Number 75 Design

Number 75 Design ”Looks nice” isn’t a small business strategy. You want freedom, profit & ease, we build the plan, brand, website & tools to get it. Start with The Blueprint...

For the record, I’m not banning outreach…I’m banning that strange little performance where we send a sales message and p...
01/09/2026

For the record, I’m not banning outreach…

I’m banning that strange little performance where we send a sales message and pretend it isn’t a sales message.

You can sell me something, I’m an adult.
I know how businesses work.

Just talk to me like a person, have a reason for choosing me rather than the next 400 people on your spreadsheet, and if I don’t reply…

I probably haven’t been kidnapped.

Anyway. I’ve made a list.

What else is going on it? 👇

Your homepage has ONE JOB…Nope, it’s not to squeeze every single thing you’ve ever done, won, sold, believed in or been ...
26/08/2026

Your homepage has ONE JOB…

Nope, it’s not to squeeze every single thing you’ve ever done, won, sold, believed in or been vaguely associated with into the first 14cm.

It’s to make the right person realise that they are in the right place, and then make them want to keep going.

THAT’S IT.

When did we all collectively decided there is A Correct Homepage Formula™ and just merrily fill in the boxes?…

Your homepage is probably the most valuable bit of digital real estate you own so for the love of tiny scrolling carousels, do something with it!

Anyway, the completely unqualified Homepage Police have completed their inspection.

What did I miss? 👀

Oh, networking. You were NEVER getting away with it…😂Despite finding ‘people-ing’ challenging at times, I do bloody love...
23/08/2026

Oh, networking. You were NEVER getting away with it…😂

Despite finding ‘people-ing’ challenging at times, I do bloody love meeting people. I even created an entire small business community (here’s looking at you Lincs Small Biz )…

But in the “business world”, hanging with nice people became elevator pitches, referral quotas, tactical seating plans, 7am breakfasts and telling 36 strangers what your superpower is.

WHY DID WE MAKE IT SO WEIRD?

I want a coffee, a decent conversation and to accidentally spend 45 minutes talking to the same person if I wanna.

So. The clipboard is out.

What are YOU banning from networking?

(And please be weirdly specific, I’m VERY MUCH enjoying the comments section my friends!!! 😂)

LinkedIn, we need to have a word.Controversially, I actually LIKE LinkedIn (stay with me people, hear me out!)But when w...
19/08/2026

LinkedIn, we need to have a word.

Controversially, I actually LIKE LinkedIn (stay with me people, hear me out!)

But when was the meeting where we all agreed that the moment we log in, we must stop talking like normal human beings? What happens to us over there? 😂

Suddenly everyone is humbled by awards, delighted to announce new jobs, and having astonishingly convenient conversations with strangers in Tesco about the exact subject they sell consultancy in.

And absolutely nobody can just go for a walk anymore… it’s CEO thinking time.

So, in the latest instalment of Things I’d Ban If Anyone Were Foolish Enough To Give Me That Kind Of Power…

LinkedIn. You’re up.

And before anyone comes for me… yes, I’ve definitely done some of these. I contain multitudes and old LinkedIn posts I’d rather nobody found.

Right then, what have I missed?

I have a sneaky feeling there’s a Part 2 in this and I’m on it already!..

This came directly from a comment somebody left about the things we been sold as “just how you do business”…“I’m guilty ...
16/08/2026

This came directly from a comment somebody left about the things we been sold as “just how you do business”…

“I’m guilty of so many because I thought I had to do them.”

The amount of stuff we’ve all apparently been sold as “just how you do business” is quite spectacular.

We forgot to ask,
…says who?

I have broken an embarrassing number of these rules myself, btw. I’m not standing on the moral high ground. I’m down here with the rest of you, clutching an unused lead magnet and wondering why I bought a CRM. 😂

So what have you been doing because you thought you had to?

Please tell me, I suspect we’re going to need a bigger list…

Apparently I had more…Of course I flippin’ did. 😂 Marketing has got a lot to answer for.
(Some of these may feel uncomfo...
13/08/2026

Apparently I had more…

Of course I flippin’ did. 😂 Marketing has got a lot to answer for.

