I have noticeed a trend nowadays for app writers too rent out their apps at £x a month. This is sheerr greed in most cases. The only legitimate case for this is if they have to rent business premises and employ staff to give massive backup. If this is the case, there may be a fault in the app. Some app writers say its because they have to rent cloud space? Bxlloxxs, what's wrong with a link to Dropbox, Drive, or if you want security, pCloud?

Take an app with 380,000 users containing advertising. They get an ongoing income, probably not that large, but they offer an upgrade for an app with no advertising and some extra benefits for £2.75. Supposing 170,000 decide to buy it as they love the app and want to support the writer. That’s an income of £467,500 – without the advertising income of the non-purchasers.

Now supposing there is a similar app someone is renting at £1.25 a month. Supposing they only have 85,000 users. That is a regular income of £106,250 but this is per month.  One person is paying £1.25 a month which is £15.00 a year. Suppose he uses it over a ten year period? Thats £150.00 you’ve paid. And, overall, the app writer makes £12,750,000 – nice work if you can get it.

Take Quickbooks invoicing. £9.99pm = £119.88pa = £1,198.88 in ten years. And that’s for the app.

My advice here is, do not rent software if you can help it. An exception could be that you are in business and the app will save you more than the cost, and you can write it off for tax purposes.

I have set up and run five businesses in my life, selling them when the work has become boring and there were no more “challenges”. Annual spreadsheets normally show Income and expenditure. Mine showed Income, variable expenditure and fixed expenditure. (as an example, telephone equipment came under fixed and calls – fixed were fixed - line rental which I couldn't control - calls out which I could control came under variable. I never miinded fixed expenditure too much, but came down on variable expenditure hard.

This probably why I detest rental! 

You need to delete your browsers history sometimes!

Updated: Oct 27, 2021

Google Sites deleted my website with them with over 200 articles, and over a thousand followers.

So I started a new website with new articles, and some previous ones I salvaged.

As the address ampers.me.uk was well known, I continued to use that but changed the Google Sites link to the new company website provider.

But as the Google Sites address was still in my history, whenevei I typed in the link it went into a Google site saying I was shut down.

I then found out how to delete my history here: https://brave.com/learn/d

Until then I had to use my second browser, Tor. It's a great browser if you want total secrecy but much slower than Brave, my normal browser. 

A Great Filing System

Note: The system I am about to describe may reduce your filing system from a four drawer filing cabinet to a two drawer cabinet. First the more complex manual system, then a far more simple computerised version.

When I was in the Army, I was posted to Paris during late 1959, and noted the British Army filing system was totally different from any I had seen.

And if you want to try this manual system out, you need to purchase two hardbacked A4 Exercise books, one of which should have an AtoZ index. It is important to buy very good books as the latter, especially, will have a lot of use. However, this can all be computerised as I explain at the end. But first you should know how the manual system works.

The first step is to place an empty file folder into the cabinet. Do not label the index tab at this point.

In the plain exercise book, in the left hand margin, add numbers downwards from 1 onwards to the end of the page.

If, for example, you want to use the name “Amazon Purchases” put it in the first folder under the number “1”. At this stage you may want a coloured sticker to write the document number on so it stands out when you stick it in the folder.

In the first exercise book, against the figure 1, write Amazon Purchases. This book is for all your files in number order.

In the second (indexed) exercise book, under A write: 1 - Amazon Purchases. Then under P, write: 1. Amazon Purchases.

It really is that simple.

In the filing cabinet, you will see the number of documents in each file folder. One folder may have 1-10, the next folder may have 11-25 and the third folder may have 26-26. Each folder will be filled and if there is a thick folder for one subject, it will have a number all to itself.

If a folder is filled up, and you have another document for Amazon Purchases which you have to put in another folder, go to the plain exercise book, put in the number (say 35) and write that in. Then go to the tabbed exercise book, and after 1 – Amazon Purchases, add & 35, (Amazon Purchases & 35,). The comma after 35 is in case you have further documents to enter.

