We assist small businesses to define and refine their processes, plan and build their web presence using current and emerging technologies.
We provide ongoing support and advice to assist businesses to
maintain and grow a crucial path to market and focus on growing your business
This last week or so, my team and I were working on generating some marketing materials so I could attend a busines expo here in Ravenshoe. It meant that some of the team have been working extra hours for me.
I ASKED them to do the work and I expected that my invoice for this last week would be higher. No issues there.
It got fed back to me that one of the team was concerned about the hours they were racking up and what they would have to invoice me for the work. It was a lot of hours.
Now, I've been in that position with my own clients. They keep asking for things, I do the work and submit an invoice. However, sometimes my tummy does flip flops as I worry if they'll be upset with the amount! I'm sure we've all been there an will be there again.
The question is, can you alleviate that?
The answer to the question I just posed is ... yes and it's it sort of a simple answer with the execution being perhaps a little more difficult.
The answer is COMMUNICATE. I know right? Simple. Just talk to your client. "Hey, just letting you know that this work we've already done is some many hours and we've got xyz things left to do. Did you want me to keep working on those this week, is there something that you'd like me to give more priority to, etc etc etc."
That does a couple of things. Firstly it lets your client decide if the budget can stretch for this time period and the priority of the things left to do. Secondly, it says that you're responsible and you care about their business too.
It really is a win / win.
Now, you might that the client is a bit ... surprised ... by how much time has been spent and that's ok - that's why we communicate. Managing perceptions is the other side of the coin here. It's difficult to understand how much work goes into something, if you're not familiar with doing it yourself.
By going back and giving your client that information, you're also educating them on the value of your work.
Of course, this approach goes to other things too. Asking questions, communicating, providing feedback are invaluable tools to understanding your clients communication style and their business. It also might help them structure requests to you in a way that is clearer and provides the details you need.
Overall, I've found that it makes for a great, long term, working relationship. And ... creates a team!
I'm sure you've all had some experience with this, why not drop over to my LOCALS community and leave it there ... start, or join in, the conversation.
Follow us:
Locals: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.com
Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2198421
Odyssey: https://odysee.com/@askcharlyleetham:4
YouTube: https://youtube.com/askcharlyleetham
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/askcharlyleetham
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleetham
LinkedIn Company - https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-charly-leetham/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/yourbizmgr
Anchor - https://anchor.fm/ask-charly-leetham
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3z49Z4uM8iD3jWFq4jOz8
Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager/id1659738721
iHeartRadio - https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ask-charly-leetham-online-105944212/
Amazon Music -
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/662f1e44-115d-4094-862b-efe9307e0df4/ask-charly-leetham-online-business-manager
Life is busy and there's just so many things to remember. What tools do you use to help you keep on top of ALL the things?
It's easy to react or respond quickly to messages and the like. It's better to do that mindfully. That's why I try to Practice The Pause.
Short answer: Yes — and here’s why.
In today’s episode, Charly explains why keeping your WordPress core and plugins updated is critical to your website’s security, performance, and longevity.
✅ You’ll learn:
- Why updates often contain vital security patches to protect your site from hackers
- How deprecation updates prevent your site from breaking as WordPress evolves
- Why functionality updates bring new features and improve compatibility
- How to manage updates safely (and why you should always have a backup!)
Charly also recommends trusted tools to make update management easier, including her preferred option from WPMU DEV:
👉 https://askcharlyleetham.com/likes/wpmudev
(Charly receives a small commission from sales via this link)
If you’ve been clicking “Remind me later” on your updates — this episode is a must-listen!
Follow us:
Locals: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.com
Rumble: https://rumble.com/askcharlyleetham
Odyssey: https://odysee.com/@askcharlyleetham:4
...
Come and join me in playing the Gratitude Game.
Share in the comments below, one thing EACH DAY, that you're grateful for.
It can be as simple as "I'm grateful for being able to move my body" or "I'm grateful to have food to eat".
The idea is to remind ourselves, that no matter how difficult business (or life) gets, we have something to look forward to. I'll start
I'm grateful to have people around me who support me.
Need to keep your WordPress site out of Google search results — temporarily or permanently? In this quick tech tip, Charly shows you how to prevent indexing using the Site Visibility setting in WordPress.
✅ You’ll learn:
-
Where to find the “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” option
-
What this setting does and doesn’t do
-
When to use this (e.g. during development, staging, or pre-launch)
-
Why this isn’t a foolproof long-term SEO strategy
If you're building or testing your site and want to keep it private from search engines, this episode is a must-hear.
Follow us:
Locals: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.com
Rumble: https://rumble.com/askcharlyleetham
Odyssey: https://odysee.com/@askcharlyleetham:4
YouTube: https://youtube.com/askcharlyleetham
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askcharlyleetham
Twitter: https://twitter.com/yourbizmgr
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ask_charly_leetham
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charlyleetham
LinkedIn Company: ...
