Robert Nott Practical insight for UK businesses and collaborators.

Robert Nott

Practical insight for UK businesses and collaborators.

Latest Articles

Practice Management

Five Places a Warm Introduction Goes Cold — and Who Should Own the Journey

Referrals rarely fail at the pitch. They stall in the quiet gaps between a friendly introduction and the first invoice — and those gaps are almost always unowned. This piece maps the five handoff points where UK professional firms lose warm leads, sets out a one-page tracking sheet, and argues that every referral needs a named custodian.

Raising Fees in the New Year Without Losing the Room
Opinion and Commentary

Raising Fees in the New Year Without Losing the Room

Absorbing another year of cost increases is a decision, not a deferral — and usually the more expensive of the two. This piece sets out a workable sequence for UK service firms: segment the client base, time the letter sensibly, script the call, and resist the instinct to apologise for a price that has been properly calculated.

The Ledger of Unmade Calls: Confronting Decision Debt in UK SMEs
Opinion and Commentary

The Ledger of Unmade Calls: Confronting Decision Debt in UK SMEs

Postponed pricing reviews, delayed hires and deferred client exits do not disappear; they accumulate as decision debt. This practical commentary explains how UK owner-managers can expose the backlog, audit the cost of delay and introduce a lightweight decision log before urgency makes the choices for them.

The Boardroom Triage: Three Questions That Keep UK Owner-Manager Meetings on Time
Practice Management

The Boardroom Triage: Three Questions That Keep UK Owner-Manager Meetings on Time

Many UK SMEs do not need longer board meetings; they need a tighter structure. This practical guide sets out a ninety-minute agenda built around three questions, supported by a mandatory pre-read, a decision log and a follow-up rhythm that prevents the meeting drifting back into status updates.

Beyond the Demo: How UK Small Firms Can Escape AI Pilot Purgatory
Opinion and Commentary

Beyond the Demo: How UK Small Firms Can Escape AI Pilot Purgatory

UK SMEs have not lacked AI experiments; they have lacked a route from experiment to evidence. This article sets out a three-stage framework for turning isolated trials into measurable business value, with a readiness checklist written for owner-managed firms rather than enterprise technology teams.

The First Thirty Days: A Client Onboarding Playbook for UK Consultancies
Practice Management

The First Thirty Days: A Client Onboarding Playbook for UK Consultancies

Scope creep rarely begins with a dramatic request; it begins with an unrecorded assumption in the first month. This playbook sets out a thirty-day onboarding structure for UK professional services firms, covering kick-off, communication rhythms, mutual expectations and a practical checklist to reduce unbilled work.

Five Things to Agree Before the Handshake: A Blunt Guide to UK Collaboration
Opinion and Commentary

Five Things to Agree Before the Handshake: A Blunt Guide to UK Collaboration

'Collaboration' has become the most overworked word in UK business, and it frequently conceals an unresolved commercial relationship. Before the handshake, five things need to be settled in writing — ownership, liability, payment, client control and exit. Here is why, and how.

The £50,000 Line: A Five-Point Readiness Check for Making Tax Digital
Tax and Compliance

The £50,000 Line: A Five-Point Readiness Check for Making Tax Digital

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax has been live since 6 April 2026 for sole traders and landlords with qualifying income above £50,000. This plain-English readiness check walks through the five things that actually decide whether the regime goes smoothly or becomes a recurring headache.