Note, if you know you will receive a lot of ongoing documents, you will leave space in the file folder.

It worked well in the late fifties, but I guess the army will all be computerised now. Instead of the two exercise books, it would be easy to computerised such a system, and with computer search facilities, you would only have to enter the file name once.

A computerised spreadsheet would be easy to set up? 

Field one:  Document number

Field two:  Full document name

Field three:  Folder number

Field four:  File cabinate drawer (for larger systems)

An extra field for notes might be useful but optional.

I prefer the manual system, if the computer is down...

Requesting information or complaining

Updated: Dec 22, 2021

Nowadays, companies save on staff and the recipient of your communication is inundated with letters and emails every day.

There seems to be a collective way they all answer letters once a human eventually writes to you. They pick one point from your letter and just answer that - if you're lucky!

Next time you have an issue, try this.

Dear Sir or Madam,

PREAMBLE

I received by order of a gross (144) of your yellow widgets, your reference C10000GB762 refers. There were three issues with the delivery.

ISSUE ONE

.Four (4) of these were damaged.

ISSUE TWO

Seven (7) were orange in colour.

ISSUE THREE

There was a used condom inside the box.

REQUEST FOR YOUR ACTION

1. Replace the eleven (11) items which were incorrect.

2. Ask the lady recipient of Issue three to bring the replacements in person.

Yours faithfully

If a request for information, change ISSUE ONE to REQUEST ONE. Remember your objective is to get ALL requests for action or information answered.

If writing a general letter of complaint, use a little humour and list all the points in chronological order. Do not try and belittle the recipient of your missive! 

Exposing Pyramid and replacing MLM. 

Updated: Dec 26, 2021

First of all, I don't do either of these but I have investigated both World wide.

Pyramid selling is illegal in the UK and the Collins English Dictionary © 2000 defines it as:

[noun] A practice adopted by some manufacturers of advertising for distributors and selling them batches of goods. The first distributors then advertise for more distributors who are sold subdivisions of the original batches at an increased price. This process continues until the final distributors are left with a stock that is unsaleable except at a loss.

Before we go on to multi-level marketing I wish to point out that I am fully against Pyramid Selling. However, it is worth noticing that this method of selling applies to our high street shopping. Let me explain; the manufacturer sells to the distributor who then adds his markup. He then sells to the wholesaler who, in turn, adds in his profit margin. The goods finally reach the shop who also wishes to add in his margin. However, like Pyramid Selling, he often finds that many of his customers find the goods too costly and has to introduce regular “sales” so that he can dispose of stock thus earning much reduced margins. This is, however, not banned by the government.

Under certain conditions, multi-level marketing is allowed in the United Kingdom, you can read the Governments stance in Appendix A.

As far as I can ascertain, MLM started in Japan where it still flourishes today, it was then imported to the United States, and subsequently to Europe. Once again I will nail my colours to the mast. Whilst MLM is not for me, I do not condemn it if it is worked properly. However, because of the very nature of the English, they do not do it properly.

Again, I'll explain; the secret of MLM is to keep everything simple and easy, and work at it over a number of years before you have any expectations. But in this country the English cannot do this, first of all, they make it more complicated because they are embarrassed to think their friends might see they are in a “no-brainer” (as our American cousins would say) occupation. Secondly, they see this as a vehicle to get rich quickly. Because of these two points, MLM will never be successful in these islands. In fact it is already too late as the method has already got too much of a bad name.

How should it work then? Well, the general idea is that you join the organisation, paying the minimum fee for the minimum stock. You may be persuaded to buy in at a higher level to make a larger profit, but don't, the system may not work for you! Be content and ignore all attempts for people higher up in your “line” to recruit more people. This is fatal at this early stage. Keep your day job and spend, initially, just one evening a week selling product. If this works for you, increase your time selling until you have a reasonable spare time income. Allow a year or two for this. During the end of the second year you will have made quite a few friends from your customers - if you try to recruit too early, you will quickly lose those friends. And do not try to recruit your other friends (non-customers) at this stage.

