See what I’d fix first

I used to teach Physics. One parents’ evening — I can remember it quite well — I had the full works set up. Low lights, prospective students, parents, everything. A bit of a show.

I splashed some ethanol into a water cooler bottle, let it vapourise, touched a flame to it. At first, nothing much. It goes quiet. Then the oxygen and ethanol hit the right ratio, it turns blue, and a jet of fire goes straight up into the ceiling. There’s a huge whooshing sound. Four ceiling tiles lift in the lab. That had never happened before.

Spectacular. I turned to the room. “Any questions?”

A small lad in the front row put his hand up.

“What’s that scar on the back of your hand?”

That scar mattered to him. Your question matters to you. It doesn’t matter what fireworks are going on in the world. It’s yours.

Tell me what’s bothering you about your business.

One question. One solution. Free.

• I’ll send you a short, personalised video showing what I’d look at first in your business.
• I’m doing a small number of these at the moment — no charge.
• Your website, your situation, your problem. Not a template. Not a checklist. But yours.

Nothing is too daft to ask. I’ve heard them all.