular goal scorer and Guardiola gets to try the im[possible and turn Carroll into a footballer!
New Website
Finally, i've had time to revamp my website! I've done a complete update......upgraded to Joomla 2.5 and added the Easyblog extension which is what is being used here. As ever, setting up e-mail on Joomla was a bit of a pain, but I've found the easiest way is just to set up a gmail account and use that. Hopefully the blog is fully integrated with Facebook as well so my ramblings will be shpwn to the whole world (poor world).
The projects list is getting longer and I'm at present researching the possibility of putting Platts Pen Shop on an Amazon Webstore, so any input regarding that would be appreciated.
Hopefully, I'm going to post on a more regular basis than previously, but I'm making no promises. Any comments will be gratefully received.