When someone joins you to have a go at selling, go out with them, forsake your profits and help them to sell and expand their business. When you feel you have trained them well, only then look at your other customers for the next recruit. Repeat this until you have no more than five recruits. Allow another year or so for these actions.

In your fifth year, go back to your first recruit and help him train one of his recruits. Repeat this with his second recruit and then go on to your second recruit and repeat the process. In your seventh year you might then be earning enough to leave work. However, because you have done everything properly, you may not have enough to do and might well want to keep your day job.

But by the time you are ready to retire from work you may have a good pension coming in.

This is how multi-level marketing should work. And it all sounds very rosy doesn't it? Well, the reason only one person in a thousand really makes any money in this game is because of luck, or they also discovered early that the only way to do it is slowly and by hard work. If you feel it is a get rich scheme you are almost bound to fail.

Do not approach anyone you have known outside of your new business for a few years. When they ask you where you got the money to buy a larger house and a bigger car, that is the only time to tell them. This way you will keep your friends and will not lose your credibility.

My advice is, if you want to go ahead and try your luck, don't! But if you don't heed this very good advice, then at least do it slowly and don't be in a hurry.

Appendix A

What rules regulate trading schemes such as pyramid selling?

Trading schemes may be called direct selling schemes...

The Stationery Office

What rules regulate trading schemes such as pyramid selling?

Trading schemes may be called direct selling schemes, network marketing, multi-level marketing or multi-level franchising, and they are all covered by the Fair

Trading Act 1973, as amended by the Trading Schemes Act 1996, and the

Trading Schemes Regulations 1997. Participants in such schemes are self-employed.

It is a criminal offence to persuade someone to pay into a scheme by promising them benefits if they recruit further people, although recruitment rewards can be given. A scheme must also legitimately be selling a product or service.

Advertisements about a scheme must conform to the general advertising code of practice and must also show the name and address of the promoter, the product or services covered by the scheme, and a warning saying: " It is illegal for a promoter or participant in a trading scheme to persuade anyone to make a payment by promising benefits from getting other people to join a trading scheme. Do not be misled by claims that high earnings can be easily achieved ".

A promoter must give participants a written contract setting out their rights and obligations. This contract is only binding when signed by the participant and the promoter must not accept money before it is signed. The contract must include

Participants have certain rights after they have signed the contract. In the first 7 days the scheme can legally bill them for no more than £200 in total. They have the right to cancel their contracts within 14 days of signing and come out of the scheme. The termination notice must be given in writing, goods can be returned at the participant's expense and the money for the goods reclaimed by the participant. However, if the goods have been allowed to deteriorate, the promoter does not have to give a refund and can levy a reasonable handling charge for repacking opened goods. These rules are in addition to participants' rights under the Sale of Goods Act.

Commission already paid to a participant on goods which have later been returned can be recovered if promoters have made such circumstances clear in the contract. However, once a contract has been ended, promoters can only reclaim commission if it was paid within the previous 120 days.

Promoters can include non-competition clauses in contracts which means that participants terminating their contracts cannot set up a competing business. 

If you are on Android, there is a very useful app called Pure Writer and it is useful whether you are writing a book, a review, or a long article.

Before I explain the app in detail, I'll explain how it has helped me. I started writing my book a year ago, and until last month I had only written five chapters. Since downloading the app, I have written twenty sections in a month. Well not exactly chapters. I divide chapters into sections.

Everybody has a different way of working. I work on a definitive idea of the entire book in my head first. From the end of chapter five, I approach my writing a different way because of this app.

First I add each section with a few words heading the section. Then I go through each section writing the gist of the section (an A4 page or two) and when I have the book mapped out, I go back and start fleshing out the story in full. It is going to take me no more than six to eight weeks to finish.

The program is not terribly intuitive, so it may take you a day to suss out how it works, but it's really worth the effort. The cost? You can do a lot of it without paying, but if you get around to paying, it's twenty-five pounds - a one off payment. As I write articles, and am now writing books, I paid and never regretted it.