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Meta Has Taken Your Placement Controls. Don't Hand It Your Wallet Too.
Meta has quietly removed your power to exclude ad placements. Here's where your budget goes now, and the seven moves that keep it working for you rather than for Meta.
Ranking #1 on Google Is Worth Less Than You Think
Your SEO report says you're number one, yet the phone isn't ringing. Here's why Google's AI answers changed the game, and how local businesses get named in them.
The Growth Ledger (5th October) Meta's new AI agent wants your Stripe login (for free)
Meta's just handed small businesses a free AI agent that can run your ads, flag dodgy expenses and reply to your customers. It plugs into Shopify, QuickBooks, Stripe and more, and asks for a fair bit of access to do it. In this week's Growth Ledger, I look at what it's actually asking for, and why I wouldn't connect anything sensitive to it just yet.
64% of UK Small Businesses Have No Marketing Plan - Are You One of Them?
64% of UK small business owners have no documented marketing plan. Here's what that's actually costing North Hampshire businesses, and how to quickly fix it.
Forget Going Viral - Why Community Beats Reach on Social Media in 2026
Chasing viral trends can actually backfire for small businesses. Here's what's replacing it, and why it suits North Hampshire businesses better anyway.
Why Your Google Rankings Have Been Jumping Around Lately
If your Google rankings have moved for no obvious reason lately, you're not imagining it. Here's what's actually changed, and a free new way to check.
Somebody's Getting Rich Off Your Google Ads Budget - And It's Not You
Google Ads can quietly spend your budget on websites built only to host adverts, not to be read. Here's what causes it, and how to check your own account for free.
How Much of Your Google Ads Budget Is Actually Being Wasted?
Estimates vary, but a meaningful share of most small businesses' Google Ads budget goes nowhere. Here's what's causing it, and how to check your own account.
What Is Agentic Media? A Plain-English Guide for North Hampshire Business Owners
“Agentic media” sounds like sci-fi jargon, but you might already be using it. Here's what it actually means for North Hampshire businesses.
Does ChatGPT Recommend Local Businesses? What North Hampshire Owners Need to Know
Most AI search advice stops at “UK small business.” Here's how North Hampshire business owners can actually get noticed by ChatGPT.