(Some of these may feel uncomfortably familiar and that’s fine. I’ve committed several of the offences myself.)

However, please consider this your permission slip to ignore at least 83% of the sh*t you’ve been told you have to do.

Anything I’ve missed? I’m sure there’s a whole load more!…

Apparently I had more…(Of course I flippin’ did. 😂)Marketing has got a lot to answer for.
(Some of these may feel uncomf...
13/08/2026

Apparently I had more…

(Of course I flippin’ did. 😂)

Marketing has got a lot to answer for.

(Some of these may feel uncomfortably familiar and that’s fine. I’ve committed several of the offences myself.)

However, please consider this your permission slip to ignore at least 83% of the sh*t you’ve been told you have to do.

Anything I’ve missed? I’m sure there’s a whole load more!…

Well. Here we are again! 😂THE BANNED LIST: PART 4.And this time I’m coming for your About page.FYI, your About page isn’...
11/08/2026

Well. Here we are again! 😂

THE BANNED LIST: PART 4.

And this time I’m coming for your About page.

FYI, your About page isn’t actually there so I can learn your favourite biscuit and what you wanted to be when you were seven.

I’m there because I’m trying to work something out…

Do I like you?
Do I trust you?
Do you get me?
Are you actually bloody good at this?
And ultimately…
Do I want YOU?

Because I’ve probably got six other tabs open containing people who technically do exactly the same thing.

THAT’S what your About page needs to answer.

Personality? LOADS OF IT PLEASE.
Your story? Absolutely, if it tells me something that matters.

Random facts because someone once told you they make you “relatable”?
Chuck ’em in the bin.

Anyway. I’ve now banned things from websites, brands, marketing AND About pages, I’m enjoying this too much.

What are YOU adding to the banned list?

Apparently nobody has staged an intervention yet, so…THE BANNING SPREE CONTINUES. 😂Part 3 and I’m coming for you marketi...
09/08/2026

Apparently nobody has staged an intervention yet, so…

THE BANNING SPREE CONTINUES. 😂

Part 3 and I’m coming for you marketing…

(Before anyone gets fighty, I am absolutely guilty of some of these…)

I have created a lead magnet and I have announced things with entirely unnecessary levels of excitement.

But don’t you think, small business marketing has just become this enormous bloody to-do list we all apparently have to complete before the Instagram teacher comes round with her clipboard!!??

Post consistently.
Educate.
Add value.
Make reels.
Build a funnel.
Start a newsletter.
Feed the algorithm.
POINT AT THE FLOATING WORDS.

People, we don’t HAVE to do it this way!!!!!

Marketing is just getting the right people to notice you, remember you and think “OH. I like them.” That’s it!

You’re allowed to have fun with it, you’re even allowed to have opinions and SHOCKER… you’re allowed to IGNORE half the things the internet says you must be doing.

Anyway.

My completely unsolicited reign of terror continues…

What are YOU banning from marketing?

(And if anyone says carousels, I will obviously be deleting your comment. 😂)

This is (Steve). One of those clients you finish working with and then quietly brag about for the next two years…I’m wr...
23/04/2026

This is (Steve). One of those clients you finish working with and then quietly brag about for the next two years…

I’m writing this post instead because I got distracted reminiscing about how good this project was!

When Steve came to us, he had a great foodie business but his brand and focus was doing him a dirty. It was all too generic, too safe… the kind of offer that could’ve belonged to anyone flogging a sandwich or a buffet for your nan (no shade nan, he’ll still rock your shindig!).

We ran him through our Blueprint and found ‘the thing’. The specific, unrepeatable, nobody-else-can-do-this thing. Then we built everything around it the brand, the website, the voice, the look, the offers, the attitude, the plan, the whole lot, so the second anyone landed on his world they knew exactly what they were getting and exactly why they wanted it (and Steve knew exactly who he is!).

Check out his website too, there’s no boring buffet branding to be found!

Now he’s booked out, turning work away and charging what he’s actually worth. And importantly, confidently sounding like himself while he does it.

This is what happens when you stop trying to appeal to everyone. The Food Dude, Steve, you’re a legend. 👊

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